Page 122 of Border Control

Her manicured nails stop their tap. “Oh, now that's done. I forgot to mention earlier, Laura, that some of our best scientists would be delighted to study the mind-sync you've gotten tangled in. Perhaps related to the sync-cancelling technology we’re currently… testing.”

I swallow. Hard. “That's nice, but we can put a pin in that for now.”

“I'm sure they can come up with some kind of solution. Give you back the sanctity of your mind.” She gives me a sharp look. “If I hadn't already seen how your fellow humans are, desperateto secure mates with clones, I might have thought you were being influenced by the Parthiastock’s mind control.”

“That's definitely not what's happening. All thoughts and opinions here are my own.”

“Hm. Still, makes me wonder. I think it will make the Voice in court wonder, too.”

“Are they who I have to convince in Dom's trial?” I ask.

“You'll need to convince all females that it's safe for a Parthiastock linked to a murder to walk around. This case will be broadcast far and wide.”

“Okay. No biggie. I can do that.” Zounds, I'm not a barrister, I do my best work here, behind the scenes, ironing out definitions and painting people into a corner with words, not presenting. I'm going to forget my own name when I'm up there.

I take a steadying breath. It'll be fine.

“Murder?” Shara’s mouth gapes. “Do you mean Katyen?”

“Unless you know of another murder,” Samara replies.

“But the clones were nowhere near her! Katyen was your staunch anti-clone ally, she wouldn’t have entertained clones within the same air-space as her.”

I hold up a hand to Shara. We’ve come so far, we can’t risk Samara lashing out and destroying what I so carefully built. “I’ll see you in court. I’ll be bringing up the fact that Parthiastocks read his mind and uncovered his innocence in the trial, of course. As well as the fact that he was interrogated last night.”

“Yes. And I can supply records of the team’s movements, and Dom’s in particular,” Shara chimes in. “Circumstantial evidence will exonerate him.”

Yay for team Laura-Shara, but Samara looks like she’s going to blow.

“He might not have committed murder, but he allowed her death by not fulfilling their orders, and could be linked to her fate. She died of poison, Shara. A newly discovered poison froma planet these clones had visited, so there would be no chance of a cure.”

If I thought she was frustrated and bubbling before, now she’s boiling over.

“Now we've defined ‘dangerous’,” Samara says, eyes sliding to Shade crawling into my hands. She stands, golden robes sweeping as she moves away. “I’ve entertained this for long enough. This is a matter of national security, and I am the elected official here. Shara may have her popularity and you might be fashionable, human, but I'm the only one with true power here.”

Her voice rings around the room, echoing. I cling to the arms of my seat so hard the metal creaks.

She’s bluffing. If she was the only one with power, she wouldn't entertain this trial at all.

But now’s not the time to call her on it. I keep my tone light. “We’ll let the data speak for itself. For what it’s worth, I’ve enjoyed our conversation.” My pants are probably engulfed in flames right now for the flagrant lie.

Samara’s face hardens, and Shara watches her intently, waiting.

“Good,” Samara finally says, leaning back, her smile icy.

I won’t let him down.

Samara smirks. “I hope you’re ready, human.”

Meeting her gaze without flinching. A flicker of warmth brushes my mind: the faintest connection to Dom through the mind-sync. He’s waiting for me, relying on me, trusting me.

“Don’t worry. I will be.”

THIRTY

DOM

The chains rattlewith every step, heavy and cold against my wrists. The collar around my neck clings to my scales, making them sweat. It rattles and hums, pumping out some kind of signal that scrambles my own. I can’t reach out to brush anyone’s mind, and I can’t hear anyone if they’re in mine.