I slept the entire way to Headquarters. When I awoke, I was groggy and disoriented. Henri and Erik had to help me down the ramp to exit the plane. When we reached the bottom, I felt them both stiffen. It took me a minute to react to their change in demeanor. When I looked up, I saw Mac standing several feet away. Donavon was on one side of him, and, to my surprise, Penny was standing on the other.

“Natalia,” Mac exclaimed, moving towards me. His long strides closed the gap quickly. “How are you?” His big, gray eyes were full of fatherly concern.

“I’m fine, Mac. It could’ve been worse,” I reassured him.

“Did you lose a lot of blood?”

“Um, I don’t think so,” I replied, confused.

“No, sir, she didn’t lose much. I was able to stop the bleeding pretty quickly and, of course, I burned everything afterwards,” Henri said, stepping forward.

“Wonderful, Operative Reich. Do you have the information?”

“Of course, sir.”

“Good. Why don’t you and I go back to my room so I can look it over?” Mac suggested. Henri nodded and Mac turned his attention to me. “Natalia, go lay down, and I will come visit you before I leave.”

“Thanks, Mac.” I reached out and gave him an awkward hug.

Erik stood frozen next to me. He kept his face blank, an unreadable mask. His mind was barricaded with thick walls that I couldn’t easily penetrate, but I got the feeling that he was fighting to keep himself in control. I assumed his tension was on account of Donavon’s presence, except I swore the air around his body visibly relaxed when Mac left.

I watched as Mac walked away, Henri following in his wake. Once his father was gone, Donavon rushed forward and wrapped me in his arms.

“I was so worried, Tal,” he breathed.

“I’m fine,” I said, returning his hug. “I’m just really tired, and I missed you so much.”

“I missed you, too.”

Erik cleared his throat noisily, and I pulled back from Donavon. “It’s been a long day. I’m going back to the cabin. You coming, Tals?” he asked.

“I was thinking she could stay in my room for the night?” Penny hurried forward, talking for the first time. “After all, my room is so much nicer, and she can have some privacy and stuff.”

“Thanks, Penny, but I don’t want to bother you or anything,” I replied.

“Oh, it’s not a problem at all. It’ll only be for a night or two, and it will be fun—like a sleepover!” Her bright green eyes were a shining mix of concern and excitement.

Penny had a point; her room was a lot nicer than my cabin. She even had a huge soaking tub in her bathroom. I felt grimy from head to toe and wanted nothing more than to lie down—and possibly take a long, relaxing bath.

“Thanks, Penny, that’d be great,” I answered honestly.

“See you tomorrow, Tals.” Erik left without so much as a word to Penny or Donavon.

The medical cocktail was beginning to wear off, but I still didn’t trust my motor skills. Donavon must have sensed my uneasiness because he immediately wrapped one arm protectively around my waist. I leaned gratefully into him and we headed to Penny’s room. It was a slow trip, made slower because I needed to stop and rest several times.

Penny’s room was located in the largest of the three housing buildings, and the enormous structure contained ten floors. Workout facilities, an indoor pool, and a service kitchen made up the first several levels. The upper floors housed Cryptos, older Hunters, and the Medics. The smaller of the other two buildings contained suites where higher-ups like Captain Alvarez lived and where Mac stayed when he visited. The third building housed the essential support staff: receptionists, cooks, cleaning staff, etc.

The huge glass doors slid silently open as Donavon, Penny, and I approached the entrance to Penny’s building. We entered the cavernous main foyer. A glass ceiling stretched all the way to the tenth floor and skyways bridged the gaps between the east and west wings.

Donavon half-dragged, half-carried me to the west elevator bank. Once inside, Penny pressed six and the elevator shot upwards so fast I thought I might be sick. I scrunched my eyes closed and leaned further into Donavon for support.

The elevator came to an abrupt stop on Penny’s floor. The steel doors parted as a mechanical, female voice said, “Level six.”

Thankfully, Penny’s room was near the elevator.

“Welcome to my home,” Penny said, opening the door using a fingerprint scanner; no doorknobs here. Her greeting was for Donavon. I had been to Penny’s room numerous times.

My entire cabin could’ve easily fit inside Penny’s room. The floor was covered in plush, white carpeting that was soft to the touch. The walls were also white, and Penny had hung brightly painted pictures to liven up the room. Her huge bed was up against the far glass wall. Penny had the glass wall set to show the actual scene outside, but she was able to program the window to any number of outdoor scenes—including snowy mountains, sandy beaches, and flowery fields. My room at Mac and Gretchen’s house had the same technology.

The bathroom was half the size of the bedroom and made of white marble with grayish flecks. She had a large soaking tub with enough room for four and a walk-in shower. The pedestal sink and the toilet were also white with gold fixtures.

As soon as we walked through the door, I made a bee-line for the bathroom, leaving Penny and Donavon to entertain each other. I turned on the gold faucet, waited while the tub filled with warm water, and then added the contents of a small bottle to create soapy bluish-colored bubbles.

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I tried to remove my clothes but found the pain too intense when I raised my hands over my head to take off my shirt.

“Donavon?” I called.

“Right outside the door, Tal,” he sent back.

“Can you come help me?”

I disengaged the lock so he could enter. I sat on the closed lid of the toilet, trying to wriggle my way out of my shirt. Donavon smiled when he saw me tangled in my own clothing.

“Stop, stop, stop. I’ll do it.” He gently helped me pull my arms out of my shirt and up over my head.

“I can do the rest myself. Thanks.” I smiled at him, taking in his clear blue eyes. Suddenly, I didn’t want to be alone. The events of the past day and a half hit home. I could have died. I might never have looked into Donavon’s eyes again.

“Will you sit in here while I take a bath?” I pleaded. I sounded desperate, but I didn’t care.

“Of course.” I could tell by the look on his face that I was projecting my thoughts onto him.

“I know you’re scared right now,” he began, confirming that I was, indeed, projecting. “It’s normal to be scared after what you’ve been through. These kinds of accidents happen all the time. You’ll get used to it,” he continued.

Get used to it? I was pretty sure I didn’t want to get used to being stabbed.

“Turn around so I can finish getting undressed,” I ordered.

“Yes, ma’am.” He smirked.

I stood and untied the drawstring on my pants. Thankfully, they fell to the floor without any further prompting. Getting out of my underwear was tricky, but I managed. No way was I asking Donavon for assistance doing that. The bandages were supposedly waterproof, so I figured I would take my chances and leave them on. I climbed the steps to the tub and lowered myself into the soapy water. My muscles instantly began to relax, and I sighed contentedly.

“You can turn around now,” I called to Donavon.

He walked over and sat on the steps to the tub. “Want to tell me what happened?” he asked, batting at the bubbles.

“Not really,” I answered, but I found myself launching into the story anyway. I talked until the water cooled and only a thin layer of bubbles remained. I told Donavon everything. Well, not quite everything. I didn’t tell him about what Erik did; how he transferred my pain to himself.

I don’t exactly know why I didn’t tell him about what a sacrifice Erik made for me. Okay, that’s not true. I knew why. I didn’t want him to be upset, and I certainly didn’t want to further the feelings of animosity between the two of them. I was careful not to think about Erik’s involvement in my impromptu medical care, and Donavon seemed oblivious to any holes in my story.

After my bath, I felt a million times better and unequivocally cleaner. Penny and Donavon helped me into Penny’s huge bed. I sank gratefully into the soft mattress, letting it mold to my body.

“Want to watch something on the screen?” Penny asked brightly.

“Something funny,” I answered, even though I wasn’t likely to stay awake that long.

“You got it,” Penny replied, a little too cheerfully.

Penny turned on her wall screen using a remote device, clicked through several menus, and selected a romantic comedy about some ridiculous love triangle. I tried to pay attention to the movie, but my thoughts kept straying to Erik. I blamed the drugs. Every time I caught a glimpse of Donavon out of the corner of my eye, I felt guilty, as if I’d done something wrong. I finally started to doze off.

I felt Donavon kiss me on the forehead. “I’ll see you tomorrow.”

I mumbled something unintelligible and fell asleep.

I slept through the night and for most of the next day. When I woke, I saw Penny sitting at her table working on a small portable computer.

“Hey,” I mumbled.

“Oh good, you’re up!” she exclaimed, closing her portable. “How do you feel?”

“I’ve been better,” I said, trying to sit up.

“Are you hungry? I can order us something to eat.” That was another advantage of staying with Penny: room service.

“That’d be great. I’m famished,” I admitted. I couldn’t remember the last time I’d eaten.

Penny used an electronic menu to order us platters of cheesy eggs and buttery onion bread, with a pitcher of melon juice to wash it all down. I carefully climbed out of bed, over the mess of blankets and pillows that Penny had used as a makeshift bed the night before, and made my way to the bathroom. It took me longer than normal to complete my morning routine. When I exited the bathroom I heard Penny thanking the room service deliveryman.

We sat at her white plastic table, and I hungrily devoured all of my food—plus half of Penny’s.

“I can order you more if you want,” she joked.

“Sorry, it’s been a couple of days since I’ve had food that’s not dehydrated,” I replied, embarrassed.

“Want to tell me about what happened?” she asked, her voice softening.

“Not right now,” I responded.

Telling Donavon had been one thing; he could at least relate to what I’d been through. Penny lived a very different life. It was unlikely that she’d ever leave the comforts of Headquarters.

“I understand.” She tried to hide her disappointment, but I knew she was hurt I didn’t want to confide in her. She looked as though she might press the issue but then decided against it.

“The Director sent several Comms. He wants you to contact him as soon as you’re up and moving.”

“Can I use your Communicator?” I asked.

“Of course,” she said, gesturing to her bedside table where the device sat.

I called Mac and let him know I was feeling a little better. He said that he was still at Headquarters and would stop by shortly. After we disconnected, I used mental communication to let Donavon know that I was awake. I told him that I would be back in Hunters Village that night and I would come to see him.

When Mac arrived, Penny excused herself and left us to talk. He asked me about my injuries and for a detailed account of the night we invaded the house. He listened carefully without comment, but I could tell that he was taking mental notes.

“The lab called last night. There isn’t any poison in your blood,” Mac told me after I’d finished my report.

“That’s good news,” I replied, relieved.

“It is,” Mac confirmed, but his expression said otherwise. “There was poison on the blade that Operative Reich removed, however, which was what allowed it to penetrate your suit. Ordinarily a knife of that size would not have been able to pierce the fabric, let alone slice through it.” Pausing, Mac studied me intently. I shrank under his scrutiny. “You are very lucky, Natalia. The adapti-suit absorbed the poison before it could enter your bloodstream.”

“I know,” I said quietly, my gaze focused on my hands in my lap. Taking a deep breath, I brought my eyes up to meet Mac’s inquisitive stare. “It could have been a lot worse. I do understand that. And, well, I’m sorry. I messed up. I understand that, too.”

Mac was silent for several long moments. I braced myself for a lecture, positive that was where this was going. Finally, his steel eyes softened and Mac said, “These things happen. No Hunter, no matter how experienced, can plan for every possible outcome.”

Just to be sure he was genuine, I did a quick swipe of his mind. Mac hated when I invaded his thoughts, but I needed to know the truth. Platitudes and false reassurances did me no good. I needed to know just how badly I’d screwed up, that way I could do better in the future.

Mac was disappointed with my performance. He’d staked his reputation on me being Hunter material, and I’d basically proven that I wasn’t ready for fieldwork. Mac’s displeasure hurt worse than my attacker’s blade.

As though sensing my shame, Mac patted my shoulder and forced a smile. “You’ll do better next time. The important thing is that you’re alive.” Mac stood to leave. “I should get going. Stop by medical before the end of the day. Dr. Daid would like to check your stitches and make sure that you are healing properly. I have spoken with both the doctor and Operative Reich and agree that you are ready to practice again, starting tomorrow.”

I accompanied Mac to the door. “Thank you for coming. I know you are busy and running over here to check on me shouldn’t be something that you need to worry about.”

Mac smiled fondly. “I had other business to take care of, but I did want to hear about the incident from your point of view. I am glad to learn that your injuries were minor. I know Gretchen will be relieved, too. She does worry about you.”

“Tell her I said hello,” I replied.

“Of course. Take care of yourself, Natalia.”