{Enki | Medical Bay}

Razor tried not to look at the woman glaring at him. He kept diverting himself with instruments around the medical bay, noting Dr. Suarez had yet to dispose of Triss’ body. Meanwhile, he couldn’t touch his own child for the traumatized girl in the next bay, who was dangerous in her own right.

Memory was a tricky thing, and broken people made regrettable mistakes.

Sagan sounded incredulous. “You have some nerve suggesting Bethany might be a danger to Echo. After everything you put her through, you’d think you could find any trace of compassion for another being who wasn’t infatuated with you. Anything, Razor.”

Her disappointment gave weight to the words as the Seamswalker expected human emotions from the least human of all beings in the galaxy.

The only living person who’d ever understood that and might plea a case for him was ferrying Tameka, Xelan, and Dr. Suarez to Rayne for vials of blood.

Rayne.

Razor shook Korac’s head, a tad overwhelmed. He hadn’t imagined it. The stories of Night Rayne—Rayne and Nox’s fabled romance—were rooted in more reality than he thought. Tumu had to have seen it, but none of the rest of the Shadow seemed to know.

Somehow, by some Aegis-level miracle, Rayne had retained both her and Nox’s nacres separate from each other. Mostly. There was some merging, and oh, that would produce some interesting results—

The splinter of fractured tangents in Razor’s mind allowed him to momentarily escape the Seamswalker’s mighty judgment.

Razor tried for reason, keeping his voice nonthreatening and bland to avoid allegations of manipulation. This was too serious to risk on games. “It is only right for that girl to take her vengeance out on me, and my greatest vulnerability is the baby Triss gave her life for. Don’t you see?” He took a step forward before realizing he’d moved and stopped himself from encroaching further. “It’s why I never wanted children. They pose risks and weaknesses I can’t afford. If 32—Bethany ever wanted to repay me, that’s the only way.”

Sagan listened. He saw her following his logic in the frown which scrunched her freckled nose. Saw the frustration in her as she stood and touched her forehead, rubbing it. Still overtaxed despite the blood donation, which was more than a little difficult to remain neutral during. Tameka looming over him as a constant threat was enough to make Razor behave. As a being born without a nacre, he’d yet to experience a power drain, and he respected Tameka because he knew she was likely the only person in the room who wouldn’t hesitate to lay Korac out.

Matt, of all fucking people, stepped into the bay, occupied privately by Razor and Sagan. The human ginger looked quite relaxed and at home with the situation. “Hey. I got her to calm down.”

A feat only possible because Razor had put Bethany and Matt together, but he didn’t expect to receive any credit for it.

Matt folded his arms, leaned against the threshold, and continued with the update. “Bethany left the bay with Lucy. Xelan and Tameka are in there with Echo now.”

“Lucy’s a pretty name.”

Razor stated it as a point of fact, but Matt and Sagan both turned their attention to him slowly, as if they knew he’d meant more by it. The younger man smiled the same congenial threat he and Razor had shared in the past.

It brought up old slights. When Razor had employed Matt at his Emporium of Exotic Experiences, he’d considered the human with an extraordinary gift for violence as a protégé. The betrayal was beautiful and bitter all at once. Staring into that familiar face, Razor considered the circumstances and held out Korac’s hand. “I would have done the same, and I appreciate your style.”

Matt’s smile broadened into a grin. He stepped up to Razor, clasped the extended hand, and kept his eyes on his adversary the entire time with that dead spark in them. “It was Lucy’s style, but I’m glad you’re coming around, boss.” Their hands dropped, and Matt waved at Sagan. “See ya, Seamswalker. We’re heading out to join the games.”

“Thanks, Matt. Tell Lucy I’m glad you’re both okay.”

“Will do.”

Razor couldn’t help but notice how Sagan beamed around the people she loved. Her eyes were bright, her smile open, and her face beautiful. She’d looked at Razor like that before he’d ruined her.

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The Seamswalker devoured another nutrition ration, pacing when she should be resting. She slumped against a wall and gripped her hair, sighing.

Without asking, Razor knew she was impatiently awaiting Korac’s return. He offered, “Not much longer now.”

She shot him an accusing glance. “When we return to the bridge, Xelan will monitor all of your actions from hereon. We’ll let you finish with Ishkur. Then I hope it’s a while before I see your eyes again, Razor.”

Razor opened Korac’s mouth, thought better of making a joke, and closed it again in time for Xelan and Tameka to return.

The young woman went first. “Rayne donated enough blood to refill everyone’s pendants.”

The Pain Curator conceded to the Shadow. Those small Pretiosum Cruors were a brilliant strategy, completely undetected by Imminent.

Confusion passed over Sagan’s eyes. “What about the shield virus?”

No doubt Xelan had an answer for that. It’s one trait Razor liked most about the half-Icarus, who looked happy to say, “The vaccinations prevent us from contracting it. Our nacres will remain viable to upgrades even after drinking Rayne’s blood.”

Tumu rounded the corner. “T.a.o. is transporting them to the Pantheon team now. We should finish with Ishkur while Andrew still has control.”

Tameka glared at Razor as she crossed the room to Sagan. “Here.” She clasped one of those chains around Sagan’s neck. “For in case you pass out again. We’ll give Korac one after Razor’s gone.” So much distaste in such a pretty voice.

Xelan shot Razor a look that was ninety percent consideration and ten percent sympathy.

Sweet Prince.

Razor shoved Korac’s hands into the pockets of his leather pants and shrugged innocently. “Shall we?”

Sagan opened a conduit for them to file back into the bridge. There, Razor rushed to the main terminal with Xelan close by, watching more with curiosity on his face than suspicion.

Tameka announced, “I’ll work on the power transfers to Rayne.” Then sat in a meditation pose to concentrate, her eyes in Atramentous.

Pehton and Iuo followed from a separate conduit, and Razor ignored the sliver of concern for Sagan’s capacity. Instead, he reveled in the activity while he operated the bridge.

Not long now.

“I’ve been observing you with the interface.”

Xelan. Clever, brilliant Xelan. Of course, he’d catch on.

Razor kept his eyes on the controls. “Yes?”

The Traitor Prince’s voice was quiet as he relayed his assumptions. “The Aegis have a beautiful way of naming things.”

Well, that wasn’t what Razor had expected him to say. “We did.”

Xelan turned, planted his ass against the terminal, and folded his arms, staring at Razor. “‘Monarch Hall.’ ‘Feast of Roses.’ ‘Opal Mezzanine’—Yes, I’ve been there. Quite lovely.”

Razor’s concentration suffered under Xelan’s careful gaze. The man was measuring his worth. “What is it, Xelan?”

“What better name for a bridge than the ‘Hall of Dead Kings.’”

Fuck.

Razor almost closed Korac’s eyes and cursed aloud, only it would confirm Xelan’s suspicions.

Xelan leaned closer, appearing outwardly as old friends talking, but his eyes—

There was nothing friendly in them.

So close. Razor was almost done. “Xelan, I need to upload to interact with the internal interface. You’ll never see Ishkur without it.”

The Icarean Prince nodded, intelligence in his gaze. “What happens to your place in the Atheneum?”

This time, Razor cursed aloud. “Damn it. I’m sure you’ve already guessed.” A few more sequences and functions.

Xelan’s voice softened. “You know we’re destroying Enki one way or the other. Don’t you?”

“Yes.”

“And you’ll never escape alive?”

“Yes.”

They both stopped looking at each other and stared at Tameka, Sagan, and Pehton, who were teasing Iuo and Tumu. Happy even amid this chaos because they knew the righteous would win this day.

Xelan asked, “What about T.a.o.?”

Razor’s laughter was bitter, and Korac’s voice conveyed it well. “Don’t worry. I won’t leave without my grand exit. Farewells for all.”

The last sequence.

“You were wrong for so much, Razor.” He met Xelan’s eyes again, and they stared at each other with the last key between them. “I wasn’t aware or here for most of it, so I have this weird sense that I’ll miss the Razor I knew. Like the Triss I knew.”

The Pain Curator experienced an emotion he couldn’t quite identify at the Icarus’ words, but Razor knew what to say. “I’d prefer you remember me that way.”

Xelan nodded in Sagan’s direction. “Say something to her before you complete the sequence. Sagan’s experience with you is so terribly complicated. I don’t want one of my closest friends regretting anything unsaid between you.”

Again, that bitter laugh. “I’m sure it’s only fair to let her say ‘I hate you’ one last time.”

Shaking his head, Xelan stepped away from the terminal, saying, “She never hated you, Razor. That’s what haunts her. You’re her brother-in-law. Fucking act like it.”

Razor shot Korac’s brows up high. Xelan never swore. The Prince crossed the room to Sagan and called her over. In the meantime, Razor digested his words.

What was the value of relationships to a being like Razor?

Triss? T.a.o.? Xelan, Korac, and Sagan? If not for her affiliation with Zero’s youngest son, Razor would never have hurt Sagan in the first place—

But was that true?

T.a.o. was hurt simply by proximity to Razor’s world. The life he led couldn’t shelter innocents.

Haunted.

That was the word Xelan had used, and it was the shade in Sagan’s eyes as she approached. Razor glanced down at the final key and back up into her timid eyes. “Seamswalker.”

“Xelan said you wanted to say something to me.”

That Sagan stood there at all to hear what Razor had to say…

Make it count.

Razor took one step toward Sagan and gingerly took her hand. When she controlled her apparent urge to flinch, he brought her knuckles to Korac’s lips and kissed them. Before he’d destroyed her, it was a gesture of affection between them, and it affected him because she allowed it.

One last time.

Over the Seamswalker’s small fingers, Razor said, “Forgive me, Sagan. When he asks, I hope you say ‘yes.’ I would be proud to call you ‘family.’”

Razor completed the sequence.