He leaves, closing the door behind him with more care than I expected.
I turn back to Cosima, who's already sliding out of bed and heading for the closet where servants left fresh clothes last night. I should get dressed too, but I'm frozen, watching her move through the room with that unconscious grace.
She trusts us.
Despite everything—Azarel's lies, the secrets, the fact that we're about to let doctors poke and prod her head without telling her why first—she's choosing to trust us.
The weight of that trust sits heavy on my shoulders.
"Niko?" Her voice pulls me back. She's standing by the closet in nothing but her skin, holding up two dresses. "Which one?"
I blink, trying to focus on the question instead of the way the morning light makes her skin glow. "The blue one."
She nods, setting the other aside and pulling the dress on. It's simple compared to the elaborate robes from yesterday, just soft blue silk that clings to her curves and falls to mid-thigh. Practical. Easy to move in if shit goes sideways.
Which, knowing our luck, it probably will.
I force myself to move, pulling on my pants and fastening them. My shirt comes next, and I'm reaching for my boots when I remember.
My eye.
I rinse it quickly in the sink. The glass is cool and familiar in my palm as I pop it back into the empty socket, adjusting until it sits right. The relief is immediate, like putting on armor.
When I turn back, Cosima's watching me in the mirror.
Our eyes meet in the reflection, and something passes between us. Understanding, maybe. Or recognition of the masks we both wear.
"Ready?" I ask, keeping my voice neutral.
She nods, smoothing down the dress. "Yeah. Let's just get this over with."
There's nervousness in her voice, carefully hidden but there. My hands itch to reach for her, to offer some kind of comfort, but I don't know how. Don't know if she'd even want it from me. Don't know if last night changed anything on her end, even if it solidified what I've known since the moment I met her.
I'm hers.
Everything I've built, everything I've fought for, everything Iamis hers, and I'll kill every last motherfucker on this godsforsaken blue marble before I let anyone take her from me.
We step out into the sitting room together, and Knight's already there. Looming. Silent. Those burning blue eyes tracking us from behind his silver mask.
I can tell he knows exactly what happened last night.
The three of us. Together.
And he's not attacking, which I'm choosing to interpret as grudging approval. Or at least tolerance. With him, it's hard to tell the difference, even though he’s beenslightlyeasier to read and predict lately.
Geo's there too, leaning against the wall with his arms crossed. His gaze slides between me and Cosima, and I can practically see the question forming in his head as she goes over to Knight, talking softly enough that I can't make out what she's saying as she adjusts his mask and his hair around the straps. His head tilts slightly and she kisses the tip of his nose. Well. The mask’s nose.
"What exactly did you tell her?" Geo asks me, his voice low.
I shrug, trying to look more casual than I feel. "That she needs the exam. That I can't tell her why. That she needs to trust us."
Geo's eye widens slightly. "And thatworked?"
"I was just as surprised as you are."
He opens his mouth like he's about to say something else, but then he goes still. His nostrils flare slightly, scenting the air, and I watch understanding dawn on his scarred face.
Fuck.
