“I’m interested in hearing that myself.” A smooth baritone came from behind Gregory as a man stepped into view, his expression placid as he took in the mini standoff.
As he had been the last time Tate had seen him, the Obsidian Lord was clad entirely in black. His cloak made of a special material Tate recognized, one that could deflect most attacks, whether from a blade or something a little more unusual.
In the next instant, Tate and Dewdrop’s accusing stares landed on Night, and he ignored them in the way only a feline could.
That answered why he’d appeared so suddenly. He’d been following Archie—despite every order to the contrary.
Tate looked up in bafflement at the hole. Though how he’d gotten into the secure section of the prison was something she’d dearly like to know.
Or maybe not. She feared the knowledge would turn her hair white.
“Would someone like to bring me up to date?” Archie asked in a pleasant tone that was nonetheless an order. The type that said he might be playing nice presently, but that could change in an instant if they didn’t respond how he wanted.
Gregory reacted first. “They lost a prisoner.”
“Relax, he didn’t get far before he died,” Dewdrop corrected in a sour voice.
Gregory wasn’t listening as he stabbed a finger at Night. “And that ingrate put a hole in my beautiful prison. A hole.”
Gregory appeared more upset about that last part than the first, his face flushing red. He’d been slowly deflating since Archie’s entrance but now puffed up again.
Night watched the warden with a fascinated gaze, like he’d do something to get them in trouble if left untended.
Startled surprise registered on Archie’s face as his attention jumped to Ryu and Tate at Dewdrop’s statement. “He doesn’t mean the man you came here to visit?”
Tate looked away in guilt as Ryu answered after a short silence. “He does.”
Archie fixed an arctic gaze on Tate. “Is this your doing?”
“Why does everyone always blame me?”
“You have a history,” Dewdrop informed her.
“So do you.” Tate paused then pointed at Night. “Him too.”
“We’re not talking about us. You’re our leader. All blame for our actions falls on you.”
Tate choked. She didn’t remember agreeing to this.
“Amusing, but not an answer,” Archie said, not looking away from Tate.
“Why are you only asking me?”
Forced patience chased across Archie’s face. “Because you’re the one who requested the interrogation. An interrogation, I might add, that interfered with my own access to him.”
When put that way, Tate could see why Archie was being so demanding.
Tate glanced at Ryu, feeling a sense of guilt. He gave her a pleasant expression, telling her without words that this was up to her to solve.
Her shoulders bent. “The system went crazy while we were speaking with Christopher. It attacked us and I’m pretty sure killed everyone else. We’re the only survivors. Christopher managed to slip out in the confusion. We tracked him into the tunnels and found his dead body.”
Tate left out the part where he’d passed his memories to her via his palm and the attack from Ai. She had no intention of concealing the second, since it concerned the safety of those in the tunnels, but now wasn’t the time or place.
“You’re telling me three dragon-ridden and a banshee couldn’t stop one full human?” Archie cocked an eyebrow and gave them a mocking smile. “Forgive me, but I’m sure you can see why I find that hard to believe.”
When he said it like that, it was hard to argue.
“You try fighting against a dozen of those sentinels,” Dewdrop grumbled. “We’re lucky we’re still alive.”
