“That’s not a reason, that’s sentiment.” Arayik’s voice drips with disgust. “Since when do we let emotions cloud our judgment?”
“Since we discovered that the things we know about women might be a lie,” I answer.
Both men stare at me. The air in the room thickens further.
“What are you talking about?”
I lean forward, choosing my words with care. “She has power, Arayik. Or did you forget she’s an Empath? A strong one, too. Stronger than most men I’ve seen.”
“That’s impossible.”
“And yet it isn’t.” I meet his gaze steadily. “Did we not verify her power the day she arrived? We all felt what she did to you upstairs.” He winces. “That wasn’t some fluke or trick.”
Arayik’s face darkens. “Not one scanner has flagged her.”
“She doesn’t have a chip…” I let that sink in for a moment. “What if she’s never been in the system at all?”
“How is that possible?” Elias asks.
“I don’t know. That’s why we need to talk to her, find out her story.” I look at each of them in turn. “ButI do know that killing her before we understand what she represents would be a mistake.”
Arayik shakes his head. “You’re both losing your minds. She’s a woman. Women don’t have power. It’s basic biology.”
“According to who?” The question slips out before I can stop it.
“According to science. According to everything we’ve known since the beginning of humankind.” Arayik’s voice rises with each word. “Are you seriously questioning the fundamental structure of our society?”
I don’t answer right away. The truth is, I’ve been questioning a lot of things lately. The efficiency of our methods, or the necessity of some of our actions. And not only me…Elias’ struggle has been far greater. He is constantly at war with himself, wanting things to change but unable to fathom not following orders. I was shocked when he informed me of what he saw, and allowed, Ashford to do with those prisoners.
Regardless, it’s clear Arayik will not admit the times she has used power on him. It won’t matter to him that there’s no other explanation.
“I’m questioning whether we have all the facts.”
Arayik stands again, pacing to the far wall. “This is insane. Who fucking cares how she managed to steal a power? The answer to all this remains the same: it’s best for everyone if she’s executed.”
“Arayik, this immediate jump to kill her is foolish thinking.” My arms cross. “I understand you’re upset with her ability to deceive you, but as of right now, there is no suitable reason to do so.”
Arayik stares at the wall, his expression cycling through disbelief, anger, and something sour. “I can’t believe what I’m hearing. You’re willing to throw away everything—our careers,our lives, our families—for some girl who’s been lying to us from day one?”
“We’re not throwing anything away, Ry,” I remind him. This is reaching a point where he will be impossible to reason with until he calms down. “We’re trying to understand?—”
“No.” Arayik cuts me off. “You’re choosing her over us, and everything we’ve built together. The Syndicate will not hesitate to killusif we do not kill her first.”
The pain in his voice surprises me. Beneath the anger and the inflexible adherence to protocol, there’s genuine hurt. We’ve been a team since childhood, the three of us against everyone. And now he feels like we’re abandoning him.
“That’s not what this is,” Elias says, rising. “Arayik, we’ve been friends for more than twenty years. That doesn’t change because we disagree about some things.”
“Doesn’t it?” Arayik’s laugh is bitter. “You’re talking about betraying everything we swore to our fathers to uphold. How is that not a betrayal of our friendship?”
I stand as well—damn this headache. “Because friendship means being honest with each other even when it’s hard.”
“You want honesty? Fine. I think you’re both losing your fucking minds. I don’t give a shit if you want to use her cunt before she dies, but if we don’t deal with this quickly and decisively,wewill end up dead.”
The room falls silent again. I’m disappointed he would suggest raping the girl is why I insist we keep her alive; he knows me better than that. Elias, too.
But he’s not wrong about the danger. If the Syndicate discovers what we know, what we’re even considering, the consequences would be swift and final.
“What do you suggest?” I ask. I know what he’s going to suggest, believing he has the upper hand in the conversation now, yet I want to hear it anyway.
