“Wow, man, this is expensive,” Parker said.
“I mean, it’s not my most expensive suit,” Nick said, frowning. That had been a relief after being in the blood-soaked break room earlier.
Parker shot him an exasperated look before turning back to Nick’s suit. “You are incredible. I didn’t even know that they could make threads as sharp as you. It’s like someone sewed knives together, silver knives that could slice through any spellwork coming at it. Luckily, you don’t cut skin.”
Nick felt a distinct sense of relief, even as he was amused to listen as Parker continued to coax his suit into believing it was made of pure, alchemy-destroying silver blades.
“Sosharp,” Parker said, like he was reassuring someone. “The sharpest I’ve ever seen, but only in one direction. Outside in, you know? Inside, you’re still the expensive…”
“Cotton,” Nick supplied. “Broadcloth.”
“Fabric,” Parker said. “Expensive cotton broadcloth fabric Nick bought.”
After another beat, Parker withdrew his hand and examined the suit.
“Will it work?” Nick said.
“Yes,” Parker said, the confidence in his voice almost convincing enough for both of them.
“Okay.” Nick shook his head. “Please don’t turn the rest of my closet into knife suits. I like most of them, and I can already feel that the fabric is more itchy now.”
“Can’t have you dancing like ants are in your pants,” Parker agreed, still frowning. “Nick…”
“Do you trust me?” Nick asked.
“Yes,” Parker said immediately.
“Then trust that I can do this.” Nick caught his eyes and held them until Parker rolled his eyes up to the ceiling. “Okay. Fine.”
Nick reached out, pulling back at the last second before his sleeve could slice Parker’s chest open. “I love you.”
“I love you, too.” Parker went to the bathroom door, holding it open for Nick.
His eyes trailed Nick as he walked to Zahide, who provided him with three picture-perfect circles, then Lawless, who provided him with a respirator that she triple-checked before gesturing to the portable decontamination room.
“Find out what it wants and then get out,” Rios said. “We’ll be watching from the observation room. Don’t make any promises. Treat this like a hostage situation.”
Nick nodded. “Yes, sir.”
Then he unzipped the door, closing it behind him before opening the interview room.
Gile stood in the center of the room, eyes fixed on Nick. “God killer.”
“Detective Nicholas King,” Nick corrected. “Who am I speaking with?”
“Unimportant,” Gile said. “I always wondered how you did it. Would you tell me?”
Nick swallowed. “Did you know Darkness?”
“I knew of him,” Gile said. “We all did. He was the best of them.”
Nick still woke sometimes, clawing at bedsheets too close to his skin, panicking in the middle of the night. Not as often now, but in his nightmares, he was caught back in the time when all he saw was the gray inside people, insideParker.
His therapist said that trauma didn’t have an expiration date. His understanding of what happened would change over time. His emotions about what happened would change over time.
“Who’s ‘we’?” Nick asked. “Are there more like you? More parasites?”
“There are as many of us as is necessary,” Gile said. “And we will do what is necessary.”
