I try to keep my face neutral, hide my surprise, but can’t help but look at Zephyr. Something red at her feet catches my eye. The dark rug beneath her looks wet, the tip of her white shoesmeared with red liquid I can only assume is blood. But it’s the squashed ball with red strings hanging from it that I focus on.
Is that a fucking eyeball?
Zephyr notices what I’m looking at and rolls it back with her heel until I lose it beneath the shadow of a desk.
What in the fuck?
“Right.” I clear my throat and force my gaze to Aurelius. “I wanted to let you know, the girl is progressing as planned. Starting today, I’ve decided to allow her free access to the house. I have a Keeper stationed outside in case she runs, and if she does, all it means is that I have more work to do. It’s just a test. Eventually, she’ll accept her place here, but in the meantime, I’d like to avoid the misunderstanding we had previously.”
“Shouldn’tyoube watching her instead of some Keeper? She’s your responsibility.”
I hold back a sigh and for a moment, just stare.
“With all due respect, sir, I’ve done this about a hundred and fifty times.”One seventy-six. “I’m happy to listen to feedback, but you don’t need to worry… You can trust me to get the job done.”
He says nothing in return. He looks like he can’t wait for the day he gets to murder me.
“I also wanted to talk to you about the mines.”
“The mines?” His brows kiss as his pristine posture breaks for the first time, arms folding in front of him.
“It occurred to me last night that the girl you’ve chosen, and I’m sure many others, would benefit from seeing them. What they want more than anything is freedom, so I think we should allow them to choose between two ranks: the Seraphs and the Dregs… It’s not a lot, but it gives them some semblance of control, and for them, that’s everything.”
He turns his narrowed eyes to Zephyr. I don’t know if he’s exchanging thoughts with her or if he just can’t stomach beingthe one to respond. I’m not surprised he isn’t automatically on board, and if I could find the damn mines on my own, I wouldn’t be bullshitting right now.
Aurelius shakes his head. “We don’t need more Dregs. We need moreSeraphs.”
“Yes, I’m aware.” I try to keep the condescension from my tone. “But I can’t imagine many hundred pound women are going to want to lug around chunks of rock all day. It’s dirty. It’s cold. It’s hard labor. That’s enough to paint the life of a Seraph in a more appealing light, for most women. The ones who choose otherwise…” I shrug. “We just make sure they have a rough couple of weeks to start… They’ll change their minds as long as we paint the life of a Seraph in a better light than the life of a Dreg.”
I could not give less of a fuck, but … it’s not a terrible idea.
Fear works temporarily. But if you can get a person to believe they’re doing what’s best for them? That’s forever.
“And what if theydon’tchange their minds?” Aurelius counters.
I open my mouth, but Zephyr speaks for me. “Wouldyouchoose the life of a Dreg, Father?”
A chill runs over my spine at her voice. Ghostly. It’s odd, coming from Zephyr. The innocence she loves to display disappears in an instant.
Aurelius’s lips pinch, but he does nothing to silence her. No punishment follows. For a man unaccustomed to being challenged, I’m surprised he finds restraint.
Daughter…Wow.
A horn sounds, loud and long, like a tornado siren. We all turn to the window at the same time, though it comes from far away.
Is there a storm coming?
“I think we should pick this up later,” Zephyr suggests to her father before giving me an encouraging smile. He scrubs a hand over his face before leaving without a goodbye.
I watch him go until Zephyr takes my hand. “Come,” she says, leading me from the room. “We’ll walk together.”
Where?
I don’t even ask. I follow while trying to ignore the discomfort I feel from holding her hand. Long, cold fingers sink into my skin, a glossy talon pinching between my knuckles.
“You didn’t mention that Aurelius is your father.”
She faces me with a hum. “I didn’t?”
