Page 294 of Eight of Swords, Part Two

‘I’m sorry,’ he says after a while.

‘It’s fine.’ Blaire gets up.

‘No, it’s not. I’m sorry.’

‘You’re doing the best you can with what you have, but the less you take care of yourself, the less you really have to give. While I agree in principle that ending things with Julian was necessary, confining him this way will make the inevitable confrontation explosive. And if Danya leaves while you’re still choosing silence, that silence will haunt you forever. I do not want that for you.’

‘Heard.’

‘I know you heard it, so tell me you understand.’

‘I do.’

‘Good. We’ll talk later.’

✴

The more time passes without an attempt being made, the worse Lachlan feels. He checks continuously with Holtz, asking for eyes on more than he ever has in a single night, which means Jules’ privacy has been interrupted at least two dozen times by now for visual confirmation.

It must be driving him insane.

Blaire is right.

Whatever confrontation is building between them is going to be bad.

He stays in Control, watching everything through the eye in the sky and requesting status updates directly rather than going through Rook.

Midnight comes and goes.

Julian stays in his room.

At one twenty-eight, Danya comes by Control to collect the morning assignments. Holtz’s confirmation comes through while he’s reading.

‘Eyes on Cascade confirmed, Kestrel.’

Danya looks up. ‘Is that Holtz?’

‘Yeah.’

‘I just came from the garage. He was there.’

‘Why?’

‘Strickland took car seven for a run to check a steering fault.’

Rook is already pulling up the Cove cameras.

‘I didn’t authorise that,’ Lachlan says, instincts coiling.

The screen shows Julian’s door… unguarded.

‘Fuck. Holtz, come in, this is Kestrel.’

Holtz responds without delay, giving an answer Lachlan didn’t ask for.

‘Eyes on Cascade, Kestrel. Eight bells.’

‘He’s not even there,’ Rook mutters, typing fast.