Page 54

I caught his arm. The moment I touched him, a faint silver-white line flashed beneath the skin near his wrist.

I jerked my hand back.

He did too.

For half a second, we both stared at the place I’d touched. Then his expression closed over it like ice sealing a pond.

“What was that?”

“Static.”

I stared at him. “You are the worst liar I have ever met. Like ever.”

“I do not lie often.”

“That is not the defense you think it is.”

His jaw tightened.

Good. At least I was capable of annoying him.

I pointed toward the transport. “You said access records. When was I supposedly accessing them?”

“I need to review the timestamps.”

“You already did.” I tilted my head, waiting for it.

“Yes.”

“And?” When he didn’t answer, I snapped my fingers once. “And what? Give me the timestamp, Veyr.”

He went silent. A bad silence.

My stomach sank. “Were they after Sera’n revoked my access?”

He didn’t answer.

“Oh my God.” My voice came out thin. “Oh my God, they were.”

“Talia.”

“Were they?”

He looked away from me for a moment before answering. “Yes.”

Cold spread through me. My hands went numb first, then my face.

“I couldn’t have accessed them.” My voice sounded flat even to me. “The system rejected me every time I tried.”

“I understand.”

“No, you don’t.” My nails dug into my own palms. “No—I mean I literally couldn’t. The system would not let me in. There is no way those timestamps are real.”

“I understand,” he said again, quieter this time.

“Then whoever accused me knows that.” The words came out faster than my mouth could shape them. “They know the system rejected me and they logged accesses anyway—they had to know⁠—”

“Perhaps.”