“Be safe,” she had said before climbing into her Pod.
On the way, I observed the surface. The fire had been extinguished, but billows of smoke still swarmed the city, obscuring the view, blending the divides between the different parts of the city until it was one gray blur.
The door creaked open, and Violet and Rose entered, their faces solemn.
“Has your Mate given any details of the fire?” Violet demanded immediately. “Any idea of casualties? The network is down.”
“The grid is fully up,” I told them. It was the only other thing Nora had told me this morning.
“I am talking about the network between supporters, not the Illum’s grid. I haven’t heard from Rajesh.” Bags sat under Violet’s eyes.
“My Mate didn’t say. Only that the Illum are furious. People died, but I don’t know how many casualties.”
Violet sucked in a deep breath, her hand finding her chest.
Rose clutched her arm. “Vi, it was a Reaper-led attack. He would have done everything he could to protect his people. Rajesh is trained for this.”
The fog in my head lifted at her statement. “The Reaper wasn’t down there.”
“Of course he was,” Violet stated. “This was his plan.”
I bit my lip. “He wasn’t. I was with him.”
They fell silent, watching me. Rose recovered first, opening the door to the bathing room, steam swirling. “We must hurry.”
“You were with him?” Violet asked incredulously. “He identified himself to you?”
I nodded.
“That cannot be right,” Violet said. “He would never stay behind for a woman. Nor would he reveal himself to someone tied to the Illum. You’re wrong.”
“I’m not,” I assured her.
“No,” Violet protested. “This is his first successful attack since the Last War. He bested the Illum. He wouldn’t stay behind.”
“He’s still injured,” I confided.
Violet crossed her arms. “He isn’t injured. That was a farce.”
“It isn’t. Also, his success came at the expense of innocent people’s lives.”
“That is a necessary by-product of the cause,” Violet said.
“A by-product?” I ejected furiously. “A by-product? They arehumans.”
“You support him.”
“Maybe I don’t believe in the Reaper’s methods now,” I said plainly. “Maybe I don’t respect him anymore.”
Rose watched me, her body tense. Did she agree with me?
“Respect him? Fledgling, he is taking down the system. He is giving us power.”
“What is the cost of that power? Is the power worth Rajesh?” I demanded. “Is it worth Minors’ lives who had the misfortune of having chips placed in their wrists? He’s hurting people, Violet.”
“So are the Illum!” she seethed. “What is the cost of keeping things the way they are, Fledgling? Women as vessels?”
“That doesn’t make it right.” Why didn’t anyone else see it?
