The ride in the AMMAC — Anti-Magical Mobile Armored Containment — goes without incident. There's not so much as a single word between me, Lindsey, and Draxus as we ride along. I didn't want him to be alone with Lindsey a moment beyond what I could spare for Kam, but I can't think of what to say.

I feel like I'm failing Kam and Draxus with every breath that passes without my speaking, so of course I make it worse to make myself feel better. "We'll be there soon," I say to him.

He doesn't look up. I can't even tell if the way his head bobs is a nod, or just him being jostled by the AMMAC.

More time passes, and the hum of the AMMAC's engine seems to grow louder. "You have failed," it taunts. The humiliation of it makes me want to lash out, to release the pressure around the shard... and Lindsey's right there. Hell, she deserves it more than anything else.

So when we do, finally, make it to Containment, I turn to Lindsey. "We're going to be filing charges," I say to her.

Lindsey ignores me, focusing instead on unshackling Draxus.

I want to rip this damn apart vehicle. I would, too, if the plating wasn't treated to stop exactly that.

When I was younger, Essa — one of the healers at the Guild — taught me how to stay grounded. I try to box breathe, but after a few seconds it's clear what I need is to fight something. To beat something into submission.

If it's not going to be Lindsey, here, it'll be in the interrogation room.

When I go to follow her in with Draxus, only then does Lindsey stop me. "You're not allowed in here," she says.

"I'm his attorney."

"Denman Act."

"The Denman Act says, 'no person suspected of aiding and abetting a monster shall serve as attorney for any monster'. Am I a suspect?"

Lindsey grits her teeth, knowing that she's caught. The Omnibus Reconciliation And Security Reform Act of 2016, championed by Senator Richard Denman, was a cruel piece of legislation that had one goal in mind: to hurt every single former thrall.

But it had one safeguard: public declaration.

"If you thought you had the goods, you'd have me in handcuffs." Lindsey relents, then, stepping aside to let me walk into the room. "Thought so."

I escort Draxus into the room, taking a seat as she shackles him to the table. I'm thankful that I got to punch back. To rip at her wounded ego.

Now I just have to make sure that Draxus gets the representation he deserves. That means stonewalling.

"Don't answer that," I say to him when Lindsey comes at us with another pointed question.

"Well, what will you fucking answer?" she snaps.

I narrow my eyes to slits. "Can we have the room?"

Lindsey stands up. "Fine."

I wait until she's at the door to add, "No cameras, Lindsey. Nobody outside. I'll know."

She flings open the door and it crashes into the wall, causing Draxus to startle. "That's Officer Calligan."

I scoff at it, hoping the disrespect will cause her to overreact.

She wheels around to face me, and the contempt she has written all over her face gives me pause. Just a moment's worth, though. "Is that a yes?"

Lindsey shakes her head, seething, and the tightness in my chest loosens further. "Yeah. It's a 'yes'."

I nod. "Good. Then get out."

She leaves without saying anything else. I wait a few minutes until the recording lights on the camera blink off, then I stand and make my way to the door — just to check if any other officers have 'accidentally' wandered in.

The only person in there, though, is—

"Rory?"

He's paler than usual, and I can tell by the way he's fiddling with his cuff that he's nervous. "Hey. I came as soon as I heard. I..." He lets out a tremulous breath. "Are you okay?"

I shake my head. "Are you?"

"No." He whispers it, soft and sad and full of disappointment.

"I'm sorry about me and Kam, I didn't want you to find out the way you did."

"It's fine."

"No, it's not. I feel awful about—"

"How is he?" Rory meets my gaze, and I finally understand my husband. I finally understand why he doesn't care about me and Kam.

He's in love.

Just not with me.

I should feel less guilty for it, but now I realize he's spent years hurting just like me.

Hurting because he felt like he had to be with me.

I close the distance between us and take his hand in mine.

"I'm going to do everything I can."

"He's not like that. You have to know, he's... gentle."

I pull him into a hug. "I know. He's like you. The first thing he asked was about everyone else."

"I can't lose him," Rory says, and all I can do is try my best to comfort him. I'm not mad at Rory. Not at this. Never at this.

I'm mad that someone's hurt the man I loved, and the man he wants.

I pull back from him anyway. "I have to go in there now," I say.

"I know." He gently pats my hand, his smile sad and small. "I'll watch the door."

I thank him, and head back. I don't know if I can handle this, only that I need to.

For Kam's sake, if nothing else.

"Who was that?" Draxus asks when I've sat down.

"My husband," I say, regretting it immediately.

"Tiana—" he starts, but I hold up my hand.

"He's a good man." It's the truth... or as close to it as I'll let myself get right now. "Let's focus on you."

Draxus waits a moment before he relents.

"Okay, where do we start?"

"I saw you a few days ago. Let's start there."

"Okay."

"Why were you coming to Lis'?"

Draxus squeezes his hand into a fist, then lets it go slack. "I was starting to feel guilty. I hadn't... You have to realize: he was why I got free, but then..."

"Then?"

"I didn't know if he felt the same. For the longest time, I just... kept living. And then he came to see me after I fended off the press for Kam. And he was so charming. Exactly as I remembered. And there was no reason for him to be there. None. Not there with me, when he still had a wife.

And nothing happened, but we both knew why he was there. It wasn't for the flimsy excuse of being there on Adept business 'gauging feedback to current events', but it meant he was there. He was with me. And, at first, I was overjoyed... and then the nightmares started."

The blood freezes in my veins. "What nightmares?"

"Desdemona. I'd be with him, and then..." he trails off, gaze fixed somewhere — and somewhen — else.

Please don't be this. "...And then she'd be there..."

Draxus nods. "She'd burn away at him..." The fear made it all come out strangled.

"When?"

Draxus blinks and looks at me. "What?"

"When did they start?"

"I don't know... A couple weeks ago?"

"And they always end like that? You always see her face?"

"Yes. Why're you...?" Draxus' face contorts, dread and disbelief settling as a grim rictus as he regards me. "You know."

I nod. It's all I can manage. "I'm going to figure this out. Rax, I'm going to—"

"How do I even know that you're you right now?"

My jaw works as I try to form any sound, but words fail me.

He leans forward. "You want me to trust you? Leave. Get someone else."

I'm not even two steps out of the room when Rory catches me, my legs giving out. Every terrible possibility's assaulting me, and I can't stop it.

"Breathe. Remember, like Essa taught you?" Rory's words don't do much. I squeeze my eyes shut, but it conjures visions of Desdemona.

I push free of him and clamber out into the hallway. The noise is too much. Everything is too much. I have to solve this. It can't be Desdemona, and I can't go back there.

"Ty?"

Rory won't let me go by myself. I grab his wrist. "Do you trust me?"

He nods.

I think of a sandy Bermudan beach.

Of a small building just off the shoreline, where Elaine MacGregory — Desdemona's erstwhile apprentice — runs a small business. It requires effort and energy to go long distances, but I pull him with me as my magic takes hold.