na's

t her ground at the Meridian site. There she was, bundled up in

t parked by the fence. Maybe two hundred folks milling around in the cold, all eyes on the plywood risers set in front of the press pen. Most of them looked bored, but ready. On a folding table near

one had scrawled VISITOR with a

ver when he spotted me, cheeks blazing. "Mr

cting him. "At the en

red, "Yes

on, crooked and unflattering. Wha

was just down from them, poised and unreadable. Vaelora had set up shop near the cameras, soaking in every bit of good light she

elf. Something in the way she angled her face, her hip. When Rykar leaned in, she didn't pull back. He'd say something low, she'd shoot back a joke, a real

ck on a little off-kilter. She must have applied it in a moving c

ad. "Not a chance.

w. "There's room if

in order, Pruitt, Rykar, Elara, Octavia. Lonely number five leaned

how up until this morn

aid enough. She didn't eve

ably trucked in before sunrise. The real ground was solid, poured concrete slab, I knew, because I'd gone through every site

rm, almost tenderly, like she was admiring something new and precious.

dger's woman, rain jacket, phone out like she's hoping fo

and Elara go ba

charm. "We do. Old

etty comfortable u

ess. And that's what really stung, she didn't need to try. She just... fit, like she'd hung her coat at the door and li

Over here. How do you feel about all this attention?" I gave

r by the fence, rusted and blood red. Above us, the crane creaked slowly, swinging

imed her phone at Rykar. She'd been holding this

eth Group wants a, let's say, more aligned imag

see two hundred faces turn as one. Pruitt fixed his eyes on his sho

eyes on Rykar. Not a g

d fall apart. This was the man who once stood in front of a room of investors, call

nd. Then

mera flashes, the press, everything. The plastic helmet stra

h. F

and found me by the fence. He just looked at me, holding

id nothin