Page 2 of Vanish Into Light

To find a fellow knight right behind her, studying her with concern. It was Sir Theresa Samuels of Green Company. They’d nodded and helloed a few times at the gym, and Rose didn’t think that warranted the way the other woman stared at her now, brows knitted, gaze worried.

“Greer, you okay?”

“I’m fine.”

Her own Company, she saw, noting Tris and Gavin behind her, were watching her with far less concern, and something more like wariness.

~*~

Lance came awake in the helo, halfway back to base. “You need to rest,” Gallo said, and pressed his shoulder back down to the gurney they’d strapped him to for the short flight.

“I’m fine, let me up.”

“Lance. You lost a lot of blood.”

Rose thought she probably should have been the one to feel his forehead with the back of her hand, and shake her head, and keep telling him to be still and be a good patient. But Gallo seemed to have it well in-hand.

And Rose couldn’t have moved closer to him if she’d wanted to, rooted to her jump seat, gaze fixed on the rain-streaked window. She couldn’t bear the thought of meeting Lance’s gaze. Not after…

Welcome to the Round Table, Beck had said, before he’d jumped. She could recall the exact sound of the glass shattering against his horns; the sound of his wings unfurling and snapping on that first powerful stroke.

There were going to be so many questions: from Bedlam, from the General; questions telephoned from Washington.What happened, Greer?they would all want to know.What did you bring into our operation?

“Where’s Becket?” Lance asked.

“We don’t know,” Gallo said.

“Probably still out cosplaying Dracula,” Gavin said, sourly. “Jesus Christ, what was that?” When no one answered him, he said, “Greer, what the fuck was that?”

She turned her head to meet his gaze, and wished she hadn’t. She and Gavin had never been close, but his glare now was downright hostile.

“That was Beck,” she said.

His brows lifted. “I’m sorry, I can’t hear great over the goddamn rotors.That was Beck?”

“Captain Bedlam said we needed a weapon, and that’s what I brought to the table. A weapon.”

“No, that’s bullshit. You wanted your old boyfriend back,” he said, sneering.

Tris flicked at his sleeve. “Gavin.”

“You wanted him back,” Gavin continued, “and you did it on the military’s dime. Don’t pretend it was about the war, or any of us. It was all for you.”

“Gavin.” Lance this time, struggling to sit up, only to be pushed back down by Gallo again.

“My question,” Gavin pressed on, bristling with anger, with a fear he couldn’t quite hide. “Is why the fuck your boyfriend is some kinda vampire-wannabe freakshow serial killer.”

“Gavin,” Lance snapped. “That’s enough!”

Gavin turned away, muttering to himself, but not before one last nasty glare.

Lance tried to catch her eye, his face still too-pale, hair limp on his forehead from sweat.

Rose glanced back out the window.

The rest of the flight passed in tense silence, and when the helo finally touched down at base, Gavin was the first one up, levering open the door before the motor was cut.

Rose started to follow suit, but caught herself at the last second; she should stay with Lance.

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