Page 16 of Elas

Aeliphis glances at the clock. “His first real shift starts tomorrow, but he has two hours with us today, and I have things to do. Give him a tour of the facility and explain our operations. Also, take him to the admin offices and get his keycard. Themostbarebones access,” she stresses, narrowing her eyes at me once more. “They should havethe order in the system, but if not, have them come to me for authorization.”

“You got it, ma’am,” he says with a two-fingered salute, and she rolls her eyes as she turns and walks away.

“Something tells me she doesn’t like me very much,” I mutter as I watch her retreating back, and Xeni chuckles.

“Hate to say it, but you should probably get used to it. In the cities, our kind comingle with humans more frequently, but around here, our primary interactions are with prisoners. That attack on the convoys affected a lot of us here. Those were our friends, or at least people we’d spoken to in passing.”

I bite at my lip, glancing again towards the closed door. “Chief told me not to mention being a prisoner.”

Xeni rolls his eyes. “Come on, man. It doesn’t take a genius to connect the dots.”

I nod with a sigh and shake my head. “You have no reason to believe me, but most of the people in those cells had no idea the attack was happening. I certainly didn’t.”

“Maybe, maybe not,” he says, those unnervingly pale eyes assessing me. “Don’t waste your breath trying to convince anyone here of your innocence. They’re going to make their own assumptions.”

“What about you? What’s your assumption?”

His head tilts again, that flowing hair falling over his shoulder. “I put weight in actions, not rumors. Not everyone is so open-minded, though. Be prepared. You’ll turn a lot of heads.”

“Great,” I mutter, rubbing at the sides of my temples as the beginning of a headache thumps against my skull.

Xeni nods at the scrubs in my hand. “Change clothes and we’ll get started. Chief won’t want you running around in civies, and it sounds like you don’t need to give her any more reasons to hate you.”

“Thanks,” I mutter, and his easy chuckle relieves a sliver of my anxiety. “Yeah, okay. Give me five.” I tuck myself into a shower stall, tugging the curtain behind me. My back thuds against the wall and I sink onto the bench, resting my face in my hands.

The optimism that’s been fueling my actions all day is now covered in stress fractures, feeling like it might shatter at any moment. I take a few deep breaths, closing my eyes and allowing myself to feel the frustration.

My pulse calms with my steady breathing, and I shove the impending sense of defeat back down. Methodically, I remove Elas’s clothes as I replace them with the pale green of my new uniform. My hand clutches around his shirt and sweats, and I miss their comfort as the cold, unfamiliar cloth sits on my skin. Xeni waits for me in the locker room, and I force a calm smile.

“Ready?” he asks as I slip Elas’s clothes into my locker, grinning despite my apprehension. They take up half the space on their own.

“Ready as I’m going to be."

Elas

Ashimmerofblonderounds the corner and August comes into sight. The knot in my stomach loosens for the first time since I dropped him off, but it quickly twists again when I spot the Cavese following behind him. He’s tall with long hair and wears military-issued scrubs adorned with four rows. Not even an officer yet, but he struts like he has some authority here. I can’t help myself as I push out my chest and flash my rank. His creepy white eyes land on mine, and I swear a slight smirk tugs on his lips as he turns to August.

“I’ll see you bright and early tomorrow?”

“Yeah,” August says, but I can hear the strain in his voice. “Sounds great. Thanks for everything today, Xeni.” The Cavese meets my gaze once more, and this time I’m positive he smirks, dragging his fingertips along August’s forearm before walking away. August doesn’t even seem to register the touch. His eyes are heavy and his mind obviously distracted.

Aeliphis kept me waiting here for an hour while she sent him on mindless errands. It was a power play, but I didn’t argue with her. I gave her the win, choosing to save the tussle for when the stakes are higher. August looks upset, so instead of focusing on her petty show of force, I give him my full attention.

Pale green scrubs make his skin appear even more golden and highlight his physique, the material straining ever so slightly against his strong shoulders. The color fades the brown from his eyes, turning them almost solid green in the early evening sunlight. Blonde hair stands on end, like he’s pushed his hands through it multiple times.

“How was your first day?” I ask, and August offers me a weak smile that only highlights his stress.

“Busy,” he says after a pause. “There’s a lot to learn.”

We step outside and I wait until the doors close behind us. “Made a new friend, I see?”

“Hmm?” he asks, distracted, then shakes his head when my question clicks. “Who, Xeni? Yeah, hopefully. He’s showing me the ropes, but I like him.”

Another pinch of something ugly hits my chest, a protective instinct stirring inside me. “Stay alert around him. Cavese are manipulators by nature. They work in diplomatic and medical positions pretty often because they have a… persuasive ability. They’re convincing, August, especially when something benefits them.”

“Wait… they can control people?”

“Not to that level, no. But they have a certain allure that makes you want to listen to them. If you were already on the fence about something, they could sway youtowards a decision of their choosing. You’ll find they can be very convincing.”

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