Chapter 17 · The Dead Courier

"Nia Calder is dead."

The tower speakers crackled. Veyra's voice echoed through the summit chamber, calm and clean, like she hadn't just lied to the entire city.

Nia stared at the black broadcast screen.

Her own face stared back. Blood smeared across her cheek. Hair stuck to her mouth. One eye swollen from the fight below.

DECEASED.

Stamped in red beneath her picture.

"No," Elias said.

He slammed his good hand against the console. The screen flashed, then cut back to Veyra standing in some spotless control room, not even breathing hard.

"—the terrorist responsible for tonight's attack has been eliminated," Veyra told the city. Her voice poured through every speaker in the tower. "Remain inside your districts. Enforcement teams are moving to secure all gates. Any person claiming to be Nia Calder is an impostor and will be detained."

Tavi laughed from the floor.

Thin. Ugly.

"Love being replaced by a fake corpse," he muttered.

Nia turned toward him. "Tavi."

"Don't." He pushed himself up on one elbow. His hands shook so bad his fingers kept slipping. "Don't use that worried voice. I'm fine."

"You're disappearing."

"Yeah, well, I've always been hard to keep track of.