Chapter 22
"The recording needs to be transferred tonight," Ryder says.
We're moving through the academy's lower corridor, the four of us, and he's already three steps ahead of the rest of us.
"Before the containment order reaches the security office.
" "I said done," Malik tells him. "It takes ten minutes with the right matrix anchor.
I have one in my room." "Then we're going to your room first." Ryder doesn't slow down.
"After that, I need you both—" he means Sage and Malik— "to stay off the east corridor until morning.
If the security team starts running names against the perimeter logs, I'd rather your movement patterns look normal.
" "And mine?" I ask. He doesn't answer immediately.
That's answer enough. "Wonderful," I say.
"So I'm the one with the problem." "You're the one with a containment order," he says.
"Yes." We split at the stairwell junction.
Sage squeezes my arm before she goes, and I let her, because it's Sage and she'd do it anyway.
Malik gives Ryder a nod that carries the weight of something transactional and not unfriendly, and then they're gone, and Ryder and I are alone in the lower corridor with the ward compound still hanging in the air and my null current still humming with residual charge from the quarry breach.
"You knew," I say. "About the anchor stones.
You've been building a file for three weeks and you didn't tell me.
" "You weren't my first concern three weeks ago.
" "And now?" He looks at the corridor ahead.
"Now we're standing in the same building with a documented Veil breach anchor three miles outside the perimeter, and the Headmaster's signature on two of the incident reports, and I'd rather discuss operational priorities than whatever you're actually asking.
" "I'm asking why you didn't tell me." "Because it wasn't solid," he says.
"I needed the anchor stone documentation.
Malik's recording gives me that." A pause.
"I wasn't keeping it from you to keep it from you.
" "That's very reassuring." "It wasn't meant to be reassuring.
It was meant to be accurate." He finally looks at me directly.
"Go to your room. I'll come for you when Malik transfers the recording.
" "I'm not waiting in my room." "Angelic.
" "You go to your office. I'll follow in five minutes so we're not walking together on the corridor logs.
" I cross my arms. "But I'm not sitting in a room waiting to find out if I'm getting locked up tonight.
" His jaw works. He doesn't argue. That's how I know he's actually worried and not just managing me.
"Five minutes," he says. "Don't use the main stairwell. "