The cold of the vault had seeped into Elara's bones, but it wasn't the chill that made her blood run colder, it was the words from the dying operative: Mairee knows.
Damien crouched over the woman, peeling off her mask. Her face was bruised, bloodied. One eye swollen shut, lips cracked. A Spiral brand was scorched into her neck.
"She's in shock," Lyne said, kneeling beside Damien. She pressed a stim patch to the woman's arm. "She won't last long unless we get her stabilized."
"Why would she warn us?" Kira asked.
Elara stared at the woman's barely conscious face. "Because not everyone in Spiral follows Mairee blindly."
Nova watched from the corner, hugging her knees. "We should leave. If Mairee knows, she'll send more."
"She won't stop at more," Damien muttered. "She'll send everything."
While Lyne and Damien stabilized the operative, Elara sat across from Nova in the far corner.
"You did well today," Elara said gently.
Nova looked down. "I didn't do anything."
