Blackridge Institute (wlw) - DA 1

Chapter 11

"Hello, Casandra." said Pyrrhus.

"Hello, Pyrrhus." Casandra made no move to step away from the door, even when Pyrrhus waited in amicable expectation.

Finally, he said, "May I come in?"

"Of course. One moment." Cas closed the door, locked it for good measure, and set about throwing mining instruments and minor explosives into Solomon's bags—the one place Pyrrhus would have no reason to be accidentally poking in.

When every trace of their upcoming expedition had been cleared away, Casandra smoothed her clothes down—they were immaculate, but she liked how the fabric felt—and opened the door again.

Pyrrhus looked every bit as pleasant as if he just didn't get a door shut and locked in his face, stepping into the room with idle airiness—he was looking for something.

"How very orderly," he said. "Your partner's doing?"

"Ours," she said, as the other angel stared very hard at some closed folders. His fingers twitched.

The angels started calling Solomon her partner soon after the first time she had sat down with her at the dining hall for company, and no amount of objection could stop it from sticking. So it stuck, and Cas barely minded anymore.

"Welcome to my apartments. What might warrant this visit?" They were all versed in subterfuge, and Pyrrhus no doubt heard the confrontation in those words.

"I like to visit my kin, Casandra. To see how we are all doing." He ran a finger down the spine of a book. "I intended to see Ulysses a few days ago as well, but he wasn't in his room. Haven't seen him since the last meeting, since he missed yesterday's. Unlike him."

Incredibly unlike him, because Ulysses would never miss a meeting. Casandra said, "Neither have I."

"That's a shame. I thought you would know, since your partner was one of the last people he saw before he went off-radar. You felt it, didn't you? Did she not tell you?"

Obvious bait. Casandra was not a fool. "She did. However, the nature of their discussion was not imparted to me."

"And why not?" Pyrrhus turned to face her, hands behind his back.

All angels, when given a body, go just a little crazy about the freedom of self-expression. For example, Casandra wore nothing but suits, even to sleep. Pyrrhus preferred to affect something Solomon always liked to call slutty pirate.

The ruffle-adorned, very deep V in his shirt fluttered as he breathed, slower than any other breathing creature would. He was watching her reaction.

"Privacy, Pyrrhus. She isn't like us. She values her space, as you can see." Cas swept a hand toward Solomon's side of the room, which was heaps neater than her own. "I would very much like to know, but it isn't my place."

Pyrrhus breathed a few more times before replying. "I see."

Clearly he wasn't satisfied with this answer, but he had overstayed his welcome. When he was halfway out the door, he said, "And I heard commotion about the Xate man recently. I don't visit the human apartments, but I thought you would like to know."

"I haven't seen him in some time," said Casandra, who felt the need to defend herself.

"Neither has anyone else. He's shut himself in." And he left before Cas could ask any other questions.

...

When Solomon came knocking, Cas opened the door and yanked her in.

"Okay," said Sol, thoroughly jostled. "What's wrong?"