BURNED EMPIRE
He hesitated, then nodded, sitting finally in the chair he'd refused earlier, I already had my phone in hand, dialing Priya before he'd even finished settling in, my mind racing three steps ahead toward the test in two days, toward a hearing that had just shifted shape completely, toward a possible ending to this war
George poured Darian a glass of water without being asked, setting it down in front of him with a small nod, and I caught something pass between the two men that looked, for the first time, less like enemies tolerating each other and more like two people who'd finally landed on the same side of something.
Priya picked up on the second ring, her voice thick with sleep, a dog bark