Before he could leave the consortium, Octavia had informed Malakai of wanting to prepare. Due to that, he'd been forced to wait in the lobby at the bottom floor of the consortium.
Malakai wasn't sure what annoyed him the most: the countless stares of the merchants in the hall, or the fact that he'd been forced to take on the tenth vein.
"Are you okay, Malakai?"
Malakai turned towards Renlo. "Yeah, why?"
"You look pissed," Renlo said with a knowing look.
'Am I that obvious?'
He shook his head. "I'm not angry, just… impatient. She's wasting too much time."
"But she's only been gone for a minute."
"That's sixty seconds more for the enemy to run free."
Renlo scratched the back of his head awkwardly. "Well… when you say it like that…"
The sight of Octavia stepping out of the elevator caught his attention.
'Finally.'
"She's here."
As she approached, Malakai caught sight of the unfamiliar man behind her.
'A Bloom.'