He escorted her to the Hall of Assembly, the final stop. Mira stayed at the door.
Inside, the Lady paused, turned to look at Soren. "You did well," she said.
He hesitated. "I was only supposed to keep you alive."
She grinned, a quick, sly thing. "That's all anyone's really supposed to do."
He nodded, letting the truth of it settle in.
She stepped into the gold-lit hall, shoes silent on the stone, and was gone.
Mira joined him, the sleeve of her coat stained but zipped to the wrist.
"You going to tell them about the Aura?" he asked.
Mira shook her head. "Not unless you want them to test it again."
He grinned. "I'd rather not."
They left the hall, boots echoing in the empty corridor.
Outside, the city was waking up to the news: the Lady had arrived. The Tribunal would go on. Meridian would not be embarrassed, at least not this time.
Soren rolled his wrist, feeling the fragment hum, steady, content, as if it finally belonged.
