POV: Maya

Alexei sat on the ground, staring at nothing. He'd been like that for twenty minutes, ever since Dr. Morrison told him about his father. The mark on his wrist seemed to mock him, proof of a choice he'd made without knowing its true cost.

I knelt beside him, unsure what to say. What comfort could I offer? He'd sacrificed his father for me. His living, suffering father. And I hadn't even known.

"We'll find him," I said finally. "Konstantin. We'll locate the black site and ...