The hallway outside the assessment room was empty, polished, and sterile like the rest of this godforsaken place. I stood alone, arms crossed tightly over my chest, pretending I was calm. But I wasn't.
I hadn't been calm since they took him.
My mind kept replaying the assistant's hands on Nine, the way he'd shoved his fingers into his mouth and called it an "assessment." The way Nine had obeyed without protest, falling into that same quiet, practiced submission like it was all he'd ever known.
Maybe it was.
My stomach twisted. Nyx hadn't stopped pacing inside me, snarling, growling, howling with frustration. You should be in there, she hissed. He needs you.
"I know," I murmured aloud, not caring if anyone heard.
I hated being left in the dark. I hated that I didn't know what they were doing to him. I hated that I had to stand here, helpless, while some assistant measured him like a toy fresh off the assembly line.
I had no sense of time. Minutes stretched long and thin, warped by anxiety. I didn't know how long I'd been waiting before the door finally opened.
He came out alone.
That same assistant. Slick suit, smirking mouth. His fingers were wet again, and he was licking one absentmindedly like it was candy.
I didn't flinch. I couldn't afford to.
He glanced at me with vague amusement, like I was part of the furniture. "He did well," he said. "Better than expected."
I didn't respond.
"His Eminence is pleased."
That… made me freeze.
"What?" I asked, forcing my voice to remain steady.
"The Supreme Leader," the assistant clarified, waving a hand as if I were slow. "He watched the assessment feed. He's quite taken with the hybrid."
I swallowed. My throat felt like it was closing. "Taken… how?"
The assistant grinned. "He said, and I quote, 'I like that one. Keep him polished. I want to unwrap him slowly.'"
Nyx growled low inside me. I'll kill him.
I gritted my teeth. "Where is he now?" I asked.
The assistant shrugged, already turning to walk away. "He's being prepped for delivery. Don't worry, little handler. You'll be summoned soon enough."
I didn't move until he disappeared down the corridor, that self-satisfied smirk etched into the back of my mind like a stain I couldn't scrub out.
Once he was gone, I leaned back against the wall and let out a breath I hadn't realized I'd been holding.
The Supreme Leader was pleased.
We need to move, Nyx growled. We need to get him out before that monster lays a single hand on him.
"I know," I whispered.
I pressed a hand over my chest where the bond used to hum stronger. Nine's presence was faint, worn thin, but it was still there.
He was still holding on.
And so would I.
For as long as it took.