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really were.
    When Nadira had last seen him, they were both twelve years old. At that time, he'd been taller than everyone else, but she r emembered that he'd still had the voice of a child.
    "Nadira!" He rushed towards her, his arms outstretched. "It's been so long!"
    "Hello, Mikal." She allowed herself to be gathered into his embrace. "How did you know I was out here?"
    "I was waiting for you." He stepped back, looking her up and down.
    His light brown eyes were bright and cheery, not the somber look she'd remembered him having the last time they'd met. He'd always seemed so serious, even at his young age. It was a big reason why the other children hadn't dealt with him very much. His energy had felt like a heavy, overbearing weight back then.
    But from the looks of him, she guessed he'd had a procedure or two. Maybe it was the lights, but she could've sworn his skin had a pearl-like luster that wouldn't have been there naturally.
    "Has it started yet?" she asked as he guided her inside. "I know I'm late. There was a lot of traffic when I came through the Entertainments District."
    "Not yet. The Elders are meeting first. It looks like they'll be in there for a while."
    The foyer opened up into a huge entry hall filled with people in dark grey and brown corporate suits, clustered in small groups around a central table filled with food and drinks. Above the table, the cut glass skylight was a patchwork of color, surrounded by exposed metal beams that resembled the spine of a large animal.
    Mikal gestured for Nadira to follow him. "I was about to get something to eat. Are you hungry?"
    "Yes, I am." She hadn't had anything since lunch, and she'd been too nervous to eat before she'd left the apartment.
    "Come on, let's get something then we can catch up." Mikal beamed and led her over to the table.
    Easing through the throng, she acknowledged a couple of the Guardian Protectors she recognized from her visits to the Detention Center. Responsible for mind interrogations of suspects who were taken in for questioning, they were often called to the Center to assist the officers. Their powerful skills were much in demand for company security investigations.
    During Nadira's training, she'd worked with the Protectors and the Watchers, who worked on routine surveillance. When Jon had first come to Hathor, she'd been assigned to watch and protect him. And as it turned out, he'd certainly needed protecting.
    "Did Dakar tell you? I'm his assistant now. That's why I've been promoted." Mikal motioned to his suit. "Or didn't you notice the change in status from grey to brown?"
    Novacorp executives wore brown suits, as did the upper echelons of the Guardians. "Yes, he told me about it, and about Akita's accident."
    "That is strange, isn't it? I thought it should be looked into, but the Elder discouraged it." Mikal picked up a plate from the table and looked over the array of food that covered it. "He's very secr etive about some things."
    "What things?" Nadira asked.
    "I can't go into it here. We'll talk later."
    A half hour later they sat in an alcove off of the main hall. It was a bit quieter, but not by much considering there were almost 200 hundred people assembled. The sound of laughter and conve rsation echoed through the room and forced her to lean close to Mikal as they talked.
    "I've asked Elder Dakar why you were kept away from the rest of us." Mikal paused to sip his drink. "Even when you were in training you were separate."
    "Zina was training me. I guess it was her decision."
    "No, it wasn't. Elder Dakar ordered it. But if I'd been in charge, things would've been different."
    "You know more than the Elder does?" Nadira scoffed.
    Mikal gripped the stem of his glass so hard that his fingertips were red. "My family has connections to the Elders. I've heard things that might change your mind about how much he can be trusted."
    "He wouldn't betray us, if that's what you're saying."
    "I've said too much. I'm sorry." Mikal set his glass