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made the word sound simultaneously like a question and a threat.
    Jude crossed his metal arms over his chest and met her stare from behind his tinted glasses. Eli felt a definite struggle of energy between the criminal and the tracker, and he noticed Copernicus looking from one to the other, studying their expressions.
    ‘Didn’t you die?’ Ev’r finally asked Jude.
    Diega stepped across, blocking the fugitive’s view of the Ar Antarian. ‘You don’t get to ask questions,’ she spat.
    Ev’r glared at Diega, but spoke to Copernicus. ‘Call off your yapping little girlfriend, Kane, before I break her trutting neck.’
    Diega laughed. ‘It’s your neck you should be worried about, Zingara. The guilogutter that silenced Englan Chrisholm is still assembled. I’m sure the king would happily roll it out again for you.’
    Ev’r cursed at Diega and the force of the dark-words stung Eli’s eyes and tugged at the protective amulet he wore on a chain around his neck.
    ‘Enough.’ The commander’s voice rose, echoing around the walls. ‘You won’t use the cursed magics in my presence.’ Lightning flashed in the darkness of his eyes.
    Ev’r gave a derisive snort. ‘Why not, Kane? Hits too close to home, does it? Reminds you too much of Daddy? Well too bad !’ she yelled and Eli shrank back. ‘You can’t command me! I’m not your soldier or your servant or your whore-like fairy-girl here.’ She turned to Diega. ‘I know about you two. I know about what you did together – what he did to you.’ She gave a spiteful laugh. ‘Your family must be so disappointed. I bet they wish you had died – instead of your sister.’
    Diega sprang forward and shoved Ev’r against the wall. The fugitive pushed off it with her bound body and knocked Diega back, landing on top of her on the ground. Diega flung her off and Ev’r rolled, her chains clanking, across the ground towards Eli and Silho. Eli dodged her with a flying leap, informed by the years of dance training his gran’ma had forced him to attend, but Silho stayed frozen where she was. Ev’r crashed into the wall beside the new recruit and leapt straight onto her feet, whipping around to face Silho. The others were all behind Ev’r, making Eli the only one to see the immediate, drastic and momentary shift of Ev’r’s features – from bloodthirsty hatred, to sheer shock, shadowed by sadness so extreme it could be mistaken for pain. As soon as it appeared, it passed into a neutral stare.
    Jude launched himself at Ev’r. He grabbed her and, with the strength of his metal arms and legs, dragged her back to the table and slammed her into one of the chairs. She tried to rise to her feet, but Jude forced her back down. Diega came at the prisoner, her fists clenched, but Copernicus stepped between the two of them and said, ‘That’ll do.’
    After a moment Diega shrank back, glaring hatred at Ev’r. Eli exhaled, his heart thudding fast. Despite years as a tracker, violence still appalled him to the same degree it had on his first day. He had only pursued a military career to follow Copernicus, his best friend for most of their younger life.
    The commander spoke to Ev’r. ‘You know what you’ve done. You know why you’re here. You know what’s going to happen. You’ve been marked as a state traitor. You won’t get a trial – just death by whatever means the magistrate decides, and you know it won’t be quick. I can influence that decision if, and only if, you cooperate.’
    Ev’r watched Copernicus with eyes that were dead calm. Their colour reminded Eli of the dangerous green of a storm rising.
    ‘What do you know about the recent murders and disappearances?’ the commander asked.
    ‘Nothing,’ Ev’r replied.
    ‘Is it gang-related? Is Christy Shawe involved?’
    ‘No idea.’
    ‘What can you tell me about this ring?’ The commander took a gold ring out of his pocket and held it up in front of Ev’r’s eyes.
    ‘Nothing.’
    ‘Why is your