The boys exchange a look. Kane’s hand curls at his side. “Go.” They startle before scrambling with the HOV toward the exit.
“Thank you, sir!” the taller boy calls back.
Once they’re out of the alley, Kane shuts off his wristlink light and turns to Rafael. “You should head back. Need to get ready for tonight’s shift.”
Rafael nods. “Of course.” This was only supposed to be a short break, after all. He continues down the lit path, only to find Kane matching his stride. Except he doesn’t say anything.
A part of him wondered if they would cross paths again today. But not in the Glass Alley, hours before nightfall.
Clearly, Pixie didn’t know Kane would be here. And after the awkward near fall, and what Rafael saw in the mirror, maybe Kane didn’t expect him either. That had to be a private V-link session, too.
They continue walking in silence, but eventually, Rafael tries to break the tension. “By the way…I liked this place. Thanks for the recommendation.”
Kane’s head swings around. In the darkness, his expression is hard to see, but there’s a bite in his tone when he asks, “Why are you here alone?”
A nervous laugh escapes him. “Uh…I’m not exactly. Pixie is waiting for me at the exit. Said I need to experience this on my own.”
“Next time, stick by her side,” Kane snaps, turning away.
Next time.
Is Rafael sticking around longer than expected? He’s beentrying not to press, trying to stay useful, to adapt. But his stomach turns at the uncertainty, twisting harder until it’s impossible to ignore.
“About that.” Rafael forces a casual tone. “Any word on when the doctor might be coming?”
As the exit comes into view, there’s enough light to catch the tension in Kane’s jaw. “Not yet.”
Any hope Rafael’s been holding onto crumbles. Kane meets his gaze, expression softening this time. “But soon. I promise.”
The words shouldn’t touch him so much. Kane can technically let him go, but his chest grows warm at the sentiment.
A nod is all Rafael offers, peering at Pixie near the exit, chatting with the man from earlier. She looks up, her expression shifting as she spots them. Her feet lift, breaking into a jog toward them.
Before she can reach them, Kane’s wristlink buzzes. He glances down, jaw tightening. “I have to go. Head back to the med bay with Pixie.”
And just like that, he’s gone, boots echoing down the sidewalk.
Rafael doesn’t look away until Pixie’s voice echoes from behind.
“Was that Baron? What was he doing here?”
Rafael doesn’t answer right away. Their moment from earlier replays again in his mind. And then what Rafael glimpsed in the mirror.
“I’m not sure,” Rafael says at last.
He tells himself it doesn’t matter. But the crack he saw here lingers.
13
Chapter 13 - Kane
Smoke pours from the crack in Kane’s chrome arm, the smell of burnt coolant sharp in his nostrils. His HUD blinks red, as if he can’t already feel his fingers seizing.
>MOTOR FUNCTION: FAILURE
Another step up the stairs, and his damaged servos shriek, pain knifing through what’s left of his inhibitors. Gritting his teeth, Kane slams his good hand against the security panel. The door hisses open.
Garlic and rosemary flood his senses. At the counter, Rafael stands over scattered ingredients. His gaze lifts, meets Kane’s, then drops to the smoking limb. The knife slips from his fingers before he bolts for the medkit on the wall.