Soren found Maren in the east corridor at half past midnight.
She was walking with her jacket off and her ears out because nobody used this wing after curfew.
"Stop hiding from Joan," Soren said. "Stop hiding from the auditor and stop hiding from me."
Maren turned around. "I'm not hiding!"
"You've been in your room since the training yard. You ate dinner alone. Come with me."
He didn't wait for her answer.
He walked toward the stairwell that led to the roof access.
After four seconds he heard her footsteps behind him.
◆◆◆◆
The roof was empty.
Clear sky, no wind. The air sat warm.
Maren leaned against the metal railing. Her hands left marks on it right away. The paint bubbled where her palms pressed down.
"The auditor saw it," Maren said. "The readout lasted four seconds. She knows what I am."
"Dani scrambled the recording."
"She still saw it with her own eyes." Maren's grip tightened on the railing. The metal underneath started to glow dull orange.
