Page 17 of Light Leech

“Who do you think?” Abbas said.

She shook her head. “I mean who among our enemies? Just the general Gongtide or is Nichley cleaning up after the mess we caused him.”

Abbas shrugged. “It could also be Haven. Maybe we didn’t get away without being caught.”

These theories didn’t bother me. I had considered them, but my mind was occupied by what that therapist had done to me and what sort of creature was capable of mental torment. The closest thing I had ever felt was the existential dread of seeing the beings in the ocean near the tear into the amniotic ocean for Gong’s maturing fetus.

We all turned to Denji.

He sighed. “My turn to talk now? This isn’t the direction I was hoping for, but I appreciate the gesture.”

“Who shoved a stick up your ass?” Akna said.

“Is this one as bad as bowl-cut?” Denji asked.

“Well, do you have answers or not?”

Ralia gave him a second, which he filled with hesitation before speaking. “How long have you been a Luxist?”

“My whole life! Zeg, just give me a chance!”

“Your parents were Luxists and you just kind of….”

“Give him a chance,” I said. “I was born a Cross follower but the beliefs didn’t really solidify themselves in me until I was older.”

“I didn’t know you were religious,” Akna said.

“There’s a lot about me you don’t understand,” I said. A lot that I’ve left behind since I gained my Bite, but I’m trying to take those things back.

“You’re right!” Denji said. I had heard him trying to speak over me and Akna but now he was learning that one could not remain passive among us.

He was more enthused as we all looked back at him. “Parents are Arabasian-born Luxists that sent me here to do their bidding. I did my own thing for a while but found my way back to what mattered.”

“Enough with the life story,” Abbas said. “Do you know what attacked them or not?”

“I mean… I didn’t see it. Do you have any neurospace recordings?”

“We didn’t do any personal recordings…” Naoma looked at me. “Petya, show them the hardware. You brought it, right?”

“The corpse?” Akna asked.

I swung my slim backpack in front of me, removed the plastic bag containing what we had taken from the therapist’s body, then tossed it to Akna.

She stepped away, letting it hit the ground with a resounding clang despite the soft floor.

Glancing at the others with trepidation, she waited a moment before stepping up to open the bag. She held the edges of it with her fingertips then dumped the content onto the ground. Everyone else moved in, forming a circle around the chunk of chrome with dried blood crusted and chipping. The therapist’s nerves were still connected to the base, as well as other semi-dried chunks of flesh.

Ralia laughed. “Not the cleanest cut.”

“Can you give it a reading?” Abbas asked.

Moving it with the tip of her boot, she glanced at Denji. “Do you have a neuroset around?”

“Yeah.”

“Great. Abbas, you carry it in for me.” Ralia continued speaking despite his complaints. “Sorry, Bhate. I’m sure we’ll find a use for you soon.”

He shrugged. “I was asked to facilitate and provide advice where I can.”