The hum of the bustling streets faded as Tamsin and Rex descended into the subway. Tamsin adjusted her coat, suppressing the uneasy feeling that had been building since the subway came into view. The plan had been simple; meet Leo, get the latest intel on the veil related to Wyldfire, and move on. Leo, however, had insisted she bring backup.

  Circumstances had changed.

  Over the last few months, Leo’s messages had grown more infrequent and more on edge. The last time they spoke, he had sounded exhausted. The Veil had shifted too, becoming more paranoid ever since the Wyldfire outbreak from months ago. Every time Leo reached out, it felt like it could be the last.

  As his handler, she wasn’t supposed to bring anyone else in. His identity was classified and he was compartmentalized from everyone except a tiny handful in Special Cases, for both his protection and the source of the information he was providing the APD. The more people who knew, the higher the risk. One overheard conversation, one misfiled report, and Leo’s cover would be compromised and she would likely lose him.

  There were other officers she could’ve called in, safer choices, potentially. None of them were Rex.

  “You’re tense,” he muttered beside her, his voice cutting through the low hum of distant subway activity.

  “So are you,” she shot back.

  His ears flicked, unimpressed. “I do not like entering these things blind.”

  Tamsin exhaled, the forced levity fading. “The less you know about my contact the better, and I… Well, he is… Just… Look Rex, don’t spook him.”

  Rex arched an eyebrow as he gave her a side look.

  She glared at him, "You know how you are. Don't be you."

  She caught the way Rex’s brow furrowed slightly, but he didn’t press the issue further.

  He was blunt, unrelenting, and a walking pile of unsorted trauma wrapped in a badge, but there was no one else she felt safer to be around given the stakes. He didn’t flinch when things got violent. More importantly, his aetherics made him an bulwark she could rely upon if it turned out Leo had been compromised and they were heading into trouble.

  She trusted Leo, but given the way the Veil had been moving, she couldn’t risk bringing someone she’d have to protect. Rex could take care of himself. If it came down to it, he could take care of her, too.

  Rex unfortunately had history with Leo. It was bound to complicate circumstances.

  The metro platform had a few animals scattered around waiting for their train. Tamsin moved along the back wall with purpose, Rex at her side. Her focus was on the lip of the platform, where the line blurred between public order and the forgotten bowels of the city.

  Tamsin made her way to the edge, and Rex came to a halt beside her. He didn’t say anything, but she knew he was reading everything. Rex didn’t walk into a space without mapping it. She stole a glance at him. He was already hunting the shadows in the tunnel, alert and ready to react.

  She folded her arms tightly across her chest, trying not to look as keyed-up as she felt. Her badge was hidden, her coat long enough to conceal the resonants clipped at her sides, and arms. As far as she was concerned, she looked like anyone else waiting for the next train.

  The two waited until the crowd’s attention shifted as the arriving train screeched to a halt. She dropped down onto the tracks, her paws hitting ballast with a crunch. Rex followed without hesitation. Together, they ducked low and slipped into the darkness beyond the station’s glow, swallowed by the maintenance tunnels as the rush of metro life carried on behind them, blissfully unaware.

  Tamsin’s eyes cast hues of emerald and sapphire that bled outward to their surroundings. The dim illumination bathed the tunnel walls in shifting color, sharp enough to outline door frames and old graffiti, but soft enough not to be effective at a distance.

  Rex pulled a pendant from beneath his shirt and held it between his fingers. With a steady exhale, the pendant bloomed outward with an aetheric flare that cast a cold and steady light akin to a small torch. He held the pendant in the air bringing everything for a few yards into view.

  “This is where our guy wants to meet?” he asked. His gaze swept the tunnel as the train noise from behind began to fade. “I hope he’s worth the theatrics.”

  She ignored the skepticism in his voice. “Leo likes privacy.”

  “Leo,” Rex repeated flatly. “Cute.” He chuckled to himself, "Quills is in good company. They always have those stupid names."

  Tamsin sighed, rolled her eyes and kept moving.

  The faint rumble of a train reached her feet before her ears. It vibrated up through the stone walls like a warning. They picked up pace, stepping lightly over shifting gravel, the rhythmic thunder of wheels on steel getting louder with each second. The tunnel narrowed ahead, with little room to maneuver.

  Tamsin caught sight of a jagged alcove barely big enough for both of them.

  “Here!” She announced.

  Before she could get a proper grip on the wall, Rex’s arm came around her waist, pulling her in tight. They slammed shoulder-first into the stone just as the train screamed past, a wall of metal and pressure that hit like a concussion wave. The air surged hot and fast against them, filled with the scent of scorched iron and ozone. Dust sprayed from overhead as the entire tunnel seemed to shudder.

  It was protective, nothing more, but Rex’s maneuver struck her anyway. Tamsin pressed against the wall, chest rising with the effort to stay calm, her hand braced against Rex’s chest for balance. As he turned, placing himself between her and the track, he had her pinned to brace them both against the impact of the train’s passage.

  She hated that she noticed how close he was.

  Not because of the danger. Not because she felt unsafe. She hated that this moment was on the job. She had spent years trying to coerce Rex into abandoning his pursuit of Katarina. Her entire motivation for joining the police force was Rex. A childish obsession, but she didn’t care. The quiet part of her wished the closeness didn’t come in a time of crisis.

  She exhaled slowly, centering herself, pushing past the nagging weight in her chest. She took a moment to focus, to readjust, to get her mind off her physical proximity. She focused on the task ahead.

  The date was over.

  If there was ever a time that loud noises should be distracting her from her thoughts, it would have been then. She kept her eyes fixed on the opposite wall as the strobing light flickered past in staccato bursts for what felt like an eternity.

  Eventually the train passed and the noise ebbed. The two lingered for just a second longer, before Rex released her. Tamsin watched the train leave as she exited the alcove, ignoring the way her pulse pounded in her throat.

  “Do you do this every time you meet with him?” Rex asked, raising his pendant.

  “Normally, I have better tabs on the train schedules.” she replied, adjusting her coat.

  “That one did seem to be early.” He said as he rolled his shoulders.

  As the noise of the train receded, they pressed forward, carefully avoiding puddles of stagnant water that shimmered under their lights. The tunnels were quiet again, the silence broken only by the faint drip of water echoing somewhere in the distance.

  “Not much further now,” Tamsin murmured.

  Rex nodded.

  A lingering doubt started to creep into her mind. If Rex didn’t immediately recognize him, Leo most certainly would recognize Rex, and the conversation would likely devolve very quickly after that as they revisited their grievances. It had only been eight months since Rex arrested Leo the last time. The thought re-enforced how stupid the idea was to bring him along.

  They reached the entrance to the abandoned section of the subway, the tracks long since abandoned and covered in a thin film of dust. The space around them opened up into a large, empty platform. Broken lights dangled from the ceiling, casting odd shadows that twisted and flickered under Rex’s spell.

  Rex scanned the area, his voice barely above a whisper. “Doesn’t exactly look like a welcoming place for a chat. It amazes me that the city just let these places fall apart like this.”

  The silence was deafening.

  “It’s on the docket. One of the many projects the city plans on getting around to eventually. Wheels turn slowly and all that.” Her voice trailed away in thought as she scanned the empty platform, first left, then right, until she caught a form near the far wall. It was still, and low to the ground.

  The chitran figure glided out from the shadows. Its movements were cautious, but deliberate. The chitin on his dominant arms shimmered faintly under the light of Rex’s pendant.

  Rex announced with a grin on his face, “Leo I presume?”

  Leo emerged from the shadows, moving with careful precision. His lean, wiry frame was draped in a worn leather jacket, his dark, chitin-covered limbs shifting under the dim light. His expression darkened as he glared at Rex.

  Tamsin felt it immediately. The shift. The tension.

  “Voss,” Leo greeted, his voice clipped. “What is this?!”

  Tamsin stepped forward, hands up in a calming motion. “Leo—”

  “You brought him?!” Leo snapped as he pointed aggressively with a finger from his dominant hand.

  Rex’s ears flicked. “Nice to see you too, Leo.”

  Leo’s mandibles twitched, his clawed fingers from his manipulators flexing at his sides instead of wrapped at neutral under his chest. “Is this a joke?!” Leo’s eyes thinned and his mandibles split revealing a snarl, "I trusted you!"

  Tamsin’s stomach twisted.

  “He’s here for the Wyldfire case,” she said. “That’s it. That’s all. Leo, calm down.”

  Leo’s jaw clenched. “You don’t get it. You don’t—” He exhaled sharply, pacing a few steps away. “The Veil is watching everything, Tamsin. Everything. I told you—meetups aren’t safe anymore. You were supposed to bring backup, not the APD's grimhound.”

  Rex’s eyes were locked on Leo, calculating. Studying him.

  “Grimhound, huh?” Rex said dryly. “That’s a new one.”

  Leo whirled back on him, anger flashing in his gaze. “You think this is funny?”

  Rex sarcastically looked up to the ceiling as he counted his fingers, “What are we up to now, five times?”

  Tamsin placed herself in between the two men.

  “Leo,” she said firmly. “Rex is here for my protection, and his connection to the case we are working on. That’s it.”

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  Rex’s mouth twitched, but he kept his expression level, his eyes fixed on Leo. "This is why you keep bouncing back out of custody, huh?”

  The tension crackling between him and Rex was almost visible.

  Leo ignored Rex’s barb and turned to address Tamsin directly, “So, are we doing this fast and quiet, or is this going to turn into one of his busts?” He jabbed a dominant thumb in Rex’s direction, his tone dripping with irritation.

  Tamsin’s eyes darted between them. “Just information, Leo. She shot a warning look at Rex. ” Let’s keep things civil.”

  Rex folded his arms, and had an amused glint in his eye. “No objections, so long as ‘Leo’ doesn’t waste our time with whatever petty cons he’s been pulling lately.”

  Leo's mandibles split, and his voice adopted a chittering quality as he snapped, “You have no idea what you’re talking about, Calder. You wouldn’t last five minutes out here doing what I am doing.”

  “Really?” Rex leaned forward slightly, his tone sharp and goading. “From what I’ve seen, it’s a miracle you're allowed any access to product, much less qualify as an ‘insider‘."

  Leo's expression flared with anger, “You have no clue what I’m dealing with out here, Calder.”

  Rex interrupted him with a snarky wave of his hands, “Let me guess, some bargain bin discount powder? Dirty Root? Maybe you start dealing fyre.”

  Leo hissed, “To the soil with you, Calder. You are just a cop with a superiority complex out to make a name for himself. Think you're some kind of hero, while you steal people’s bikes and destroy property, consequence free.” The chittering quieted and Leo’s voice lowered to a rumble, “And you call me a criminal.”

  Rex’s ears flattened, his patience snapping, and his voice rose with a sharp edge cutting through the space between them. “You’re out here playing both sides, pretending you’ve got it all figured out.” His lip curled, a low growl humming beneath his words. “You don’t have a damn clue what real sacrifice looks like. How much is the APD paying you?”

  Leo’s claws clicked as he shifted forward a few steps forward, mandibles twitching. All of his hands and manipulators clenched into fists. Rex pushed Tamsin aside, his fur bristling as he squared off against Leo.

  “I’ve seen the scum in this city, Leo, and you’re just another name on the list. What, you want a pat on the back for snitching on your ‘friends’? You think that makes you special?” He scoffed. “You’re just another liar, another criminal who thinks they’re too deep to turn back. When this all comes crashing down, you’ll have no one to blame but yourself.”

  Leo’s entire form tensed, caught in a moment as he considered striking Rex. Before he could lash out, Tamsin shoved herself between them, a firm hand on Rex’s chest as she announced through a hushed shout, “Enough!”

  She turned first to Leo, her tone steely. “I am sorry Leo, I know you both had history, but your warning left me with little choice in the person I could trust to be here with me.” She shifted to Rex, dropping her voice, “You need to back off. Now.”

  Rex exhaled sharply through his nose, his jaw working as he forced himself to take a step back.

  Tamsin held firm, her gaze flicking between them both.

  Leo let out a slow breath, visibly forcing himself to stand down. “Fine,” he muttered. “For your sake, Voss.” He glanced once more at Rex.

  Leo’s legs carried him a few steps back, giving Rex a wide berth as he collected himself, his voice low and guarded as he began. “Quills. He’s been busy. I am not sure when or how he managed to get access to dealing with Wyldfire, especially since traffic has tightened up over the past few months, but he’s not just running solo anymore.”

  “Really?” Rex’s tone was dismissive. “Seems like standard criminal fare. Try telling me something I can use.”

  Leo’s eyes narrowed, “Word is, he is burning the connect. Pulling the product straight from the supply and pushing it under his own flag. He took advantage of the disorganization back with the outbreak and managed to set himself up.”

  “So I was correct in my assumption.” Tamsin added.

  Leo continued, “He got greedy, and it didn’t take long before someone noticed.” Leo’s demeanor soured. “He’s managed to get the attention of a big cat now. Remember Ilya?”

  The faint rumble of a train passing nearby shook the platform, drowning out the tension as Leo let the name hang in the air.

  Tamsin’s eyes widened, “The Ilya?”

  “Yeah,” Leo replied, the hint of fear creeping into his voice despite his best efforts. “Big, white tiger. That enforcer in the Veil I mentioned the other month. He is not a regular appearance, even back when the outbreak took place. Animals talk about him like he has been around the Veil since it was founded.” Leo shuddered, “When he’s around, animals listen—and I mean everyone.” His voice dropped lower, a shudder barely suppressed. “ He doesn’t speak much, and when animals don’t listen, they disappear.”

  Rex’s demeanor shifted slightly, “Sounds like you’ve seen him up close.”

  Leo’s mouth tightened, his voice hesitant. “Closer than I’d like, and let me tell you, he scares me man. He’s dangerous. I mean, the new guy, Gnash, is dangerous, but he at least smiles and jokes with you about…”

  Rex interrupted abruptly, “Hold up! Gnash? Hyena with a gold tooth?”

  Leo nodded, “Yeah, that’s him. I heard he came from another group out of town, and he recently started showing up around the city.”

  Rex’s expression grew intense, “Leo, I need to know more about Gnash. How is he connected to the Silken Veil. Where can I find him.”

  Leo’s mannerisms grew nervous and uneasy, “Look man, I don’t know any of that yet, but I can tell you, he’s not just another thug. The outbreak got people worried. Things started moving and recalibrating in the Veil. This is… organized. Way beyond anything I’ve seen. These two are big guns, and you saw it. Gnash already made an explosive entrance last week.”

  Rex curled his lips into a subtle growl.

  Tamsin exchanged a glance with Rex. “We’ve suspected something bigger was going on, but this confirms it, Rex.”

  Leo nodded, “I have no reason to believe Quills is going to be around much longer. Things are squeezing. Ilya and Gnash are cleaning house and you folks are likely going to start finding bodies as a result within the next few days.”

  Leo’s gaze softened slightly as he looked at Tamsin, “Voss, you know I didn’t sign up for this. I'm in deep, and every day, it gets harder to look in the mirror. This isn’t what being a cop was supposed to be about.”

  “What are you talking about?” Rex scoffed. “You're no cop.”

  Leo’s eyes flashed, the barely contained rage simmering as he glared at Rex. “Do you have any idea what this is like? The choices I’ve had to make just to stay alive out here? I didn’t join the police force to kill people for the city, and sell drugs to kids! I’m here because the APD said they needed me. They said the city needed me. I volunteered to help, and every day I have to live with that.”

  Leo shuddered as he held back emotions that were bubbling to the surface. His mandibles twitched as he looked to the ground, "I gotta live with that, man..."

  Tamsin stepped forward, placing a firm yet measured grip on Leo’s dominant arm, grounding him. Her voice was soft, a thread of careful control woven through it. "Leo… I need you to listen to me. You’re spiraling, you’re tired, you’re angry, and I don’t blame you. You can’t break down here. You need to get a grip."

  She let the words settle, her grip subtly shifting in reassurance. "I see what this is doing to you, and I know it isn’t fair. None of this is, but you’ve made it this far because you are smart and you are careful. Please don’t throw that away now."

  “You don’t get it, Voss.” Leo’s voice cracked. “I’ve been out here for two years. I'm running on fumes.”

  Tamsin felt her breath catch in her throat.

  “I want out,” Leo whispered. “I can’t—” He dragged his shaking manipulators down his face. “I can’t do this anymore.”

  A long, heavy silence stretched between them, that pressed in against Tamsin causing a swell of emotions she did her best to stifle.

  Rex exhaled, and Tamsin saw it. A slow, uneven breath that carried the weight. His shoulders stiffened, his eyes flicking between her and Leo as realization took root, growing into something almost unbearable.

  She watched it happen in real-time, the shift from recognition to disbelief, then to something even worse. His ears pinned back, his mouth parting slightly as though he wanted to speak but couldn't quite find the words.

  He knew.

  The way his gaze darkened, by the way his fingers twitched like he was resisting the urge to "behave like Rex" and he clearly hated the discovery.

  “Stars above,” Rex muttered, rubbing a hand over his muzzle. His voice was quieter.

  “You’re Ethan Gray,” Rex said, his voice steady.

  Ethan’s whole body tensed.

  Tamsin closed her eyes.

  There was a chance it would happen and she knew it. Bringing Rex was a mistake.

  “You died two years ago,” Rex went on.

  “Is that what they said?” Ethan’s pained expression hurt to look at.

  Rex continued, “We had a damn funeral.”

  Ethan let out a bitter, hollow laugh. “Yeah? A funeral?”

  Tamsin felt something deep inside her crack. She’d known this was coming. She just hadn’t expected it to hurt this much, and the hesitation in her voice showed, “Ethan—”

  “No!” he snapped as he pushed her away with enough force to make her stumble. His legs carried his body back and forth as he paced. He pointed accusingly at her, “I did my job! I gave you everything!”

  His movements became twitchy and restless. He was unraveling.

  “I told you, I want out, Voss!” he demanded.

  Tamsin swallowed hard, forcing herself to stay steady. “I—”

  “She can’t get you out,” Rex interrupted. His voice wasn’t cruel, it was blunt.

  Ethan froze.

  Rex folded his arms. “They buried you too far, and I’m guessing they don’t want to dig you back up.”

  Ethan’s mandibles twitched sharply. He pointed a shaking dominant claw at Rex, voice cracking. “What do you know, Calder?! You didn’t even recognize me until five minutes ago! It’s easy for you to talk about sacrifice when you’re not the one bleeding for it every damn day.”

  Tamsin stepped forward quickly, closing the distance between them. Her voice was soft, but firm.

  “Ethan.” She raised her hands to try and calm him down. “Listen to me. Of everyone in the APD, Rex is the one who understands what you’re going through.”

  Ethan’s eyes flicked back and forth between her face and Rex’s. He looked confused. “What?” he said, the edge of anger fading.

  Rex exhaled slowly, his ears flattening against his skull. His tail flicked once before going still. When he finally spoke, his voice was low, steady.

  “Ethan, I know what it’s like to lose yourself to the job. To wake up one day and realize you don’t know where the lines are anymore. They tell you it’s for the greater good. They tell you it’s necessary. You tell yourself that, too. Until you can’t.”

  Ethan scoffed, but it lacked any real bite. “That supposed to make me feel better, Calder?”

  Rex didn’t react. He didn’t glare, didn’t bristle. He just watched Ethan, like he was looking at something far away. “At some point you’ve got to decide what matters more. The mission… or what’s left of you when it’s over.”

  A heavy silence settled over the platform, broken only by the distant echoes of dripping water. Tamsin swallowed, watching the way Rex’s shoulders had tensed, the way his fingers flexed like he was resisting the urge to do something.

  Ethan shifted uncomfortably and folded his arms. His eyes narrowed, scanning Rex like he was trying to find the lie.

  “You’re serious,” he muttered. “You actually—” He hesitated and something clicked in his expression. “You were under?”

  Rex’s jaw tightened, but he didn’t look away. “Does it matter?”

  Ethan huffed, looking away. “I just—” His hands curled into fists. “I thought guys like you just... Didn’t think you ever had to—”

  “I did what was necessary,” Rex cut in. His voice was sharper, but not with anger. “I tell myself that every day to try and help me sleep at night. Same as you.”

  The words settled like dust. Ethan exhaled, shaking his head. “And what? You got out. Is that it? You’re gonna tell me it gets better?”

  Rex’s ears twitched, his gaze dropping for the briefest of moments. His mouth opened slightly, as if he might say something.

  Instead, he let out a slow breath. “It doesn’t,” he admitted. “It isn't going to get better.”

  Ethan let out a bitter laugh. “Then what am I fighting for?”

  Rex studied him for a long moment, his gaze softer than before, but just as unwavering. “Yourself. You need to come to terms with what you have done and will do.”

  Rex remained unmoving and stoic in his delivery, and gave Ethan a moment to process.

  “Believe me,” he said at last, his voice almost tired. “I get it. Been there myself.”

  Ethan opened his hands and looked at them pleadingly, “Then what the hell am I supposed to do?”

  Tamsin took a step closer, guilt twisting in her gut. “Just hold on a little longer.”

  Ethan’s gaze drifted from her to the ground, “I signed up to serve and protect animals. Chitren like me are not looked upon highly by others. We are scary, I get it. Sure you’ve got people like Beatrix Sinclaire out there giving Chitren a good name, but I wanted to take part in that. I wanted to serve my community.” He paused, reflecting on his words, “I didn’t sign up for this.”

  The raw pain in his voice hung heavy in the air. Rex stepped forward. “Sometimes, you reach your limit,” he said quietly. “It’s not weakness, Ethan. It’s knowing when you’re in over your head. You’re not wrong to question it.”

  Ethan looked at Rex, something unspoken passing between them before he finally looked away and turned to leave. He looked over his shoulder, “Look. I will see what I can do. Something big is going to happen soon. I am not sure what I can do to help you stop it. I would recommend you find Quills as soon as you can, because he is going to likely be a corpse within the week if he isn’t already one.”

  “Be safe, Ethan. I will be there for your next check-in.” Tasmin looked concerned as she lightly waved goodbye.

  Ethan gave a curt nod, and left.

  As he disappeared into the darkness, Tamsin felt the full weight of Rex’s gaze on her.

  The moment seemed to last forever as another train roared past in the distance. "You need to get him out, Voss," Rex said quietly.

  Tamsin closed her eyes and exhaled. Like she hadn’t already been telling herself the same thing. Like she hadn’t already lost sleep over it. Like she hadn’t spent every meeting trying to convince herself that Ethan could hold on just a little longer.

  Her ears flicked back, jaw tightening as she forced herself to meet Rex’s gaze. Her concern was clear, but she kept her voice steady, "I'll do what I can."

  Rex didn’t blink. He didn’t waver. The look in his eyes was something she’d only seen a handful of times before.

  "Do more." His voice was firm, cutting, a quiet demand. "The city shouldn’t treat its finest this way, and there isn’t a honey pot in Athelun worth destroying animals like Ethan."

  Tamsin swallowed, her throat tight. He was right. And that was the worst part.

  Because for all her careful planning, all her damage control, all her reassurances that she was keeping Ethan stable; Rex saw the truth she didn’t want to say out loud.

  She was delaying the inevitable.