The need was pressing. Lyra's latest attempt at a stable, untraceable version of the viral inhibitor required a rare earth catalyst, a palladium compound so unusual it wasn't listed in any of their stocks. It was carried by a single source in Romania: a high-tech metallurgy supply company in the Cluj-Napoca industrial zone. The order could not be placed online; it was an in-person, certified-end-user pickup. A mission was indicated.
Selene volunteered. It was her field—clandestine logistics. But as she departed, the mission was not the same. The weight of Kael's silent knowledge of her betrayal was a leaden cloak. Everything she did now was under unseen scrutiny. This was not a routine supply mission; it was a test of loyalty, a chance to prove utility, or perhaps, a final, desperate act
