watched him stalk away, his handler trailing behind him.
The door to the hall slid open to admit two humans and two Dems. Farran leaned his shoulder against the wall casually, ignoring the first handler. His eyes narrowed on the second and he stood up straight. As if he could feel his attention, Luke's head twitched in his direction. Farran snarled.
Farran knew Motlin heard the sound even if his handler could not. His head turned to look toward Farran's cell. His gaze flicked to meet his for the briefest of moments before lowering. He bowed his head. Farran looked from Motlin to the Dem beside him.
Eitad walked behind his handler. As he passed Farran's cell, he did not pause.
Farran watched Motlin's gaze move to Eitad. His grey eyes narrowed and he let out a low, rumbling growl. Eitad paused long enough to return the growl before he continued down the hall. Farran's eyes narrowed on Eitad's back. When he looked at Motlin, he was facing his cell, eyes lowered in respect. Farran nodded and turned away.
The twilight in his cell made the passing of time impossible to calculate. He sat on his bunk, staring at the door. The energy of the containment screen appeared like tiny waves across the dark surface. When the lights in the corridor brightened, Farran stood. He moved toward the door, careful to keep his movements slow, as the security screens dropped.
The morning handlers quickly shuffled the Dems out of the corridor into the main hall. Farran glanced around, moving slowly across the room to an empty table. He watched the morning handlers move to the far side of the room, their job complete. He looked away, his gaze moving over his fellow Dems instead. His eyes landed on Eitad and narrowed.
…
"There's been a disturbance."
Sarah's sleep fogged brain quickly cleared and she sat up in bed. "What kind of disturbance?" She pressed the phone into the crook of her neck, already scanning the room for her clothes.
"Farran attacked one of the other Dems," the man answered quickly.
She swung her legs over the side of the bed and stood. "What happened?"
"From what the morning handlers have said, it sounds like a perd."
Sarah paused in the act of tugging on her jeans. "Perd?"
The voice on the other end sighed heavily. "The punishment for disrespect." At her continued silence, the voice continued to explain. "The Dems have a very strict hierarchy. When someone of a lower rank refuses to pay proper homage to a higher ranking member, there is a perd."
"What does that mean?" She buttoned the top button on her shirt.
"From what we know of the Dems, they cannot be killed.” The way he said it, made it obvious someone had tried and failed. “A perd is as close to death as the Dems can get."
Sarah froze. "Farran nearly killed another Dem for disrespect?" She frowned when the voice laughed.
"I'm not sure about all that, but he beat the holy hell out of Eitad. The guy hasn't healed, yet. It's been two hours."
Sarah's eyes widened. "I thought the Dems healed immediately."
"Like I said, he beat the holy hell out of the guy."
…
She stepped into the main hall and looked around. The right side of the room looked the same. When her eyes moved to the left, she let out a quiet gasp. Several tables were cracked or missing portions, many simply gone. She walked further into the room and stared. A large pile of broken stone stood in the far corner, what remained of the broken tables.
"A
The door to the hall slid open to admit two humans and two Dems. Farran leaned his shoulder against the wall casually, ignoring the first handler. His eyes narrowed on the second and he stood up straight. As if he could feel his attention, Luke's head twitched in his direction. Farran snarled.
Farran knew Motlin heard the sound even if his handler could not. His head turned to look toward Farran's cell. His gaze flicked to meet his for the briefest of moments before lowering. He bowed his head. Farran looked from Motlin to the Dem beside him.
Eitad walked behind his handler. As he passed Farran's cell, he did not pause.
Farran watched Motlin's gaze move to Eitad. His grey eyes narrowed and he let out a low, rumbling growl. Eitad paused long enough to return the growl before he continued down the hall. Farran's eyes narrowed on Eitad's back. When he looked at Motlin, he was facing his cell, eyes lowered in respect. Farran nodded and turned away.
The twilight in his cell made the passing of time impossible to calculate. He sat on his bunk, staring at the door. The energy of the containment screen appeared like tiny waves across the dark surface. When the lights in the corridor brightened, Farran stood. He moved toward the door, careful to keep his movements slow, as the security screens dropped.
The morning handlers quickly shuffled the Dems out of the corridor into the main hall. Farran glanced around, moving slowly across the room to an empty table. He watched the morning handlers move to the far side of the room, their job complete. He looked away, his gaze moving over his fellow Dems instead. His eyes landed on Eitad and narrowed.
…
"There's been a disturbance."
Sarah's sleep fogged brain quickly cleared and she sat up in bed. "What kind of disturbance?" She pressed the phone into the crook of her neck, already scanning the room for her clothes.
"Farran attacked one of the other Dems," the man answered quickly.
She swung her legs over the side of the bed and stood. "What happened?"
"From what the morning handlers have said, it sounds like a perd."
Sarah paused in the act of tugging on her jeans. "Perd?"
The voice on the other end sighed heavily. "The punishment for disrespect." At her continued silence, the voice continued to explain. "The Dems have a very strict hierarchy. When someone of a lower rank refuses to pay proper homage to a higher ranking member, there is a perd."
"What does that mean?" She buttoned the top button on her shirt.
"From what we know of the Dems, they cannot be killed.” The way he said it, made it obvious someone had tried and failed. “A perd is as close to death as the Dems can get."
Sarah froze. "Farran nearly killed another Dem for disrespect?" She frowned when the voice laughed.
"I'm not sure about all that, but he beat the holy hell out of Eitad. The guy hasn't healed, yet. It's been two hours."
Sarah's eyes widened. "I thought the Dems healed immediately."
"Like I said, he beat the holy hell out of the guy."
…
She stepped into the main hall and looked around. The right side of the room looked the same. When her eyes moved to the left, she let out a quiet gasp. Several tables were cracked or missing portions, many simply gone. She walked further into the room and stared. A large pile of broken stone stood in the far corner, what remained of the broken tables.
"A
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