The call came in on visual.

“Lily,” she said, taking in the gray-eyed woman of Asian descent who was the Human Alliance’s highly photogenic communications liaison.

Over their acquaintance, Silver had come to appreciate that Lily Knight wasn’t only a pretty face; the other woman had a titanium spine and an unflinching work ethic that Silver had relied on more than once already—but even the expert makeup on Lily’s face couldn’t hide the deep purple shadows under her eyes. “Is it Bowen?”

Chapter 44

If a male bear attempts to feed you, narrow your eyes and take a hard look. Unless that bear is related to you, chances are high that he’s being devious and branding you as his without ever saying a word.

—From the March 2080 issue of Wild Woman magazine: “Skin Privileges, Style & Primal Sophistication”

LILY SHOOK HER head. “No change.” Her cheeks were hollow, her skin devoid of its usual health. “I wanted to let you know we’re hearing rumors that the anti-Trinity human group might have been funded by the Patel Conglomerate.”

Silver did a quick PsyNet search, found the data. “The Patel Conglomerate’s major assets are in energy resources—they’ll suffer no negative effects should Trinity succeed.” United or divided, the world needed energy.

Lily ran a hand through her hair, the silky black strands falling back perfectly in place around her face afterward. “I don’t think this had anything to do with economic factors—not like with the Consortium.”

Silver ignored the messages flashing up on her organizer and lighting up her telepathic senses. “Why?” she asked Lily, just as her search brought up another Patel asset: a small pharmaceutical company that specialized in the development of cutting-edge drugs.

An easy source of a unique poison.

“Akshay Patel,” Lily told her, “the CEO, has consistently opposed integration when we’ve raised it within the Alliance. He believes humans can only thrive if we shut out the other groups and grow strong behind impenetrable walls.”

“Do you want me to pass on this information to Kaleb?” From where it would go to the Ruling Coalition of the Psy.

“No. The situation is being handled.” Lily’s eyes flicked left and down. “I wanted you to know in case you run into roadblocks where the Patel Conglomerate controls the workforce. They employ a lot of people in certain areas.”

“Thank you.”

“But,” Lily added, “you can tell your mate—it’ll save me looping him in. According to my brother, the bears have claimed us as family and can be trusted to look out for our interests.” Lily’s voice hitched. “Until Bo wakes to say any different, I’m going with his judgment calls.”

After rubbing at her face, the drawn woman glanced at her watch. “I have to go. Press conference in two minutes. Anything you want me to put out there?”

“If you could drop in a mention of EmNet’s work dealing with the current emergencies, it would help increase our standing in the eyes of the world.” The less red tape and intransigence Silver had to deal with, the better.

“Consider it done.” Lily signed off.

Making a note to tell Valentin about Akshay Patel, Silver began to check the backlog of messages and data. She wasn’t the least surprised when she looked up some time later to find an alpha bear seated in the large chair on the other side of her desk. It was as if some part of her had known he was coming.

“Here.” He pushed across a disposable cup. “Got it at the Psy place down the road.”

The experimental Psy café, Silver knew, had been created by Sahara Kyriakus as a place for Psy to learn to socialize with those of all races, hopefully leading to more interracial pairings, particularly between Psy and humans. The PsyNet needed humans, but their compliance couldn’t be forced. Sahara was of the opinion that love would win the day. The menu had everything from tasteless protein bars to triple-chocolate mochas with whipped cream and sugared almonds on top.

From what Silver had seen, it was a thriving success among college-age adults. Curiosity was a powerful force. At least for Psy and changelings. In humans, it was tempered by more than a century of distrust when it came to the Psy. Sahara hadn’t yet worked out how to ease human minds so they’d patronize the café.

Valentin, however, clearly had no compunctions about walking into it.

Picking up the disposable cup, she took a cautious sip: hot nutrient drink lightly flavored with what might’ve been peach. “Spasibo.”

“What did I say about thanking me for feeding you?” His smile took the sting out of the rumbling chastisement. “Can you break for a minute?”

“Yes.” A pause to intake the drink and loosen her tense muscles was only sensible. “I’ll have to stay connected to the Net and take any urgent calls that come in.”

“No problem. I just have someone with me who was missing you.” Turning back, he whistled.

A little body ran pell-mell into the office. Dima’s face lit up at first sight of her. “Siva!” Running around her desk, he lifted up his arms.

It would’ve been honest and rational to tell the cub that she was no longer interested in such tactile contact, but she’d never been cruel. Not under Silence and not outside of it. This child didn’t understand the change in her, saw her only as the woman who’d treated him with care during their acquaintance.

“Dima.” Easily lifting him up despite his dense changeling build, she placed him on her lap. “Have you been behaving?”

An enthusiastic shake of his head. “I climbed up the side of Denhome until Mama said if I didn’t come down, I’d be in time-out for a week.”

“I see.” She redirected a telepathic contact to one of her team who was also telepathic. “Did you obey her instructions?”

A gleeful grin. “I fell down and Mama caught me.” Curling up into her lap, he said, “Wanna see my bear?”

Used to the bear desire to show off, Silver nodded. And the neatly dressed little boy in her lap turned into a shower of light that formed itself into the shape of a small white bear who stood up and growled at her—as if saying “boo!”

“He’s a polar bear.” Silver had not been expecting that.

“Chaos’s genes,” Valentin said with a smile.

Her comm rang at that instant with a call she had to answer. Instead of being impatient, Dima lay quietly in Silver’s lap, her hand on the pristine white of his fur. Valentin, meanwhile, sat across from her doing something on his own phone, a scowl on his face. Halfway through, Dima shifted into a naked little boy who started to draw on the blotter on her desk while she made sure his small body didn’t slip off her lap.

“Thank you, I appreciate the promptness of your response,” Silver said, finishing off the call.

Dima turned to face her the instant she was done.

“Did you come to the city to visit me,” she asked, “or do you have other plans?”

“Just to see you!” An exuberance of smiles before he whispered, “I hid in Uncle Mishka’s truck, but he smelled me.” Wriggling up after that breathless recitation, he wrapped his arms around her neck. “I miss you, Siva. Are you gonna come back to Denhome soon?”

Silver’s gaze met Valentin’s over the top of the little boy’s head. And that huge heart, it was right there. “Come on, Dima,” he said. “We’d better let Silver finish her work.”