I didn't sleep that night.
I sat on the rooftop, knees drawn to my chest, the city a blur of amber light and soft wind. The card still lay in my jacket pocket, pressing against my ribs like it wanted to puncture something.
Nyx paced in my head, restless.
"This is dumb. Don't even think about it."
"I have to."
"No, you don't. You're strong now. Stronger than them."
"I'm not the only one I have to protect."
That shut her up.
Below me, the shelter was quiet. Mira's faint giggle echoed in my memory, soft as breath. The way her tiny hands had wrapped around mine. The way she slept with her stuffed cat tucked under one arm like it could keep the nightmares out.
She didn't know we were losing.
Anika had circles under her eyes deep enough to drown in. Sasha wasn't eating. Dev had stopped making jokes, which was probably the worst sign of all.
We were unraveling.
I pressed my palm flat against the cold concrete and exhaled.
I didn't want to say yes. But I wasn't sure we could survive another no.
They'd pushed the legal angle hard. Investigations. Eviction orders. Rumors. Threats. None of it stuck yet—but it was only a matter of time before something did.
The card burned in my coat like a match waiting to catch.
"This isn't a solution," Nyx hissed. "It's a leash. You give in now, and they'll never let you go."
"I'll handle it."
"Liar."
I smiled, hollow. "Yeah."
By sunrise, I'd made my choice.
The diner was still closed when I got there.
Same alley. Same light. Same dull crack in the pavement where his card had landed.
I didn't call. I didn't need to.
He showed up anyway—like he'd known I would.
"You picked a side fast," he said, stepping out from the shadows. Today he wore a different coat, but the same cold eyes. "Didn't take you for someone who gives in."
"I'm not giving in," I said. "I'm trading."
He raised an eyebrow. "Oh?"
"My loyalty. My strength. My secrets. In exchange, you leave the shelter alone. Permanently. That means the girl, the people, the building, the paperwork, the heat bill—everything. You so much as breathe in their direction, I'll gut the whole operation from the inside out."
He grinned. "I like her. Fiery."
"I'm not joking."
"Oh, I know. That's what makes this so fun."
He didn't ask for a handshake. Just nodded.
"You've got one week to prove yourself," he said. "And if you're lying—"
"I'm not."
He tilted his head, almost like he was admiring me.
"You'll fit right in."
As he turned to go, I caught a flash of something silver on his wrist—a bracelet. No, a tag.
Military?
No.
Worse.
He disappeared into the morning like he'd never been there.
I stayed for a minute longer, long enough to feel the wind shift. Long enough to hear Nyx growl in the back of my head.
"This is a bad idea."
"It's the only one we have."
"You're playing with fire."
"I've burned before."
She went quiet after that.
I headed back to the shelter, my footsteps heavy but steady. I didn't feel better. I didn't feel worse.
Just ready.