it paused, struggling in a way that systems were not supposed to struggle, "—it is like looking at something and being able to see every surface of it clearly and still being unable to understand what the thing 'is'. What it is 'made of'. Like every analytical framework I have for reading people runs up against it and comes back with nothing."
Seraphina swallowed.
She hoped it didn't show on her face.
It showed on her face.
Heena said nothing. She didn't need to. She watched Seraphina struggle to reassemble herself — the visible swallow, the slight unfocus of eyes turned inward, the tremble still finding the edges of locked hands — with the patient attention of someone observing a process and not inclined to interrupt it.
The silence did everything.
---
And then Heena spoke.
"First," she said.
