Master Gabriel raised his eyebrows, his eyes a little colder, a little sharper when he said, "That's not how this works."
"She's not going to like me being a-,"
"That's for the three of you to figure out," Master Gabriel cut in. "It's not my job to keep the peace between you."
She thought that was it then, she thought that it should be, but Belfire stood even straighter, his eyes narrowing into slits.
"The hole in my chest should get me something."
Those Implants flickered a little quicker, his eyes never blinking as he stared at Belfire. "You're a Favourite, Belfire, what more do you want?"
Belfire shook his head, nodding his head towards the balcony and saying, "Make an announcement about us."
Master Gabriel watched him, not even tapping his fingers against his arm, and Phoenix's mouth went dry, but she didn't expect him to look away, his face a little tighter, those Implants a little quicker when he said, "I was going to anyway."
"Good," Belfire nodded. "So you still owe me."
"Owe you?" Master Gabriel asked, raising his eyebrows.
"Hmm, and Phe, she almost broke her arm looking after you."
She turned to him, wanting to tell him that it was alright, that she had already promised to do just that and more when she'd made her deal with the Master, but then she heard, "What do you want, Phe?"
Her eyes went wide then, flicking to stare at the Master, watching those Implants flicker and the light in those dark eyes.
"I don't-," she started, and then she shook her head. "I want you to tell us what you're planning next time."
"That's not how this works," he said.
"You asked and she told you," Belfire said, his eyes narrowing into slits. "You can't offer something and then take it away."
"I'm not taking it away," the Master said, coming to stand in front of them, his face so stiff, those eyes burning like hot coals. "We're not equals, Belfire, that's not how this works," he said, and then he closed his eyes, giving his head a quick shake, his shoulders dropping, and when he spoke again his voice was softer, a little quieter but nothing like that whisper it had been the night before when he'd stopped that Master from hurting Belfire. "I'll be more open," he said. "More direct," he nodded, those eyes flicking open and darting between the two of them. "But it's your job to listen, not to ask questions, that's not going to change," he finished, and neither of them said anything for a while, but then Belfire sighed, folding his arms across his chest and shaking his head.
"Well, it's a start anyway," he said.
"There's no start, Belfire, that's it. There are rules."
"Hmm…" Belfire hummed. "I'm hungry, when are we going to eat?"
Those Implants flickered so quickly, his lips a thin, tight line, but then he tutted. "Go wash up, you're getting everything dirty."
Belfire sighed, a big, loud sigh, rolling his eyes and pushing past the Master to that door beside his bed, and Master Gabriel looked like he wanted to say something, his eyes fixed on Belfire's back, so cold and dark, his forehead lining in a crease, but then he shook his head, turning to her and nodding instead.
"You were good, Phe, you're getting better."
"I-," she started, but then she couldn't finish, and he sighed, nodding again, his eyes half-closing as he watched her.
"There haven't been anymore," he said. "Ash and the girls are still free."
She cleared her throat, her forehead furrowing into a crease, her eyes flicking to the screens behind him. "Could you figure out which one she was?"
He rubbed his eyes, taking a deep breath in through his nose, and shaking his head. "I'm working on it," he said, pulling out his chair, his fingers flashing across that red light. "We have more to work with now, I'll figure it out," he nodded, pulling up that file and staring at it.
"What about Quintus? He said he buys-,"
"Master Quintus," he corrected, those eyes flicking up to stare at her. "And I don't know, I'll see what I can find out."
"There was also another Master who said he was there… I don't know who, I didn't catch his name."
"I heard that too," he nodded, and then he turned, hooking an arm over the back of his chair so he could face her. "A lot happened last night, you understand that, right? There's a lot to go through and a lot of new leads, you have to be patient."
She stared at him a moment, wanting to say so much, wanting to shake her head and scream and tell him that what was happening to Willow could be happening to Iris, but the door was already hissing, Belfire stepping out and wearing one of those shining robes she'd seen Cassie wearing the day before. He was smiling, drying his face in a white towel, letting out a big sigh and shaking his head.
"That's better," he said, tossing his towel onto the bed and the Master tutted, turning back around to stare at his screen, his Implants flickering a little quicker.
"You can go wash up too, if you want," he said.
"Hmm, it's time to look like yourself again," Belfire said, leaning up against the desk on the other side of the Master and folding his arms across his chest.
"Get away from my computer, Belfire," the Master said, his eyes narrowing into thin slits.
"What all that and a little bit of water-?" Belfire scoffed, but he raised his hands when those Implants flickered even quicker, rolling his eyes, already turning to look at the table like he expected to find something up there.
She looked up at the screen, staring at that file and wanting to ask if they could keep working on it, but Master Gabriel leaned back in his seat, rubbing his eyes and shaking his head.
"You don't have to if you don't want to, Phe," he said, pinching the bridge of his nose. "I'm still processing a lot of data, it's going to be a while before-,"
"Wait, is this what you have on her sister?" Belfire asked, turning back around and resting his hands on the desk so he could get closer. "Why didn't you say anything? What's that? What does it mean?"
Master Gabriel's face went so tight then, his Implants flickering so quickly, his voice so soft and quiet when he said, "Get away from my computer."
Belfire rolled his eyes. "I know how to use a-,"
"Now, Belfire, or that collar goes back on."
Belfire stood up straight, the light in his eyes so cold and dark, but then he nudged at her arm and jerked his head towards the door by the bed. "Go on, Phe, that paint makes you look like-,"
"Like what?" Master Gabriel asked, turning his chair around to glare at Belfire. "Hmm, Belfire? Choose your next words carefully," he warned, and Belfire's face went so tight, his shoulders rising, his hands clenched into fists.
"Like a slave," he said.
"She is a slave and so are you."
"And whose fault is that?"
"Enough," Master Gabriel said, those Implants flickering so quickly. "I didn't keep you here for another one of your lectures."
"Then why-?"
"I like it," she cut in, her voice so quiet, and then she cleared her throat. "I like it," she said a little bit louder. "The paint I mean, not being a slave."
Belfire rolled his eyes, groaning a loud groan as he walked through the room and threw himself down on that sunken sofa. She watched him go, her eyes flicking back to Master Gabriel and she saw the corners of his lips twitching like he was fighting something back.
"Go wash up, Phe," he said. "I'll make an announcement about you two after training."
Before she knew it, she was back in her leathers, staring up at that balcony from her place in the lineup. The others must have already known what this was about, their eyes lingering on their necks, some of them then looking at Cassie or to the sand beneath them. Mia's eyes had gone so wide, so wide and bright and pained when she saw them, but Belfire shook his head and the girl stayed quiet, bowing her head and clasping her hands behind her back, and Master Gabriel kept them standing there for a moment, thrumming his fingers on the stone bannister up on that balcony, his face so blank and stiff.
"Phoenix and Belfire protected me last night," he said. "Just like you all should. Remember that, remember what they did. You are all mine and my slaves are better, never forget that," he nodded. "To celebrate them becoming Favourites and how well you all did last night, you'll all have the day off tomorrow and there'll be fresh food for everyone. Eat well, rest up, this house is going places and I need you all to keep proving how much better you are to everyone out there. You're all here for a reason, that means something, remember that and if you ever doubt what you should do, you should look to my Favourites. They will guide you, they will show you, so pay attention and learn."