Pills

"So what else do we need to do?" Arran asked, dividing his attention between the girl beside him and the barren wasteland around them.

That the girl — Negin — could not be trusted was obvious. She'd asked Arran to kill one of her fellow recruits for a chance at a starmetal weapon, and he had little doubt that she'd betray him as well, if she thought it would benefit her.

Yet this was exactly what made her useful.

Her desire for a weapon meant that she had no qualms about helping an outsider, and after the part she'd played in the death of another recruit, revealing Arran's identity would implicate her as well.

The balance was a precarious one, but for now, it got Arran what he needed. And if the girl decided to betray him, she'd soon discover the depth of her mistake.