Chapter : Beneath the Ashes

The sound of rotors slicing the air sent a chill crawling down my spine.

Elira’s voice in our earpieces crackled with static as she repeated, “They’re coming in fast. Armed. I count at least two choppers, and an armored convoy moving from the south ridge.”

Lucien muttered a curse, pulling me behind him as we bolted out of the library. Wallace trailed us, surprisingly quiet. For once, he didn’t look smug—he looked afraid.

“Who the hell is ‘all of them’?” I demanded.

Lucien’s jaw tightened as he answered, “Everyone Elowen’s bought.”

We turned a corner and pushed through a concealed door behind a cracked oil...