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Rook whoops with delight, firing off another round from his launcher. “Let’s give ’em a taste of Angel justice!”
We race across the waves, and I can make out the shape of a dock, men running to battle stations. The glint of a sniper rifle is all I see from the cliffs above before Vance suddenly tackles me and flings me to the ground.
A bullet goes into the side of the boat just behind me.
“Take out those snipers!” Vance snarls up at Rook.
“On it!”
A second later, another roar sounds from the rocket launcher, and I get up just in time to see the remains of a sniper’s roost tumbling into the ocean, fire on the cliffs. Rook lets out a whoop of adrenaline-fueled joy, cackling from where he’s posted.
“Got ’em!” he shouts. “Now…let’s take care of those docks!”
“Make sure we’ve got a place to land, Rook!” Oberon shouts from the other side of the boat.
I chamber a round into my rifle and take aim at the first group of enemies on the dock, my heart pounding in my chest. This is what we trained for. This is what we live for.
Bullets whiz past as I begin to fire, the deafening sound of gunfire and explosions filling the air. Rook’s rocket launcher sends another enemy boat up in flames, while Vance unleashes a hail of bullets that turn the docks into a slaughterhouse.
There’s blood in the water, blood on shore…and the Eclipse are getting weak.
We managed to take them by surprise, and we’re almost there.
I can feel her again, and it’s like being able to breathe for the first time in months.
“Get ready to board!” Rook shouts, and the pilot revs up the engines, all the remaining Angels boats—fifteen of us, at least—making our way toward the continuing battle onshore.
The waves are rough and the wind is fierce, but we’re focused on our target. We’re almost there.
“Welcome to New Eden,” I mutter, watching the sun crest the horizon.
Aisling is here.
She’s alive.
And once I have her back…I’m never letting her go again.
Chapter twenty-three
Aisling
Something’s off.
The air’s charged, like before a storm hits, except there’s no weather indoors. Shuffle and shouts bounce off the walls, chase each other down the corridors of this godforsaken facility. I tense up, every muscle coiled and ready.
I don’t know how long it’s been since Luka turned into Luka again—since he finally was able to pull out of me, ashamed. We collected ourselves as best we could, scraped together the clothes we still had, and huddled up in the corner to stay warm.
No one’s come for us…no more experiments, no word.
Nothing at all.
And it’s all starting to make sense.
“Did you hear that?” Luka whispers from beside me, his voice rough like he’s been gargling with gravel.
“Can’t miss it.”
“Trouble?” His question is more statement than inquiry.
