I spin the zembi back and steady it in my hands. “Because you took Sadina from us!”
I slash him through the middle as Sefina gasps not far behind me, but I don’t have time to think about it. I just have to hope she’ll let me explain later.
Another Quris runs out of the door. Another flash of blue light.
Fucking hell.
“You should accept defeat!” Quris shouts in triumph. “I can do this all day. You can’t!”
Sefina shoots him several times as she charges after me. “You bastard!”
We advance on the room with the light. The next Quris barely leaves the door. I’m on him, teeth digging into his throat before he can utter another word.
Sefina shoots the one leaving the chamber as I scramble up, claw a hand into the computer controls, and rip them out of the cloning chamber’s frame. The lights flicker off, and the engines whir down.
I turn to her out of breath. “I’m sorry. I should’ve told you. I just didn’t want you to cry when you could sleep.”
Sefina punches me. “Anything else you’re keeping from me besides the fact that mymotherwas a fucking Stealth Titan?”
Sadina was her mother?It takes a moment for the idea to sink in, but I can absolutely see the resemblance.
Yes. That I’m in love with you. Please don’t hate me. Please don’t leave.But I say nothing because I know it’s her choice, and how I feel doesn’t and shouldn’t matter, not when life is this close to ending every single day, and I’m the only thing standing in the way. My duty must come first.
Menace>>Fracture: Tell me the ship is running and you have the range extender.
Fracture>>Menace: A-firm.
The ship hovers off of the ground. I lead the way out to the ramp, Sefina following behind me, looking pissed. I’m still on high alert for Joey and Lenarro.
“Menace!”
I turn to her, grab her by the waist, and toss her up onto the hovering ramp, then jump up beside her.
Menace>>Fracture: Can you blow the chamber? We don’t need anyone salvaging that and using it against us again.
Fracture>>Menace: Guns are inoperable until I can get them repaired.
Sefina’s still shouting at me. I ignore her as I take the igniter cell out of a handgun and toss it below. My rifle is out of ammo, so I take the rifle from her hands and fire down at it. There’s no time to be gentle or ask nicely.
She scoffs and crosses her arms as the wind picks up, and we lift higher above the valley. But when I hit my target and the exploding igniter sets off a chain reaction that sends a heatwave up around the ramp, Sefina quiets and peers down at the blast.
The hot wind in her hair and the fire plume reflecting in her eyes make me crazy with need, but I have dug my own grave, keeping the truth from her about so many things.
I extend the rifle. “I’m sorry, Sefi.”
She squints at me, then storms into the ship without her rifle or another word.
I fear any progress I’ve made with her is gone for good.
