Adrenaline floods my bones with a hot tide of energy.
“Sir, you’re not ready,” Elder Allesyndra says. “Fire and ice will make you crack.”
I stagger upright. “She is m-my mate. Mine! No one touches her but me! I will take that risk!”
On the floor beside me as I force my way through my first steps is Eluni, blood draining from her cheek as she inspects an unfamiliar man.
“Talros?” Eluni climbs out of the wrecked desk toward him. He groans something about a broken arm.
Eluni looks up at me. “They cannot be allowed to keep doing this to us. Something needs to change!”
She gets under Talros’ good arm as the Elders, the attendant, and the three others slip out of another door.
“Before you go…” Eluni stops me with a hand and swaps the chips in my implant.
Aura, can you fight?
It is nice to have another voice in my head after so much silence.Yes, Allele. Delayed. Warming up.
Jovie is headed to the commoners’ plaza.
I have no weapon. My Storm’s energy is still building. I have no rifle. So I break off a pipe from my shattered chamber and motion for Jorusk to stay with Eluni and Talros, who both look like they’ve taken a lot of hits on their way to my cell. “Get them safely to the ship. Make sure the others aren’t found.”
Jorusk opens his wings and forms a shield around them.
“We will pick you up,” Eluni rasps with strained words. I know she’s in a lot of pain.
“Understood. And thank you,” I call after her.
“I’m just glad it worked this time.” Eluni looks relieved.
I know the ship well enough to plot a faster course to the plaza than the one Pronkus took. My clumsy steps smooth out until I am running again.
Blaize and Fieri are pushing them toward you, Aura.
I hike the stairs and weave through the security department halls until I am freed from the prison through a maintenance door. Jovie is almost to the center of the plaza, with Pronkus dragging her by a wrist. I sprint for her, my Storm swirling turbulently inside of me, growing stronger every second I’m not under arrest. But it’s every squirm of Jovie that has me charging up the fastest.
A Royal guard steps in front of me. He’s one of King Eschelor’s by the Ermaea badge on his chest.
“Don’t make me do this.” I tighten my grip on the pipe.But I will.“Pronkus has my mate!”
He fires at me. I dodge the shot, expecting it to hit me. But as I swing my pipe, and he falls, I know my Storm is helping because it is as angry as I am.
I do not like harming my kind, but Jovie is fragile compared to them. I must protect her. Pronkus has zero regard for anyone’s health.
She turns, sees me, and strains against Pronkus’ grip. “Aura!”
I reach her just as two guards tackle me. I snag her hand at the last second.
Jovie screeches. Light swells between our palms. The electricity arcs away from our skin, crawling up my arm and over Jovie’s Faraday harness. The light becomes so bright that my captors let go. Even Pronkus shields his eyes.
Blaize and Fieri light up the guards around him with warping green pulses. They slam into Royal shields. No one dies, but no one advances. And I realize, as I wrench Jovie from Pronkus’ grasp and run for the closest dock door, that if Genesis wants to win, they’re going to need some new, more advanced weaponry.
Allele, please tell me you’re tracking me.
Ramp dropping.
A guard shouts and tries to enter Allele as we race up the ramp. A vibrant arc zaps him in the foot before Blaize or Fieri can shoot him.
