Ash rolled his eyes. “Fine.”
I felt his power gather — not explosive, not reckless, but dense. Like pressure building beneath the skin of the world.
The wind stirred.
At first it was nothing more than a restless breeze, tugging at loose fabric, lifting dust from the ground. A tarp snapped free from its ties and went skidding across the yard. Then another tore loose, flapping wildly before vanishing into the dark.
The air thickened.
The wind rose in pitch and force, gusts howling now, tearing through the base with growing aggression. Tents buckled. Equipment clattered. Soldiers staggered, boots sliding on gravel as they fought to stay upright.
Someone shouted. Another voice joined it. Panic bled into the noise.
“Now’s your chance,” Ash said sharply. “Go!”
I didn’t hesitate.
I sprinted through the chaos, ducking low as debris whipped past me. A uniform jacket spun loose from a line — I grabbed it mid-stride and shoved it on without breaking pace.
The layout felt strange. There was too much open ground in the centre of the base.
My skin prickled.
I was almost at the barracks when I saw her step outside.
Georgina Quinn.
“Dominic!” she shouted. “This is an attack!”
The gale screamed around us now — full force — tearing at her hair, snapping fabric like gunfire.
Dominic Lightwood ran toward her, one hand clutching a small device.
“Georgina! Get inside!”
She didn’t move. Just turned slowly and fixed him with a cold, assessing stare — like she’d been waiting for this.
“Now!” Dominic barked.
He slammed his thumb down.
The ground shuddered.
The ground split with a grinding crack. Something forced its way up through the earth — wide and circular — metal teeth chewing through gravel as if the base itself were being unzipped from below.
My skin crawled.
What the fuck was going on?
It wasn’t artillery. It wasn’t a missile system.
The smooth white casing was unmistakable.
Council tech.
Alarms erupted — sharp, piercing, urgent.
Every soldier in the vicinity dropped flat in unison — hard, practiced — like muscle memory had taken over before thought.
