Page 185 of Stormbreaker

“What are you—” She tries to wrench her arm away, but I grip her tighter.

“Did you know?” I demand again. “Did you both know?”

“Poet,” my father interrupts sharply, wrapping his big hand around my wrist. “Let go of your mother.”

“Dad,” I whisper, searching for any sign he still loves me.

He pauses, contrition flashing in his eyes, before he glances past me. His gaze lands on Chancellor Marks, whose head is tipped in curiosity. My dad’s expression shutters, and he yanks my mother out of my grip, breaking my heart all over again.

A commotion at the back of the room has them both turning away. The crowd has parted, revealing an Extinguisher with his stunner gripped in his hands and his feet spread. “Bring her out!” he demands.

A group of people moves at the back of the crowd. A moment later, Lieutenant Dire appears with Trinity’s elbow in his grip while she stumbles behind him. They stop, and he pulls her toward him, pressing her back to his chest and banding a thick arm around her throat.

“Which one?” he demands, and Trinity peers up at him with frightened eyes.

It’s then my heart begins to pound as her gaze finds the front of the room.

Everything coalesces. Calcifies into clarity and the certainty that I was right.

That flash of red hair during my final cadet exam.

The hug she gave me before she walked away.

Not the Breaker. But my best friend.

The years we’ve spent together, when she had to know there was something different about me.

I take a step, moving slowly.

Trinity is crying. Sobbing. Shaking her head.

“Which one!” Dire demands again. “Who did you see?”

He squeezes his arm, and Trinity gags.

“I won’t ask again,” he snarls.

Everything slows down.

“Poet,” Trinity chokes out. “Poet Graves.”

A collective gasp circles around the room. My entire body goes numb.

They’re coming toward me. Extinguishers holding their stunners.

Burgundy uniforms.

The color of dried blood.

I can’t seem to move. Can’t put these pieces together. How could Trinity do this?

That’s when the sirens start.

Red flashes filter through the windows, painting everyone in bloody light. The Circle Guard closes in, surrounding The Shield as the entire room erupts in panic and dozens more Guards stream through the doors.

The wailing continues, blaring out over the city in warning.

A Blood Storm is coming.