Page 113 of Vengeance of the Gods

Nora shook her head. “No, no. She didn’t. Marlena told Mom she only had a few hours to get her shifters up to speed on the newest plans. The kids are hiding in the basement of the old school.”

When Vega glanced at Khort, he seemed to be fitting puzzle pieces together as he stared at the girls.

“Octavia, who’s Demuto’s lea—” he started to ask, but the words caught in his throat, and he went white like he’d seen a ghost.

“Mom.” Octavia sighed with relief.

Vega followed Khort’s stunned stare to the newest person crossing the Demuto border. She felt like she was floating. Her neck snapped to what—no, who had stunned Khort into silence.

There’s no fucking way.

The ghost smiled, her pretty deep red hair the same color as Octavia’s. Or rather, Octavia’s hair was the same color as hers…

Not a ghost.

“That would be me.”

36

Ardor had been quiet.

Silent.

Bridger should have known something was wrong. The territory known for its fire had always been the rowdy type.

Smeared across the wall in blood at the entrance of Vincere was a message for Bridger.

Their blood is on your hands.

Welcome back to the rebellion, Commander.

Marlena signed with a heart.

Bridger’s knees buckled, collapsing to the floor as silent grief seized his body. Blood seeped through the thin material of his pants to the skin at his knees—it was still warm.

Lifting his hands, Bridger rubbed his fingers over his thumbs. The blood wasn’t tacky yet.

He’d almost made it in time.

He’d done this.

He’d sentenced them to death.

He could have saved them.

He should have been here to save them.

Why would they come back? I should have been here. I should have been here to protect them.

Not between Vega’s legs…

Bridger let out a pained cry that rocked all of Vincere.

The what-ifs ran rampant. He’d been tasked by the gods to keep his people safe. It was the oath he’d taken as the commander of Tolevarre… and look at what he’d let happen.

At the sake of doing what he knew was right, he had sentenced nearly a thousand of Tolevarre’s best soldiers to their untimely death.

Whose body was he going to find when he looked through the carnage?