Page 147 of Under the Iron Sky

Sick. Sick. Sick. To stand here in a room that’d once held such joy and hope and the full might of the Vordellian empire, now the very cause of its ruination.

Aleena’s crown was a lead weight on her head. Soraya wished the bloody thing would crush her into the marble and suffocate her.

Ramapheal stepped forward, two red-helmeted guards astride stalkers at his side. He said something and a large stone table was dragged into the room and placed in front of her, a map of Vordell carved from the same black stone and red crystals as everything else down here.

Ramapheal looked to her right. A moment of silence, and Soraya wanted to scream again when Ikarus stepped closer, his cold lips gliding once again to the shell of her ear to whisper, “Show us where your piece of the Arch is.”

It didn’t matter that his voice was flat, that his heart didn’t seem to be in it. Did anything matter anymore?

If Soraya didn’t know any better, she would’ve sworn something like shame burned around the gold in his eye as she slowly lifted a hand, a worn-down puppet with no control, and with the very tip of her finger, touched a secluded mountain range in the farthest northern corner of the map.

It was a shame it was too little, too late.

50

The base was still as death.

The civilians had been cleared out hours ago, and the piece of the Arch that used to be hidden deep within these rusting walls was already settling into its new home far, far away.

Theron let his eyes drift to the dark corners of the library’s entrance, where two Sentinels stood waiting, then to the balconies high above, where dozens of soldiers were hiding among the shadows, aiming a variety of weapons that buzzed with more power than they’d held in years—all thanks to Ma’varea.

They owed him so much.

After their mission in Illieck, the remaining commanders across Vordell had called a meeting to discuss what to do with all this Light. Of course, most of it was to be siphoned off for power reserves and to fuel farming equipment, but what was left …

Theron couldn’t help but smile a little at the sunrifle in his own hand. The power that radiated from deep within, echoes of everything his people had lost.

Soldiers had died years ago holding on to all this power. He would not let their sacrifice be for nothing.

Jinx came to stand by his side, brushing the side of her cool metallic body against his leg before sitting by his boots.

Theron scratched behind her ear. “All clear, old girl?”

She gave a low purr in confirmation. Twiigs was in the new base, likely chewing a cadet’s ear off right now, questioning every detail of his new home and asking annoying things like is that not a stupid color to paint a wall? Theron missed him. A little.

Time. That was all there was to it now. Everyone was in position, the strategy was laid out, and the enemy would be arriving any minute. Theron just had to trust that he’d done enough.

His bracer buzzed with an incoming call. “Beta in position. What’s everyone’s status?”

“Charlie in position,” a deep voice rumbled.

“Delta too.”

“Alpha confirmed,” Theron replied. “Keep your wits about you. They’ll be here any moment.”

“Long may she rise,” Charlie said, cutting their connection. The rest of the team quickly echoed the sentiment, but Theron couldn’t quite bring himself to join them. He’d make up for his sour mood with a celebratory drink later—should he or any of them make it out of here alive.

He slipped into his own predetermined shadowed alcove. Jinx followed, her fully extended claws gleaming like freshly sharpened knives in the darkness beside him.

Theron angled his sunrifle toward the entrance and waited.

He tried to push all thoughts out of his mind and focus on his breathing, on the steady thump of his heart, on the gears in Jinx’s newly fitted leg whirling and sighing softly as she got into an attack position.

A leg a new mechanic had had to fix, because Soraya still wasn’t home to do it herself.

Command knew about the fight in Lumirel and what Ma’varea had disclosed about her … condition. He hadn’t been able to bring himself to tell anyone else, though. He thought about telling Raina, but she’d been in such good spirits since he’d returned home from Illieck. He’d even caught her singing this morning before they’d moved the Arch.

It felt wrong to douse her happiness—especially when this mess with Soraya was only temporary. He’d tell Raina everything eventually.