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Bishop looks pleased, as if all this corruption is some surprise party he’s been planning for ages.
Zenon continues vision-hopping. The Senator must be paying a fortune for this former soldier who survived in battle and led his squad to numerous victories because of his abilities to orient himself from the perspective of others in situations like this. “Sunstar
is in a room with her family and Senator Lu, though the senator appears to be on her way out . . . and she’s gone. Security is blocking the room number, but Lu has now passed the library. I would estimate twenty paces.”
“That will do,” the Senator says.
“Incoming,” Roslyn says while looking at her phone.
June and Dione appear out of nowhere. Jax looks as if he’d be ready to hurl her across the room if it weren’t for Roslyn’s warning.
The Senator stands tall, beaming with pride. “You all know your roles. Eduardo, you play yours wrong and Sunstar’s entire family will be killed. If I can’t be president, she won’t either.”
His ego will be the death of millions.
“Understood,” I say.
“I’m watching every move you make,” Zenon says.
“I said I understand.”
June is given instructions on how to find Sunstar before she holds on to me and Dione, and we disappear. As we all fade in and out of rooms, it feels like my body is coming apart every time, just like when June rescued me during the Blackout and then transported me to Luna. This trip is thankfully shorter, but still nauseating as all hell.
We appear inside Sunstar’s green room. They’re all holding hands as Sunstar leads them in prayer. Dione grows a third arm and grabs three wands from her belt and aims them at Sunstar, Ash, and Proxima. The family break into laughter at the end of their prayer, and then are stunned to find three uninvited guests in here with them.
“If anyone calls for security, you’re all dead,” Dione says.
Sunstar pushes her trembling twelve-year-old daughter behind her, and Proxima’s lips are quivering as she peeks around at us. She’s staring at us like we’re monsters, and she’s right. I’m just grateful she doesn’t see my actual face in this moment.
Ash’s eyes glow silver like coins and there are wrinkles in the air. I’m suddenly exhausted, and my rapid heartbeat has slowed down. This is his power to manipulate consciousness at work, and I welcome it. Dione’s arms have fallen to her sides, and I might pass out any moment. Then my morph will drop, my identity will be revealed, and they can take me into custody so we can expose the Senator as the fraud and terrorist he is.
June fades away and reappears behind Ash. I try to shout, but I don’t have the energy as Ash continues to induce me into sleep. June steps inside the congresswoman’s husband, possessing him instantly. The wrinkles in the air even out as June forces Ash to yank his daughter to his side.
Inside Ash’s body, June opens his mouth and there are no words. Only the sounds of howling winds that chill me to the bone.
“He’s possessed,” I say. This reminds me of when Emil tried warning the Halo Knights at the museum that June had possessed one of their own, and Luna smacked him. “Don’t do anything stupid.”
Sunstar looks as if she wants to fill this room with burning light, but she stands still. Sudden movements don’t end well for celestials.
I still feel drowsy, but it passes shortly, like in the morning when you manage to finally get yourself out of bed.
“Please don’t hurt my family,” Sunstar says.
“We won’t if you cooperate,” I say, even though I don’t fully believe that’s true.
“You’ll be coming with me,” Dione says.
“I’m supposed to be onstage in minutes. The authorities will know I’m missing.”
“No, they won’t,” Dione says, gesturing to me with all three arms.
I remove the shades as gray light washes over me. My skin smooths and darkens. My hair grows to my shoulders. My nails turn white. My black bodyguard outfit is replaced with the same dark green suit Sunstar wore for her campaign visit in North Carolina.
The real Sunstar looks at me in horror.
“Problem solved,” Dione says. “We can’t impersonate all of you, so your husband and daughter’s survival depends on their performances during the debate. We have people in the audience tasked with watching them. If they don’t appear supportive or even so much as speak to anyone else, they will be killed on the spot.”
Sunstar nods. “Proxy, baby, do everything they say, okay?”
