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“What the hell are you doing there? You have to get off.”
“I still have men on here. There’s seven Golds in the engine deck for logistical support. I’m not leaving them behind.”
“Then I’m sending my father’s guard,” Daxo growls from his family’s torchShips. “They’ll get you out.”
“That’s stupid,” Sevro says.
“No,” Mustang snaps. “You send Gold knights in here, and this turns into a bloodbath we don’t recover from. Darrow, you have to get back here. That’s the only thing that might stop this.”
“We’re still hours out.”
“Well, do your best. There’s one more thing…they’ve stormed the prison. I think they’re going to execute Cassius.”
Sevro and I exchange a look. “You need to find Sefi and stay with her,” I say. “We’ll be there soon.”
“Find Sefi? Darrow…she’s leading them.”
My assault shuttle lands on the auxiliary deck of the Morning Star where Mustang was supposed to meet us. She’s not
there. Neither are the Golds she was rescuing. A coterie of Sons of Ares waits for us instead, led by Theodora. She carries no weapon and looks out of place surrounded by the armored men, but they defer to her. She tells me what’s happened. My uncle’s death sparked several small fights that escalated into shootings on both sides. Now several ships roil with conflict.
“Mustang has been taken by Sefi’s men, along with Cassius and the rest of the highColor prisoners, Darrow,” Theodora announces, assessing the rest of my lieutenants.
“Gorydamn savages,” Victra mutters. “If they kill her this is done.”
“They won’t kill her,” I say. “Sefi knows Mustang’s on her side.”
“Why would she do this?” Holiday asks.
“Justice,” Victra says, drawing a look from Sevro.
“No,” I say. “No I think it’s something else altogether.”
“Gorydamn marvelous.” Victra nods back to space. “Looks like the Telemanuses are intent on slagging this all up.” Another shuttle taxis into the hangar behind us. We gather as it lands. Storming down the ramp before it even sets down, jumping to deck is the whole Telemanus clan. Daxo, Kavax, Thraxa, two other sisters I haven’t met land heavily behind them. Armed to the teeth, though Kavax’s arm is still in a sling. Behind them come thirty more of their House Golds. It’s a bloodydamn army.
“They’re going to get us all killed,” Holiday says. At my side, Sevro blinks up at the disembarking war party.
“Death begets death begets death…,” he murmurs.
“Kavax, what the hell are you doing?” I ask as his family crosses the hangar.
“Virginia needs our help,” he booms, not breaking his pace until I cut him off, blocking his way deeper into the ship. For a moment I think he’ll go through me. “We will not leave her to the mercy of savages.”
“I told you to stay on your ship.”
“Unfortunately we take orders from Virginia, not you,” Daxo says. “We know the ramifications of being here. But we will do what we must to protect our family.”
“Mustang even told you not to storm in here with knights.”
“The situation has changed,” Kavax rumbles.
“You want this to turn into a war? You want our fleet to shatter? The fastest way you do that is marching in there with a show of Gold force.”
“We will not let her die,” Kavax says.
“And what if they kill her because of you?” I ask. That’s the only thing that gives him pause. “What if they cut her throat when you storm in there?” I step close so he can see the fear on my face too and I can speak just loud enough for Daxo to hear as well. “Listen to me, Kavax, the problem with that is that you leave the Obsidian only one choice. Fight back. And you know they can. Let me handle this and we’ll get her back. Don’t and we’ll be standing over her casket tomorrow.”
Kavax looks back to his lean son, always the moderating influence, to see what he thinks. And to my relief Daxo nods. “Very well,” Kavax says. “But I will go with you, Reaper. Children, await my summons. If I fall, come with all fury.”
