etrayal and

he surged through the service entrance, her lungs burning with the intoxicating fumes of adrenaline and ozone. She

behind her, thick with a mixture of pr

corridor, spinning around to face him. He caught her,

glowing, fading violet patterns on her skin. "

hysterical laugh. "Did you see his face? The look of absolute, unad

e darkened, his voice dropping to a gravelly, intimate register. "You were magnificent. But we hav

, her humor evaporat

y," he

servers. Morpheus Black was there, leaning over a console, his face a mask of obsidian-hued fury. Standing in th

mmanded, his voice vi

meone downloaded our logistics mapping for the valley pass, boss. It

iliar hum of her power rippling outward, seeking a lie. "Jacqueline. You we

he guest list, Evie. Maybe you should check your own 'loyal' scouts before

acqueline's space, the violet light in her eyes surging. "Y

se was hammering visibly at her throat. "This is why yo

"Careful, Jackie. The 'stray' is currently the only r

ward Valerian. "The data packets were routed through a p

nto a line of steel. He didn't look at Jacqueline

t the wall with a sudden, kinetic gust that left the woman gasping for air. "Y

h! He promised that when he took over, he wouldn't turn me into a

sed her hand against Jacqueline's chest, the air around them ionizi

ternal surge. Jacqueline slumped to the floor, stunned and

id, his voice calm. "We'll deal with the forma

nds trembling slightly as the adrenal

est, his scent of storm and iron grounding her.

his face bloodied, his eyes wide with a terrifying, obsessive clarity. He wasn't looking at the scouts anymore. He w

you on the wind. You think you're a queen now? You're just a target. And I'm going to spend every waki

ar, but with a cold, terrifying anticipation. She looked up a

d lethal. "Let him come. I've been waiting