“But you can solve afew.”
I take in a quivering breath as if I’ve just had a good cry, and I wish I had. “I can save the dead, send them back to paradise, save my baby”—my throat constricts because I don’t want to send her anywhere but in my arms—“and lead the government right to theSpectators.”
“It sounds as if you’ve met with your solution.” He offers a peaceful smile. “And now that my work is done, I must leave. The Justice Alliance frowns upon the commingling of Sectors in Faction business. I can’t help you, Skyla. My tattered homeawaits.”
“Thank you for everything.” I pull him into a tight embrace. That loving feeling strums through him, straight down to my bones, and I drink in the small taste of paradise before heading straight into hell. “You’re always there forme.”
“It’s an easyassignment.”
“One more thing.” I hold up the ring on my finger that Chloe gave me, and he frowns. “My mother told me about the history of this ring. It looks as if it finally made its way tome.”
Marshall lifts the ring and lands his lips over it. “I had dreamed of gifting it to you when the time was right. I suppose Ms. Bishop beat me to the punch.” His features darken. “Be careful with this, Skyla. It could mean life ordeath.”
“So I’ve noticed.” That conversation in the Transfer comes back to me. “She also said my name was Skyla Dunamis.” I can’t even believe I’m entertaining my mother’s anti-Oliver rant. “What do you think thatmeans?”
“Skyla Dunamis.” Marshall’s countenance radiates when he says it as if my new moniker had the ability to sharpen his comely features. “It means the miraculous power of the living God. And that’s exactly what resides in you—the miraculous power of the livingGod.”
“Wow.” I try to absorb what this might mean. “Any other words ofadvice?”
“Yes.” He brushes my cheek with his thumb and dives in quickly. Before I know it, Marshall’s lips are over mine, and just as I’m about to pull away, I see it. A sign readsRaven’s Eye Government Facility. My attention is drawn to a man punching in a code, 4562. I pull back, breathless, and blink up at him in awe. Marshall helped me. He gave me what I would need to infiltrate those wicked grounds—a Sector commingling with Faction business. “Thank you,” I whisper. And just like that, he’sgone.
I head over to the testosterone huddle, and the entire lot of them looks up at me at once. “It’s time. There’s no going back.” I look to Gage and nod. “I’msorry.”
“So am I.” His dimples invert with a frown. In all of the turbulence that has plagued our short union, this one feels like an unscalable wall that we’re suddenly faced with. God knows I would cut through iron bars, destroy gates of bronze to please my husband, but here, in this dark place, there is no amicable solution. “Brody, you’ll go with Gage. Logan, you’ll come with me.” I don’t dare meet with my husband’s eyes. The last thing we need is an argument breaking out between us and launching the entire mission to hell. “Gage—we need you to teleport us back along with the dead.” The words hardly crest the painful lump in my throat. “Ingram, you’ll release the Spectators to me in batches. I’ll have Chloe lead authorities to them just like she did thedead.”
“Sounds good,” Brody is the first to declare. He sets his hand out between us. “The Retribution League lives anotherday.”
“Amen to that.” I land my hand over his, and Logan does thesame.
“To beautiful retribution.” Logan looks to me. “And to getting our daughter backsafe.”
We break as we take up one another’s hands, ready to transport to Raven’s Eye, and all I can think of is the fact Gage didn’t join our friendly hand tap. He’s a part of the team, but he doesn’t support what we’re doing. Gage hasn’t taken the throne, and already we’re in direct opposition. Tears form in my eyes as Tenebrous fades tonothing.
Demetri is already pulling usapart.
Acloakof darkness surrounds us as midnight quickly creeps upon us. The ocean roars in the distance as the fog crawls over the island with its elongated fingers. A baby-faced moon sits full and high, thinly veiled, as if the fog itself were willing to expose ourefforts.
Raven’s Eye is small in comparison to the island we call home—round in shape when juxtaposed to Paragon’s oblong physique. The waves crash over its borders with a marked aggression, threatening to swallow it whole, to submerge it from every angle. And all of that I’ve surmised in the thimble of an airborne moment Gage affordedus.
We land hard on our feet right in the bushes near the old iconic looking facility with its tall iron gates and impenetrable charm. If we knew where to go inside—a place we wouldn’t get caught—caught on thesecuritycameras, I would have had Gage transport us directly in the heart of this disaster. But according to Logan, it’s a well-oiled machine with electronic eyes everywhere youturn.
“The fire?” Logan shakes his head as if we’ve made a misstep before we ever set foot on thefacility.
“Gage will provide the fire.” I look up at his sturdy build, his smile flickering ironically like a candle who won’t take a flame. “Breathe your fury all over this place.” I give an unsteady nod. “We’ll need lots of smoke. A wall of white to shield us. And I’ll need the security cameras disabled. We’ll split up inpairs.”
Brody shakes his head. “That’s easy. I’ll go first. Give me five minutes. I’ll rewind the system by a half hour. They won’t have a clue shit just hit thefan.”
I whisper the code to Brody who heads to the gate as if he owns theplace.
Gage leans in, touching his lips to mine, his eyes watching me lazily. “Let me go in with you. Logan can go with Brody. We’re a team, Skyla, you andme.”
My mouth opens, unsure of which direction it wants to head in, just as Brody comesback.
“Fucking easy.” He nods to Gage. “We’ll take the east wing. Clock’s ticking. If we’re not out with everyone in less than seven minutes, we won’t be going anywhere. No cell phones. They can trace us right back here.” Brody takes off, and Gage steps back, his silence pleading with me before he sighs, closes his eyes, and heads out afterBrody.
“Come here.” Logan takes up my hand and lands a kiss to the back of it. “It’s time to get ourdaughter.”
Logan leads us through a narrow corridor that follows a marked path that leads into the main facility, and we head west under the banner of barbed wire and signs that readAuthorized Personnel Only Beyond ThisPoint.
