I glance at Lark.
At the weight she’s carrying.
At the choice someone is trying to force on her.
My voice drops.
“It’s not a capture mission.”
Silence.
Then—
That sound.
That dangerous, unmistakable edge in Cal’s voice.
“Good.”
I hang up.
Ronan exhales slowly. “Well,” he mutters. “There goes subtle.”
I slide the phone back into my pocket.
“Subtle doesn’t win this one.”
Lark is still watching me.
Not afraid.
Not uncertain.
But something in her expression shifts.
Like she understands what this means.
Like she knows—
This just became a war.
And I’m not letting her fight it alone.
71
Ronan
Location: Mobile Command
Time: Same
The board shifts.
New signals bloom across the screen—clean, precise, deliberate.
Not hostile.
Not unknown.
