How could she not focus on the light in her darkness when it shone so brightly?
“I love you,” Gemma said through her tears.
Christian wiped her cheeks with his thumbs. “I love you too. All of you. Even the murderous little alien part that knocked the Kaizen on her ass.” He smiled.
Gemma pretended to push him away. “That’s not funny.” But she couldn’t help but smile a little. Ithadfelt good to get some payback.
“We’ll figure it out. For now, though, let’s play it safe. Your nose bled earlier. You said it ‘took control’ of you when you fought Colton. Until we know more, try not to give in to the abilities, okay?” Gemma nodded. “But if we do find a way to keep them from harming you, I will absolutely duck behind you when we face enemies.”
He plastered that silly, stupid grin on his face. The one Gemma loved the most, where his eyes creased in the corners. She couldn’t help but feel some of her darkness float away.
Until Zion shook so violently that she thought the building would fall over.
In an instant, Christian was on his knees, shielding her against possible falling dangers as all the ultralights shut off and they were plunged into complete darkness.
As quickly as the rattling began, it was over.
“Was that . . .” Gemma started to ask.
“The bomb? I think so.” Christian relaxed his hold on Gemma, and she felt him tap on his comm.
How in the blazes would they be able to protect themselves against the Dissent if they were, in fact, breaching the building right now? She couldn’t even see her own hands in front of her face.
“Blast. I think anything technological is down.” Christian let go of her. “Stay here until I find the torchlights.”
Gemma listened as he stumbled through the flat.
He swore as he banged into something. “If I’m correct, and the layout of this room is the same as mine, there are torchlights in this safety box by the door.”
Safety box?She’d never noticed it. Granted, she didn’t have his observant eyes, either.
He growled. “That bomb definitely wasn’t to blow the place up. It was probably something like an EMP to let the Dissent in. I don’t know if I can get this blasted thing open.”
If it was similar to ones she’d used before...“There might be an emergency button somewhere. If they’re like the medical boxes in the infirmaries, there are ways to get into them in the event of power failures.”
“Smart.” A couple moments passed. Apop. “Got them.”
The main part of the flat lit in a soft, white glow after Christian flicked on his torchlight. Gemma took the second once she found him.
“Now what?” she asked.
“We go find Hawk and Imara and raid the armory.”
With the electricity frozen, the door had nearly sealed shut. It took both of them to force it open enough that they could squeeze through.
In the dark, the glow from their torchlights illuminated Christian’s white clothes. If they didn’t get to the armory soon, where he could change into a black military uniform, the Dissent would spot him easily.
A glow from another torchlight flickered down the hall, headed in their direction.
“Get behind me,” Christian whispered. Positioning Gemma between himself and the wall, he flicked off his torchlight. Gemma did the same.
The person walking toward them grew closer. There was no way the Dissent could’ve made it up here already. The building did have stairs, but the residential floors were quite far from the main level. Unless—
Aiming to strike, Christian raised his unlit torchlight right as the other person shone theirs in Gemma’s and Christian’s faces. Gemma covered her eyes to keep from going blind.
“Hey, whoa, it’s me,” Hawk said from behind the light.
Christian dropped his arms. “Thank the stars. Have you seen Imara?”
