Page 92 of A Reign of Chromes & Shadows

“Royale is as capable in combat as you are, Vass,” Renn said, stepping up beside Rain. “Even without his powers. Actually, I’d pay good money to watch you two spar.”

“Oh, now that sounds like my kind of game!” Hamish chimed in.

“I wouldn’t want to mess up His Highness’s pretty face,” Vass teased, cracking his knuckles.

“Although my face is incredibly beautiful,” Rain said, deadpan, “I doubt you’d land any real hits. But I understand. Your mortal bones are fragile. I wouldn’t want to fight me either.”

Everyone except Vass snorted.

“My mortal bones are protected by steel muscle,” Vass declared, flexing a glistening bicep. The humidity had already coated him in sweat.

“Okay, you big oaf, let’s get moving,” Glass said, clapping him on the back as she stalked toward the greenery.

The rest followed. The wagon rumbled away, leaving them alone in the dark.

Their eyes adjusted to the night. The ground was uneven; the long grass bogged with water. Rain’s vision cut through the shadows with ease; he could see every tuft, every hidden puddle. The soldiers, however, stumbled and splashed, soaking their uniforms.

They quickly adjusted formation, falling into line behind Rain.

“Erm, Renn,” Rain murmured, “I don’t recall you mentioning an electrical fence.”

A heavy pressure thrummed through his bones, vibrating stronger with each step. Then it came into view—an enormous electric fence stretching between the trees, humming with lethal energy.

“A powerful, high-as-fuck electric fence.”

“My intel didn’t mention any fence,” Renn said, sloshing through puddles to join him. “Are you sure it’s electric? I can’t see any signs.”

“No signs. But yes, it’s electric. I can feel it from here.”

“More than a cattle zapper?” Hamish called from the back.

“Yep. Enough to blow the cattle into next century.”

“Shit. Well, nothing I’ve got will help if I can’t get close without risking me bollocks.”

They reached the tree line. Shadows pooled at their boots where the bog gave way to the glinting barrier. The fence stood tall and unnatural—an iron spine of lightning carved through the forest. The charge licked at the water, alive and hungry. Rain felt it thrumming through his ribs, each pulse a ticking threat.

“New construction,” Hamish muttered, crouching low. “High voltage. Too clean for grounding rods. Even if we had them; cut the current and alarms go off.”

Captain Short’s jaw tightened. She scanned the ground, the wires, the trees leaning toward the barrier.

“Options?”

“I’m more concerned about the water than the alarms,” Rain said. Even the concrete on the other side held shallow pools. “Any attempt to disarm it and we fry.”

Hamish’s gaze drifted upward, letting out a grunt as an idea formed. “We don’t go through it. We go over it. That oak there—is close enough to run a traverse.” He pointed to a gnarled trunk leaning toward the fence, its upper limbs stretching over like a beckoning arm. “Anchor here, shoot a line across, ride it above the wires. Risky, but it’s our only shot.”

Silence settled, broken only by the hiss of the bog and the crackle of the current.

“Okay. I can work with that,” Rain said.

He approached the oak, pressing his palm to the trunk. Warm, ancient energy hummed beneath the bark; trees always grounded him. He narrowed his gaze at the opposite side. Red had butchered the habitat to build this monstrosity. His Aetherial heart clenched at the disrespect.

“The nearest supportive tree is that sister oak over there. Are your ropes long enough?”

Hamish pulled out a coil of rope. “Close, but yeah.” He tied a smooth stone to the end. “We get one shot.”

“Give it here. My power will guarantee it.”