your people?"
Varian chuckles, though he feels no humor. He is playing a part, like they all are. And so he gives her the lines she expects from a tyrant. "The people are pawns, and I their King. I will manipulate them again and again to win. But, innocents… Nightfall, you disappoint me."
He watches as the realization changes her face from confusion to shock to fear. "Trix, get out of here!"
She is too late. Varian whispers into his eGlass and on the video feed the hostages rise, drawing pistols from under their clothing. They aim at Trix. She shoots one down, then a soldier hits her from behind. She falls to her knees. All ten remaining soldiers aim at her. "There were never any hostages, Nightfall."
Her eyes are filled with tears as she screams "Stop!"
"Don't hurt her." Varian whispers to the soldiers, and they hold their position. He smiles at Nightfall. "Tell me, what happens next?"
"I surrender," she whispers.
"That's it?" He shakes his head. "You are nothing compared to Nyx." Varian taps his eGlass. "Execute the Shadow of Rome on my command."
"No, please. I'll come with you," Nightfall begs.
His voice is cold. "You will come with me, and the Shadow of Rome will die."
Nightfall charges at Varian with her sword.
He blocks her easily, like sparring with a child, and knocks her back. This is not a fight, but an expert swordsman destroying a novice.
She drops to her knees. "Please. Let her go."
Varian ignores her. On the screen, a soldier presses a gun to Trix's head.
Chapter 11
"Run, Scarlett. Run. I'm coming.” Zorin turns off the video feed and extends his wings. He flies through the window before him, shattering the glass, and drops to the ground in front of the next building. The windows to Varian are shut with steel. He needs to find a way in. Fast.
His eGlass buzzes and he answers, hoping it's Nightfall.
It's Carter.
"Zorin, what are you doing?"
"What I have to."
"You have to let her go. You can't save her," Carter says. "You couldn't defeat Varian last night. What makes you think today will be different?"
"I don't have to defeat him," Zorin says. "I just need to save her."
"At what cost?" Carter asks softly.
"At any cost.”
His hands clench. His palms are sweaty. Through his eGlass he hears Nightfall scream. "Zorin, save Trix!"
No.
Nightfall has to come first. Without her, they lose. He will carve through the steel if he must. He will save her. He summons his blade and steps forward.
A voice whispers in his ear.
“I thought Nyx was gone now.”
Danika. Her memory stands behind him.
“I must be him again,” says Zorin.
She tilts her head at the building. “For her? Or for yourself?”
Zorin pauses. He knows what is right. He knows what he must do.
“Thank you, my love,” he says. And he dashes upwards. He crashes through the window and into the room. The room where Trix is held.
And the dance of death begins.
He moves through the Way of Erebus, striking down the soldiers before they can react. It is quick. Easy. They do not even scream.
Zorin stops moving, the wind rushing behind him. He helps Trix to her feet. They share a glance. And they know what they must do.
***
Varian watches as his soldiers are killed. They were good men, ones he could trust with a secret. And Nyx slaughters them all.
This needs to end, now, before more lives are lost. "He's here,” says Varian, sneering. He steps toward Nightfall. "Let's see how long you last."
She flies for the door.
His whip catches her. Poor girl. She is slow. Nyx did not train her well.
She talks into the eGlass. "Leave me. Leave me, or we're all dead."
So, she is a selfless leader. Or so she thinks. It is easy to be selfless when your life is already forfeit.
Varian stands over the girl. He can see her silver eyes. There is no anger. Only fear. Only sorrow.
He lifts his sword.
She clutches something around her neck. A fury fills her face. And she jumps at him. She tries to grab him.
To
Varian chuckles, though he feels no humor. He is playing a part, like they all are. And so he gives her the lines she expects from a tyrant. "The people are pawns, and I their King. I will manipulate them again and again to win. But, innocents… Nightfall, you disappoint me."
He watches as the realization changes her face from confusion to shock to fear. "Trix, get out of here!"
She is too late. Varian whispers into his eGlass and on the video feed the hostages rise, drawing pistols from under their clothing. They aim at Trix. She shoots one down, then a soldier hits her from behind. She falls to her knees. All ten remaining soldiers aim at her. "There were never any hostages, Nightfall."
Her eyes are filled with tears as she screams "Stop!"
"Don't hurt her." Varian whispers to the soldiers, and they hold their position. He smiles at Nightfall. "Tell me, what happens next?"
"I surrender," she whispers.
"That's it?" He shakes his head. "You are nothing compared to Nyx." Varian taps his eGlass. "Execute the Shadow of Rome on my command."
"No, please. I'll come with you," Nightfall begs.
His voice is cold. "You will come with me, and the Shadow of Rome will die."
Nightfall charges at Varian with her sword.
He blocks her easily, like sparring with a child, and knocks her back. This is not a fight, but an expert swordsman destroying a novice.
She drops to her knees. "Please. Let her go."
Varian ignores her. On the screen, a soldier presses a gun to Trix's head.
Chapter 11
"Run, Scarlett. Run. I'm coming.” Zorin turns off the video feed and extends his wings. He flies through the window before him, shattering the glass, and drops to the ground in front of the next building. The windows to Varian are shut with steel. He needs to find a way in. Fast.
His eGlass buzzes and he answers, hoping it's Nightfall.
It's Carter.
"Zorin, what are you doing?"
"What I have to."
"You have to let her go. You can't save her," Carter says. "You couldn't defeat Varian last night. What makes you think today will be different?"
"I don't have to defeat him," Zorin says. "I just need to save her."
"At what cost?" Carter asks softly.
"At any cost.”
His hands clench. His palms are sweaty. Through his eGlass he hears Nightfall scream. "Zorin, save Trix!"
No.
Nightfall has to come first. Without her, they lose. He will carve through the steel if he must. He will save her. He summons his blade and steps forward.
A voice whispers in his ear.
“I thought Nyx was gone now.”
Danika. Her memory stands behind him.
“I must be him again,” says Zorin.
She tilts her head at the building. “For her? Or for yourself?”
Zorin pauses. He knows what is right. He knows what he must do.
“Thank you, my love,” he says. And he dashes upwards. He crashes through the window and into the room. The room where Trix is held.
And the dance of death begins.
He moves through the Way of Erebus, striking down the soldiers before they can react. It is quick. Easy. They do not even scream.
Zorin stops moving, the wind rushing behind him. He helps Trix to her feet. They share a glance. And they know what they must do.
***
Varian watches as his soldiers are killed. They were good men, ones he could trust with a secret. And Nyx slaughters them all.
This needs to end, now, before more lives are lost. "He's here,” says Varian, sneering. He steps toward Nightfall. "Let's see how long you last."
She flies for the door.
His whip catches her. Poor girl. She is slow. Nyx did not train her well.
She talks into the eGlass. "Leave me. Leave me, or we're all dead."
So, she is a selfless leader. Or so she thinks. It is easy to be selfless when your life is already forfeit.
Varian stands over the girl. He can see her silver eyes. There is no anger. Only fear. Only sorrow.
He lifts his sword.
She clutches something around her neck. A fury fills her face. And she jumps at him. She tries to grab him.
To
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