I swallow hard and hope he doesn’t notice. My fear for him cannot be construed as anything but professional. “Then we’ll execute you first, say you ran off and got shot for deserting. Eastree can falsify the documents like she does with other assets. And besides, it’s high time we moved you anyways.”
“Do you have any idea where that might be?”
“You’ll be going to Trial, across the border. That shouldn’t be too difficult for someone with your skills.”
“I’m not invincible. I can’t jump hundreds of miles, or even, well, navigate myself that far. Can you?” he mumbles.
I have to smile. Crance should work. “I think I can secure you a map and a guide.”
“You’re not coming?” I tell myself I’m imagining the disappointment in his voice.
“I have other business to handle first. Careful,” I add, noting a cluster of officers up ahead. Shade’s arm tightens on mine, pulling me closer. He’ll jump if he has to, and I’ll get sick all over my boots again.
“Try not to make me sick this time,” I grumble, drawing his crooked grin.
But there’s no need for his trepidation. The officers are focused elsewhere, on a cracked video screen, likely the only one in the Red market. Used for official broadcasts, but there isn’t anything official about what they’re watching.
“Forgot Queenstrial was today,” one of them says, leaning forward to squint at the picture. It blurs occasionally. “Couldn’t get a better set for us, eh, Marcos?”
Marcos flushes gray, annoyed. “This is Red sector, what did you expect? You’re welcome to go back to rounds if this doesn’t satisfy!”
Queenstrial. I remember something about the word. In the briefing on Norta, the packet of cobbled-together information the Colonel made me read before I was sent here. Something about princes—choosing brides, maybe. I wrinkle my nose at the idea, but somehow I can’t tear my eyes away from the screen as we get closer and closer.
On it, a girl in black leather demonstrates her storied abilities. Magnetron, I realize as she manipulates the metal of whatever arena she’s been dropped into.
Then a flash of red drops across the screen, landing hard against the electric shield separating the magnetron girl from the rest of the Silver elite watching her display.
The officers gasp in unison. One of them even turns away. “I don’t want to see this,” he groans, as if he’s about to be sick.
Shade is rooted to the spot, his eyes hard on the screen, watching the red blotch. His grip tightens on me, forcing me to look. The blotch has a face. His sister.
Mare Barrow.
He goes cold against me as the lightning swallows her whole.
“It should have killed her.”
Shade’s hands are shaking and he has to crouch in the alley to keep the rest from following suit. I drop to my knees next to him, one hand on his shivering arm.
“It should have killed her,” he says again, his eyes wide and hollow.
I don’t need to ask to know he’s replaying the scene in his head, over and over again. His young sister falling into the Queenstrial arena. To her death under all circumstances. But Mare didn’t die. She was electrocuted on camera, but she didn’t die.
“She’s alive, Shade,” I tell him, turning his face to mine. “You saw yourself, she got up and ran.”
“How is that possible?”
Now is not the time to appreciate the joke. “I asked you the same thing once.”
“Then she’s different too.” His eyes darken, sliding away from my face. “And she’s with them. I have to help her.”
He tries to scramble to his feet, but the shock has not worn off. I help him back down as gently as I can, letting him lean on me.
“They’ll kill her, Diana,” he whispers. His voice breaks my heart. “They could be doing it right now.”
“Somehow, I don’t think they will. They can’t. Not after everyone saw her, a Red girl surviving lightning.” They’ll need to explain first. Come up with a story. Just like the stories they used to cover us until we made sure they couldn’t anymore. “She planted a flag of her own today.”
Suddenly the alley feels too small. Shade levels a glare, one only a soldier could muster. “I won’t leave my sister there alone.”
“She won’t be. I will make sure of it.”
His eyes harden, mirroring the resolve I feel inside.
“So will I.”
THE FOLLOWING MESSAGE HAS BEEN DECODED
CONFIDENTIAL, COMMAND CLEARANCE REQUIRED
Day 2 of Operation LIGHTNING.
Operative: Captain REDACTED.
Designation: LAMB.
Origin: Summerton, LL.
Destination: COMMAND at REDACTED.
-Op under way. MARE BARROW made contact with WHISTLE WILL and BONES in ALBANUS, oathed to SG. SHADOW leverage successful.
-Operative MAIDEN will act as her contact within HALL OF THE SUN.
-Operative STEWARD made contact regarding new asset for recruitment inside HALL OF THE SUN, will explore further.
RISE, RED AS THE DAWN.