"Nix, come with me."
Rory's voice was cold, sharp with fury barely held in check.
She had never felt anger like this before.
For days, the alliance staff had treated her with warmth and sincerity. Every morning, they brought her the freshest produce harvested from protected biogardens, the cleanest and most refined beast cores they could acquire. They laughed easily around her, calling her Boss with genuine affection, sharing scraps of alliance gossip and news from the frontlines as though she were one of their own.
She had accepted their care without hesitation—had enjoyed it, even.
But now, as smoke darkened the sky and explosions tore through the alliance headquarters, she realized something with painful clarity.
She could not stay hidden in the cabin.
Not as their boss.Not as their friend.Not as someone who had benefited from their loyalty.
To do so would make her a coward.
