Chapter Thirty-Three
Nova
“I went to the military base for the first time today. It was so…cold.”
“You know, this is actually a really stupid idea,” Az hissed under his breath.
We were within a patch of trees just inside of the base’s wards, tucked away enough that we wouldn’t be seen.
The sun was beginning to descend, making way for the moons to rise.
All around the base stood guards, elites wearing their masks and cloaks, patrolling and watching for anyone who didn’t seem to belong. For us.
Tugging my hood further over my head, I whispered, “It’s not. Talon always ended training at seventeen hundred. They’ll come from the west any time now. When they do, we’ll enter with them.”
“Our plan for security isn’t going to work.”
“It will.”
“We’re going to die, Nova.”
Ripping off my mask, I pivoted to face him. He was staring at the entrance of the main building, his brows furrowed and jaw tight, mask hanging limply in his hand. Uninterested in arguing, I reared back my hand and smacked him across the face. He startled, grabbing his cheek.
“I needed that,” he finally sighed out after a few beats of silence, nodding and placing his mask on. Grunting, I returned mine to my face as well, feeling guilty beneath the rage and terror.
“We’re going to get in and get out. Caleb probably read the note last night when we sent it. He’ll have prepared the others and they’ll all three be ready. We can do this, Az.” When he didn’t say anything, I pushed onto my toes, forcing my masked face into his line of sight. “Say it.”
“We can do this.”
“Good boy.”
He laughed at my words, shaking his head.
I wished I could savor the sound, but the bell tower rang out, the beginning of seventeen dongs playing as a group of unmasked elites shadow walked just ahead of us.
Az and I leapt out of the trees on silent feet, speeding up and attempting to blend into the large group.
No one seemed to notice us, each elite breathing heavily and sagging forward.
Though they all wore the same leathers as us and bore thick, winter cloaks, it felt as if we stuck out drastically. Perhaps it was our even breaths and dry cloaks. Or maybe it was the guilt. Either way, it would be incredibly obvious to anyone looking that we didn’t belong.
Every step took us closer to the three guards at the entrance, their eyes scanning across each elite. I held my breath, praying to the silent stars in my mind that this would work. The doors remained closed, even as the first row of combatants arrived at the entryway.
“Shit, this won’t work.” He was panicking, his hand snatching mine.
“Have some faith, dammit!” If he didn’t, neither would I, and we’d be—at best—dead in minutes.
One of the guards reached for the door, another backing away and scanning the group. Fuck. Fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck!
The doors burst open, a beautiful blonde practically falling out of the entrance, an entire tray of vials scattering across the ground. The two guards on that side leapt out of the way, staring at the grass where it began to bubble.
“I’m so sorry! I’m feeling a bit sick and I think I got a head rush.
” Her voice was wonderfully familiar, melodic and soft.
She gripped the elite closest to her by the shoulder, turning them away from the entering crowd of combatants.
“You might want to evacuate the area, these are considered airborne toxins. They really cannot be breathed in.”
With that, the combatants began rushing inside, a handful of them calling to their masks as they pushed forward.
Az and I moved farther into the crowd, keeping our heads low as we maintained the pace of the others.
The guard who had been scanning the group pushed between everyone, trying to get to the other two guards who were arguing over evacuating their post.
“If it’s toxic, then we go.” His voice was low and direct, a tone that brooked no argument.
The others stood straight, nodding at the lone elite walking through our shoving crowd.
We passed by just as he was freeing himself from the crowd, my arm almost grazing his.
I held my breath, not wanting to risk even a small sound that might garner his attention.
When he arrived at Zura’s side, he looked down at her, his mask showing no emotion. “Get the fuck out of my sight.”
She nodded, but he quickly reared back his head, forcing his mask into her forehead with a loud crunch. I almost yelped, my hand instinctively reaching out to her, but Az pulled me into him.
We were through the doors just as the elite said, “That’s for being a waste of space.”
A cry bubbled in my throat, my teeth clenched tight and my lips pressed firmly together so as to not free it.
Az tugged me forward, forcing me to follow the combatant crowd as we passed by another set of guards.
Those two looked less alert as they leaned against the wall to the right of the doors, one of them twirling a knife and the other gnawing on a sandwich.
Just as it had been before, the main building was tall and cold, the red, stone walls and cement floors leaving much to be desired in the way of comfort.
But that had never mattered to elites, grunts, or anyone else.
This was a place of war and conquest, not a happy home.
We’d all known that from the start, but it was jarring coming back to it after weeks and realizing just how awful it had really been.
Stairs rose from the corner to our left, the group moving towards them as if they had no other choice. Their gait was relaxed, pained even, as they neared the stairway.
“Nice job laying low!” I jumped at the sound of Zura’s voice near my ear.
She stood between Azazel and I, her smile wide and blood dripping from the massive gash on her forehead.
I grabbed her wrist, yanking her into the dark corner at the start of the upcoming stairwell and pulling her into me.
I breathed her in, hugging her too tightly.
“I’m so sorry for how I treated you after academy. For not being a better friend.” My body seemed to encapsulate hers, as if I could protect her from all the pain I myself had inflicted. Arms wrapping around me, she hugged me back, tucking her head into my shoulder.
“You have nothing to apologize for, Nova. I’m just so glad you’re okay. I wasn’t sure if the note was actually from you, honestly. I was fifty percent certain it was a trick and I’d be hanged for it.” Her voice wavered, but she continued to squeeze me.
“When we get out of here, I’m going to scold you about unnecessary risks, okay?” I asked as I leaned back, smiling at her despite knowing she couldn’t see me through my mask. She laughed, nodded and wiping at the blood on her brow with a black sleeve.
“Time to go,” Azazel whispered, pressing his hand into my back. Zura flinched at the sound of his voice, her bright green eyes going wide.
“Sorry, I should have mentioned who my associate was.”
“Yeah, you probably should have.” Her eyes were weary, her feet taking her a step back as if subconsciously.
“Too late now,” Az added, urging us forward. The three of us darted up the stairs, aiming for the alchemy floor, Zura donning her mask.
Ten minutes at max. That was how long Az thought we’d have before whoever monitored the wards alerted everyone that someone without access had broken them.
Or, well, broken was a stretch. I’d really only opened them for a moment.
A small tear that took so much focus I’d thrown up after from the pressure in my head.
He said that the shaytan in charge, likely one of the captains, would first check the breach.
They’d make sure it was still intact, then they’d reinforce it and sound the alarms. Once that happened, there’d be no leaving the base.
Even four cores and the holder of the stars couldn’t take on this many elites.
Unless I wanted to destroy the entire base, that was.
And that was only if the stars felt like helping me out.
Based on their continued silence, I assumed not.
So we rushed through the halls and stairwells, our breaths coming heavier and heavier as we grew closer to the alchemy floor, where we hoped Caleb, Priya, and Quinn would be waiting.
Hoped being the key word. Every time we neared an elite, we were forced to slow, the time ticking in my head to the beat of my heart.
“Coming up on the alchemy floor!” Az whisper-shouted, his hand in mine and Zura right on my heels.
We tried to remain inconspicuous as we moved up the final half level, hitting the landing and immediately slowing. While Zura and I attempted to catch our breath, Az looked through the rectangular windows in the metal doors.
“Remember the plan.” Az’s voice was firm—even—calm.
In fact, he sounded more powerful now than I’d ever heard him before.
“We head straight to your old alchemy room and we wait no more than two minutes. If they aren’t there by then, we have to take Zura and get to the other side of those wards before they lock down. Otherwise, we’re all doomed. Got it?”
“Yes,” Zura and I said in unison, nodding our heads.
I shoved my hair further back into my cloak, trying to hide the curls.
We’d thought about taking shift, but I didn’t have the time to brew a new batch and I didn’t think it’d be worth the added effort of convincing the others we were really who we said we were.
Az shoved his palms into the door on the left, forcing it open and nodding for us to go first. In the cold halls, very few elites roamed, most home by now. That was another benefit of being an elite, you had the privilege of being home by dinner.
Our old preferred lab was near the southern stairwell, putting us close enough that we didn’t have to risk running. Instead, we continued our brisk pace, our eyes flitting all around us as we grew closer.
A trap could be waiting, I thought to myself, secretly hoping the stars would be annoyed enough to argue. But, as they had for days, they remained silent. Judging by their odd absence, the stars could be petty when they wanted to be.
Ten feet. Five. One. There it was. My old alchemy lab door. Number fourteen. Of all places I grieved my family’s loss, it was within that room that it hurt the least.
“Ready?” Az asked us as he held the doorknob. I nodded, hoping Zura did too. And then he twisted the metal. Two minutes. Only two.
As I stepped through the doorway, I held my breath, hoping they’d get there in time.
Somehow, I still sucked in air as I caught sight of Caleb’s head of curls.
He sat propped on a table, his mask and hood off.
Standing slightly behind him on the back end of the table were Otarn and Elders, their masks off but hoods on.
“Took you long enough,” Cal said with a smile.