LOGINI nodded. "Don't let me trip." "I'll do my best." With a shared laugh, we headed out the door. Esme was there at the door, hanging back. Gracian stepped away from me and linked arms with her. "We'll see you soon." I nodded and watched them go. We stood in the foyer of the building. From wh
Grace A month later... After the attack, the remaining members retreated into the cabinet to figure out what to do. After all, the other half and the president had been killed in the attack because they attacked Mooncrest. Luckily, Astarte had simply fixed everything, and aside from the aches an
Fire spilled over the doors as we fought our way down the stairs. Something swiped my cheek, but I didn't heed it. We stumbled over the bodies and slipped in the blood. I tried not to think about how many people I'd killed. I didn't want to think about it. "Back up is coming, but we need time, "
Grace I heard dying screams as I ran. The sound of battle echoed down the hallway. I found Astarte holding a group of attackers off at the door of the other stairs. "There was no way off." Astarte snarled. "Your mother's office! Lock the door." "What about--" "Go!" I bit my lip and ran
"A good PR move comes with a splash of fun." Astarted nodded forward. "I believe you should get to your command room, yes?" I nodded and headed upstairs to my father's office, adrenaline pumping through my veins. An attack, contained or not, was a serious threat. The city needed to be locked dow
Grace As we boarded the crowded bus, a knot of unease tightened in my gut. Astarte made a show of being intrigued. She smiled for every photo and seemed genuinely delighted, all the while, she explained her plan. I promised to help you. PR is important. Having me here will get you attention beyo
Charles As Elara and I stepped out of the cramped office, I released a pent-up breath. "That certainly went much worse than you hoped," Elara said, looking up at me. My heart clenched a little, seeing her face. The shimmer of the privacy barrier wrapped around us. I braced myself for what she wo
Grace "I just--" "Did we not go over keeping you calm?" Esme hissed. "Didn't we talk about not acting like you had a hair trigger?" "He was twisting my words! I had to say something." She stared at me. "What did I tell you about redirection?" I blinked at her and winced as it came back to
Grace Back at Mooncrest, the weight of the settlement settled on my shoulders like a leaden cloak. The joy and hope of a semi-victory had evaporated, replaced by a gnawing bitterness and a surge of anger I couldn't contain. "This is insane!" I exploded, slamming the financial documents down on t
Grace I glared at him. "Just a shred of understanding?" He tilted his head at him as if I was a child or he was just trying to figure something out. I couldn't tell for sure, but I felt like he was patronizing me. Then, he sighed. He sounded weary as he closed his laptop. "Empathy and sympat







