COLD STEEL, BLEEDING HEARTS
He didn’t have a plan—just a small gun and a ton of hope.
He kicked the doors open.
Red light filled the Great Hall, so harsh it almost hurt to look around. Maya was there, shaking on a throne. By a computer, the clone—Aria—stood with her back to them.
“Maya!” Julian shouted.
Aria turned, looking bored. “The boy is here. How dull.”
“Let her go!” Julian raised the gun and fired.
Nothing. Just a click. The gun was frozen solid, buried in red ice. Aria laughed, a cold, perfect sound.