Chapter 17 · Untitled Chapter

"They're going to feel that." Vera's gun stays trained on the tunnel behind us. Her hand shakes anyway. "When a queen dies, the other bugs feel it."

"Good." I wipe queen blood off my wrist guards. It stinks like burning plastic. "Let them come."

The tunnel ceiling groans above us. Dust drops onto Vera's shredded lab coat. Somewhere in the dark, something answers with a wet click.

Vera flinches. "You said they were dead."

"I said the queen was dead. Keep moving."

We climb toward street level, shoulder to shoulder. Her muzzle tracks every shadow, finger clear of the trigger like I taught her five minutes ago. Black ichor dries on her shoes, but she keeps pace.

Alpha runs diagnostics behind my eyes. Mom's voice left error flags across my HUD, and half my senses still taste like copper. The core systems are green.

For now.

"Iris." Vera catches my arm before I reach the ladder. "If the activation code goes live at midnight, every heart unit in range could lock onto it."

"I know."

"No, you don't." Her fingers tighten around my sleeve. "You keep charging ahead like the only thing at risk is you."

I pull free.