Chapter 17 · Untitled Chapter

"Down!" Kane slammed into me before the white bolt crossed the chamber.

We hit the floor behind the fractured dais. The projectile tore through the defensive grid and struck the far wall. Heat punched across my back. Metal screamed. Nolan went flying.

For one breath, the city turned transparent beneath me. Conduits glowed under the floor. Sensors pivoted toward my position. The entire network knew where I was.

Then the memory hit.

Afternoon sunlight. A woman's hand guiding mine over a sheet of paper. Her voice, soft and warm.

*Don't make promises you can't keep, little star.*

The Covenant Engine tore the memory away.

[MEMORY REMOVED.]

I gasped and pressed my palm to my temple. The kitchen vanished. So did the woman's face. All I had left was a smear of warmth beneath my ribs.

"Leia!" Nolan shouted. "Move! The chamber's coming down!"

He crawled beside the severed neural cradle. Blood ran from his nose. Cables hung from his spine and twitched as the core tried to reconnect.

Kane crouched between us and the burning wall. His coat smoked. One hand clamped over his left side.

"Can you walk?" he asked.

"You took the hit.