Chapter 9 · The Ash Ledger - Chapter 9: Target: Mara Quill

The black mark burned.

Rowan's wrist lit up mid-swing, so bright he couldn't see the soldier in front of him. The guy went down anyway. Rowan didn't know if he'd hit him or if the man just tripped. Didn't matter. The mark was pulsing hot, hotter than it had any right to, and the pain shot straight up his forearm into his shoulder.

He looked down.

New text crawled across his skin, black on black, the letters sharp enough to cut.

PRIMARY OBJECTIVE UPDATED. TARGET: MARA QUILL. TIMEFRAME: 90 SECONDS. FAILURE PENALTY: SYSTEM DISSOLUTION.

"What?"

Rowan said it out loud. Stupid. No one was listening. The courtyard was a mess of bodies and smoke and people screaming. Mara was ten feet away, back to him, sword in both hands. She'd just put down two of her own soldiers—defectors, maybe, or guys who didn't get the memo that she wasn't the enemy anymore.

She didn't know.

Rowan tried to move his legs. They didn't respond. Or they did, but not the way he wanted. His right foot slid forward. Then his left. Smooth. Mechanical. Like someone else was driving.

"No."

His hand tightened on the sword hilt.

"No, no, no—