“You are not listening. This world is nearly finished.” Her voice was rife with uncertainty, her eyes full of tears. “You are not the only ones helping us. There will be multiple detonations. Please, just do this job for us.”
Then she knelt back down to the tablet and pulled the chip from the port on the side. “And this. Keep this. It’s… important.”
“How important?” he asked.
Her expression changed completely. Eyes dark, she said, “Next time you come here, I won’t be around anymore. We’re… going to a place. A place far away from here. Somewhere safe. If something happened to the computer’s data, it would be dire. Just trust me on that, okay?”
“What if you’re lying? I mean, why should I trust you?” he asked.
“Because if you don’t, you will die. We will all die for nothing.”
Killian accepted what she told him because, deep down, he didn’t believe that any of the clones had a bad bone in their body. If anyone in this world was fully good, it was them. After all, they came from Rae’s genetic code. He would do what he could and hope for the absolute best. “Okay,” he said. “I’ll do it.”
“Once the detonation occurs, the prisoners can take charge. You must ignore them. Don’t be like your father. Trust in your heart.”
Killian turned to give his last thanks. However, when he turned back, she was gone. “Thank you,” he said.
“Father, I know you’re near now. Don’t ask me how I know. It’s just a feeling I have, but now it is obvious you have been near for some time. Maybe I’m another lunatic, preaching madness on the street corners. Or maybe I’m still playing your game. I can’t be sure of the details, but when I find you, Dad, I’ll look into your eyes and assess what kind of man you are. I won’t let you go. I’ll drive the blade in myself and take your head for a trophy. So, if you can’t hear, maybe you can see. Time is running out for us all. Although, when the final gong hits, I expect the world to go our way. Is that naïve? Perhaps. After all, I am your son, and we both know that you were never a good man.”
To the right of the stables, the large, metallic structures rose into the heavens. They were the providers of synthetic power, but, as a child, Killian had always thought they looked like the old gods in all of the books. He never truly understood how they brought the world electricity, but now it was clear that he had taken some of mankind’s achievements for granted. Never in his life had he thought he’d be the one to destroy it, but this time, it was personal. He wanted to watch the empire burn.
Holding the button and the chip in his hand, he suddenly realized he had no idea what he was doing. Lost and confused, he wished Lucas were near to help him. He was always the man for the job for this, but the roles were always changing. A new life was coming... a whole new fucking world.
Killian took a giant breath and stared into the walled-off structure. He waited until the guards were out of sight then crawled near the gate. He was surprised at how easy it was to sneak into the property. Then again, it had been easy to find Rae in the government facilities as well.
Once in the center of the power plant, he removed the cover on the plastic stick and tossed it onto the concrete structure. He took off in a sprint, and suddenly, bullets ricocheted near him. But as he made his way closer to the stables near the marble towers, he felt the detonation and saw the electric-blue light go off on the horizon. The lines of communication were down. Now, it was anyone’s game to win.
When he was back, the landscape was empty, except for the marble towers. The constant ring of thoughts that seemed to circle his head every single day of his terrible life were now absent, and suddenly he felt as if they might have a chance. He trusted that his wishes would be made right, and by the next nightfall, he’d have her back in his arms.
If not, he was able to feel her one more time, at least. He’d taken her, and she tamed him once more. If there was someone he could get excited about, it was her. She made him humble and gave him the sweetest slick he had ever tasted. Over and over again, he dipped inside her. Sure, he had to leave. But he couldn’t get his mind off of the way she spread her legs for him, the way her lips always seemed to beg for more.
Killian felt the power of her image strengthen his cock. Closing his eyes, he pictured her legs high in the air as he split her in two. He ran his palm over the masculine rod and let out a short groan of pleasure as he stroked the skin back. Feeling like he couldn’t celebrate yet, he stopped.
There was a commotion in the towers. He heard a woman yelling, similar in tone to Rae, but Killian recognized Ruby’s inflection. He waited, intently listening to each voice that spoke in return. Not one word came from Severin.
Reaching into his pocket, he pulled out a small blade. Slowly, he cut the long threads of hair that so often covered his eyes. He tore the jagged edges into his beard, carefully serrating the masculine hair away. He had been hiding from his true self for far too long. Now, he could finally come to terms with his destiny.
“Maybe you’re not as close as I thought,” Killian muttered. “My only question is who is overseeing the towers?”
He would use this blade to kill his father. As hard as it would be, he knew it needed to be done. His father had never loved him. The only love he felt came from Rae.
He stepped out into the cold night, without a gun but unafraid. Walking straight for the tall, marble building, he made his way toward the first guard that he saw. As they raised their weapons at his head, he announced, “I am Killian, an Ouroboros trader from Cassian’s pack. I’m the one who stole the queen. I demand that you take me to Ruby’s quarters. We need to talk.”
The guards turned before one took charge, grabbing him by the neck and pulling. “Kill him,” he said.
Killian shut his eyes, expecting the blow of a bullet. “The power grid has been disabled. If you kill me, you’ll never find Rae,” he said. He put his wrist in front of him and sighed, knowing that the next twenty-four hours might be his last if he didn’t play this right. “Arrest me instead. And take me to my father.”
“Father? He’s lying,” the guard said. “He has no idea where the queen is hiding.”
But before another word was spoken, Killian dove toward the ankles of the men, driving his blade deep into the bone. The injuries were sudden and painful enough to send them falling to the floor. Killian took the rifles from their hands, lodging the barrel against the throat of one of the men.
“Hands behind your back, fuck-wad,” Killian commanded.
Chapter Thirteen
Who is it that overcomes the world? She is the one who came by water and blood.
Rae removed herself from the water. Scrapes from the craggy rocks covered her body, but the blood didn’t faze her, and the pain was covered by the cold. As she walked through a new section of tunnels, she kept trying to find a sign of Killian. She swore she could smell him everywhere she went. Her imagination loved to play tricks on her, but he was a soldier, and soldiers never died.