Page 56 of The Misplaced Warrior

Why?

I’m going to throw up, she replied.

Fair enough, he said with a laugh. Just thought you should know.

Gen looked up at Liv, a vulnerable expression in her eyes. “I’m not okay and I am doubting myself. This is a lot. It sort of feels crushing.”

Liv reached out. Put her hand on hers. Offered a smile. “What can I do?”

“Just what you are doing,” Gen answered, nodding to the comforting hand Liv offered her. “This is an Emperor and me problem. You can’t be involved. That would implicate the House of Fourteen. Alicia and the others can’t either or it could harm them. And Captain Neal absolutely can’t be involved until I have evidence. So it’s just us. We are, as you said before, totally rogue.”

“That’s a lot,” Liv said darkly.

Gen nodded but grinned. “You know we like it.”

Liv shared the expression. “I love a good rogue mission. No one extra to mess it up.”

“Yes.”

“Also, no one to take the credit,” Liv added, coldly.

“I’m okay with that,” Gen muttered. “I’m not doing this for the credit.”

“No, you wouldn’t,” Liv offered. “But still….”

“I have to do this. I have to stop Charlie Sloane and those trying to hurt the city,” Gen stated adamantly.

“If you were young, like Sophia had been, I’d be a little worried, but you’re not just young,” Liv continued. “For you, it’s worse. You’re young and naïve. Are you sure you and Emperor?—”

Gen held up a hand. “I know you think because we are new to this world we aren’t cut out for it. But everyone keeps telling me that’s why I am. I believe that too. What if I see the problems that you all don’t because I am not complacent to this world and the ways it is?”

Liv grinned wide at this. “I like that.”

A long moment of silence passed between the two before they said another word. Finally, Liv looked intently at Gen and said, “I don’t think of myself as smarter than you?—”

“But you’re still giving me advice,” Gen joked.

Liv shook her head. “Just this. Remember not to get sucked into the hostility of your enemy. I once had one who was so close… He killed my parents. I felt ultimate betrayal because he was a Councilor for the House of Fourteen. But in the end, I realized, we aren’t all made of the same fibers. Some of us splinter into good. Some bad. Don’t hurt yourself trying to figure out why your enemy went bad…”

“But he did,” Gen encouraged, leaning forward. “You know, I know that I have to find out why. I have to discover the truth behind his motives.”

Liv nodded. “I know. Just don’t take his vendetta against you personally. That man wants you dead because he does. He is simply using the Commissioner to help his cause.”

CHAPTER FORTY-SIX

THE SINISTER SIGNS OVER LA

North Los Angeles, California, United States

Prepared for the battles with towering transmitters all over the city, Gen and her dragon had taken off for the mission they couldn’t put off any longer. The brainwashing due to the messages on the magitech billboards was getting more aggressive. There was still the unknown regarding the powerful virtual reality stolen from MystTech Creations. And soon, once Charlie Sloane was dealt with, Gen would have to face the enemy hiding behind the scenes—but that would come last and only once she was absolutely ready.

As Gen and Emperor soared over the sprawling expanse of Northern Los Angeles, the city unfurled beneath them like an intricate quilt. Each of the neighborhoods below was a unique patch woven together by the threads of bustling streets and winding highways. The afternoon sun cast a warm, golden glow across the landscape. Like its own brand of magitech, the fiery sun above illuminated the vibrant hues of spring that painted the gardens and parks below.

From Gen and Emperor’s vantage point high above the City of Los Angeles, the countless homes stretched out as far as the eye could see. They were a neat sea of rooftops and chimneys that seemed to go on forever. Each dwelling represented a family, all of them citizens of the city, hoping for its protection. None of them aware that the leader they placed their trust in was betraying them for greed and power. Gen’s heart swelled with a fierce protectiveness as she gazed down at the millions of lives represented below. As the people on the ground went about their daily routines, they were blissfully unaware of the sinister forces that threatened to control their very thoughts.

As Gen and Emperor flew in the blue skies, the billboards that dotted the cityscape came into sharp focus. Blinking the cool wind out of her eyes, Gen focused on the electronic displays full of light, color and powered with magitech. Their messages were no longer subtle or benign like before.

The first message Gen read sent chills down her back. In bold, menacing letters, it said, “Obedience is the path to happiness.” Another one proclaimed in big capital letters, “Question nothing, trust in Commissioner Sloane.” The communications didn’t feel like suggestions, but rather akin to a demand. The words were accompanied by an image of the Commissioner’s face, his eyes cold and calculating. His expression seemed to be part of the magitech, threatening harm if one didn’t accept the words beside him.

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