Page 46 of Dark Reign

Yes, I focused on these things—the breathtaking frame of winding steel and glass, the unfathomable speed of a skytrain as it rocketed from a transit station—instead of focusing on the answer Julian had just given.

Instead of acknowledging that I was certain the part of his evening he’d found enjoyable was likely the time we spent together before all hell broke loose.

Instead of acknowledging that … I foolishly enjoyed it, too.

The streets were alive and festive despite the late hour. The Quincentennial celebration existed beyond the gala thrown for the elite. It was telling of the pride they felt for their accomplishments, their ability to crush an entire civilization beneath their boot.

Yeah … big congrats, guys.

“And you, miss? Did you enjoy your evening?”

This time, I was certain Ellenore was speaking to me. However, unlike Julian, I wouldn’t indulge her with a reply. She didn’t seem to mind.

“You don’t look familiar, and I’m pretty good with names and faces,” she shared. “Have we met before?”

I couldn’t help myself. Maybe it was fatigue, maybe I was delirious from certainty that I’d failed my team permanently tonight, but … I laughed. The sound had Julian’s attention, too.

“Have wemetbefore?” I echoed, aware of how cynical I came across. “No, Elle, I can say with certainty that this is a first for me.”

My answer seemed to leave the thing speechless for a moment.

“Elle,” she quipped, surprising the heck out of me when a girlish giggle came next. “I like it! From now on, I shall be called Elle.”

I rolled my eyes so hard I almost saw my own brainstem.

“Whatever floats your boat,” I mumbled, reading neon signs and billboards to pass the time.

I’d only been this deep into the densely populated city once. My team—humans in general—tended to stay on the outskirts, in the wilderness. Much like the roamers were known for doing. Maybe they, too, preferred to steer clear of Ianite territory.

Nothing ever closed because they didn’t need sleep. Sometimes they rested out of boredom, I heard, but sleep was not a metabolic need for them like it was for humans. If their way of life weren’t terrifying, a night on the town would have been … amazing.

I’d never known anything other than existing in the shadows. It was all they left us when they took over, when they stole our freedom in every manner of the word. We’d been reduced to hiding out underground to escape bondage. Those were our only options—hiding or bondage. Meanwhile, they had it all and then some.

I took it all in again—grand hotels, shopping centers, theaters.

In books written before the fall, the world was one big adventure waiting to happen. Humans could venture anywhere they wanted and the sky truly was the limit, but those things were gone now, only living on between the pages of forbidden books.

For a moment, I got it; I thought I might have actually understood why Dolls had chosen their path. It was a twisted way to regainsomesemblance of the old life. No, I still didn’t agree with the choice, but I could see how the weak-minded might fall for the shine and ease of the lifestyle.

The chime of Julian’s phone brought me out of my thoughts and I glanced at the screen discreetly. He read a short message that had come through from Silas, cursing quietly to himself as he scanned the words. From what I caught, things weren’t going well in terms of damage control. Tonight’s fiasco would likely be the hot topic of social media and valid news outlets alike.

His head fell back against the headrest and I sat rigid in my seat, realizing things had gone about as bad as they could have. I breathed in, and before having the chance to exhale …

“I think I deserve to know who you are,” Julian demanded. “I mean, who youreallyare.”

The question carried tones of frustration, yes, but … something else. Disappointment maybe.

Hurt.

The breath left me, but I still didn’t say a word.

When I stayed silent, he scoffed. “So, I put my reputation on the line for you, mylife,” he amended, “and you won’t even give me your name?”

My chest heaved beneath my now tattered dress, noting that a trace of the connection we shared still lingered. However, I was sober now, no longer entranced by his charm. I knew it was nothing more than a mirage.

“Well?” he pressed.

“I already told you my name. It’s Corina,” I answered him, sighing.

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