Page 40 of Hell Storm

She peered up at the sound of the stern tone I took with her.

“While that may be true, Your Highness, it isalsotrue that I was created to evolve. And it’s been during this evolution that I’ve come to learn something on my own.”

Her response rendered me speechless.

“What’s that?” Silas asked, genuinely intrigued.

Elle gave a dim smile and shrugged again, in that very human manner of hers as she met our gazes.

“I learned that programming doesn’t exceed friendship.”

The science glutton in Silas—despite his aversion to A.I. technology—overpowered his sensible side. This was evident when he smiled instead of seeing this‘evolution’for what it was—Elle was no longer just a resource.

She had a mind of her own.

There was no time to express how livid I was with how she handled this, but I’d have to deal with that later. Once again, I turned to focus on the com. I was now more nervous than before as to where Corina had disappeared. And seeing as we’d only reached dead ends so far, I knew there was only one way to get an answer.

I pressed the button that brought the small earpiece to life.

Holding it a moment, I was admittedly nervous to find out what would happen next, but I needed to know where this rabbit hole would lead.

There was a low hum when I positioned it inside my ear, and my first thought was that the battery was dying and it was basically useless. It would have been a fitting end to a brutal night of dead ends and false hope.

I’d just given up and made up my mind that this was the end of the line.

“Hello? You there?” came a panicked, feminine voice streaming through the device. Her disposition was filled with enough fear and concern that I knew right away she’d been at least part of the reason our houseguest was so unsettled.

However, as if I didn’t already have enough evidence, the gentle voice confirmed it and I no longer had a doubt.

“Cori … if by some miracle youcanhear me just hang in there,” she pleaded through the static of our lousy connection. “We’ve been on standby night and day hoping to hear from you, and we’re doing everything we can to bring you home. But in case you forgot … we love you.”

CHAPTER THIRTEEN

Corina

What is this place?

The last thing I recalled was the sting of a dart entering my neck, and now I was waking up in a strange room.

Or rather …wewere waking up in a strange room.

I blinked through an overwhelming haze, squinting into the glare of a single, overhead light. Levi was a bit more coherent than I, and I accepted his hand when he offered it to help me stand.

“Are you okay?”

His stare was intense until I answered with a nod. “I think so.” Peering up, my eyes met his. “Do you know who did this?”

My heart sank as he shook his head. “No, but I can assure you it’s roamers. Ianites would never behave so barbarically.”

I was in no mood to point out the irony of his statement, so I stayed quiet while he felt his pocket, sighing as something dawned on him.

“And they’ve taken all my belongings as well, which means I have no way to even notify anyone of our whereabouts.”

A thought occurred to me suddenly. “Your powers!” I blurted. “Is there anything you can do? I don’t know … remove the door, maybe?” I wasn’t even sure he could do that, but recalled the power he exerted to move me in the woods tonight, and how he’d strung the roamers from a tree. It seemed worth suggesting.

“Can’t,” he sighed. “Whatever was in that dart dampened my abilities. At least for now.”

This just kept getting better.

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