Page 273 of Psycho Pack

Just as I'm about to signal a change in plans, the world erupts in chaos.

Explosions rip through the air, a thunderous storm that shakes the very ground beneath our feet. Plumes of dust and debris billow upward as charges detonate all along the wall. In the distance, the stone checkpoint guard tower collapses in on itself, taking out anyone unlucky enough to be inside. The only threat we have to worry about on this side of the city.

For a heartbeat, all I can do is stare.

He came through.

Azarel kept his word.

"Wow," Whiskey breathes reverently.

"Better than fireworks," Ivy agrees.

A fierce relief tainted with dangerous hope wells up inside me, mingling with the adrenaline already blasting through my veins. Beside me, Nikolai's face splits in a wolfish grin.

"Well, well," he purrs, drawing his gaudy golden revolver and twirling it on his finger. "It's showtime."

I nod sharply, turning to General Larihm. The Surhiiran commander's eyes are bright with determination above his scarf."You know what to do," I say, my voice steady despite the pounding of my heart.

Larihm bows deeply. "May our Goddess watch over us all, Your Highness."

Little does he know my goddess is by my side, in the flesh.

With that, he turns and begins barking orders to our troops. The air fills with the sound of weapons being readied, of boots pounding against earth as our forces surge forward.

I draw my own weapon. The Surhiiran blade that's become an extension of myself once more, despite all our years apart. Its pristine metal seems to glow in the fading light, a beacon of hope amidst the carnage about to unfold.

"Alright, you crazy bastards," Whiskey calls out, his grin fierce and wild. He's always marched to the beat of his own drummer, and he's the only one of us not wearing a mask. "Let's go fuck shit up!"

Wraith lets out a bone-chilling roar of agreement, already moving toward the breach in the wall with deadly purpose. Thane falls in beside him. They're both wearing masks that are nods to the ones they wore as Ghosts—a gas mask for Wraith, and a skull mask for Thane—but theirs, too, have gilded accents and gold threading.

I turn to Ivy, drinking in the sight of her. Even in the midst of this madness, she's breathtaking. Her fiery hair whips around her face, and there's a determined set to her jaw that makes my heart swell with pride and love.

"Stay close," I tell her, reaching out to squeeze her hand. "No matter what happens in there?—"

"I know," she cuts me off, squeezing my hand in return, a hint of a smile playing at her lips. "No recklessness."

I nod, swallowing hard against the lump in my throat. There's so much more I want to say, but now isn't the time.

We have a war to win first.

I keep Ivy close as we weave through the chaos erupting around us, my heart pounding against my ribs. The sounds of battle echo off the stone buildings of the capital. Gunfire, explosions, screams. The air is thick with smoke and the acrid stench of cordite.

But we have a mission.

Thane and Wraith are hunting their father as we speak.

Like a cockroach, he'll skitter off the moment he realizes the capital is doomed to fall, and we can't let him get the chance to shore up reinforcements. In the meantime, Whiskey, Ivy, and I are heading straight for the Council chambers. I catch glimpses of Valek's handiwork as we move. Guards dropping silently from their posts, precise shots that speak of a master marksman watching over us like some sort of unhinged guardian angel.

"This way," I murmur to Ivy, pulling her into a narrow alley as another explosion rocks the street behind us. Debris rains down, but we're already moving.

She stays close, just like she promised. Her small hand is warm in mine as I guide her through the labyrinth of side streets and back alleys. We're taking the long way around, avoiding the main thoroughfares where the bulk of the fighting is concentrated.

A flash of movement ahead makes me freeze, but it's just a cat darting between trash bins. Still, I press Ivy against the wall, shielding her with my body until I'm certain it's clear.

"I'm fine," she whispers, but she doesn't fight my protective instincts.

Even now, in the middle of a war zone, she's trying to reassureme.

---