Page 129 of Siege of Shadows

“See?” Saul used the one hand he had left to grip her shoulder, giving it an almost loving squeeze. “You never know what someone is capable of. Right, Maia?”

But that wasn’t “Maia.”

In that moment, I heard Saul’s words echoing in the back of my mind. The words he’d spoken to me that day in Morocco, an evil promise whispering unknown horrors to come.

This is a world of shadows, Maia. And the secrets hide themselves there in the dark. You’ll understand that soon enough. I’ll give you a sign.

You won’t miss it.

“It can’t be.” I leaned over, propping myself up against the floor with my hands as I whispered her name. “June?”

32

THE WORLD FELL AWAY. PEOPLEwere yelling things. None of it mattered, not until Chae Rin lifted me back to my feet.

“Pull it together!” Chae Rin shoved me. “I’m tired of saying it to you people, ugh!”

But I could barely hear her. “June... June... J—” I nearly collapsed again, but it was Chae Rin who held me upright.

Chae Rin and Lake appeared as spooked as the rest of the room, everyone looking from the Maia on-screen to me standing limply in the back. But it wasn’t Maia. That wasn’t Maia.

June.

No, it couldn’t have been.

June. My sister. The girl who shared my face. That wasmyface. My face staring back at me. But my face was hers. Every crevice was the same. My eyes welled up with tears. She’d had acne before she’d died, but it wasn’t there anymore. Maybe it wasn’t her after all. Maybe itwasme. But it couldn’t be. I was here. And it couldn’t be my dead sister either.

Unless... June was alive?

Back in Madrid... Naomi’s shooting. I’d been so careful about hiding my face, but people had seen me anyway. Could it have been—

No. It was impossible.

But what if it wasn’t? What if June was alive?

June... alive. June was here. She’d come back from the dead. Was it to punish me? Was this Saul’s divine justice? But June would never hurt anyone. She certainly wouldn’tkillsomeone. I swayed on my feet, propping myself up by the knees as I gulped up air in short, frantic breaths.

Lake bent down and grabbed my shoulders, shaking me. “Maia,pleaseget ahold of yourself! Breathe in and out, okay? Like this.”

As I tried to follow her lead, elsewhere in the room, Prince expressed his frustration in a low, baritone grumble.

“Cut the communications.” Prince motioned to the techs. “Make sure he can’t hear us. This has gone on long enough. Resume the weapons launch.”

“Dad!” Brendan cried, grabbing his arm.

“Enough!” He yanked his arm out of his son’s grip. “We need to take out Saul. Now!”

Take out Saul.I straightened my back and looked at him, horrified. He was going to use Minerva. But Rhys was there.

And June.

“Get ready to launch—”

“Not happening!” Chae Rin raised her hands and the ground began to rumble beneath us, but before she could get started, a gunshot cut her off, the bullet burying itself in her arm.

“Chae Rin!” Lake caught her before she could fall to the ground.

“What are you doing?” Brendan stared at his father, whose gun was still pointed and smoking.

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