Page 219 of Silver Elite

When his dubious expression lingers, I voice a challenge.

“When has there ever been a high-casualty event caused by the Uprising?”

“There’ve been bombings.”

“How many civilian deaths?” I push.

He grumbles under his breath. “All right. It’s true. They don’t target civilians. So what the hell are they planning for the Jubilee, then? Is my father the target?”

“Would you care if he was?”

Cross hesitates, then says, “I don’t know.”

—

It’s difficult on the base without Kaine. I didn’t realize what an integral part of my life he was, how much I enjoyed his teasing grins, his shameless flirting. It’s been a week and I still expect to walk into the mess hall and find him there, handing me a cup of coffee. I have to settle for Lyddie, who’s been clinging a little tighter lately, making more of an effort to share meals with me since Kaine’s death.

“I miss him,” she says today at morning meal.

My heart clenches. “I do, too.”

She hesitates. “Can I ask you something about Elite?”

I furrow my brow, wariness flickering through me. “Sure, but I can’t promise I’ll be able to answer.”

“Have you noticed any tension between Captain Redden and the colonel?”

“The colonel as in Travis Redden?”

“Yes. Things have been really tense in Intelligence since the bomber was stolen. Travis is on edge.”

“I thought you didn’t work directly under him.”

“Oh, I don’t.” She blushes. “I delivered a coffee to him once, but that’s about it. I hear murmurings from the other soldiers, though. And yesterday I walked by his office and heard him talking to someone on his comm about Elite.”

I frown. “What was he saying?”

“He said the unit has gotten complacent, but he’s going to change that. And then”—she lowers her voice—“he’s putting together a shortlist of high-ranking officers.”

My jaw drops. “You think he’s trying to replace Cross?”

“I don’t know. But I thought maybe I should tell you.”

For someone who works in Intelligence, Lyddie has a big mouth. It’s the one dangerous trait of hers that she was unable to conquer during our training. For once, though, I appreciate her gossipy tendencies. I waste no time reaching out to Cross right under her nose.

“Your brother might be looking to replace you as leader of Elite.”

He snorts in my head.“He’ll have to go through our father first.The General’s not going to let someone he doesn’t explicitly trust take over.”

“Your father trusts you explicitly, huh? He says as he speaks telepathically to his Modified girlfriend.”

That gets me Wolf’s trademark laughter. I didn’t realize that the entire time Cross was teasing me with his stubborn dimple and infrequent laughter, I’d already been hearing him laugh my whole life. It’s pretty fantastic. We linked spontaneously as children and now here we are, bound even tighter. It speaks to the undeniable truth of our connection. We’re two halves of a fractured whole, drawn together by forces beyond our control.

He’s right.

It’s terrifying.

“Are you going to wear the dress we picked out in the city?” Lyddie interrupts my thoughts.

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