Page 155 of Supernova

“Yes,” she said defensively. “I am.”

“And I could not be more proud of her,” said Ace, shooting her a doting smile.

She tried to return it, but hers became more of a grimace. All her life, she’d longed for those looks from Ace, the recognition that she had done well. He had taken her in, given her a home and a family when all was lost. And now she was going to betray him.

There was no other way, though. He was hurting too many people. He was no longer seeing a better world for prodigies. All he could see was his own revenge.

Sudden anger eclipsed the Captain’s boyish features. He bared his teeth at Ace. “Does she know?”

“Know what?” Ace said. Quietly. Harshly.

The Captain bellowed, “Does she know you killed her family?”

Nova stumbled back a step. “What?” She swiveled toward Ace, but he was watching his enemy.

“A desperate, pathetic lie,” said Ace. “He would say anything to turn us against each other. Anything to save himself.”

Nova riveted her attention on the Captain again. “I witnessed their murders. My family was killed by an intruder, an assassin hiredby the Roaches when my father refused to keep crafting weapons for them. Ace saved me.”

“No,” said the Captain, shaking his head. “Hesent the assassin. A lowlife gun for hire that wouldn’t be traced back to the Anarchists.”

Her throat constricted. She glanced at Ace.

“You know it isn’t true,” he said, but he still wasn’t looking at her. “You know that I killed the Roaches in retaliation for the deaths of my brother and his family, whom I loved.”

The Captain’s expression became almost gentle, Nova thought, which might be worse than his anger. Worse than the shock. He was watching her with pity. Captain Chromium, the one who had not come, even after she had put every ounce of faith into him… hepitiedher.

“Your father regretted making the helmet,” he said. “He felt responsible for the things Ace had done. He came to us and begged us to stop his brother. He told us about the helmet—before then, we believed Ace Anarchy’s strength was inherent, but when David explained that most of his powers were a result of the helmet itself, it allowed us to formulate a plan to defeat him. But David knew…”

He hesitated, his handsome features twisting with grief.

“David knew that Ace would seek revenge for his betrayal. In exchange for the information, we promised… to protect his family.” His voice broke. “But we failed. I’m sorry, Nova. I’m so, so sorry.”

“No!” Nova yelled, surprising even herself with the outburst. Tears flooded her eyes, and she swiped at them with her fist. “You don’t get to apologize! Why didn’t you save us?” Her voice rose, ten years of rage storming inside her. “Why weren’t you there?Where were you?”

The man’s ruthless stare.

Bang.

Her mother begging for mercy.

Bang.

Evie’s cries, silenced forever.

Bang.

“Why?” she murmured as the first tears escaped.

“We were there,” he whispered.

“Liar!” she shrieked.

Hugh Everhart’s voice remained steady. “We had someone posted at your apartment building day and night. For weeks.”

“No. No one came. No one—”

“Lady Indomitable was there the night of the murders.”

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