Page 169 of Stars in Umbra
Another thrust in her stomach, and a surge of power coursed through her, so forceful that sigils of ancient energy glowed under her skin.
In that instant, she got a neural vision of Mo soaring through the skies for them in a burst of light. So bright, it phased out all the umbras in the firmament.
A slow smile touched her lips, and she murmured to her unborn offspring.
‘Look at the sky, little one. It’s the color of love.’
She gazed back at the view, her fears overshadowed by the might of her unborn treasure and the words she whispered. ‘It seems your father is about to be the avenging angel we need in our time of despair. I adore him and you so much, so hold on, daddy’s coming.’
Mo streaked through the firmament in a blur of elemental and unyielding power, chasing down the fast-moving bomber.
‘Thrall’s bomber is reaching a speed of Mach 9.3. You need to up your velocity to reach it. Also, its gun turrets are hostile and will shred you if you don’t use their own blind spots againstthem. Once you’re on the hull, you’ll need to lock your gravity boots to the surface and brace hard. The nanites in your suit will do the rest.’
‘Sante,’ Mo rasped.
He closed the distance with divine propulsion, the clouds screaming by him.
Arcs of white-blue sky fire gathered around his gauntlets. His breath was steady. His muscles coiled with righteous fury.
In the far distance, Eden II’s orb appeared, its spires glittering like glass needles, unaware of the doom headed their way.
With a surge of otherworldly speed, he was on top of the runaway bomber.
A shield rippled as he fell through it, slamming feet-first onto its hull like judgment incarnate, metal buckling under his landing.
A doorway on the bomber’s outer surface split open with a hiss of pressure, revealing a tactical drop-ramp.
Apex Wraith stepped into view, helmet off, clad in his lean, armored suit of carbon-mesh and bio thread.
His face was calm and cold.
This was a different man from the slick host of parties, galas, and the smarmy military salesman.
Standing before him was the architect of Mo’s torment, his betrayer, his nodal controller.
Wind howled around them.
He caught Mirage’s neural whisper.Molan, watch your six. You’ve no safety net, no fallback.
I don’t need it.
It’d be just him and his years of experience. Plus freakin’ luck and his divine potency.
This was the time to tap into his inheritance and let it loose.
‘You’re too late,’ Caidan shouted, his voice like a blade. ‘Our trajectory is inevitable.’
Mo’s jaw clenched.
‘You turned me into a weapon,’ he growled, stepping forward. ‘You forged your insane commands into my mind, made me commit the worst atrocities. Now you think you’ll rewrite history.Fokkthat shit. You think I’ll let you harm her?’
Caidan smirked. ‘The sacrifice of her life will render her sacred. Tis poetic justice.’
With a growl, Mo lunged.
The impact of his force meeting Caidan’s armored frame was seismic.
Metal buckled beneath their clash.
