Page 195 of Swords of Soul and Shadow
To think the Cerls only had this technology because his uncle had discovered it and told his lover about it.
Now, it was Jayde’s only defense—just Kase and a hover that his uncle had created and been executed for; an uncle who Kase took after in more ways than one. An uncle who had been drowning in grief; an uncle whose betrayal and death had changed his father for the worse.
The further he and Hallie traveled through the corridors, the more people they passed. Not everyone had been cleared to return to the surface yet—only those with essential jobs like clean up, which ended up being mostly lower-class folks.
While there hadn’t been a full counterattack to Kase’s feat days ago, they weren’t safe. The flyovers weren’t harmless; they merely confirmed that fact. After he’d destroyed all the hovers chasing him, they might be hesitant to send in more unless they were certain of what had occurred, but he doubted it. They were probably planning something even worse.
“Kase!”
He froze and half-turned. Hallie still looked pale as she tugged on his arm. She’d nearly blacked out with whatever happened in the tunnel, and that was after their wretched fight.He would never forget the desperation in her eyes as she pleaded with him, begging him to let her save him.
What a horrible day it had been.
He slowed down. “I’m so sorry. I didn’t even think. Are you all right?”
She cupped his cheek with a slightly chilled hand. “Areyouall right?”
He opened his mouth and closed it again. Of course he wasn’t, but if he admitted that, he wouldn’t be able to put himself back together again. He needed to be up in a hover. “I have a patrol I’m late for, and one of the greenies is joining me finally.”
“But Kase, your father…and your uncle…”
He shook his head. “I just need an hour in the hover.”
His words were entirely too optimistic for what he felt. Hallie hadn’t fallen for it, judging by the look on her face. “Are you sure? Especially after hearing…well…that?”
“I’ll be okay.” He brought her hand to his lips. “We can talk more later?”
She pursed her lips together but shrugged out of his jacket.
“No, you can keep it.”
She shook her head. “You’re not you without it.”
That brought a small smile to his lips, It would make him feel a little better. At least on the surface. “But you’ll fetch yours? I don’t want you catching a cold.”
She stood on tiptoe and gave him a chaste kiss. “I’m better now. I swear.”
He leaned down and whispered in her ear. A few stray hairs tickled his lips. “Are you sure you’ll be all right?”
She nodded.
“Then I’ll see you at dinner.”
She nodded again, and Kase gave her hand a soft squeeze before gesturing for Sergeant to follow. He let her hand fall as he turned and wove his way through the crowd.
His hand was cold without hers, but if he was to keep her safe and remain sane, he needed to be up in a hover. If he didn’t get into the sky soon and escape the truths his father had just revealed, he wouldn’t be able to think rationally when he talked with her about more important things later.
More important things, like her plan tosacrificeherself for him.
His stomach roiled.
He and Sergeant made their way past the central cavern, the chasm, and another three corridors before finding the correct one that would take them to the underground hangar. Just outside the door being manned by two stiff-backed soldiers, a young man leaned heavily on a cane, his legs in braces.
Kase would have bet everything he owned that this day couldn’t get any worse, but it seemed that was a bet he would’ve lost.
Today’s greenie was Laurence Hixon, the one he’d been training before the bike accident. The man wore his gray training jacket, every button done up to his chin. His blond hair swept back from his temples, held in place by goggles.
Last Kase had heard, they hadn’t thought Laurence would ever walk again. But the greenie stood before him now, a steely look on his face.
