Chapters (48)
- Cover
- Dedication
- ONE
- TWO
- THREE
- FOUR
- FIVE
- SIX
- SEVEN
- EIGHT
- NINE
- TEN
- ELEVEN
- TWELVE
- THIRTEEN
- FOURTEEN
- FIFTEEN
- SIXTEEN
- SEVENTEEN
- EIGHTEEN
- NINETEEN
- TWENTY
- TWENTY-ONE
- TWENTY-TWO
- TWENTY-THREE
- TWENTY-FOUR
- TWENTY-FIVE
- TWENTY-SIX
- TWENTY-SEVEN
- TWENTY-EIGHT
- TWENTY-NINE
- THIRTY
- THIRTY-ONE
- THIRTY-TWO
- THIRTY-THREE
- THIRTY-FOUR
- THIRTY-FIVE
- THIRTY-SIX
- THIRTY-SEVEN
- THIRTY-EIGHT
- THIRTY-NINE
- FORTY
- FORTY-ONE
- FORTY-TWO
- FORTY-THREE
- ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
- ABOUT THE AUTHOR
- Copyright
My eyes shot open, and I jerked upright in time to see a blur of white rags vanish between bobbing heads. “Hey!” I shouted, and without stopping to consider the wisdom of what I was doing, I plunged into the crowd in pursuit.
Arrival on schedule. Where is master ship?
Six hours behind.
Turn around and go home, base. We’ll have things cleaned up by then. Legion is active.
TWENTY
“STOP!” I SHOUTED, PLUNGING INTO the crowd. The wisp of white vanished into a sea of people, and I shoved after it. That wrist communicator was my last link to home, to my father, to my friends, to my family. I might be conflicted about talking to my dad, afraid of what I’d discover, but I sure as hell couldn’t afford to lose it.
I stumbled over someone’s feet, colliding with a decidedly hostile group of men. One of them stepped in front of me. Without stopping to think, I drove my elbow into his ribs. He doubled over, grunting, and I ducked under his friend’s arm, charging past the crowd.
I put on a burst of speed, bulling my way through the market. A trail of shouted anger marked my wake until I emerged into the stairwell.
I peered down the stairs, blinking. Hordes of faces peered back at me, probably wondering who and what had caused all the fuss. But I didn’t see the thief. Unless he’d ditched his clothing and casually blended in with the crowd below? Desperation made my head swirl. How would I ever find him?
Someone shouted behind me, and I winced. So much for keeping a low profile. I was going to have the entire marketplace on my heels in a second. I needed to get out of here and hope I found Cage later. Otherwise he’d have to rescue me from some sticky situation, assuming I survived long enough. And if that was the case, I’d have to deal with him muttering about how he’d warned me to stay put. My fists tightened involuntarily. No, I would find a way to save myself.
My gaze settled on a grated panel against the wall. Sanctuary didn’t have large ventilation ducts like this, or at least I didn’t think it did. But then, I’d learned that a lot of Sanctuary was hidden behind smooth walls and civilized veneers. Obsidian was an older model, with everything in the open.
The voices behind me grew louder. I risked a glance back. The man I’d elbowed pushed his way through the crowd, a sizable following behind him. I didn’t have much time to make a choice.
Did the grate look askew?
If the thief hadn’t gone into the vents, I at least hoped my knowledge of Sanctuary would give me an edge in dodging any pursuit. Besides, the men looked too big to crawl through ductwork. I lunged for the grate, yanked it aside easily—too easily, giving me hope I wasn’t the first person to crawl through here today—and dove forward, squirming along on my elbows without bothering to pull the grate into place behind me.