Before Klaren could respond, another voice piped up. “That would be me, the answer to all your problems.”

Dex nearly leaped out of his skin as Eryn materialized before him.

“Where did you come from?” Andi breathed.

Eryn smiled, climbing atop the table, making the map twinkle out. She pulled her knees to her chest. “I’ve been following you almost all day.”

Oh, Godstars, was she there when he and Andi...?

Dex pushed the thought aside. Eryn grinned at him with all her teeth, as if she could read his mind.

“And how are you going to solve all our problems, exactly?” Andi asked, propping a hand on her hip.

“I’m going to hide the ship.” As she spoke, Eryn placed both hands on the metal hull, closing her eyes and tilting her head at just enough of an angle to still show off her smile. Then she hopped off the table and went to the front of the ship, placing her hands against the controls.

“Come, come.” Andi and Dex sidled up next to her.

“Watch the outside of the ship.” She closed her eyes, and they watched as the front of the ship began to flicker, gradually fading from view. Then, as soon as it disappeared, the cloaking lifted as Eryn raised her hands again.

“They won’t even know we’re there until we start kicking some ass.” She smirked.

“Enough showing off. Get over here, people,” Soyina said from the table.

All five of them gathered around. Klaren spoke first.

“We’ve received new intelligence that the satellite is going to be launching sooner than expected, due to Valen’s declining health,” she told them. “That’s another reason for me agreeing to this preemptive internal strike. If we can end this with just the few of us, countless lives will be saved. But if we fail, I’ve given orders for the Underground to move ahead with our original plan.”

Dex and Andi exchanged a look. “Which is...?” he asked.

“War.”

CHAPTER 32

VALEN

Valen awoke to a hideous throbbing in his temples.

It was cold, so cold, when he opened his eyes to a darkness as deep as the night.

He tried to lift his hands, but they were stuck. Pressed tightly together behind his back, as if someone had taken a cord and bound him.

“Hello?” he whispered.

He couldn’t see his legs when he looked down, couldn’t make out his torso or the chair he could feel himself sitting in. But Valen knew that he was inside his mind castle, could feel it when he closed his eyes.

What had Darai done?

How could he have had such power—the ability to lock Valen up inside his own mind—and Valen had never even sensed it?