The girls moved into position. “What are you waiting for?” Dex taunted, and the soldiers continued their procession forward. One took a shot at him, and if it weren’t for the electric shield that suddenly materialized in front of him, he would’ve been a goner.

“Thanks,” he said to Klaren as she stepped back, retracting the barrier back into her crimson armor. If he survived this fight, he wouldn’t mind adding those gadgets to his personal armory.

Dex blasted a round at the closest soldier. The man flew backward, as if being yanked by strings, before colliding with two of his comrades. Dex immediately focused on his next target, failing to notice the group of three soldiers coming up behind him.

A splitting pain radiated through his back and he tumbled to the ground.

Quick as he could, Dex tried to scramble up, only to be met with the muzzle of a gun hitting him square in the jaw. Blood flooded into his mouth, the metallic taste making him gag.

The man smiled at him with yellow, rotten teeth.

“Good night, traitor.”

He was dea—

The man crumpled to the ground, followed shortly after by his two lackeys. Dex jumped to his feet, but couldn’t spot his savior in the chaos of battle. Smoke rolled across the estate grounds, concealing bodies as they fell. All the others were busy grappling in their own fights.

“Soyina was right. You truly are slow sometimes.” He jumped at the sound of a female voice behind him. He turned just in time to see Eryn appear before him.

“Of course,” he breathed.

“Bet you’re glad to see me.” She smirked, pushing her shining strands of hair out of her eyes. “Or not see me.”

“You have no idea,” Dex said, his heart pounding erratically in his chest. “Come on. We have to get to the satellite.”

“I’ll clear a path through the remaining guards.”

He nodded, turning to Klaren, who was fighting with an electric baton. She dipped and twirled the weapon in fluid, deadly arcs before bringing it down on her opponents. She lunged and twisted with ease, showcasing moves Dex only wished he knew. With a swift downward kick, she brought one man to his knees and knocked his helmet off.

He was young, too young. But age didn’t matter in the game of war, and Klaren delivered his death blow, singeing the surrounding skin until it turned black.

Dex shifted his attention back to the battle, which was almost won. Only a few soldiers remained. As he watched, Soyina blasted one from a few yards away, and Lira had another in a choke hold, holding the woman there until her body went limp. Dex knew she wasn’t dead—that wasn’t Lira’s way of doing things. But among the scattered bodies, the dead and the living were difficult to distinguish.