The analyst stopped before them and bowed, her sleeveless outfit revealing arms covered in glowing, silver veins. They were bright reminders of Nor’s cause, of Valen’s power. “We’ve been working around the clock, using every resource at our hands to uncover the identity of the false general. I’m delighted to report that just a few minutes ago, we had a breakthrough.”

Nor’s blood went cold.

“Who is it?” she said, the words a mere whisper.

“It’s...rather unexpected, Majesty,” Darai said. “And it will likely be a challenge to track her down.”

“Just tell me,” Nor snapped.

The analyst cleared her throat. “Androma Racella, Majesty.”

The name sounded strangely familiar, but Nor couldn’t place it. “Who?” she asked.

It was Valen who answered this time, his face paling as he turned to look at Nor. “Andi,” he said faintly, his eyes wide with disbelief. “The Bloody Baroness.”

CHAPTER 12

ANDI

The transport shot across the landscape, leaving the icy battlefield far behind them. A plume of smoke spiraled up from the attack site, trailing into the sky as if marking Lon’s final resting place.

Andi buckled herself into the passenger seat as Dex angled them toward the ghostly outline of a domed city in the distance. But she found that she couldn’t look away from the carnage in the distance, couldn’t stop seeing the dragon’s gaping jaw.

“This can’t be happening,” Andi said, as Dex laid on the throttle. “Godstars, this isn’t how it was supposed to go.”

All she could see was Lon’s face as he slipped between the dragon’s teeth. All she could think of was the horrific death that had followed. The fiery explosion. And Lira... Oh, Godstars, Lira. How would she react when Andi freed her someday, and Lon wasn’t there waiting for her return? She’d already lost her aunt Alara at the hands of Queen Nor, and now...

“He made his choice,” Dex said quietly.

But again and again, Andi saw his face. The calmness in his eyes, so willing to give himself over to the other side as he leaped from the transport into the literal jaws of death.

“He did it so that Lira could be saved.”

“Don’t say her name,” Andi hissed. Grief enveloped her in its all too familiar embrace. “She’ll never forgive me for letting him go. Godstars, I should have stopped him!” She slammed the dash in fury.

“There was nothing we could have done!” Dex insisted. “He was probably planning to sacrifice himself the moment his suit ripped open.”

“We could have made it to the city before he bled to death!”

“We wouldn’t have,” Dex said. “And he knew that. He saved us, Androma. So that we could continue on and save the girls. Save Lira.”