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Back Seven Devils
Chapters (62)
  1. Cover
  2. Dedication
  3. 1.
  4. 2.
  5. 3.
  6. 4.
  7. 5.
  8. 6.
  9. 7.
  10. 8.
  11. 9.
  12. 10.
  13. 11.
  14. 12.
  15. 13.
  16. 14.
  17. 15.
  18. 16.
  19. 17.
  20. 18.
  21. 19.
  22. 20.
  23. 21.
  24. 22.
  25. 23.
  26. 24.
  27. 25.
  28. 26.
  29. 27.
  30. 28.
  31. 29.
  32. 30.
  33. 31.
  34. 32.
  35. 33.
  36. 34.
  37. 35.
  38. 36.
  39. 37.
  40. 38.
  41. 39.
  42. 40.
  43. 41.
  44. 42.
  45. 43.
  46. 44.
  47. 45.
  48. 46.
  49. 47.
  50. 48.
  51. 49.
  52. 50.
  53. 51.
  54. 52.
  55. 53.
  56. 54.
  57. 55.
  58. 56.
  59. 57.
  60. EPILOGUE
  61. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
  62. ABOUT THE AUTHORS

“Well, like I said, we found Josephine’s real name, but I still like Josephine better. Ichor sounds so harsh. And we successfully hacked the Oracle’s mainframe.” Ariadne pumped her fist in the air.

“You successfully hacked the Oracle’s mainframe,” Clo said, “while I stood guard in mounting terror and also almost fell into an elevator shaft.”

“We should probably run,” Ariadne added. “Before the Oracle realizes I was here. One put up new blocks in One’s system after I disappeared from Tholos, so it’s only a matter of—”

Eris burst out of her chair. “Are you kidding me? Clo, start up the godsdamn ship.”

“Unless you want to tip them off,” Clo said, “we have to be approved for launch. I already put in the request, so sit down.”

Eris reluctantly settled back into her chair. “How much time, Ariadne?”

“Not sure. The Oracle runs scans on One’s programming every few weeks, so I’m hoping not until then.”

“And the ichor?”

Ariadne let out a frustrated breath. “Whatever information I could find was encrypted, and it’d be too risky to copy it. I managed to skim a few documents One kept about storing the ichor. I couldn’t see what it’s being used for, or whether General Damocles is directly involved, but all the rocks came through a warehouse on Ismara.”

“Anything on Kyla’s murdered spies?”

Ariadne shrugged. “I didn’t have time to look. I’d need to break the Oracle’s encryption wall for that too. But!” She lifted a hand. “I snuck in a virus. The Oracle will know it’s there if I access the information again, but in a pinch . . .”

Eris stared at her. “No wonder Kyla likes you.”

The girl grinned. “I’m also very charming.”

“She’s so modest, too,” Clo added with a sly smile from the pilot seat. “Flight approval has gone through. We’re good to launch.”

“Thank the gods.” Eris rubbed her forehead. “Get us out of here.”

Clo rolled back to the screens and prepped the ship to jump to Ismara. The ship whooshed to life and she started angling the craft out of the hangar before it abruptly powered down again with a short stutter of the engine. “Uh.”

“Oh gods, what now?” Eris asked.

Clo shook her head and bashed at the controls, trying to get it to power up again. “Uhh. Ariadne? Help.”

Ariadne leaned over Clo and typed something into the controls, then squinted at the screen. “Wait a minute. There’s a lock on jumping. With a name of who gave the command . . . Cato. Who’s Cato?”

The women all stared at each other. Then, as one: “The pilot.”

34.

NYX

Present day

That son of a bitch should have been killed the second he was recovered, Nyx thought as she and the others stomped to the med center. She should have floated the pilot out into space her damn self.