BooksBarbecue
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

“Stop,” Ariadne said again, trying to work through the chaos around her. Another projectile hit the ship. More damage.

She couldn’t do this. She was a failure. The Oracle was always going to win. Her shoulders slumped, fingers pausing. Why try? She wanted to curl up, close her eyes, and block out the world. Wait for the end. The Oracle would likely kill her and grow a new Ariadne from her cells. A better daughter. More compliant.

A burst of blue calmness. Rhea’s hand was on her shoulder. Her voice drawing her from the storm. “Come on. Finish it. You can do this.”

That touch was enough to give Ariadne a final burst of strength. She shoved through the images the Oracle had put up, laid down the code—

Another jolt through the ship almost knocked her down.

—and with a final keystroke, finished her attack.

The onslaught stopped. She’d overtaken their navigation systems. Behind them, most of the Tholosian ships crashed into agricultural fields outside the city. There would still be deaths, but at least she’d diverted them from buildings and market stalls, which would have meant higher body counts. That would not matter to those still in the line of fire. She’d still helped cause that. Her fault. Her fault. Plumes of smoke and ash rose to the sky around Zelus as it sliced through another narrow city street. Don’t think. Don’t think.

“Pull up,” Ariadne ordered. “Pull up now and prepare the ship for a jump!”

With a whoop of relief, Clo shoved the throttle back and the ship tore through the sky up and up toward the stars. She entered the command for the jump, her face focused in grim determination. The ship shook as it prepared to barrel and leap into space.

Rhea’s hand settled on Ariadne’s other shoulder. Ariadne heard the other woman’s voice in her ear: “Well done, petal.”

Ariadne closed her eyes and sat back as the ship carried them to safety.

Don’t think.

45.

CLO

Present day

The ship sliced through space, a speck in the darkness. The endless void of black surrounded them.

Clo kept her head up. Eyes on the darkness, hands on the controls.

Her crew stood around her, the quiet in the command center almost unbearable. Ariadne’s black skin was beaded with sweat. She was trembling and her eyes were closed, her lips forming numbers in a silent count. Rhea kept her hand on Clo’s shoulder, a presence meant to comfort but that only succeeded in making Clo feel numb. Nyx was impassive as ever, as if she hadn’t just shot dozens of royal guards to escape Macella—her old comrades. Cato was silent in the corner, looking down at his hands.

They’d left Eris behind.