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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

Clo had seen those features broadcast on icons all over the galaxy. It was the face that had stared down at Clo the night she lost her leg. It was the face of a woman Eris had left behind years before. And Damocles had forced Eris to wear that woman’s face.

Clo was fucking furious.

“I’m going to kill him,” Clo hissed.

Kyla waved a hand. “Shhh.”

The music was so loud, they could only catch parts of what Damocles said. They each picked up a smoke orb and put on goggles to protect their eyes from the stinging.

“Now?” Clo asked.

“Not until Sher gives the signal,” Kyla said, but she sounded uncertain.

Clo checked as Damocles gestured to the crowd below him, his acting skills far too good. What was he saying? Clo could barely concentrate on anything but Eris’s face: the vacant stare, skin that appeared ashen beneath the face powder. Gods, what had Damocles done to her? What the flames had he done?

Then Eris opened her mouth to reveal an empty, dark maw.

Clo stifled a gasp. Oh gods. Oh gods.

Kyla shook with rage. Clo felt horror curl through every part of her. What scared her more than the missing tongue was Eris’s body language.

She looked . . . defeated.

The Novan commander shook herself, breathing hard. “They’re giving each other their votive gifts. Where the hell is Sher?” Kyla asked, almost to herself. “He should be in place by now.”

The Evoli inclined their heads gravely at the Tholosians. The Archon looked ancient in his throne, for all his attempts to appear younger. It was strange to actually see the man who had led the Tholosian Empire for so long. The man who knew the horrible conditions of the slums in Myndalia and didn’t give a damn. So many deaths under his rule.

Clo wanted to throttle him with the expensive tassels dangling from his coat. Then she’d go for Damocles. Doing that would throw everything into disarray and chaos, but she didn’t care.

<Ariadne?> Clo tried one more time on her Pathos. <Any word on the weapon?>

Nothing.

Silt.

Clo clutched the cold metal of the orb tighter as the Archon gave the Evoli their gifts: elaborate, glittering opals that resembled those in Eris’s oversized headdress.

They were about to sign the truce. Clo squinted at the faces, still desperately searching for Sher in the face of his stolen Delegate.

“Fuck it,” Kyla said, ready to twist the orb. “We’ll have to do it and hope Cato and Nyx can get her. Ready?”

Clo started to nod and then froze as something cold as the end of a Mors blaster pressed into the back of her head.

“Stop,” said a voice she knew far too well.

52.

RHEA

Present day