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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

The needle slid home and it was one morsel of pain too much. If she’d had a tongue, Damocles would have had his wish. She would have bitten it off to keep from screaming.

54.

CLO

Present day

The blaster was cold and hard against the bare skin of Clo’s neck.

She chanced turning her head. Clo had been so focused on opening the vents to release the smoke orb that she hadn’t even heard Kyla go down.

Lost focus of my surroundings. Amateur fucking mistake.

The Commander was trapped in a web against the wall of the vent—a newer Novantae invention that splattered a sticky polymer on the target without hurting them. The webbing covered Kyla from mouth to toes, and she looked angry enough to spit as she wriggled beneath her bonds.

“Back up, Alesca.”

Clo saw his boots first. Scuffed beneath the polish. The formal trousers, the embroidered jacket she’d seen just a few hours before. Sher.

The co-commander of the resistance.

Time slowed, shrinking into a small pinpoint.

“Sher,” Clo said, carefully. “What are you doing?”

“What I have to,” he said, voice flat. “Hands by your side.”

She complied slowly, her mind whirring. This was the man whose life her mother had saved. Who had taken her in when she had no one. The one who’d taught her the importance of resistance, of fighting even when it seemed evil had threaded its way through every corner of the galaxy.

“Sher,” she tried again. “I’m carrying out your orders.”

“Your orders have changed. It’s no longer in our best interests.” Clo was astonished at how emotionless his expression was, how cold. “We have a chance to kill the Archon and the Evoli Oversouls. Burn down an empire. We need the resources.”

Clo blanched. The man Clo knew would never sacrifice thousands of people and think that was for the greater good. Not Sher. He’d die first.

Kyla was the ruthless one, the one who made difficult calls to sacrifice the few to benefit the many. But even she would never do something like this.

Think, think. Clo’s mind spun.

Eris had been right about Nova being compromised. Gods, she’d even told Clo that they needed to go dark. Looks like they shouldn’t even have included the co-commanders of the entire damn resistance.

“You’re the one who’s been feeding Damocles information.” At his silence, she shook her head in disbelief. “You betrayed your own spies? You betrayed us?”

Kyla paused in shock at Clo’s words. Then she struggled again, the webbing slipping slightly from her face. It was only meant to be temporary—a weapon to pin down someone long enough for them to be shot or tied more securely. If Kyla kept struggling, she could loosen the hold. She locked eyes with Clo. Kyla gave the barest nod, wriggling with renewed vigor.

Clo had to keep Sher talking.