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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 others hadn’t showed any signs of infection. But she’d felt this illness before she’d landed on Laguna, if she were honest with herself. She’d felt it not long after Ismara. She’d stumbled against the walls of the ichor in that underground crypt. Her hand against the rough rock, the tear in her suit. The tiny scrape. Small enough she’d thought nothing of it. Large enough for endospores in the rock to infect her.

With the first speck of blood, she’d known.

The others were safe from her. It was the first strain, the one that had taken Talley. Not infectious, or the rest of her team would have shown symptoms before they even came close to Laguna. She didn’t know how long she had.

There was no honor in this. No battle. Just a slow, painful ebb into nothing.

Nyx lay back, shooting herself up with an antitoxin when Cato wasn’t looking.

She knew it was useless. There was no cure, or at least not one they could access or develop quickly enough. So, she’d enjoy what little time she had left. It could be days. Weeks. Months. Years.

She’d do what she could to destroy the Empire before the end.

EPILOGUE

Two Weeks Later

Prince Damocles’s broadcast went out across the galaxy. To every planet in the Evoli and Tholosian Empires. Every corner, every nook, every quadrant.

And it reached a ship adrift in the darkest parts of space, one that had powered down and hidden itself. There, seven of the most wanted people in the galaxy watched the broadcast.

The newly crowned Archon wore his ceremonial Tholosian cloak and a collar reminiscent of an Evoli’s Oversoul collar in a show of good faith. The Oversouls were a collective until the new Ascendant could be chosen. He was an honorary, though closely watched, member of the council.

He had one final new addition.

An eye patch of smooth gold, covering the ruin of his left eye.

When he spoke, it was in a solemn, steady tone. “After the senseless attack on both Evoli and Tholosian citizens at Laguna, our Empires are united in a common cause. I am relieved to report that through the work of myself and my soldiers, the population of Laguna that was not at the site of the treaty were spared the effects of the contagion. These million Evoli lives show how committed I am to this treaty, this peace.”

Clo’s garbled shout of outrage echoed through the command center. “Are you fluming kidding me? He took credit?”