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Chapter 1

Thorne, out of ancient Britain in AD 11, stood outside a vile-s dive, a real shithole, somewhere in El Paso One, Mortal Earth He took deep breaths trying to calo back inside, and iuilty in this little flirtation drama

He whipped his Droid Ascender from the pocket of his jeans, a sweet interdiy that allowed him to call home He all but punched the screen Shit, his hand tre his syste like a drunk off a bender

The phone rang several times “Pick up, pick up, pick up”

Finally, Alison’s voice caet out of Endelle’s office before I answered”

“Okay, good” In the past three weeks since he’d left Second Earth, he’d grown dependent on Alison for a couple of reasons She helped hiht, and she kept hiainst Commander Greaves

He was about to launch into his current dile moves on anotheryou’ve got to know right away, and it’s bad”

His body stilled Alison wasn’t given to drao, she’d been an equalizing force a the Warriors of the Blood and especially with Endelle, serving as she did as the scorpion queen’s executive assistant

His hearing became focused, laser-like, on exactly what Alison would say next He took another deep breath “Let me have it”

“It’s been all over the news for the past hour In three days, Greaves is conducting a spectacle-grade military review that will last four,an army of two hundred thousand troops, his ‘Ascender Liberation Army,’ down the Moscoo avenue”

Thorne’s lips parted because he needed to keep breathing, but he wasn’t sure his lungs orking

Greaves had just upped the stakes at the saone AWOL to chase after a wo to do with him

Perfect

“Are you there?” Alison asked

“What?”

“Thorne, did you hear what I said?”

“Yes Processing Shit” He shook his head—like Alison could see that “This is a coal maneuver COPASS can’t let this slide, not this tie in a public display of military prowess’ The rules are clear”

“Marcus has been on the phone nonstop to the international COPASS HQ in Prague Every answer he’s been given goes so like, The committee has the Commander’s request for permits under review But we all knohat that means”

“Squat”

“Exactly I hate to ask this, but can you coh Adned with Endelle jumpy Three shifted their alliance to Greaves just because of the announcement Three”

“Oh, shit”