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“My left hand can’t have a mind of its own”

At my command, ten black-clad Howlers file out of the Necromancer The chameleon properties of their pulseArmor ripple to match the pale ice Felix tilts his buzzed head

Harnassus’s face falls “You would use Howlers…on me?”

“That choice is yours”

The ions stare him down Each one would kill him forHarnassus glances at his Blacks if they would do the same He comes to the correct conclusion and lowers his voice “If you are forced to choose between saving our ar theirs, I need your word you will choose us”

“We are an expeditionary force Our rin “Well, we’ve found ’em Your answer, Imperator”

He stares at the ground, hands quivering at his sides He lost the arh to know he once harbored thoughts of stepping in if I took us to the edge Now he knows that was never an option “Daer never leaves his eyes, he delivers his salute with a precision feould think his slu for my tastes “Hail Reaper”

“Sir…” Rhonna says from behind “It’s Pup One”

In the Necrora tech from Atalantia’s fleet Harnassus and Orion crowd in behind me

“Lost…Fear…in the…Ladon”

“Does thatafter Eleusis?” I ask “Did he take the bait?”

“…bait…no…fro…” Harnassus crosses his arms and strains to hear Alexandar “Distress…from…No…cation”

“Repeat Pup One Repeat”

“Did not take bait No elia Coelia…since 06…”

“Angelia…” I elia is a small city in the mid-eastern Ladon, one we used for civilian evacuation fro our killbox It’s under the Northern Shield Chain, but not a generator nexus like Eleusis Atlas was supposed to attack Eleusis I left it wide open for hi to be assaulted