Chapter 168
That night, Wake and I join Khale and Cora in her office. It’s a lot more cluttered than I remember it being the last time I was in here. Maps and notes are spread out before us, the dim moonlight casting wavering long shadows over the makeshift war room. Everyone’s faces are tight with exhaustion, but lack of time keeps us alert.
“We need to stay,” I say, breaking the silence. “If we can observe the area a little longer, we might be able to find a pattern to how the Elder Kin are being freed. Maybe even disrupt the mining operation.”
Cora shakes her head, her expression weary but firm. “It’s no use, Phoebe. Emil will never allow us to stay in this territory. Nereid’s time here is over.”
“And what happens to Hale when we leave?” Khale’s voice is low but filled with quiet determination. “If the Eternal Sunrise decides to attack anyway, the Euclideans will be wiped out. Emil’s pride won’t save them.”
Cora sighs heavily, leaning back in her chair. “Emil is dangerous, Khale. He finally has the control he’s always wanted. I can’t ask my team to take the risk of going up against him. Not after everything we’ve already endured.”
Wake, who has been silent until now, leans forward, his elbows resting on the table. “What is it you’d like to do next, Cora?” he asks, his voice steady but probing.
Cora’s gaze drops to the map in front of her. For a moment, she’s quiet, her fingers tracing the edges of the paper. “I’d like to settle Nereid somewhere safe,” she says finally. “Somewhere inland, where they can monitor the Elder Kin from afar. And then…” Her voice trails off, a guilty shadow crossing her face.
“You want to go find Enigma,” I say, finishing the thought for her.
Her head snaps up, and there’s a sharpness in her eyes as she clarifies, “I want to free my sister.”
I lean forward, gripping the edge of the table. “Cora, you can’t seriously be considering that. Going there would be playing right into Lily St. Cloud’s hands. This time, she knows what we’re capable of. If we set foot on that island, we’re never getting back off of it.”
“And where does that leave Delphinium?” Cora snaps, her voice rising. “If this Lily St. Cloud is as relentless as you say she is, then she’s probably desperate by now. I know how Enigma works. I’ve been studying their corporate structure for years, searching for a way in. But they can’t be touched.”
“They can,” I counter. “I’ve been on the inside. We have friends there, people who hate Enigma just as much as we do. We’re not alone in this. If we take the time to make a proper plan, we can figure out how to take Enigma down from the inside.”
Cora shakes her head, her expression tight with frustration. “What you think you’ve uncovered, Phoebe—the inner workings of a single facility—doesn’t even begin to scratch the surface. Lily’s island is a black site. As far as the world is concerned, it doesn’t exist. And no matter how significant it is to us, to all Enkian, as far as Enigma is concerned, the entire operation is expendable.”
My brow furrows, and I point to the map. “Then what’s going on with all the war machines, the mining? That doesn’t feel insignificant at all. If we tried, maybe our connections could find out more.”
Cora’s eyes narrow, and she exhales sharply. “I doubt my sister is equipped for espionage,” she says bitterly. “Much less alone.”
Wake leans back in his chair, his arms crossed. “I doubt she’d be alone,” he says, his voice calm but resolute. “I learned much while I was in that tank. Humans tend to speak freely around those they disregard. Yes, most of those at Enigma are mere cogs, soulless pawns following orders. But there are those who are only awaiting new orders. If someone is willing to lead them, they will rise.”
Khale, who has been silent, speaks up, his voice rough. “Where is this island?”
I point to its general location on the map, my finger hovering over a small, unmarked area. Khale exhales sharply, his jaw tightening. “It doesn’t matter what you plan to do once you get there,” he says grimly. “You’ll never get that far.”
Cora’s gaze sharpens, and she studies the map intently. After a moment, she squeezes her eyes shut and mutters under her breath. “Damn. I should have realized before now.”
I glance between her and Khale, confusion tightening my chest. “What’s wrong?”
Khale’s expression darkens further. “If you’re remembering the location of the island correctly, that puts it square in Tangaroa territory.”
Wake’s frown deepens. “Tangaroa is further east,” he says. “That island is in Deep territory.”
Khale snorts bitterly. “You need to go home more often, Abyssinian.”
Wake’s lips curl into a low growl, but before he can respond, Cora cuts in. “In the last few months, the Tangaroans have become… more aggressive. They’ve been picking fights with neighboring Clans, slowly encroaching on other territories, expanding their own through force.”
I lean back, the pieces clicking into place. “That explains the threat against Hale. If they’re willing to pick fights with larger Clans for a few hundred nautical miles, they’d jump at the chance to absorb an entire territory, even a small one like Hale.”
Khale nods grimly. “Especially since Tangaroa believes that Hale is already encroaching on their territory.”
Wake snorts derisively. “If that’s the case, it’s a wonder that Hale still exists.”
The sound of Khale’s knuckles cracking fills the room as he balls his hands into tight fists. Cora places a steadying hand on his arm, her touch gentle but firm.
I glance between them, my stomach twisting. “What is it? What did they say?”
Cora’s voice is soft but heavy with meaning. “For most of Hale’s existence, Tangaroa wasn’t a threat… because Tangaroa didn’t know that Hale existed.”
Wake’s gaze sharpens, his jaw tightening. “What changed?”
Khale’s voice is barely more than a growl as he answers. “Me. I put the village on Tangaroa’s radar. And now the Euclideans are going to be slaughtered because of it.”
Log in with Google Account
Chapters
Favorite
Settings
