She smiled. “He will believe it. And you know why? Because Kinross knows exactly what I’m capable of. After all, we’re the same person.”
“That is scary as hell,” Dylan said. “And seriously badass. You’re giving me a hard-on.”
She let out a laugh.
“We brought you some presents.” Dylan handed her a couple of pistols and holsters, and she strapped them around her waist. Then Rico stripped off his long leather coat and gave it to her. She shrugged into it. It reached the ground but hid the weapons and it had lots of pockets. She slid the detonator into the inside pocket, then looked around the room.
She found the small pile of grenades and slipped a couple into the side pockets and then she was ready.
Rico stepped up close. He had a comm unit in his hand; she held out her wrist and he slipped it on. “We’re heading out now,” he said. “I for one want to be off planet just in case the whole place goes up. We’ll stay in orbit for another two hours, comm us if you get him out and we’ll meet you at the rendezvous point.”
“Understood.” She reached up on tiptoe and kissed his cheek. “Thanks for looking after Milo all these years.” Then she turned to Dylan. He kissed her on the mouth. “And thank you for…everything.” She shrugged. “And good luck.”
“Hey, we’ll see you soon.”
She hoped so, but for all her bravado she couldn’t see it happening. And she doubted very much that she would set off a nuclear explosion. Only if she had no choice…and probably not even then. But at least Milo wouldn’t die alone.
She gave them one last nod and headed out.
Time to save the warlock she loved.
Or die trying.
Chapter Forty-Four
“‘Without reflecting that this is the only moment in which you can study character,’” said the count; “on the steps of the scaffold death tears off the mask that has been worn through life, and the real visage is disclosed.”
—Alexandre Dumas, The Count of Monte Cristo
Milo was heading for Camelot. Hopefully, there would be a boat to take him across the water, otherwise he’d be swimming. But as he came out of the forest, his eyes were drawn toward a huge crowd congregated around the new church.
Thousands of them thronged the area, their voices raised in anger.
He moved closer. There were a number of the green-clad soldiers, all armed, but they seemed at a loss about what to do against so many. No one took any notice of him as he weaved his way through the crowd.
Aaron Sekongo stood at the front above the crowd in some sort of makeshift pulpit. He’d lost his captain’s uniform and was dressed in the long black robes of a priest. Asshole. He raised his arms. “I am Aaron Sekongo, High Priest of the Church of Everlasting Life. Please be silent. This is a house of God. Your questions will all be answered in good time. Have faith in the Lord.”
The words were met with a loud roar of disapproval.
Milo stopped beside an elderly man wearing a crew uniform with a blue shirt. He couldn’t remember what that meant. “What’s happening?” Milo asked.
“Some guy called Kinross is going to come along and tell us that. Apparently, he’s our leader. What I want to know is who elected him? Not me. I’ve never heard of him.”
At that moment, an armored vehicle drove out of the water and headed their way. It was fully dark now and the lights cut a swath through the crowd. They parted sullenly before it, and it pulled up beside the makeshift pulpit. The top opened and Kinross appeared, with Silas at his back.
Kinross did not look well. His skin was a sickly yellow and he leaned against the handrail. Milo studied him closely, looking for similarities to Destiny. They were obvious when you knew what to look for. The shape and color of his eyes, the strong chin, the straight nose. A wave of hatred washed through him. The man was pure evil. He had to die. It wasn’t revenge, though. It was justice and keeping Destiny safe.
He eased his weapon from the holster at his waist but then went still. A whole troop of guards moved to surround the vehicle, their weapons pointed into the crowd. Milo would have one shot only and then he had no doubt he would be taken down.