Page 97 of Jump or Fall
By the time she left the bathroom, Gordon had finished changing the bedding and smoothed out the fresh sheets.
She sat on the edge of the bed, grabbing a slice of bread from the tray and topping it with butter and a slice of mango. It was so rich and sweet.
Her secret tablet sat on the desk next to the tray. She unlocked it, but wasn’t quite sure what she was expecting. There was nothing new—just old notes and the link to the archives. Gordon was still the only one with the contact details.
A soft chime interrupted the quiet.
Gordon tapped his ear. “Gordon here.”
He rubbed her back while listening to whoever was speaking, then frowned and searched for his tablet.
“Um, that is definitely a statement.”
Mara gave him a questioning look, and he turned the screen toward her. It was a photo of a severed hand, splotchy with blood and silver paint.
“The Archon is dead. Silva says Millon Hirono is on our side, and he wants to meet us at Hyperion today.”
Chapter 32
Mara
The safest way to get to Hyperion was through the tunnels. With the risk of getting cornered by Silvers or enforcers, driving wasn’t a viable option.
They met with Silva and Kimmie near Crux. Kimmie hadn’t been exposed as a rebel, but she wanted to be cautious and maintain her cover for as long as possible.
Mara had wrapped a cloth around her missing eye. At least that way, she could pretend they couldn’t see how grotesque she was. Gordon might still think she was beautiful, but every glance in the mirror sent a shiver down her spine.
Kimmie seemed softer when they greeted each other. Instead of her usual glares, her pale green eyes swept over Mara’s face, and there was a twitch in her brow. Almost like sadness.
“I’m sorry about what happened,” she said.
Mara waved her off. “Nothing that can be done about it.”
Silva patted her shoulder as they walked. “All these years working in the Armory, and you still ran with scissors.”
She frowned, and he added, “Don’t roll your eye at me.”
Mara couldn’t help but let out a small laugh. It was a terrible joke and she wasn’t feeling very humorous, but the effort counted for something.
“I can’t believe he actually killed the Archon,” Kimmie remarked.
Silva scratched his head. “You’d think he would be a little sensitive about severed hands, but what do I know?”
Gordon used one of his birds to scout the street leading to Hyperion from the tunnel. The way was clear, except for the armed guards that stood around the building.
“Millon made sure to keep a group of personal guards with no Silvers in their ranks,” Silva said. “Apparently, he was very meticulous about their selection.”
Knowing Millon had been planning for things to change was interesting. He never spoke of personal matters or anything besides work with her, but he wasn’t a fan of Dawson. Every interaction she had witnessed between them had been succinct, with Millon leaving at the earliest opportunity.
Hyperion stood ahead with its dark windows, beckoning to them. Even after a decade, its ominous presence could not be overstated.
As they neared the entrance, a guard stood, watching them approach. He gave them a curt nod and waved them through. A second guard unlocked the gate and door, then stepped back silently to let them enter.
The empty lobby felt vast and unwelcoming, the lack of people amplifying the sounds of their steps as they ascended a set of stairs to Millon’s office. Mara had only been up here a handful of times—once when Kenji still ran the company and she nervously interviewed for her apprenticeship, and again when Millon had promoted her first to journeyman, then to Master Tailor. Each visit had marked a turning point in her life.
Now, she was here again, but for a far different purpose.
Their personalities had been starkly different. Kenji had been amused that a teenage girl wanted to make armor, giving her two months to prove she was serious. Millon, by contrast, had been far more serious and hadn’t made a joke of her aspirations.
