Page 68 of Scarlet Wars
Just once, couldn’t our enemies stage their bullshit somewhere warm? The Caribbean would’ve been nice.
Hell, I’d take anywhere that doesn’t involve frostbite as a team-building exercise.
Her plan was peak Rachel Varez, intercept before invasion. Humans had been spotted near the edge of the Collective; a swarm of trucks, armored carriers, and soldiers who looked way too excited to freeze to death out here.
Rachel fully intended to end the whole situation before any of them finished their protein bars.
My breath fogged in the icy air, and the sharp bite of winter cut through the seams of my jacket, chilling me to the bone.The snow crunched under my boots, each step an uncomfortable reminder that I was not used to this kind of mothaflapping cold.
But I didn’t care. US military had crossed the national border and the prospect of killing the people at least partly responsible for the death of my parents could keep me warm through fifty Canadian winters.
James was walking up front, his expression hard. Still sulking about me deciding to come along—which, according to him, amounted to the biggest betrayal of his life. Well, he was the expert on the subject, so he would know.
Caden was walking next to Rachel, close enough that their arms nearly touched.
Thatdidn’t annoy me at all.
And now, she was laughing like he’d just delivered the stand-up set of the century. Fine, the guy had his funny moments, but he wasn’t about to film a godsdamn Netflix special.
Did he really need to flirt right now? We were headed for battle for crying out loud! What was he going to do? Charm these assholes to death?
Not that he was charming tome.
He hadn’t said a word since our fight, couldn’t even spare a glance in my direction.
Which was fine. For the best, even. It was only physical attraction, and I’d made a rational, well-considered decision not to entertain it further. I’d already lost my parents, no way in hell was I setting myself up to lose anyone else.
Still, my chest twisted at the memory of saying those words out loud. I shifted uncomfortably, forcing my attention forward, refusing to look at the way Rachel’s hand lingered on Caden’s arm as she turned toward him, as if she had every right to touch what wasn’t hers.
It shouldn’t have bothered me. It didn’t matter.
But did he really have to be that hot?
Focus Thompson. It’s only physical attraction. You’ll get over it. Get your head in the game.
Right.
War.
Sean had speed-updated me on the current political mess while we marched, his words clipped and fast to match the urgency in the air. From what I gathered, the Leader of Kanata C—Vincent-something who was Rachel’s boss—had struck an accord with the Canadian Prime Minister.
The terms were simple, but dangerous: the Collective would be open to all Canadian humans, and in return, Canada would open its borders to all magi.
On paper, it looked like peace. But peace was never that clean.
Because this meant the Layers of Protection—the ancient barriers that had kept humans out of Kanata C for cycles—would be lifted. Humans could now walk straight into the Collective.
All humans.
Humans with weapons.
Humans with agendas.
The worst timing in the history of…well, everything.
As we charged toward the edge of the Metasphere—the physical, now unprotected, border between Kanata C and the Canadian Human World—hoping to hold off the incoming US military forces, Sean kept rambling beside me about the audacity of humans to cross into our world without warning.
I barely heard him, as my focus drifted back to the First Offensive leading us.
