Chapter 2

Alana walked down the long, sterile hallway, the echo of her own footsteps the only sound in her ears. Her heart pounded a frantic rhythm against her ribs. She reached the end of the corridor and stopped in front of the frosted glass door of the Dawnbreaker lounge.

She shoved the door open. The hinges shrieked, a high-pitched scrape of metal on metal.

The loud laughter inside died instantly. Three heads snapped toward her.

Dallin Gates, their fire mage, sat on the edge of the desk. He was tossing a new, crimson-gemmed enhancement ring in the air. When he saw Alana, his eyes darted away, refusing to meet hers.

Jered Gibbs, the shadow assassin, slouched on the expensive leather sofa. He was filing his nails. He didn't even lift his chin, his face a mask of total indifference.

Charmaine Bass, their holy cleric, stood up. She smoothed the front of her pristine white robes and walked toward her, her face twisting into a mask of deep, fake sorrow.

Alana's eyes burned. She stared at the three people she had bled for.

"Did you all agree to Cash's filthy deal?" she demanded, her voice cutting through the heavy silence.

Dallin clicked his tongue in annoyance. He caught his ring and shoved it onto his finger. "Don't be so rigid, Alana. You're holding us back. We need that gear."

A bitter, humorless laugh tore from Alana's throat. She pointed a shaking finger straight at Dallin's face.

"Last month, you stepped out of formation in the Ash Rift," Alana snapped. "I burned my own mental energy to pull the aggro off you. I saved your life, Dallin."

Dallin's face flushed a dark, angry red. He jumped off the desk. A ball of orange flame ignited in his right palm, the heat radiating across the room.

Alana didn't flinch. She stared at the fire, her eyes dead. "You still can't even stabilize your temperature output. Pathetic."

"Enough," Jered said coldly. He paused his nail filing. "Chet is offering us silver-tier daggers. Sacrificing you is a good trade."

Alana whipped her head toward the sofa. "The blueprints for those daggers? I stayed awake for three days hacking the firewall to get you the specs."

Jered's hand jerked. The metal file slipped, slicing into his cuticle. A drop of blood welled up. Jered hissed, his eyes flashing with sudden irritation.

Charmaine sighed heavily. She reached out, trying to place a comforting hand on Alana's shoulder. "Alana, my child. You must understand the spirit of sacrifice for the greater good."

Bile rose in Alana's throat. She slapped Charmaine's hand away with a sharp smack.

"Don't touch me," she spat. "You use your holy magic to cover up the stench of your own selfishness. You're a hypocrite."

The lounge door opened again. Cash strolled in, a smug, satisfied smirk plastered across his face. He walked past Alana, treating her like empty air, and sat down in the large chair at the head of the table.

He tapped his knuckles against the glass surface. "Let's make this official. A democratic vote. All in favor of removing Alana Nicholson from Dawnbreaker, raise your hand."

Dallin shot his right hand into the air immediately, a vicious grin on his face.

Jered hesitated for a single second. Then, slowly, he raised his hand, keeping his eyes fixed on the wall.

Charmaine closed her eyes, traced a holy cross over her chest, and raised her hand.

Three votes. Unanimous.

Alana stared at the three raised hands. A strange, suffocating pressure in her chest suddenly vanished. The tightness in her shoulders uncoiled. She let out a long, slow breath.

Her lips curled into a cold, sharp smile.

She reached up to the collar of her jacket. Her fingers closed around the silver Dawnbreaker badge. She ripped it off, the pin tearing a small hole in the fabric.

She raised her arm and slammed the heavy silver badge down onto the crystal coffee table.

Crack.

A jagged, spiderweb fracture exploded across the pristine glass surface. The sharp sound made all four of them jump. Cash's smug expression shattered, replaced by dark fury.

Alana swept her eyes over them one last time.

"You didn't kick me out," she said, her voice eerily calm. "I am abandoning you pieces of trash."

She turned around and walked out the door. She didn't look back.

"You're nothing without us!" Dallin screamed from inside.

Alana grabbed the heavy door handle and slammed it shut, cutting off his voice and sealing the toxic air inside.