Ghost in the Machine
The Inner Circle's headquarters was a fortress disguised as a private hospital. As Viktor's forces breached the outer defenses, Aria felt it – a familiar scent that shouldn't exist. Couldn't exist.
"No," she whispered, her hand protective over her seven-month bump. "Viktor..."
He scented it too, his whole body going rigid. Through their bond, she felt his recognition – the subtle notes matching old photos she'd cried over, the genetic marker that had passed to her.
"Impossible," Alexander breathed from behind them. "Katherine?"
The woman who stepped into the corridor was both familiar and wrong. Katherine Mason had barely aged since her "death," but her eyes were empty. Programmed. When she spoke, her voice was mechanical.
"Target acquired. Mason bloodline compro
