The library of Thorne Manor felt like the command center of a dying star. On the massive wall mounted screens, the data representing Victoria Sterling’s empire was flickering, being devoured by the virus Silas had forced me to unleash. Silas stood directly behind me, his hand a heavy, possessive weight on my shoulder. I could feel his triumph in the way he breathed, a slow, satisfied rhythm as he watched the digital slaughter.
“Look at them, Elena,” he whispered, his lips brushing the shell of my ear. “That is the sound of an empire falling. By sunrise, Victoria will be begging for mercy, and your brother will be on his way home. You finally chose the right side.”
I didn't answer. I couldn't. My eyes were locked on a small, nearly invisible line of green text snaking through the bottom o
