Chapter Twenty-Six
Blade’s POV
The old truck rattled and groaned as the interstate gave way to two-lane blacktop, heading deeper into the territory controlled by the Reapers. The sun was dipping lower now, casting long, bloody shadows across the desert floor.
Inside the cabin, the only sound was the steady hum of the tires against the road. Skyler had finally stopped crying, but she hadn’t uncurled from her position against the passenger door. She sat with her knees tucked against her chest, staring blankly out the window at the passing cactus and sand.
Every time I looked over at her, my grip on the steering wheel tightened. She looked fragile, smaller than usual, wrapped in a jacket that smelled like Vulture dust and black powder.
"We're about an hour away from the main compound," I
