Talia POV
Casius was already half out of his seat when the first alarm sounded.
Not the village sirens.
Not fire.
This one was sharp, coded—military.
“Routes just split,” Alina snapped from the driver’s seat, hands flying over the controls. “False threat flags—three sectors at once.”
Casius leaned forward between them, one hand braced on the console. “It’s a trap. They’re forcing staggered exits.”
Outside, engines roared as the convoy fractured—vehicles peeling off in different directions, drivers reacting to conflicting threat markers flashing across their HUDs.
“Maintain formation,” Lucian’s voice cut in over comms, steady and commanding. “Do not—”
Gunfire cracked.
Close. Too close.
Automatic. Suppressed.
Casius swore. “Contact! King’s unit is engaging—north spur.”
Talia’s h
