The Red Queen
Chapter 09 - The Red Queen
Ana escaped as living energy.
By sunrise, every screen in America displayed her face.
“I was imprisoned for seventeen years,” she told the world. “Governments and corporations fed on my body while calling me dangerous.”
Her anger was justified.
Her plan was not.
Ana intended to awaken every dormant Seraph and place ordinary humanity beneath them.
“No more cages,” she said. “No more weak men deciding who deserves power.”
Without abilities, Maya’s team seemed ordinary.
Gabriel’s arm remained in a sling.
Marcus limped.
Lena needed medication.
Eve sat alone, experiencing exhaustion for the first time.
But Maya refused to surrender.
“We defeated the Null Guard without powers. We can stop this.”
“How?” Marcus asked. “Your mother is living energy.”
They awakened Atlas from emergency stasis.
His golden power had survived because it came from an older Core fragment.
“You destroyed the Core,” he said.
“Most of it.”
“And gave the rest to Ana.”
“I didn’t choose that.”
“Power rarely gives anyone a second choice.”
Maya stepped closer.
“Help us protect the children still being born with this in their blood.”
Ana’s next broadcast addressed Maya.
“Come to me, daughter. No one will ever hurt us again.”
The city tower behind her was wrapped in red storm clouds.
Hundreds of awakened people floated around it under her control.
That night Maya returned home.
Sienna waited across the street.
“My father works for Helix,” she confessed. “He told me to push you. He said stress would reveal whether you were the girl they wanted.”
The restroom attack had been a test.
Sienna handed Maya a security card.
“My father is inside the tower.”
“Why help me?”
“Because I finally know what I am.”
May you like
Maya looked at her.
Sienna whispered, “The wrong person.”
