D E L P H I N I U M

It had barely been three days since we were in America, and yet it felt like years. So much had changed in such a short time. War had been declared, we'd been destroyed in battle, Neve was dead and we'd singlehandedly caused a riot and killed the new Russian leaders.

We were in New York once again, both to discuss our next course of action and to get Arlo to the help he desperately needed. My heart sank when I remembered how he'd been meaning to keep it a secret until he eventually died from it. I wondered what we'd do without his odd comments and penchant for destruction.

All nine of us were in the back of the room as countless officials sat around a wide table. I looked to my left, where Arlo and Finn stood together. Now, the former's dark under-eye circles and sickly pallor made perfect sense. How hadn't we noticed it earlier?

"Imperium has finished their march across Ukraine and taken it," a stout man at the opposite end of the table said, bringing me back to the present. "Just as they did in Russia, they've put another leader in place. But they've learned from their mistake in Russia. For the Ukrainian is one of the enhanced soldiers Orion made himself. We also have reason to believe she and her officials have been put through the Mind Sweeper."

A chill began at the top of my head and trickled down to my toes. Not only had Orion created enhanced soldiers for himself, he also had complete control over them. I swallowed and blinked away the memories of the Mind Sweeper that threatened to rise. At the mention of them, I still got that shaky panicking feeling deep in my bones.

"Russia is no longer directly claimed by Imperium, but still unstable and susceptible to another attack," the same man said. "Imperium must be contained. We must watch closely for another invasion—one that the country will be too weak to combat."

"Anyone is too weak to combat them," a tall, gangly woman retorted. "Their weapons, forces, and sheer numbers are too much for us. Especially after our severe loss in Ukraine."

"Only a few thousand of our combined troops survived. Hundreds of thousands died in the bombings and initial attack. We no longer have enough people to fight in this war. Without any, we are doomed."

I thought of the way Riley and Finn riled the Russian masses with only a few hard words. They'd been panicked and afraid for their lives—but strong and angry enough to revolt under our guidance. What if we could recreate that event in a much higher-scale event?

"Say it, Delphinium." I looked at Benny, but he did nothing but jerk his chin to the room full of leaders.

After a moment's thought, I stepped forward and said, "I have an idea." All eyes in the room went to me and I waited for them to shoot me down—either from mistrust or simple dismissal. No one said anything.

"People are terrified all around the world," I said. "They fear their country will be next to have its people slaughtered and government ruled over by madmen. But fear is a tool. It makes people wild and angry. It can be used to our advantage."

"What do you advise we do?" The specticaled man nearest to me held eye contact and I was so surprised he'd asked for my advice that I wondered if I'd imagined it.

"I think...I think we need to make a statement to the public. We need to make them see our dire need for troops. No one really understands Imperium, so they fear them even more. We need to rile them to rage. We need to get them ready to fight. For all of our sakes."

"And who will do it?" The first man eyed me. In fact, they all were.

"No...I don't think I'm the best choice. I just-"

"You said it yourself," a woman said. "No one here understands Imperium—no one but you and Shires. You've seen firsthand what they can do, what they've done. Make them see. Make them fight."

The woman next to her nodded. "If anyone can convince them, it's you two."

Benny and I exchanged a glance full of unease.

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With the noontime sun beating directly down on us, it was beginning to be hot on the balcony we were crowded onto. But that was nothing compared to the uncomfortableness of a hundred thousand eyes looking up at us from the ground.

One of the U.N. members was describing exactly what Imperium had done—the invasion of both Russia and Ukraine and the takeover of Romania. But I hardly heard any of it. My mind was focused on the faces below us, each of them illuminated by the sunlight. Too many people. Any one of them could be an assassin, hidden in the crowd. I already hated being in the open like this—an Imperium sniper could be ready to take a shot at us right now.

How could I win a war against my enemies if I couldn't even win the war in my mind?

For once, I tried to push the thoughts down. We had bigger problems than me getting shot. It had happened multiple times before and I'd lived to tell the tale.

Of course, the biggest problem was that I was an Imperium-trained assassin giving a speech about why I needed them to fight the people I'd killed for. To them, Benton and I would be seen as traitors. Both of us made names for ourselves as Orion's killers—names some people would recognize.

How could I ask this of them? Again and again, I'd fought against Imperium and lost. Frankly, I was only alive because Orion wanted me that way. If these people fought against him, they'd die. I hadn't forgotten the last battlefield we'd been on. I would be leading them into another slaughter.

I shifted my weight nervously, not meeting the eyes of the crowd. Who was I to ask this of them?

Then I remembered: I was Delphinium Tesla, a killer, a liar, a survivor. And a victim. It was possible to be all of those things at once.

If they went to war with us, I was prepared to die with them. And if they didn't, I was prepared to die for them.

I looked down at myself, covered in the tight black bodysuit I'd always worn—sleek and lethal and covered with my knives. It was the same clothing I'd worn as Orion's assassin. I took in the curves and flat planes of my body—the body Orion thought was his to use, the body they'd beaten into submission.

No longer was that true.

Perhaps—just this once—I could make them see more than a girl guilty of murder. I could let them see the victim I'd hidden deep inside.

I came to see that everyone on the balcony was staring at me, and only after did I realize the previous speaker had said my name. Conscious of every step, I went to the podium and stood before the masses. I was vaguely aware of Benton standing at my side and was glad for it—someone to anchor me as the fear rose back up.

"My name is Delphinium Tesla," I said, feeling as though the voice coming through the microphone wasn't my own. "This is Benton Shires. And we survived through enslavement to Imperium."

A series of whispers tremored through the crowd. I couldn't decipher whether it was a good or bad reaction. I bit my lip. I shouldn't even have been up there; Riley and Finn were much better at talking to people.

"Imperium turned me into something unearthly, something monstrous," I continued, forcing myself forward. "They made me do terrible things. And they won't stop at me or Benton. They want our nation. They want you. If you don't have the correct blood, they'll kill you. If you do have what they're looking for, you'll only wish they ended you. Take it from me."

No one said anything now. Thousands and thousands of eyes were glued onto me in rapt attention.

"If they have their way, they'll slaughter us, take what they want and create the false sense of order they believe we need. They'll make slaves of us all in order to keep us submissive. It will be the end of the free world.

"Imperium has weapons like we've never seen before, armies larger than any in history and a leader who believes any actions should be taken to achieve his goal. To him, we're nothing but objects to be conquered.

"But we survived," I said. "That's what we fight for: the survival of our people and our ways. If we don't fight, they've already won. Together, we can crush those weapons, destroy their armies and kill their leader."

Standing tall, I said, "I will fight. My crew will fight. We're willing to die to ensure the world doesn't fall to Imperium's empire. And we will gladly have anyone who wishes to fight alongside us." I leaned forward. "Who will fight with us? Who will see Imperium burning?"

The crowd erupted, screaming for Imperium's blood. "Death to Imperium!" I screamed in conclusion, louder and more confident than I'd been in years.

When I stepped away from the podium, Benny said in a low voice, "You didn't even let me say anything." But I caught the hint of humor in his tone.

I said nothing, watching the crowd below us as they raged with enough bloodthirstiness to mirror Imperium's own.