And that’s going to be my brother-in-law.
Gabby snorted. “Twin’s got a screw loose.”
“Sorry, prego,” he called over his shoulder. “I can’t be distracted by your flattery. I’m tryin’ to reel in a ginger.”
Her brows knit. “How did you…?”
“Don’t question it.”
She shot him a look, but he remained oblivious, as usual.
“I hate to be the buzz kill here,” Corynn cut in, taking a step toward us. “But do we have a solid plan yet? This student visa will only last me so long. I need to know what I’m doing.”
Cole bunched his shoulders as he rejoined the group, his hands stuffed into his pockets. “I say infiltrate and detonate. Go, team, go.”
“A direct assault won’t work with ERA.” She made a dismissive gesture, and then pointed behind her. “The Underground is a fortified labyrinth. You pose a threat, you don’t make it out alive.”
Wallace’s expression hardened. “What about finding a weakness in the organization? If we can gain her trust—”
“You think they got where they are by trusting people?” Corynn put her hands on her hips. “She and her husband have spent decades building this kingdom. He’s old money. Secret societies and shit. They’ve got connections all over.”
Gabby scrunched up her nose. “You guys sure you want to get caught up in this?”
“We don’t have a choice,” Wallace told her, leaning back against the house. “You’ve seen for yourself. Evil wins when good does nothing.”
I reached over and squeezed his hand. He was right. We’d gone over these scenarios all weekend, and only one option had any merit—my latent Augari abilities. If Faye honed them, as promised, two important pieces of the puzzle would fit into place this summer.
One, we could rest assured, knowing I wouldn’t accidentally overpower my fiancé. And two… “You know the best way to overthrow a kingdom like this, Corynn?”
She raised one brow, and all eyes turned to me.
I took a deep breath, lifted my chin, and uttered the three words I knew would christen our resistance. “Kill the queen.”
♥ ♥ ♥
GLOSSARY - END OF BOOK 2
Aiden Ross—modified human/SAGE; Rena and Gabby’s best friend; Josh’s former roommate; Wallace’s former suitemate
André “Jinx” Jenkins—human; Maverick’s former roommate; Gabby’s fill-in date
Augari—a bloodline of individuals who augment Dynari abilities; origin unknown
Brittani Harcourt—human; Drew’s fiancée
Clara Lawrence—Dynari; gifted with empathy and persuasion; Wallace and Cole’s grandmother; Faye’s sister; Elise's aunt; Gail’s great-aunt
Clayhaven, Ohio—Rena’s rural hometown
Cleveland, Ohio—the location of RSTL’s free clinic and ERA’s headquarters
Corynn Catley—Nullari; former ERA intern
Dan Lewis—human; security guard; a character we’re unlikely to see again
Drew Collins—Augari; Glen and Judy’s son; Rena’s brother; Brittani’s fiancé
Dynari—a bloodline of individuals with various supernatural abilities; origin unknown
Edwin Lawrence—Dynari; gifted with power sensing and locating; Clara, Henry, and Faye’s father; Elise’s grandfather; Wallace, Cole, and Gail’s great-grandfather
Elise Frasier—Dynari; gifted with microscopic manipulation and disease immunity; Gail’s mother; Faye’s daughter; Wallace and Cole’s cousin; Henry and Clara’s niece; Edwin’s granddaughter
ERA—(Evolution Requires Action) Faye’s project to forcibly evolve humans
Faye Tobler—Dynari; gifted with searing and rejuvenating smoke; Edwin’s daughter; Henry and Clara’s sister; Elise’s mother; Gail’s grandmother; Wallace and Cole’s great-aunt
Foster Hall—the dormitory where Jinx and Corynn live
Gabriela “Gabby” Hernandez—human; pregnant; Rena and Aiden’s best friend; Rena’s former roommate; Maverick’s fling
Gail Frasier—Dynari; gifted with visions and mental manipulation; Elise’s daughter; Faye’s granddaughter; Clara and Henry’s great-niece; Wallace and Cole’s cousin; Edwin’s great-granddaughter; Maverick’s girlfriend
Glen Collins—human; Judy’s husband; Rena and Drew’s father
Henry Lawrence—Dynari; gifted with ailment sensing; Edwin’s son; Clara and Faye’s brother; Elise’s uncle; Wallace, Cole, and Gail’s great-uncle
Jackie Simmons—Dynari; gifted with weather manipulation; belongs to a different branch of the bloodline
(Johan) Maverick—human working for ERA; Gail’s boyfriend; Gabby’s fling; Jinx’s former roommate
Judy Collins—Augari; Glen’s wife; Rena and Drew’s mother
Lexie Moretti—human; waitress at Sam’s Diner; Sam’s niece
Mark of Nexus—a tattoo once thought to be legend, signifying the rarest and most powerful of alliances; a symbol of a Dynari and Augari’s bond
Nicholas “Cole” Blake—Dynari; gifted with super speed and health regeneration; Wallace’s twin brother; Clara’s grandson; Faye and Henry’s great-nephew; Gail and Elise’s cousin; Edwin’s great-grandson
Nullari—a bloodline of individuals who nullify Dynari abilities; origin unknown
Pastor Mark—human; pastor of Campus Fellowship
Rachel Ranford—human; Wallace and Rena’s friend; Cole’s newest conquest (or so he thinks)
Reid Hall—the dormitory where Rena, Gabby, Aiden, Josh, and Wallace lived
Rena Collins—heroine; Augari; Wallace’s fiancée; Glen and Judy’s daughter; Drew’s sister; Gabby and Aiden’s best friend; Gabby’s former roommate
RSTL—(Rudolph Sebastian Tobler Laboratories) the pharmaceutical company where Faye, Elise, Gail, and Maverick work
SAGE—(Somatically Advanced Genetic Experiments) a modified human
Sam Moretti—human; owner of Sam’s Diner; Lexie’s uncle
Scion, Ohio—Wallace’s suburban hometown
Wallace Blake—hero; Dynari; gifted with super strength and empathy; Rena’s fiancé, Cole’s twin brother; Clara’s grandson; Faye and Henry’s great-nephew; Gail and Elise’s cousin; Edwin’s great-grandson; Aiden and Josh’s former suitemate
Wilcox, Ohio—a small town in the snowbelt; home to Wilcox College
EXTRA INFORMATION
Series Order:
Strength (Mark of Nexus #1)
Courage (Mark of Nexus #2)
Honesty: Cole's Story (Mark of Nexus #2.5)
Loyalty (Mark of Nexus #3)
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