It was infuriating. She had known the cyborg was a threat from the moment she recognized her on Earth. But for her to attempt to turn Levana’s citizens against her was a blow she couldn’t fathom. The thought of their love turning to biased hatred stole the air from her lungs and left her feeling hollowed out to her core.
That was the cyborg’s plan too. To turn as many people’s minds against Levana as she could, knowing that large numbers would be her greatest advantage. Levana could control hundreds, perhaps thousands of her citizens when she had a need to do it. With her thaumaturges behind her, they could control entire sectors, entire cities.
But even she had limits.
She shook her head. It mattered not. The people would not revolt against her. The people loved her.
She rubbed two fingers against her brow. “What will I do?”
“My Queen,” said Aimery, “perhaps I can offer a bit of good news.”
Releasing her breath, she turned to the thaumaturge. “Good news would be very welcome indeed.”
“I received an interesting report from your laboratories this morning, but had not had a chance to share their discoveries in the wake of the cyborg’s broadcast. However, it has been confirmed that we are capable of duplicating the mutated letumosis microbes that were recovered from the body of Dr. Sage Darnel on Earth, and that our immunity to the original disease has in fact been compromised by this mutation.”
It took Levana a moment to change the direction of her thoughts. “And the antidote?”
“Still effective, though there is a much shorter window in which it can be used.”
Levana tapped her fingers against her lower lip. “That is interesting.”
Years ago, Levana had unleashed this plague on Earth, and she would soon embrace the results. Earth was weak and desperate. Desperate to cure the plague. Desperate to end the war.
When she gave them the antidote, they would be unspeakably grateful to their new empress.
She had never expected her lab-created disease to mutate in the wild, though. Now, no one was immune, not even her own people. What a strange, miraculous thing.
“Thank you, Aimery. This could be the answer I’ve been seeking. If the people do not see their errors and come crawling back to my good graces, I may have to employ new means of persuasion. It would break my heart to see my people suffering, but that is one of those difficult decisions a queen finds herself making from time to time.”
Her heart fluttered as she imagined the people filling up the courtyard beyond the palace walls and kneeling before her, tears on their faces. They would worship her for having saved them. She would save them all with her goodness and charity.
Oh, how they would adore her, their savior, their rightful queen.
“Your Majesty!”
She pivoted toward the voice. A woman had stood up and was adjusting an invisi-screen. “I think I’ve found something.”
Levana shoved past Aimery to get a better view. The screen showed the central square of an outer sector—regolith mining, perhaps, judging by the dust that covered every surface, smudging even the camera lens. The fountain depicting her likeness could be seen in the footage, a thing of beauty in their drab world.
The square was full of people, a rarity in itself. Her mandated curfew ensured that the people focused on their work and their rest without being tempted to converge with their neighbors during off-work hours.
“Is this live?” she asked.
“No, My Queen. This was filmed not long after the end of the workday.” She hastened through the footage, and Levana squinted to try to make sense of it. Guards, civilians, a just punishment, and then …
“Pause the video.”
The woman did, and Levana found herself staring into the face that had haunted her for months. If there had been any doubt, the monstrous metal hand dispelled it.
“Where is this?”
“Regolith Mining 9.”
Levana’s lips curled upward.
The cyborg was hers.
“Aimery, assemble a team for immediate deployment to this sector. Linh Cinder is to be arrested and brought to me for a public trial and execution. Use whatever methods you see fit to detain her.” Her vision bled with loathing as she stared at the screen. The haughty girl with her ignorant words and her proud displays. “We are not to tolerate any sympathizing with her or her allies. This uprising must be brought to an end.”
BOOK
Three
“Your stepmother will soon know you are here,”
warned the kindly dwarfs. “Do not let anyone in.”
Thirty-Nine
Levana’s rebuttal video was playing for the third time that hour. Cinder was doing her best to ignore it, but every time Kai started speaking the sound of his voice made her jump, only to be reminded all over again that he wasn’t here. He was under Levana’s control, as Levana had so deftly illustrated.