This Gilded Abyss by Rebecca Thorne EPUB & PDF – eBook Details Online
- Status: Available for Free Download
- Author: Rebecca Thorne
- Language: English
- Genre: Horror Suspense
- Format: PDF / EPUB
- Size: 2 MB
- Price: Free
SERGEANT NIX MARR KNEW SHE WAS SCREWED WHEN SHE STEPPED
into the locker room amidst murmurs of visiting royalty.
The Valkesh Army’s spirescraper—tall, circular buildings that stretched
into the sky like stalagmites—was built in the shadow of the royal’s Grand
Palace. But despite their proximity, despite all the honors and gratitude the
Valkeshian government proffered its military, the royals continued to enjoy
existence elsewhere.
All but one, at least.
And that one happened to be a pain in Nix’s ass.
“—come to watch us train.” Garith, a kid on her squad, had their head
buried in their locker. They only wore briefs and a tank top, their olivetoned legs on full display, but their excitement was unfazed by their
physical state of dress.
No one had noticed Nix enter, which meant her squad would be working
on situational awareness next. She crossed her arms, her camera tucked
under one elbow. “Who’s watching us train?” Her voice was sharp, and all
twelve soldiers snapped to attention.
It would have been satisfying if cold dread hadn’t tightened her chest.
Garith resurfaced from their locker, clearing their throat. “Ah, ssergeant. Didn’t see you there.”
“I noticed,” Nix replied. “Who’s visiting?”
“Subarch Kessandra,” an older ensign, Leon, said. He was close to
making sergeant himself—and was arguably the nearest thing Nix had to a
friend. He flashed a wry smile and gestured at the camera. “Find anything
good this morning?”
She barely heard him. A sudden roaring in her ears drowned him out,
and a flash of an unbidden memory: Quian, laughing a little, shoving her
shoulder as they lounged in a utilitarian recreation room. “Kessandra is just
a person, Nix. I think you should go for it.”
She shouldn’t have listened.
“Sergeant?” Leon asked cautiously. They all had moments like this,
brief instances where they’d zone out, where their hearts would pound a bit
harder. But normally, Nix had better control. Normally, she could detach,
shake off the panic, and handle the here and now.
She drew a trembling breath, scrambling for calm. “Found a cardinal in
the snow. Images might be blurry, but a few should turn out.”
The camera in her hand—an Autographic Prime LZ, which cost enough
of her salary that most days she felt guilty looking at it—was folded into a
compact box, easy enough to tuck away in a locker during drills. A brass
clasp at the top ensured the lens stayed compressed until needed. She
fiddled with it as she stepped to her locker.
Her squad watched mutely. Once she set the camera on a shelf and
peeled off her jacket to prepare for their drills, noise picked back up.
Unfortunately, so did the conversation.
“I just can’t believe the Kessandra is coming here. She’s the best royal.”
Garith sounded starstruck. They finally tugged on their trousers, hopping on
one foot to pull them over their boots.
For More Read Download This Book
EPUB