Powerful (The Powerless Trilogy, #1.5)

by Lauren Roberts

I’m shoved forward when the congested crowd begins flocking toward the coach, crowding it as though they’re offering free rides out of this shithole. Begrudgingly, I allow myself to be swept forward, managing to catch a glimpse of her climbing inside. An Imperial ushers her up the step, and in typical Hera fashion, she shyly thanks him as though he’s not escorting her to her doom. Her sleek black hair is the last thing I see before she’s swallowed by the four walls, sitting in the belly of the coach. The world seems to quiet, slow its spinning with each shaky breath I manage. I didn’t get to say goodbye. My thumb finds the scar cutting crookedly through my lips, tracing it like I had the day my life truly became a secret. A familiar numbness begins to bleed over my body, bathing every bit of me in bitterness. I’m about to turn away, unable to watch her be paraded toward her death. That’s when a flash of silver catches my eye. I peer over the dozens of heads dotting the street, watch her walk toward the coach with hair that tells me all I need to know. So, this is the famous Silver Savior. Word of her saving Prince Kai managed to reach even my ears—evidence of how significant she’s become among the slums. Perhaps I’m a skeptic, or simply the only logical person living in the vicinity, but I’m not entirely convinced by her battle with a Silencer. A battle that the future Enforcer himself couldn’t win. And I know exactly what it’s like to be in Kai’s shoes.