Read Morning Star: Book III of the Red Rising Trilogy for Free Online

once made necklaces of ears.
    Vixus.OneofTitus’soldband.HewaspartofthemassacreatmyTriumph.Ishrinkintothesideof thegravLiftasitdescendsagain.Vixuswillknowme.He’llsniffmeout.He’sdoingitnow,looking ourway.Icanheartherustleofhisjacketcollar.“Thirteenthlegion?”Vixusasksafteramoment.He musthavenoticedtheirnecktattoos.“YouAja’sorherfather ’s?”
    “The Fury’s, for this tour, dominus, ” Holiday replies coolly. “But we’ve served under the Ash Lord.”
    “Ah,thenyouwereattheBattleofDeimoslastyear?”
    “Yes, dominus. We were with Grimmus in the leechCraft vanguard sent to kill the Telemanuses
    before Fabii routed them and Arcos’s ships. My brother here put a round in old Kavax’s shoulder.
    AlmosttookhimdownbeforeAugustusandKavax’swifebrokeourassaultteam.”
    “My,my.”Vixusmakesasoundofapproval.“Thatwouldhavebeenagorydamnprizeandahalf.
    Youcouldhaveaddedanotherteartoyourface,legionnaire.I’vebeenhuntingthatObsidiandogwith the Seventh. Ash Lord’s offered quite the price for his slave’s return.” He snorts something up his nose.SoundslikeoneofthestimcanistersTactuswassofondof.“Who’sthis,then?”
    Hemeansme.
    Ihearmyheartinmyears.
    “AgiftfromPraetorGrimmusinexchangefor… thepackage she’stakinghome,”Holidaysays.“If youunderstandme,sir.”
    “Package. Half a package, more like.” He chuckles at his own joke. “Anyone I know?” His hand touches the edge of my hood. I cower away. “A Howler would warm the heart. Pebble? Weed? No, muchtootall.”
    “AnObsidian,”Triggsaysquickly.“WishitwasaHowler.”
    “Ugh.”Vixusjerkshishandbackasthoughcontaminated.“Wait.”Hehasanidea.“We’llputhimin thecellwiththeJuliibitch.Let’emfightforsupper.Whatdoyouthink,Thirteen?Upforsomefun?”
    “Trigg,killthecamera,”Isaysharplyfrombeneathmyhood.
    “What?”Vixusasks,turning.
    Pop. Ajamfieldgoesup.
    Imove,clumsybutfast.Snappingmyhandsoutoftheshackles,Ipullfreemyhiddenrazorwith
    onehandandripoffmyhoodwiththeother.IstabVixusthroughtheshoulder.Pinhimtothewall andhead-butthimintheface.ButI’mnotwhatIwas,evenwiththedrugs.Myvisionswims.Istumble.
    Hedoesn’t,andbeforeIcanreact,beforeIcanevenfocusmyvision,Vixuspullshisownrazor.
    Holidayshieldsmewithherbody,shovingmeaway.Ifalltotheground.Trigg’sevenfasteronthe take;hejamshisslugshooterstraightupintoVixus’sopenmouth.TheGoldfreezes,staringdown the metal length of the barrel, tongue against the cold muzzle. His razor pauses centimeters from Holiday’shead.
    “Shhhhhh,”Triggwhispers.“Droptherazor.”Vixusdoes.
    “Thehellareyouthinking?”Holidayasksmeangrily.She’sbreathingheavilyandhelpsmeback
    up.Myhead’sstillspinning.Iapologize.Itwasstupidofme.IsteadymyselfandlookoveratVixus, whostaresatmeinhorror.Mylegstremble,andIhavetoholdmyselfupbyoneofthegravLift’s railings.Myheartrattlesfromthestrainofthedruginmysystem.Stupidtotrytofight.Stupidtouse a jammer. The Greens watching will piece it together. They’ll send Grays to investigate the prep room.Findthebodies.
    Itrytopastemysplinteringthoughtstogether.Focus.“IsVictraalive?”Imanage.Triggpullsthe gun out just past the teeth so Vixus can answer. He doesn’t. Not yet. “Do you know what he did to me?” I ask. After a stubborn moment, Vixus nods. “And…” I laugh. It stretches like a crack in ice, spreading, widening, about to shiver a thousand different ways, till I bite my tongue to cut it short.
    “And…andstillyouhavetheballstomakemeaskyoutwice?”
    “She’salive.”
    “Reaper…they’llbecomingforus.They’llknowit’sjammed,”Holidaysays,lookingatthetiny
    cameranodeintheelevator ’sceiling.“Wecan’tchangetheplan.”
    “Whereisshe?”Itwisttherazor.“Whereisshe?”
    Vixushissesinpain.“Level23,cell2187.Itwouldbewisenottokillme.Youmightputmeinher cell.Escape.Iwilltellyoutheproperpath,Darrow.”Themusclesandveinsundertheskinofhisneck
    slitherandriselikesnakesundersand.Nobodyfattohim.“TwobackstabbingPraetorianswon’tget you far. There’s an army in this