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

mountain. Legions in the city, in orbit. Thirty Peerless Scarred.
    Boneriders in southern Attica.” He nods to the small jackal skull on the lapel of his uniform. “You rememberthem?”
    “Wedon’tneedhim,”Triggsnaps,fingeringhisgun’strigger.
    “Oh?”Vixuschuckles,confidencereturningasheseesmyweakness.“Andwhatare you goingto doagainstanOlympicKnight,tinpot?Oh,wait.Therearetwohere,aren’tthere?”
    Holidayjustsnorts.“Samethingyou’ddo,goldilocks.Run.”
    “Level23,”ItellTrigg.
    TriggpunchesthegravLiftcontrols,divertingusfromtheirescaperoute.Hepullsupamaponhis datapadandstudiesitbrieflywithHoliday.“Cell2187is…here.Therewillbeacode.Cameras.”
    “Toofarfromevac.”Holiday’smouthtightens.“Ifwegothatway,we’recooked.”
    “Victra is my friend,” I say. And I thought she was dead, but somehow she survived her sister ’s gunshots.“Iwon’tleaveher.”
    “There’snotachoice,”Holidaysays.
    “There’salwaysachoice.”Thewordssoundfeeble,eventome.
    “Lookatyourself,man.You’reahusk!”
    “Backoffhim,Holi,”Triggsays.
    “ThatGoldbitchisn’toneofus!Iwon’tdieforher.”
    ButVictrawouldhavediedforme.Inthedarkness,Ithoughtofher.Thechildishjoyinhereyes whenIgaveherthebottleofpetrichorintheJackal’sstudy.“Ididn’tknow.Darrow,Ididn’tknow,”
    wasthelastthingshesaidtomeafterRoquebetrayedus.Deatharound,bulletsinherback,andallshe wantedwasmetothinkwellofherintheend.
    “Iwon’tleavemyfriendbehind,”Irepeatdogmatically.
    “I’llfollowyou,”Triggdrawls.“Whateveryousay,Reaper.I’myourman.”
    “Trigg,”Holidaywhispers.“Aressaid—”
    “Areshasn’tturnedthetide. ” Triggnodstome.“Hecan.Wegowherehegoes.”
    “Andifwemissourwindow?”
    “Thenwemakeanewone.”
    Holiday’seyesgoglassyandsheworksherlargejaw.Iknowthatlook.Shedoesn’tseeherbrother asIdo.He’snolurcher,nokiller.Toherhe’stheboyshegrewwith.
    “Allright.I’min,”shesaysreluctantly.
    “WhataboutthePeerless?”Triggasks.
    “Heputsthecodeinandhelives,”Isay.“Shoothimiftriesanything.”
    —
    Weexittheelevatoratlevel23.Iwearmyhoodagain,havingHolidayguidemealongasVixuswalks ahead as if escorting us to a cell, Trigg ready with his gun close behind. The halls are quiet. Our footstepsecho.Ican’tseepastthehood.
    “Thisisit,”Vixussayswhenwereachthedoor.
    “Putinthecode,asshole,”Holidayorders.
    Hedoesandthedoorhissesopen.Noiseroarsoutaroundus.Horriblestaticfromhiddenspeakers.
    Thecellisfreezing,everythingbleachedwhite.TheceilingflaringwithlightsobrightIcan’teven
    lookdirectlyatit.Thecell’semaciatedoccupantliesinthecorner,legscurledupinafetalposition, spine to me. Back painted with old burns and striped with lash marks from beatings. The mess of white-blondhairoverhereyesisallthatshieldsthewomanfromtheblazinglight.Iwouldn’tknow whoshewasexceptforthetwobulletscarsatthetopofherspinebetweentheshoulderblades.
    “Victra!”Ishoutoverthenoise.Shecan’thearme.“Victra!”Ishoutagain,justasthenoisedies, replaced over the speakers by the sound of a heartbeat. They’re torturing her with sound, light.
    Sensation. The exact opposite of my own abuse. Able to hear me now, she whips her head my direction.Goldeyespeeringferallyoutfromthetangleofhair.Idon’tevenknowifsherecognizes me. The boldness with which Victra wore her nakedness before is gone. She covers herself, vulnerable.Terrified.
    “Getheronherfeet,”Holidaysays,pushingVixustohisbelly.“Wegottago.”
    “She’sparalyzed….”Triggsays.“Isn’tshe?”
    “Shit.We’llcarryher,then.”`
    TriggmovesquicklytowardVictra.Islamahandbackintohischest,stoppinghim.Evenlikethis, shecouldriphisarmsfromhisbody.KnowingtheterrorIfeltwhenIwaspulledfrommyhole,I
    moveslowlytowardher.Myownfearretreatingtothebackofmymind,replacedbyangeratwhat
    herownsisterhasdonetoher.Atknowingthisismyfault.
    “Victra, it’s me. It’s Darrow.” She makes no sign of having heard me. I crouch down beside her.
    “We’regoingtogetyououtofhere.Canwelift—”
    She lunges at me. Throwing