…
The Association officers led them down the far side of the ridge along a path that had been cleared by enforcer teams sometime during the bombardment. The stone was still warm in places where monsters had been killed with thermal abilities, and the air carried the sharp mineral smell of shattered rock and burned chitin.
Kaiden walked in the middle of the formation. His girls followed behind, quiet, their powers dimmed but their presence unmistakable. The lead officer, the woman who'd addressed him on the ridge, hadn't spoken since they'd started moving. She didn't need to. The direction was clear and the pace was professional and nobody was pretending this was optional.
They were halfway down when the footsteps caught up.
"Kaiden!"
