Old Lady of the Iron Crown

y P

ocalyptic rumble shaking

t my bruised thigh, staring at R

tter disbelief. "I'm a charity case from a Vance

didn't

ocket of his black button-down, and pulled out

rate fingers, he pe

heavy medallion forged o

ail: a skeletal iron stallion crowned with barb

jammed in

ngertips grazing the puckered, jagged

utline I had hidden in shame for twenty years-matche

cold, heavy metal

anical tempest outside, "the IronHorse mother chapter was ambushed. The President's newborn daughter was stol

medallion back, panic clawing at my ribs. "No. This is

ingers locking around my wr

atching the light as his gaze drilled into mine. "You carry the pure, u

urned the corners of my eyes. "A

database ten minutes ago," Ryder interrupted, his

. You are Richard's blood. And outside this door sits two hundr

ening screech of ripping metal tor

nforced steel roll-up door completely out of its conc

the deep, chest-rattling idle of high

my cot, raising both suppressed pis

oice like grinding granite

ck leather armor swept thro

endary three-piece crest: IRONHORS

machine guns, sweeping every corner with the leth

yder, he snapped his weapon down an

. "Perimeter is sealed five blocks out. State police have

mmanded, his tone icy. "

hardened ou

t their eyes locked onto my face, the ruthless aggression i

d, slowly removing his leather cap. "Look at

g into something dark and protective. "Can you hold

my voice finding a razor-sharp ed

slow nod of f

forward, lifting the entire iron frame of my cot with effort

n the shatte

wo sweetbutts were huddled on the floor, shaking uncontrollably as f

ghed at me looked up throug

st feared outlaw warlords in the natio

sobbing in hysterical, breathless terror

my breath. I looked

treads of a tank. She did

shattered threshold i

of black chrome, burning halogen headligh

ormation, their exhausts rumbling in a synchronized, low-f

d on every adjacent rooftop, laser

eight-wheeled armored medical coach, its pneumat

ly into his arms, carrying me up the illumin

ward with quiet reverence, taking the twins and plac

lass, I watched the sea of two hundred roaring

that followed was he

ther parted down the m

light, their boots striking the pavement with the heav

ir, a silver predator's beard, and a jagged scar cutting acro

ed raven hair, her gaze burning with terrifying intensity, her cu

ooking down out the window w

Ryder whispered. "Welcome ba