Neeva pulled the syringe from her arm and tossed it on the floor before her. Between her heels and the dress she wore, she struggled to stand.
Kinzer landed on his flat air mattress, which must’ve been depleted when Neeva’s blast struck it. He rolled off the mattress to retrieve the chain that now lay beside it. With a quick flick of his wrist, he whipped it at Neeva as she had finally fought her way to a crouching position.
It wrapped around her leg, and he yanked it back so that she collapsed onto the floor once again.
She snarled and sat up quickly, throwing her hands before her and sending another blast across the room.
Kinzer’s shoulder slammed into the wall.
“Fuck!” he cried as he dropped onto the floor.
As he struggled to recover, Neeva removed the chain from around her ankle.
***
Hayde bounced to his feet, readying his dagger as Dartavore and Kayvan approached him from either side, their faces stern, serious. He felt trapped, cornered like a wild animal. What was he going to do?
Dartavore spread her arms. Her fingernails were long, and as Hayde studied them, it was clear they were metallic. She struck at him like a cat.
He hopped up, but Kayvan tackled him from the side and pushed him up against the wall. As his hip slammed against the wall, he released his dagger.
CLANG.
It hit the floor.
Kayvan grabbed his arm and twisted it behind him. With her other hand, she reached into a bag at her waist and withdrew a pair of cuffs. She opened a cuff, but as she began to put it around Hayde’s wrist, he kicked his heel into her stomach.
She released him and bowed over, and he swooped down and nabbed his dagger.
Dartavore came at him claws-first, and he stabbed his dagger directly through her palm, evoking a powerful cry. She didn’t sound wounded. She sounded enraged.
He withdrew the dagger and turning to the recovering Kayvan, slid the tip of his dagger through one of the cuffs and pulled them from her.
Kayvan reached for them, but in a quick maneuver, he slipped one of the cuffs around her wrist and closed it.
Dartavore lashed at him again from the side, and he locked the remaining cuff around her wrist.
He was proud of himself for his accomplishment. They were quite a good team, so he was pleased being quick on his feet had come in handy.
Before he could delight in his victory, Kayvan and Dartavore ran around him so the chain between the cuffs wrapped around his neck. It was short, but what they lacked in chain they made up for with their arms, wrapping them tight around his throat, constricting his breath.
Hayde stabbed at Dartavore, who stood over him, tightening her hold still. With her unbound hand, she snatched his wrist and twisted it so he was forced to release his only weapon.
He’d been caught, and he knew, if he didn’t find a way out of this, he would be in serious trouble with the Council.
***
Dammit,Kinzer thought as he recovered from Neeva’s second blow.
Neeva stood on her feet, rapidly approaching.
She was pissed. Ready for battle.
“I hope you know,” she said, “assaulting a member of the Council has its own set of consequences.”
Kinzer rolled across the floor, to his bag, and pulled out a small blade, like the ones he and Maggie had taken with them to Kryler’s.
Neeva smiled, seemingly amused by his choice of weapon.
