“You have fifteen seconds,” Reed ground out, before dropping to the ground and pounding his fists against the club floor. “Make it count.”
Darkness descended over us. It bled from his palms and stretched out, covering everything except for Alex and Lycean. Reed rarely used this shield—his pit of black. Fifteen seconds was pushing it; it was a bend in reality, a closer ability to Alex’s that was always unstable and rarely lasted more than ten. It blocked everything else out, shielding us from prying eyes as I shot forward.
In four seconds, I’d ripped Alex away from Lycean’s grip, careful to stifle my flames before I touched her. At six, I gripped Lycean by the neck and smashed his head straight into the ground. His canines broke on impact; his mouth nearly shattered. Alex gasped beside me, but I forced myself to focus as I lifted her into my arms and sprinted back to Reed.
His face was pale, and sweat pooled down his face, matting down his bright red hair. I reached him just as the black abyssstarted to crawl backward, exposing the flickering lights of the club and allowing the music to pound back into us again. He went limp, and I shifted Alex before tossing him over my shoulder.
The speaker in my ear was screaming at me as I hauled them out the doors. The crowd began to surge again, unaware of what spell they’d been put under. They wouldn’t know what happened once they noticed Lycean on the ground.
“Cinder?” An agent’s voice crackled in my ear. “Daydream? WildGuard? Please respond. I repeat, I need you to respond.”
Car horns blared as I sprinted through the street. The black sky overhead dressed us in shadows as I ran for cover.
“Daydream and WildGuard are down. We’re heading for the safe house—Lycean is still inside,” I panted, my mind buzzing as I tried to keep my flames from bursting out and burning them both.
“Copy that, Cinder. We’re going in.”
Steam hissed through my clothes by the time I made it to the abandoned warehouse we’d scouted out before entering the Crowns Club. A hive of VIA agents was waiting for us, hands already glowing as Variants with healing abilities reached out.
“Stabilize his blood pressure,” I breathed, placing Reed into the arms of two men in black. “The shield he used fucks with his heart, keep him on a monitor.”
I shifted Alex in my arms next; her body had gone cold and clammy, and the red on her skin made my breath come out in short, quick gasps. Hands reached for her, but I jerked back, cradling her against my chest; a wild dog ready to attack. Her eyes lifted to mine, and a weak smile formed on those red lips. Flecks of blood marred the top of her dress, and my eyes widened at it.
“Relax,” she wheezed. “Just a hiccup. No…no biggie.”
I kneeled down, laying her on the ground as I ran a hand through her hair and checked the wound at her throat. It was shallow—enough to bleed, but not lethal. Still, it made my body heat and my hands tremble as I touched her soft, pale skin.
“We’ve got her,” someone called from behind, but I whipped around on them with a scowl.
“Don’t touch her.”
Alex’s eyes drooped, and her chest rose and fell with deep breaths. “Don’t be a baby,” she wheezed. “Just hold my hand or something. This fucking hurts.”
For once, my blood ran ice cold, and I did what I was told. I clasped her hand in mine, forcing down the fire in my belly as hands started to reach for her neck, a soft golden glow lighting up her skin.
“I’m sorry,” I choked. “I wasn’t paying attention. I’m sorry.”
She shook her head, and I saw the wound already starting to heal. “No, I screwed up. I was too focused on getting the information—I let go of my hold. He got too handsy, that’s all.”
“I’ll kill him.” My head whipped to the side, staring at the door of the warehouse.
“Did you always worry so much?” She chuckled, her cheeks beginning to turn pink again. “You were calmer in the hospital; this is no biggie.”
Always. All the fucking time. You have no idea how much I’ve fucking ached over you.
“No,” I ground out, my voice hoarse. “Must be a new development, or something. Maybe I’m not a fan of biting.”
By the time her wound was healed, my body grew hot again. Flashes went through my head of Lycean’s mouth on her neck, those fucking dog teeth piercing her flesh, the crimson of her blood. I couldn’t stand it anymore. Alex sat up, her eyes brighter, and she reached out a hand. I didn’t take it—Icouldn’ttake it. Her brows scrunched, but before she could speak, I bolted.
You can’t control yourself around her,Joon’s voice was a plague in my head.You’ll burn her.
I scrambled outside just in time for my body to burst into flames. I stood in the open air, orange and yellow whipping around me in a frenzy as I stared at the bay beside the warehouse. And then I walked. I kept walking until my feet went over the ledge, and my body plunged into icy waters. It took fifteen minutes for it to stop boiling.
You’re too dangerous.
EIGHTEEN
ALEX
