“Holy shit!” Jak yelled, pointing at the screen behind Mykel, shooting their attention there.
Everyone froze.
As if I summoned the devil, Warwick’s face filled one of the screens, his expression set so coldly it was like death himself was knocking on the door.
I sucked in, feeling his rage burning through his eyes, his head tipping to the side in a taunt. There was no sound, but there didn’t need to be. With one look at the camera, his threat was laid out.
Come get me.
“He’s in the church!” Mykel ordered, breaking everyone out of their trances. “Go!”
“No!” I bellowed, watching Luk and the others dart out of the room, guns loaded, headed for their target. “Mykel, don’t do this! He will kill everyone. He thinks you’re keeping me prisoner.”
“Take her away.” He flicked his hand, and the guards dragged me out of the room. Desperate to stop what I knew was coming, the fighter Halálház created growled up my throat.
Stomping my boot on one guard’s foot, I slammed my head back into his face. The crack of cartilage correlated with his scream, his frame bending over in agony.
I swung around, my fist smashing into the throat of the second guard as my elbow knocked into the gut of guard three. Free of their hold, I darted away from them, my legs sprinting out the passage, shouts ringing out behind me.
My boots hit the stone steps, which led to what looked like a crypt.
As if someone poured cement on my muscles, every movement was set in slow motion. Vomit rolled in my stomach, my feet stumbling over the steps, but I fought to get to him, to stop any senseless death.
If he saw me, he’d know I was okay.
“Warwick!” I tried to scream, but it came out garbled.
What is wrong with me?
I tried to cry out his name again, my hands and feet pushing me up the last few steps. I tumbled out of a faux stone grave, which disguised the entry down into the barracks. Sounds of grunts, screams, gunfire, bones crunching, and skin being hit slapped the stone walls.
“War-wick!” My voice sounded strangled while I tried to link to him, but nothing happened. The energy to reach him fizzled. My head spun like a thousand voices were murmuring in my head, all trying to reach me. Out of the side of my eye, I swore I saw things hovering around me. The pressure slashed pain across my vision, my body wanting to shut down.
No, Brexley! Don’t give up!
It was like I had hundreds of leeches sucking every ounce of my life from me, the murmurs in my head growing more shrill. Whispers of words, hisses of syllables, but nothing I could understand, though it continued to grow louder and louder.
“Stop!” I cried, my hands going to my ears as my legs pushed me closer to the sounds of the fighting. I only made it a few more steps before my body gave out, the darkness coming for me. My frame lay on the floor like roadkill, barely holding on to consciousness.
With everything I had inside, I shoved myself out of my own body.
For one blink, I stood in front of Warwick as he fought Tracker, Sab, Blade, and Ava. Not far away, Ash was fighting the others.
Warwick froze, his aqua eyes finding mine. I tried to open my mouth, but nothing came out, my finger pointing in the direction of my actual body, like some creepy ghost. And then I was back in my body, slipping away.
“Kovacs?” The ground shook with my name, the pounding of boots, the feel of arms, warmth, and... life.
Before I slid under.
When my lashes opened this time, I wasn’t in my room. Instead, I lay in a bed in what looked like a clinic, tubes dripping into my arm, my head pounding.
“You’re awake.” A woman peered over my bed. I knew right away she was fae. She was dressed in flower scrubs, and her silky golden blonde hair pulled back in a tight bun, her eyes the color of amber.
Tree fairy.
“What’s this?” I tugged at the things going into my veins.
“Keeps you hydrated.” She gently tugged them out of my arm. “You are perfectly healthy, and your vitals are fine, but when they brought you in, you were in a comalike state. It was really odd. I’ve never seen anything like it.” She shook her head. “He practically tore this place down trying to get to you. Had this base all up in a tizzy and demanded someone watch over you. It was the only way he would go quietly.”
