“He's in pain. The clotters might keep him alive for another hour. It'll be slow and terrible.”
“Go to hell.”
Luke groaned, and she saw him lean against his knees from the corner of her eye. “I'll give you one more minute. Then I'm cuffing you and taking you in.”
Her breath leaked out when she finally looked up at him. Kira had no intention of leaving Zayne, but Luke promised him to let her go. “You said—”
“To make him feel better. I can't release you. The Phaedra wants you, and he'll have you, especially now. No one will stop him. So, you need to just return to the prison before he sends me to hunt you down.”
“I don't even know what word to call someone like you.”
Luke held her eyes, unmoved by what she said. “Say goodbye to my brother.”
If he wanted to kill Zayne, then he'd kill her too. She was not walking away.
“Hang on a little longer,” she whispered. “We promised not to give up. I love you, and I didn't come this far to say bye. We…”
A woman dressed in all black walked between the trees toward them. Kira and Luke saw her at the same time. It looked like someone had pried that gun from his grip and bashed him in the temple with it.
Face pale, Luke stared in shock at their visitor whose raven hair blended into the darkness. “Nadia?”
It was the first time he was distracted. Kira dove for Luke and ripped the capsule from her shirt. Just when he looked back at her, grip tightening on his gun, Kira clicked the end twice, twisted it, and opened the uranium directly in Luke's eyes.
Red swarmed the darkness instantly.
Kira closed her eyes, falling onto the ground, rolling away as soon as she hit.
Luke screamed and clawed at his face, gun on the ground. The Pixi Dust swirled in the air in front of him and funneled into his eyes, eating the radiation from inside him.
What that would do to him, she didn't know. She didn't know how much exposure she'd just gotten to the uranium either. But she didn't care about anything except keeping Zayne alive.
Kira grabbed Luke's gun and the bag with Pumpkin, pointing the weapon at him. “Move and I shoot.” Then, throwing his words back at him. “Or do you want to test whether I'll hurt you?”
He fell onto his ass, gasping, hands covering his eyes. “What the fuck—”
Nadia ran to Zayne and dropped a bag beside him. “Is it a gunshot?”
Hearing the confident, low voice of the woman Zayne had loved and wanted to spend his life with shook Kira. “Yes.”
“How long ago?” Thin brows narrowed at her above determined eyes. She was beautiful and felt in control when no one could be in control of a disaster like this.
“Twenty-three minutes into the mission. I don't know how long it's been since.”
“Shit.” Nadia threw the jacket off Zayne and ripped open his uniform.
Where had she come from? Even before Luke said her name, Kira knew who she was. She recognized her by the boundless panic and love erupting in her eyes.
“What are you doing here?” Kira asked.
“Brock knew you might need a surgeon.” She pulled on gloves and withdrew a stethoscope, listening.
Hope stirred in Kira, but she was so overwhelmed that she still felt dead.
Eyes closed, Luke felt along the ground until Kira stomped on his fingers. He cursed and grabbed for her, but she jumped back. “I told you not to move.”
“Nadia, get out of here.” Luke groaned, rubbing his eyes. Red smoke drifted from them. “The Phaedra will kill you.”
But she didn't respond. She poured antiseptic all over Zayne's side. “Brock shouldn't be far behind. We were ambushed. He sent me ahead of him once I could get away.”
