Born of Ice

“No melting brain. Got it.” Omari closed his eyes and took a deep breath.

The metal in the door started creaking almost instantly. Alix could see the muscles working in Omari’s face and arms as he physically strained to do his mental magic.

Vik pointed to the device in his ear that must have been allowing him to still monitor their enemies’ communication. They’re almost here, he mouthed to Devyn.

Nero cursed, then threw his arm out and blasted the door with his own telekinesis. The door went flying as blood started pouring from Nero’s nose.

He wiped at it angrily.

Alix was worried about him. “You all right?”

He tilted his head back to slow some of the flow. “Yeah. What’s a little brain damage, anyway? Not like anyone would notice.”

Omari glared indignantly at him. “I could have done it without your help, you know.”

“Yeah, but we’re about to have company.”

Devyn grabbed Omari by the arm and shoved him through the door. As soon as they were outside, they could hear the sound of approaching engines. Vik had been right—The League operatives were practically on top of them.

Omari paled. “We are so screwed.”

Sway chucked him on the arm. “Only if they catch us.”

His gut twisting, Devyn looked at Vik as he weighed their options. But at this point, it was like choosing between a slow, agonizing death and a slower agonizing death. “Can you still pick them up?”

“They’re being told to bring you and Alix in alive. The rest of us are expendable.”

Omari gaped. “I don’t feel expendable.”

Devyn ignored his outburst. “Well, then, if it’s a fight they want . . . Sway, you and Vik take Alix and Omari toward the town that’s supposed to be five ticks north of here. We’ll rendezvous at whatever landing bay they have.”

Alix didn’t like the sound of that. She knew he had something planned, and knowing Devyn, it would be scary. “What about you and Nero?”

“Don’t worry about us.”

Yeah, right. The man was insane and Nero wasn’t much better.

So Alix stood her ground. “I don’t think we should split up.”

The look on his face was hard and sincere. “I’m a trained soldier, Alix, and Nero is a survivalist. Believe me, they won’t be able to touch us. But I need you guys out of harm’s way, otherwise we won’t stand a chance.” He leaned down to whisper in her ear words that sent a shiver over her. “Please, for my sanity, get to safety. I damn near lost Sway today. Don’t make me lose you, too.”

Alix pulled him close and kissed him. It wasn’t until she stepped back from his kiss that she looked down and saw something red on her hand from when she’d touched his side.

Blood.

Devyn’s. Her heart lurched, but before she could ask about it, a streak of color sizzled past her cheek. So close she could feel the heat of it.

“Run!” Sway shouted. “We’ll meet at the rendezvous.”

Devyn slid his weapon out and started firing at the enforcers. “Go!” he ordered her.

“Not without you.” Alix grabbed his arm and pulled him after the others.

Devyn would have protested, but at this point, they were being swarmed, and there was no time to argue with anyone.

Hell, they barely had time to run.

Taking her hand, he cut through the underbrush, wishing they had on thermal-shielded suits that would keep their pursuers from using infrared to pick up their body heat. As it was, right now they were moving targets, and he had no idea if the others had already been apprehended or not.

But more than that, he felt the pressure on his wrist that warned him he was pushing himself too hard. It was his warning sensor that monitored his body.

Shit.

Alix slowed down as she noticed that Devyn was falling behind. She doubled back to his side. “We have to hurry.”

He shook his head. “You go on. I’ll cover you.”

“Don’t be—”

“Alix!” he snapped. “Don’t argue with me. I can’t keep up with you.”

“Of course you can.”

He glared at her. “No, I can’t. I have a severe heart condition.”

She frowned at his words and the note of panic in his voice. “I don’t understand.”

“When Clotilde attacked me, she sliced through my heart. Because I’m half Rit and half human, there’s no donor. Rit anatomy is very different from a human’s. One of the biggest is that they have a six-chamber heart. What I have inside me is a mechanical heart my father made, but it won’t take this kind of abuse. I can’t keep running or it will explode and kill me.”

She winced as she realized what this meant. He was going to be taken.

And he was willing to sacrifice himself for her.

But looking up into those dark brown eyes that haunted her, she knew she couldn’t leave him to his enemies. “Then I’ll stay with you.”

“Don’t be ridiculous.”

She eyed him. “You wouldn’t be here but for me.” She was the one who’d put all of them in harm’s way. “I won’t leave you.”

Devyn wanted to tell her what kind of fool he thought she was, but as he stared at her, he realized something.