Chapter 13 The Poison in the Blood
The red emergency lights pulsed like a heavy, dying heartbeat. I ran through the chaos, my boots barely hitting the cold metal floor. Every time the light flashed, a new nightmare appeared: a guard reaching for a gun, a shadow falling, and the glint of Cassian’s blade. He moved through the Syndicate’s ranks like a storm, tearing a path for me.
Behind me, the fight was a roar of metal and bone. Cassian screamed a challenge, drawing every eye and every weapon toward him. He was making himself the target so I could reach the glass cell.
"Leo!" I yelled. My voice cracked as I reached the door.
My brother jumped, his small frame shaking. When he saw me, his eyes went wide. But he didn't run to the glass. He backed away, his face pale with a terror I didn't understand.
"Aria? No! You have to go!" he screamed. "It’s a trap! They knew you’d come!"
I didn't listen. I smashed the control panel with the hilt of my dagger and kicked the glass door open. I lunged forward, pulling Leo into my arms. He felt so small and thin. He smelled like chemicals and fear, nothing like the sunlight and summer grass scent I remembered.
"I’ve got you," I sobbed, burying my face in his hair. "I’m getting you out of here, Leo. I promise."
"Aria, look out!"
I spun around, but a heavy boot slammed into my chest. The force threw me back against the glass wall, and the air left my lungs in a painful wheeze. Standing in the doorway was Silas, the Syndicate’s lead Enforcer. He was smiling a cold, empty look that never reached his eyes.
"The prodigal daughter returns," Silas mocked, tossing a silver baton from hand to hand. "And she brought a King with her. How generous."
"Let him go, Silas," I spat. I pushed myself up even though my ribs felt like they were on fire. "You have me. Let the boy go."
"Oh, I don't need you anymore, Aria. You were just the bait." Silas looked past me toward the floor below, where the fighting had suddenly gone silent.
I turned my head, and my heart stopped. Cassian was on his knees.
He hadn't been beaten by a sword. He was surrounded by four "Broken Shifters" men with glazed eyes and bodies mutated by experiments. They weren't attacking; they were holding a massive, humming projector aimed right at him. It was a silver-ion beam. It was poisoning the very air he breathed, turning his own blood into a weapon against his heart.
"Cassian!" I shrieked.
He looked up. His face was gray, and his veins stood out like black ink against his skin. Even as he choked on the poison, his eyes found mine. "Run," he gasped. "Take the boy and run!"
"I’m not leaving you!"
I charged at Silas, my daggers moving in a blur. We clashed in a flurry of sparks. He was stronger, fueled by the same chemicals they used on the monsters, but I was fighting for the two people who held my soul.
I slid under his guard and dragged my blade across his thigh. He roared, swinging his baton and catching me in the shoulder. I felt the bone pop. A white-hot flash of agony blinded me for a second.
I hit the floor hard. Silas stepped over me, his shadow looming large as he raised the baton for a killing blow.
Bang.
The sound echoed through the chamber. Silas stumbled as a hole appeared in his shoulder. I looked back and saw Leo. He was standing there, holding a guard’s pistol with trembling hands.
"Get away from my sister," the boy whispered.
That distraction was all I needed. I swept Silas’s legs out from under him and drove my dagger into the gap in his armor. I didn't stop until he stayed down.
I scrambled toward the edge of the catwalk. "Cassian!"
The silver beam was flickering. The facility’s power was struggling, and the Broken Shifters were losing their grip. I vaulted over the rail, landing next to Cassian. The air here was thick and metallic; it felt like breathing in needles.
I threw my arms around him, pulling his head to my chest. "I’m here. I’m here, Cassian. Fight it."
He slumped against me, his skin scorching hot. He was dying. His wolf was trying to heal the silver poisoning, but it was like trying to put out a forest fire with a cup of water.
"Aria," he wheezed, his hand feebly clutching my waist.
"Look at me," I commanded, my tears falling onto his face. I leaned down and pressed my lips to his.
I didn't care about the guards or the alarms. I poured everything I had into that kiss every bit of the mate bond, every ounce of my life. I felt a spark jump between us, a golden light that pushed back the gray haze of the silver.
His heart gave a violent thud against mine. His eyes snapped open, the gold returning with a vengeance. He let out a roar that shook the very foundations of the mine. It was a sound of pure power.
The silver beam shattered. The Broken Shifters were thrown back by the force of his presence.
Cassian stood up, pulling me with him. He looked like a god of vengeance. He grabbed his sword, the steel singing as he swung it. "Leo! Get down here!"
My brother scrambled down the ladder, and Cassian tucked him under one arm while holding me with the other.
"The facility is on a self-destruct timer!" Leo shouted, pointing to a flashing red screen. "We have three minutes!"
"Then we make them the longest three minutes of their lives," Cassian growled.
He looked at me, his eyes burning with a fierce love. "Can you run, little wolf?"
I popped my shoulder back into place with a wince. I gripped my daggers and gave him a bloody, determined smile. "I can do more than run."
"Then let’s go home."