Kayden’s POVThe world was just pain, a white-hot sun burning in my side. Her voice, that sweet, poison whisper floated somewhere above me.My vision swam. The hallway walls tilted.But I’d been hurt worse. Taught to function through worse.My hand shot up, not to the wound, but to hers. The one holding the knife. My fingers closed around her wrist, slick with my own blood, and squeezed. Hard. I felt the fine bones grind together.Her gasp was a sharp, satisfying sound.I looked up, right into the slits of her mask. “You should have made sure I was down,” I gritted out.Then I pulled.The knife came free with a sick, wet sound. A fresh tide of agony washed over me, but it was a clean pain now. Controllable.I didn’t throw the knife away. I kept her wrist locked, yanked her off balance, and kicked out. My foot connected with her stomach, solid and mean. The air left her in a whoosh. She stumbled back, hitting the opposite wall.It bought me maybe three seconds.I pressed my free hand o
Last Updated : 2025-12-25 Read more