ARIA’S POVWe didn't make it to the medical wing.We made it to the corridor outside the courtyard.Dr. Chen assessed me in the hallway with the focused efficiency of someone who had prepared for exactly this contingency and was now executing it without wasted motion. Twenty seconds of assessment. A look at the readings on her scanner. A look at my face."We're not moving further," she said. Not a question."How far—" Kael started."Not far enough." She was already activating her emergency channel, voice crisp and clear: "Nadia. Supply kit delta, corridor B, eastern courtyard exit. Now. Bring the portable surgical unit." A pause. "Yes. Now."Kael looked at the corridor floor. Stone. Cold. Inadequate in every measurable way.Dr. Chen looked at him. "I need your jacket."He had it off before she finished the sentence.She layered it with Marcus's, which Marcus produced without being asked, and Elena's, which Elena was already removing, and two more from pack members who had followed fro
Read more