statement as she was swept into the moment.
Her leg burned. Fresh blood oozed from the latest wounds inflicted the evening before. Each forced step away from the facility made her pulse race with terror.
“We thought you’d like some quiet time in our special spot today since you had a rough night.” Harvey raked his filthy hands along her arms as he dragged her to the stump.
“Don’t touch me,” she screamed.
He punched her stomach and she doubled over. “We’re gonna keep bringing you out here until you learn to be extra sweet to us.”
“Yeah, real, real sweet.” Floyd grasped her face in one hand and squeezed until she gasped. “I’m thinking knocking those teeth out’d take the fight right outta ya. It wouldn’t matter, though, cause ya wouldn’t have much of a weapon for what we have in mind.”
She punched and pulled, twisted and tugged in their grasp as they laughed and dragged her to the stump. Terror clawed her insides when they forced her to her knees.
“Now, ya gonna be sweet for us?” Floyd demanded.
“Never!”
“I was hoping you’d say that.” Harvey slapped her face. “Secure her. I’ll get the toys.”
Calm your mind, Mira. I can’t help you from this distance if you surrender to your fear. Fight.
She couldn’t understand why the unseen stranger helped her in the darkest moments, yet she craved his intervention. Like an avenging angel he delved into her mind the moment she released the last of her terror. She had a vague sense of struggling against restraints, a shredding of material, followed by a brush of burning pain along her back. But warmth like the sun enveloped her, carrying her away to a happier place.
They can break our bodies, Mira, but they’ll never touch our souls.
“Mira.” The call tugged her to reality. She blinked, unaware how Adrik had moved to sit behind her with his arms wrapped around her.
“You with us again?” Ren asked as he crouched in front of her.
She nodded, wishing she could get away from everyone until the cloying shards of the past settled into the recesses of her mind. Guilt pained her, shredding her thoughts. She’d abandoned Deimos.
Tears trekked down her cheeks. To hell with being strong. She was the real monster in this fucked up situation. She’d done what he’d never done—left.
“Mira, focus on my voice. You’re safe.”
The words made her gasp teary lungs of air. Deimos wasn’t though.
“Fuck.” Marek’s agitation startled her to silence.
“What happened?” Ren asked.
“I-I sometimes can’t distinguish between the past and present. It’s like my thoughts are fractured, pieced together with duct tape or something.”
“The damn drug therapy, I bet,” Peyton commented. “We see it all the time with Impures from facilities. Shards of what were wiped away will appear at random and appear real.”
Deimos had somehow undone most of the drug therapies she’d been administered, but she couldn’t tell them about him yet. She’d sworn to keep his existence a secret until it wasn’t an option any longer.
“I still don’t understand how she remembers the facility. Administered drugs to take away her memories would explain the sharding. But then how does she remember everything so clearly?” Marek demanded.
“Temper your tone or I’ll have your ass, sentinel.” Adrik’s rage silenced the onlookers.
Realizing the tension was because of her, Mira focused on the explanation she’d been giving before her episode. “The man I mentioned happened upon us one day. Although he didn’t intervene, it was obvious to me he didn’t agree with what they were doing. They recognized him, called him Blade. I found out later it’s a nickname he’d earned in Hell’s Playground because he guts anyone who messes with him.”
“He’s a procurer,” Adrik said.
“Yes. Apparently the best in the Playground or Highway from what the guards said. They boasted he was a neutered pup for them because they had what
Her leg burned. Fresh blood oozed from the latest wounds inflicted the evening before. Each forced step away from the facility made her pulse race with terror.
“We thought you’d like some quiet time in our special spot today since you had a rough night.” Harvey raked his filthy hands along her arms as he dragged her to the stump.
“Don’t touch me,” she screamed.
He punched her stomach and she doubled over. “We’re gonna keep bringing you out here until you learn to be extra sweet to us.”
“Yeah, real, real sweet.” Floyd grasped her face in one hand and squeezed until she gasped. “I’m thinking knocking those teeth out’d take the fight right outta ya. It wouldn’t matter, though, cause ya wouldn’t have much of a weapon for what we have in mind.”
She punched and pulled, twisted and tugged in their grasp as they laughed and dragged her to the stump. Terror clawed her insides when they forced her to her knees.
“Now, ya gonna be sweet for us?” Floyd demanded.
“Never!”
“I was hoping you’d say that.” Harvey slapped her face. “Secure her. I’ll get the toys.”
Calm your mind, Mira. I can’t help you from this distance if you surrender to your fear. Fight.
She couldn’t understand why the unseen stranger helped her in the darkest moments, yet she craved his intervention. Like an avenging angel he delved into her mind the moment she released the last of her terror. She had a vague sense of struggling against restraints, a shredding of material, followed by a brush of burning pain along her back. But warmth like the sun enveloped her, carrying her away to a happier place.
They can break our bodies, Mira, but they’ll never touch our souls.
“Mira.” The call tugged her to reality. She blinked, unaware how Adrik had moved to sit behind her with his arms wrapped around her.
“You with us again?” Ren asked as he crouched in front of her.
She nodded, wishing she could get away from everyone until the cloying shards of the past settled into the recesses of her mind. Guilt pained her, shredding her thoughts. She’d abandoned Deimos.
Tears trekked down her cheeks. To hell with being strong. She was the real monster in this fucked up situation. She’d done what he’d never done—left.
“Mira, focus on my voice. You’re safe.”
The words made her gasp teary lungs of air. Deimos wasn’t though.
“Fuck.” Marek’s agitation startled her to silence.
“What happened?” Ren asked.
“I-I sometimes can’t distinguish between the past and present. It’s like my thoughts are fractured, pieced together with duct tape or something.”
“The damn drug therapy, I bet,” Peyton commented. “We see it all the time with Impures from facilities. Shards of what were wiped away will appear at random and appear real.”
Deimos had somehow undone most of the drug therapies she’d been administered, but she couldn’t tell them about him yet. She’d sworn to keep his existence a secret until it wasn’t an option any longer.
“I still don’t understand how she remembers the facility. Administered drugs to take away her memories would explain the sharding. But then how does she remember everything so clearly?” Marek demanded.
“Temper your tone or I’ll have your ass, sentinel.” Adrik’s rage silenced the onlookers.
Realizing the tension was because of her, Mira focused on the explanation she’d been giving before her episode. “The man I mentioned happened upon us one day. Although he didn’t intervene, it was obvious to me he didn’t agree with what they were doing. They recognized him, called him Blade. I found out later it’s a nickname he’d earned in Hell’s Playground because he guts anyone who messes with him.”
“He’s a procurer,” Adrik said.
“Yes. Apparently the best in the Playground or Highway from what the guards said. They boasted he was a neutered pup for them because they had what
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