Author: Jennifer Wilson
Category: Young Adult
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SCREAMS ECHOED UP the dilapidated walls, magnifying the sound. Chills splintered their way down my spine as the shrill human cries assaulted my ears. It sounded like a war was waging below us.
Six years of instinct kicked in and I skittered to a halt, the worn gravel rooftop sliding noisily under my feet. While my body halted, Triven’s sped up. He glanced back for only a second before leaping over the edge of the building. Those were his people dying down there, his people in danger. But I didn’t have people.
Did I?
I rushed to the roof’s edge as Maddox and Arden caught up. Arden dove over the side landing on the fire escape. His feet had barely touched the rusted metal before he opened fire on the surging bodies below. Maddox spared one icy glare for me before joining the throng.
Bodies were strewn in the alley, but they weren’t ours. Their skin was tainted odd colors. Taciturns.
We were surviving, not just surviving but winning. Every member of the guard was still on their feet. I leaned out further but didn’t yet join the fight. Torn.
Run or help? Run… or stay?
I could see Triven moving below me, his sandy hair easily visible in the dark. He moved with a perilous grace. Without shedding a bullet or unsheathing a knife, he advanced like a shadow through the alley, debilitating the Tribesman as he went. It took me a moment to realize he wasn’t killing them; he was just rendering them unconscious. He moved with perfect precision. It seemed as if he saw everything around him all at once, everything but one man.
But I saw him.
As the tattooed arm rose, the glint of the black blade flashed in the night. There was no mistaking his target. The man’s eyes were on Triven.
I didn’t hesitate.
Launching myself from the ledge, I grabbed the fire escape railing. My hands caught for only a second, allowing me to better my aim. I dropped once more, letting two stories fall past, my hands recalculating on the next landing. Then just as quickly as before, I let go and dropped the last fifteen feet.
I could feel the man’s bones break as my feet landed on his back. The muscular body crumpled beneath me, absorbing the full impact of my fall. Triven turned in shock as I crashed down beside him. Two seconds later and there would have been a knife in his back. I wanted to keep looking into those hazel eyes, but there was no time.
Taciturns mobbed us. Everywhere I turned, tattooed bodies appeared, their weapons slashing, firing and stabbing.
Fear shut off and the instinctual animal within me was unleashed.
It took me less than three seconds to disarm an attacker and turn her weapon back on her. In another three seconds, I had a knife for my left hand and another two Taciturns lay at me feet. A gun fired somewhere near my head and I had to blink to keep my vision clear. The ringing in my ear deafened all of the other sounds in the alley. I blinked again as I struggled to find focus. There was something fuzzy coming into focus at the back of the alley. A girl was pinned to the ground with a Taciturn male over her, but she was not fighting back. Her head lolled to the side as she struggled for consciousness. I recognized the dark curly hair. Archer. The man sat astride her as his fingers traveled over her chest, the other hand pressed a knife to her throat.
I could feel a strand of sanity within me snap, and my vision went red. The knife left my hand instantly, and even as it lodged into his side I charged. I was on him before he could react. My weapons were forgotten as my fists collided over and over with his face. I knew he wasn’t one of the men who had raped my mother, he wasn’t Maddox leering at my naked body in the showers, but at that moment, he was. He was all of those things. I punched until his face was no longer recognizable.
A large hand grabbed my shoulder and spun me. I thrust to kill, and froze. My knife stopped at the assailant’s throat, a thick trickle of blood running from beneath the blade.
Triven stood frozen, his gentle eyes wide but calm as they watched me. The knife fell from my hand. It sounded so loud as it clattered to the ground.
“I’m sorry.” I said in a trembling voice. My body began to shake, but I didn’t feel cold.
“Phoenix.” Triven whispered my name as he moved towards me, but I jumped backwards.
“I’m sorry.” I shook my head, my eyes widening. I had lost control… I had almost killed him.
He moved towards me again and this time I did not move. His muscular arms wrapped around me, and despite myself, I fell against his chest.
“I’m sorry.” Why couldn’t I find any other words?
He smoothed my hair, “It’s okay. We’re okay. We have to get moving though, it isn’t safe.”
I nodded as he released me. Following his lead, I took Archer under the arm and we moved back towards the door leading to The Subversive bunker.