Chapter 17 · Silver Eyes

"You'll be just like them soon." The Arbiter's voice came from the walls, buzzing under Cade's teeth like a bad filling.

Mika fought him with both hands. Her nails dug into his forearm as she twisted toward the pod where her father hung behind the glass, eyes shut, tubes feeding into his collarbone.

"That's him." Her voice cracked. "Cade, that's my dad. Let me go."

"You go near that platform, you're dead."

He dragged her back. She drove an elbow into his ribs. Pain flashed white, but he kept his grip.

The Arbiter tilted its head. It didn't have a face. It didn't need one.

"Prepare secondary implantation protocol."

The room's hum climbed. Pod doors along the wall lit one after another, silver seams crawling up the glass.

"Get away from her." Cade shoved Mika behind him. "You want someone? Take me."

"Cade, don't."

He threw everything he had at the Arbiter.

The kinetic pulse hit its chest and slid away like water off glass. No impact. No crack in the concrete behind it. The power simply vanished.

"What the hell?" Cade staggered. "I hit you."

"Weapons don't work on them," Mika said. "I told you. Nothing works.