Chapter 31 · The Dead Zone

“Get your hand off the panel.”

Lila slapped Cain’s wrist away just as his fingers touched the black glass. A red line snapped across the wall, stopping less than an inch from his knuckles.

The panel flashed.

“Unauthorized genetic signature detected,” a calm voice said. “Purification in three seconds.”

Cain grabbed Lila by the waist and hauled her behind him.

“Cain—”

“Down.”

The wall split open.

White light punched through the room. It cut the metal table in half and turned the loose cables on the floor into sizzling wires. Heat slapped Lila’s face. Cain took the blast across his back, his coat smoking at the shoulders.

The countdown stopped at one.

Then the room went dark again.

Lila stared at him. “You just got hit by a kill beam.”

“I noticed.”

“Your back is smoking.”

“I noticed that too.”

“Then stop standing there like an idiot.”

Cain turned his head. His eyes had gone bright, the pale glow crawling under his irises. “You told me to get away from the panel.”

“I told you to take your hand off it. There’s a difference.”

“Not enough of one.