Chapter 64 · Heartbeat Lies

"If you drop dead on me, I swear I'll leave you here."

Cain's arm hung across Lila's shoulders, heavy enough to drag her sideways with every step. His boots scraped over broken concrete. Blood ran from the cut above his eyebrow and warmed the side of her face.

"You keep saying that," he muttered.

"Because you keep trying to make it true. Move."

"Can't."

"Then lie better."

He gave a rough sound that might have been a laugh. It ended in a cough.

Lila tightened her grip around his waist and nearly lost her balance. Cain was built like a wall, all hard muscle and dead weight, but right now the wall was cracking. His skin burned through his torn shirt. His heartbeat punched against her palm in uneven bursts.

Fast. Slow. Fast again.

She hated that she noticed.

"Your heart's doing that thing again," she whispered.

"What thing?"

"The part where it forgets how to work."

"It remembers."

"Great. Tell it to remember while walking."

A red beam slid across the far end of the corridor.

Lila froze.

Cain's hand closed over hers. His fingers were hot, his grip still strong enough to hurt.

"Down," he breathed.

"You first."