Chapter 36 · Vow in the Ashes

"Don't you dare close your eyes, Cain!"

Lyra screamed it, her voice raw, cracking under the pressure.

They weren't falling anymore. They'd slammed into a heap of blackened girders and pulverized concrete. The impact knocked every lungful of air out of her. Dust—thick, tasting of ionized ozone—coated her tongue. Beside her, Cain lay sprawled like a broken doll. His Enforcer armor was cracked wide, leaking a steady stream of crimson onto the gray ash.

Lyra scrambled toward him, knees scraping raw against the rubble. She grabbed the front of his tactical vest, hauling his upper body toward her.

"Look at me! Cain!"

He coughed, a wet, hacking sound that sprayed blood across his chin. His eyes flickered, struggling to lock onto her face.

"You're... still here," he rasped. "Why the hell... are you still here?"

"Shut up," she snapped. Her hands were shaking. "I'm not letting you die after I just risked my entire soul to pull you out of that machine. You owe me, you arrogant bastard."

Cain managed a ghost of a smirk. It looked more like a grimace. He tried to lift his hand, but it fell limp against the ash.

"Always... about the debt with you."