Chapter 14 · Glitchy Alliance

"Move your ass or we both die in the next ten seconds!" Vera’s voice cracked like a whip, her hand clamped tight around my wrist, dragging me through the ruins of the Sector Zero plaza.

I stumbled, my boots skidding on a patch of iridescent oil. "A little warning would be nice!" I snapped, trying to yank my arm back. "And maybe stop treating me like a piece of luggage!"

She didn't stop. She didn't even look back. She just tightened her grip, her leather glove digging into my skin. "You're not a partner, Kael. You're a liability with a glitch. Now shut up and run."

Behind us, the screech of metal on concrete echoed through the alley. The Pursuers were closing in—those twitching, half-formed things Mord unleashed whenever a loop got too messy. They didn't breathe, they didn't tire, and they definitely didn't take prisoners.

"What's the plan?" I panted, my lungs burning. "Because 'running until we hit a wall' isn't really a plan."

Vera suddenly pivoted, slamming me back against a rusted shipping container. The impact knocked the wind out of me. Before I could gasp, she was in my space, her chest nearly touching mine.