Chapter 22 · Kade's Borrowed Hands

Kade's chest hurt.

Not the way it used to when the kill code fired. This was different. Slower. Like someone had reached inside and turned a dial he didn't know he had.

He opened his eyes. Mara was standing three feet away, her hand still hovering in the air like she'd just pulled it back. Her knuckles were white. Behind her, the woman in the tank—Lia, Mara's sister—was slumped against the glass, eyes half-open. Not awake. Not asleep either.

"Kade." Mara's voice came out tight. "Can you hear me?"

He tried to nod. His neck didn't move. His hands did, though. They twitched, fingers curling inward like they were reaching for something. He looked down and saw the tendons standing out under his skin, sharp enough to cut.

"Yeah," he said. His voice scraped. "I hear you."

"Good." She took half a step closer. Stopped. "Because we need to move. Right now."

Kade pushed himself upright. The floor tilted under him, or maybe that was just his balance going sideways. He put a hand on the wall to steady himself and the metal dented under his palm. He pulled back fast.

Mara watched him. She didn't look scared.