Chapter 35 · Her Name Opens the Gate

"Get away from him!" Evelyn drove her shoulder into the Crown soldier before his blade reached Kade's throat.

The impact knocked the soldier sideways, but not far enough. His armored hand closed around Evelyn's jacket and slammed her into the subway pillar. The metal dug between her shoulder blades.

"You picked the wrong man to save," he said.

"You picked the wrong woman to grab." Evelyn hooked her boot behind his knee and yanked.

His balance broke. She twisted free, snatched the shock baton from his belt, and cracked it against the side of his helmet. Blue current snapped across the armor. The soldier dropped with a hard clank.

Kade was already on one knee.

One hand pressed against his ribs. The other gripped the black handle of the weapon buried in the platform beside him. Blood ran between his fingers, bright against the gray dust.

"Evelyn." His voice came rough. "Move. Now."

"You always this charming when somebody saves your life?"

"I wasn't asking."

"Yeah, I noticed."

A pulse rolled through the station. The dead lights overhead flashed once, then twice. Far down the tunnel, something scraped against the rails.

Evelyn's grip tightened around the baton.