Chapter 29 · Neon Sovereigns

"Get up, Rex. Get up, damn you!" Vesper slammed her palm against my chest. "You don't get to die after making me crash a tower."

Her glove hit again.

Nothing answered.

Not my lungs. Not my hands. Not the core burning behind my ribs. The last thing I remembered was the fire lever dropping under both our hands, the pod screaming through the Board tower, and Vesper's body crashing into mine when the whole sky turned white.

Then my heart monitor gave one flat beep.

Vesper stared at the dead display strapped to my wrist. Her face had a cut across one cheek. Blood ran down her jaw and disappeared beneath the collar of her armored suit.

"No." She grabbed my jacket and shook me. "No, you don't get to pull this now."

Another flat beep dragged through the ruined roof.

She checked my neck. Her fingers pressed hard against my skin, searching for a pulse that wasn't there.

"Rex!"

Her voice cracked on my name.

I wanted to tell her to stop yelling. I wanted to tell her she sounded terrible when she panicked.