Chapter 16 · Prey in the Neon Rain

"Move your ass or get a bullet in the spine!" Nyx’s voice didn't just ring in my head; it screamed, vibrating through my skull like a tuning fork.

I didn't have time to argue. I dove behind a rusted trash compactor just as a burst of plasma fire shredded the air where my head had been a second ago. The heat scorched the back of my neck. I hit the wet pavement hard, the smell of ozone and burnt garbage filling my lungs.

"I can't... I can't keep this pace," I wheezed, my chest heaving. Every muscle felt like it had been replaced with hot lead. That high from the sync was gone, replaced by a crushing debt of exhaustion.

"Stop whining, Kael. You’re a hunter, remember? Or were you just playing dress-up for the corps?" Her tone was mocking, but there was a sharp edge of urgency. "Left. Now. Three meters, then slide behind the pillar."

I lunged left. My boots skidded on the oil-slicked concrete. I slammed into a concrete pillar, my shoulder popping with a dull thud. I didn't even flinch.