Chapter 27 · Blood Oath

"On your knees, Zero. Hands behind your head. Or I put a hole through your pet scientist."

The barrel was already against Kael's temple before the airlock finished hissing.

Jax. Victor's dog. Grinning like this was fun for him. Two more Syndicate hounds behind him, rifles up, red dots dancing all over my chest.

Kael didn't move. He was breathing hard, one hand half-raised like he could block a bullet.

"Don't," he said to me. Not to Jax. To me. "Zero, don't do it."

My hands were shaking. Not from fear.

From the switch flipping.

You know that feeling when your pain circuits spike and everything goes white-hot and then dead silent? That's monster mode kicking in. My vision narrowed. My pulse dropped. The blood in my mouth tasted like copper and ozone.

"Aw, look at that," Jax laughed. "She's glitching. Victor said you might. Said you get ugly when you're scared."

"Let him go," I said.

My voice didn't sound like mine. Too flat. Too calm.

"No can do, sweetheart. Orders are orders. Victor wants you back in one piece. Him?" He pressed the gun harder into Kael's skin. Kael winced. "Him we can scrap.