Chapter 19 · Is that a promise or a threat?

"Is that a promise or a threat?" she shot back, though she leaned into him, her breath hitching as he stepped out of the shadows.

"Both," he replied.

They bolted down the narrow alley, Kane leading the way with a speed that should have been impossible. He wasn't just running; he was gliding, his movements fluid and lethal. Every time a Hound tried to intercept them, Kane didn't even slow down. He would simply reach out, grab a limb, and *rip*.

Another surge of power. Another flash of violet light.

By the time they reached the lower sectors, Kane was shaking. The stolen energy was fighting with his own, a chaotic storm of foreign signatures clashing in his blood. He slammed his back against a damp wall, gasping for air, his chest heaving.

Lyra was right there, her hand pressing against his chest, trying to steady him. "You're overloading. You can't just keep taking it like this. Your body isn't designed to be a battery, Kane!"

"I don't... have a choice," he wheezed. He looked at his hand. The cut from the blade had vanished. The skin was smooth, flawless, as if it had never been touched.