lla

owing wilder, a conflagrati

with my human cells, a batt

ming in shallow, ragged bursts. "

eighty percent. Be advised, physical deterio

r click

one. The pretense

he foot of my bed, her gaze drippin

her voice a low laugh. "A pathetic cre

ver once set his teeth to my throat. He had

ngs. Now I understood. He could not bear the thought

d, my voice ba

out you in the corridor. He said your jealousy is an exhausting bur

Whatever affection I held for the male lead had

om her purse. She was a gifted technician who d

le into the wall

h he truly values y

e miniature keyboard. The progress bar on her screen crept upwards with excruciatin

onitor beside m

n displayed a heart rate escalating to a lethal v

undered down

eyes burning with the golden light of his I

ice and threw herself to the flo

ns me!" she cried, a perfect

stant, pulling her into his arm

ed, one of them pressing

ned. "Her pulse is steady. T

System purged Selene's malware and began feeding the monitor a stream of falsified, p

creen to me. His golden eyes dark

onitor," he said, his

sbelief. "I have not

d. "You knew she was traumatized by the Rogues

bed and tore the b

e to her.

ring spasm through my torso. My lungs, now

he side of the

-red blood splattered on

d on the dark stain. But hi

y, Stella? Is there no end to y

f my hand and looked up at the m

d, my voice raspy but clear. "Y

's power cord from the wall. The room

cing the window. "Get out. Y

ural sound of pure menace.

rms and carried her from the

m reported. "Coun

en in my bedside drawer. Selene thought her digital fortress was imp