irst thing Valeria f

ad felt like it had been split open with an axe. Her ribs screamed wh

oo

rom the engine in thick white clouds. The smell of gasoline filled

as blurry. The rain still hammered on the roof, now below

t as a croak, barely audib

oring the sharp agony shooting through her neck. Her spine felt wrong, damaged. T

intact. Built to withstand

lood ran from a cut on her forehead, bright red against her

od. Tha

were trapped under twisted metal and plastic. The dashboard had collapsed, pinn

in her mouth, metallic and warm. Her jaw felt wrong, loose. Wh

had opened doors and bought her power. It was destroyed now. She coul

od. Maybe that wo

the rain. Heavy boots on we

as still there, somehow undamaged. The device that had caused all of

He crouched down, his face level with hers. He was yo

hem? Had they f

ord scraping her throat raw.

e, taking in the damage. She watched him carefully, looking for re

dn't

face completely. The bones were broken, the feature

at would keep

alm, professional. Like he'd done this b

her. Used to mean hired guns and corrupt cops. Now

im working, pulling at the twisted metal. Glass breaking.

radling her carefully in his arms. The little gi

st like Marcus's. The eyes that could unlock the weapon.

ered, her voice w

told her, his voice ge

r cheeks. Her daughter was alive. That was all

h word an effort. "Please

ed as he held Elara closer. "Who's looki

g. Blood loss, probably. Internal injuries. She was dying, and she knew it.

another question, but then his eyes widened. He

d. Then another. The smell of

nderstanding. "We need to get

r was going to blow. The gasoline had found something hot, so

without hesitation.

hough she could feel her broken jaw grindin

ar ex

the dark sky. The heat hit her all at once, burning away eve

ing wen

n b