Page 16

I chanced a glance to where Kayden stood over Zane and realised two other Potentials had jumped him, likely thinking five against four put them at better odds. I figured they’d regret that bet right about now.

Suddenly, the instigator of this whole mess was on top of me, having used my momentary distraction to his advantage.

The guy was bigger than me and took his shot at my exposed torso.

I snarled, falling to my side as pain reverberated through my ribs.

He’d pinned my arms and growled in my face.

Droplets of spit sprayed over my skin as I struggled beneath his weight.

Absolutely fucking not.

I forced my bionic arm free and punched at the fucker’s head, but all I hit was air as the guy toppled off me to reveal Noah standing behind him. His gaze narrowed on the guy's still body.

“What the fuck was that?” I asked with a grin on my face, despite my heavy breathing. Noah hadn’t thrown a punch. He’d just touched the guy and the idiot had collapsed.

Noah looked at me and shrugged. “Something I saw online. Pushing on a pressure point. Thought I’d test it out.”

“You’re full of surprises.” I chuckled, rolling over and leaning over the asshole who’d started it all. I slipped a blade from the tip of my bionic finger and meticulously sliced into the guy’s forehead.

“Fuckwit?” Noah asked as he studied my work. He reached out a hand to pull me to my feet, but I slapped it away, knowing full well he couldn’t support my weight on that leg of his.

“Just a little reminder,” I replied, grinning down at my work as I rose.

Kayden had one of the two guys he’d been fighting backed into a corner. The other lay face-down not far from where Noah was now kneeling beside Zane. It didn’t take long for the guy in the corner to surrender and, after a warning punch to the gut from Kayden, was left alone to wallow in self-pity.

Feeling bruised, I slid down the shelf until I was in the same position I had been before Fuckwit had come begging for a smackdown.

My eyes snagged on one of the smart Potentials who’d stayed out of the fight.

She sat farthest away from everyone in another corner, her hazel eyes curious as she watched each one of us intently.

Interesting.

The others were preoccupied with battling their exhaustion to have put up any kind of fight.

One guy’s eyelids fell closed, seeming to take a moment to catch some sleep.

I was ready to follow suit, not sure when we’d get the chance again.

This room was bound to throw something at us soon enough, and we were probably better off looking for the next exit, but I was wrecked and needed to get some shut-eye.

But of course, nothing was ever easy. I frowned down at my ass as something cold seeped into my clothes.

What the fuck?

Water seeped up from the tiled floor, the depth rising so quickly that it was past a finger-knuckle already.

“Oh shit!” the Potential in the corner shouted, jumping to her feet and climbing up the nearest shelf, her hazel eyes wide.

I hadn’t felt thirsty up until that moment. Seeing the water was like something ignited in me a desperate need to drink.

It had to be a trap but fuck it. If they were gonna drown us, I’d at least drink my fill first. I was thirsty, and Zane needed the water despite Noah using the last of his healing magic to bring the merman back to reality.

I slouched down, feeling fucking high as a kite with the cool water on my skin.

The water and Noah’s help had now awoken Zane, who was rolling around like a pig in mud, a look of pure ecstasy on his face.

“It could be poison!” the woman warned from where she’d perched on a shelf, knocking a pair of dusty high heels to the floor. Her warning fell on deaf ears as others were shoving their faces into it, drinking to their content.

“Got any magic left? Cos I’m gonna need you to use it if this is poison,” I said to Noah as he sat back down beside me. I scooped up a handful and drank. Probably not my smartest idea, but fuck I was thirsty.

He watched me carefully as I tried not to moan at how good it felt running down my throat. Sweet, wet, goodness.

Fuck. My thoughts were starting to sound like the merman.

“How do you feel?” Noah asked.

“Fine.” I shrugged, the movement sloppy, but that didn’t mean anything. I was tired.

Noah scrunched his brow and said something, but he made no sound. Why the fuck was he mouthing shit to me? Was something wrong? Was he trying not to be overheard?

I glanced around, the movement sluggish as I looked for whatever or whomever he was worried about, only to have him grab my face and force me to look at him. His palms were pressed to my cheeks, holding me still as he continued to speak without sound.

“What?”

Why was he touching me? I tried to raise my arm to slap his hand, and his audacity, away, but I couldn’t lift it.

“Ace?” Noah said, his words finally finding the volume button. He gripped my face harder, panic in his eyes.

What the fuck was going on? I could feel my heart picking up speed like a racehorse on cup day with a determined jockey to get the prize. My vision blurred and the last thing I heard was Noah calling my name.