Page 159 of Bonds of Starfall

Her vision went black, mouth dry. She groaned and stared up, willing her body to move, but it wouldn’t. The guard’s face came into view. His eyes were dark with anger, and he held the taser in his hand, pointed at her.

"Let’s try this again. Who are you?"

Rin spat by his feet. "Fuck… you," she wheezed.

The electricity consumed her until she saw nothing but darkness.

Head pounding,limbs weak, Rin blearily opened her eyes. Her neck ached from its awkward positioning. Her chin brushed her chest, and she felt the warm chain of Kit’s dog tag where it was tangled around her neck—it was barely a comfort here. A groan fell from her dry lips. She coughed weakly.

It all came rushing back to her.

Rin was a fool. What had she been thinking?

She lifted her pounding head, feeling like cinder blocks were tethered to the base of her skull.

She was in a dark room. A tinted window before her. Her forearms were strapped to the armrests at her sides, cuffs around her ankles keeping her legs immobilized. A brightwhite light burned down over her head, and she squinted, eyes watering.

"Hello!" Rin called, voice breaking as she struggled. She stared right at the mirror before her, and her skin crawled as she imagined someone staring right back at her. "Don’t hide like a coward. Come out and speak to me." She tried to force strength into her voice, but it trembled nevertheless.

A door at her side hissed open, and she struggled to make out much through the light shining down over her, obscuring her vision.

Boots clicked over the dark tile floor, and a scent wrapped around her, teasing her. She breathed it in, wondering where she’d smelled it before.

Through the blinding white light, a form came into view.

A dark bodysuit, gleaming in the light as if it were a second skin. It reached the very tips of his fingers, covering him up to his neck. His shoulders were broad, blocking out the sight of the mirror behind him. Her narrowed eyes trailed up, temples throbbing from the ache of the light and lingering electricity from the taser. Bile burned the back of her throat.

What?

No.

No, no, no.

This was a dream. It had to be.

Rin was still unconscious, writhing from the stun of the taser. They’d injected her with something. She was asleep in bed with Rhyden, having a terrible, godawful nightmare.

Her mind grasped for scenarios, unable to focus on the truth before her.

"Hello, Vesperin," the man said.

And Rin broke. "Kit?"

Rin’schest heaved as Kit stepped closer.

"Kit," she gasped. "You’re—you’re here. You’re alive!"

He stared and stared—but never met her eyes—his soft brown gaze harder than she’d ever recalled. His once familiar expression, always filled with affection… Rin saw none of that now. No kindness, nolife. It was like staring at a ghost.

Kit looked at her like he wanted to kill her.

She strained against her bindings, feeling the unforgiving cuffs cut into her arms and legs.

"Kit? Kit, please—talk to me," Rin begged. "Lookat me!" Because Kit did not truly meet her eyes.

Those cold eyes fell to her face. Finally, Rin had his full attention—she realized she didn’t want it.

Dangerous. He was dangerous. Deadly violence simmered, honed strength in every movement. It was in the way he held himself. Each movement was etched with precision. Like he was constantly being tested.