Page 56 of Obsession

Chapter

Thirty-Eight

Kann

Igripped Britta's hand more tightly, as we sprinted through the corridors. Torches flickered in their iron brackets, casting dancing shadows that made every corner feel ominous. The shouts behind us grew louder, bouncing off the vaulted ceilings and multiplying until it felt like we were being chased by an army.

Volten ran ahead of us, and my chest tightened with conflicting emotions. The appearance of my best friend gave me hope that warred against the fear that he had risked his life for ours. If anything happened to him because he had come after us…

We will escape, I told myself fiercely. We had to.

We rounded a corner, and I did not loosen my grip on Britta's hand. I should have let go before Volten noticed, although I was sure my friend sensed something between us. Still, I should not have craved her touch as much as I did.

Britta should have been another conquest, a diversion to pass the time while we were trapped in the program, a one-time thing. That's how it always was with females. But it was not with her. Every touch, every glance pulled me in deeper, and the idea of losing that, of losing her, made my heart twist.

The narrow staircase spiraled up ahead of us, and we took the steps two at a time, my legs burning. What agrekkingawful time to realize I was in love with her—running for our lives, my best friend in danger, our survival balanced on the edge of a blade.

We burst from the stairs and ran onto one of the high bridges that connected the towers. The wind blew between openings in the bridge, whipping Britta's hair and swirling it around her face. Far below, the courtyard was a pool of darkness and even farther away, waves we couldn’t see crashed onto the cliffs. The setting sun painted the clouds in violent oranges and deep purples, shockingly beautiful, even if it wasn’t real.

"This way!" Volten led us through a door and suddenly we were outside, the salty air sharp in my lungs. Our boots crunched on the gravel of the courtyard, and the cool air held the faint tang of salt from the sea.

It was the taste of fear that was metallic on my tongue as we dashed across the open space and around the corner of the building. The sounds of our pursuers had not vanished, but at least they had not caught us, yet.

"The exit point is ahead," Volten said, between gasps of breath. "Once we reach the coordinates Zav gave me—”

The hiss of a Drexian blade cutting through the air made me flinch and Volten stop talking. I instinctively ducked, as the dagger missed us and plunged into the ground. They were throwing blades at us!

“Grek!” Volten cried, which was my thought exactly. Did the Drexians chasing us know we were not cadets, or was this how they chased their own students?

I ran a few more strides and then white-hot pain exploded in my leg, and I was falling, the rocky ground rushing up to meet me. My hand was torn from Britta’s, as I thrust my arms out before I hit the ground.

I tried to scramble to my feet, but the pain in my leg was blinding. When I looked down, a Drexian blade was buried deep in my thigh, dark blood already soaking through my uniform pants. The coppery scent of it filled my nose, making my stomach turn.

"Kann!" Britta was by my side instantly, trying to pull me up, but every move of my leg was excruciating.

More shouts. The Drexians were closing in on us.

"Take her and run," I growled at Volten, who had stopped and now glanced rapidly between me and the pursuers.

"No!" Britta's fingers dug into my arm. "We're not leaving you!"

I placed a hand over hers, forcing her to meet my eyes. "If we all get caught, it's over. This way, we all have a chance. This way, you can come back for me.” I looked at Volten, willing him to understand. "You have to save her.”

Volten's face twisted, and his lips were a tight line, but I saw the moment he accepted what I wanted from him. He nodded and grabbed Britta's arm. "I will come back for you, brother. I swear it."

"I know." I managed a grin, though it felt more like a grimace. "Now go!"

Britta screamed as Volten dragged her away, the sound tearing at something deep in my chest. But I forced myself to watch them go, telling myself that they were running to safety.

I’d done the right thing. I had to believe that.

The hilt of the blade in my leg glinted as blood oozed around it, thick and dark, each pulse of pain proof that whateversafety protocols that should have existed in this simulation were nonexistent.

Heavy footsteps approached from behind. I turned my head as a Drexian warrior loomed over me, his scarred face twisted in a sadistic grin that made me wish I had not insisted on such realistic characters.

"Nowhere left to run,” he growled.

I met his gaze steadily, though pain stabbed at me with every beat of my racing heart. I had known it would be bad to be caught, but as more shadows fell over me and blocked out the fading light, I wondered how much worse it would get before I got out.

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