Page 3 of Drop His Mask

He did anything he could to steer his movements, but he was completely powerless.

His heart beat aggressively against his chest as the knife sliced through her skin. Her thick blood dripped onto his hand before creeping down his arm. He couldn't feel it, but the sight alone caused revulsion to slosh inside his gut. He didn’t have time to further process his turmoil before she was tugged upwards again. Her foot dripped crimson as she went.

Fuck. No. He wouldn’t kill her. He wouldn’t survive it.

He willed his body to move. Levi imagined shaking the bars of a cage, he pushed the thoughts to his arms. He focused on them specifically.

This time he was almost certain the prickles he felt on his limbs as he was transported to the very top were real.

Was the sedative wearing off?

He didn’t have time to think about it too much, he was now right across from Raven.

Raven was propelled forward, and she even managed to cut a few of his strings.

Levi, for a split second, felt his heart swell, thinking she might actually succeed, but then he saw her dilemma.

She was too short, there wasn’t enough space for her to move.

For her to win this.

It wouldn’t be enough.

He knew it with certainty, and he could tell she did too. Her face was paralyzed, but her eyes would haunt him until his last breath. He tried to relay to her his feelings with his own eyes. How much he had fallen for her in such a short time. How much she meant to him. How he would not survive killing her.

Levi couldn’t watch what he was being forced to do. He was a coward and shut his eyes firmly as he felt himself being swung, his arm pushing forward in an arching motion.

Wait.

He felt it. Fully.

This wasn’t a placebo or a phantom sensation. It was real.

His eyes shot open.

Her strings were cut, she was almost out of reach.

“Give him slack, now!” Maverick’s voice above was followed by Levi falling quickly.

Levi couldn’t drop the knife, but his arms were finally cooperating.

He held his breath as he free fell towards the darkness below. He focused on his goal. She was falling with him.

He stretched forward, grabbing hold of Raven and pulling her into his arms.

“Stop!” Maverick boomed over the otherwise silent room.

Levi's entire body shook as adrenaline simmered to the surface and elation swept through him.

Raven was secure in his arms. His eyes found hers.

They were going to be okay.

For now.

Chapter 2

Broken Promises

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