Page 126 of Supernova

“Ace was going to kill us all!” He shot a look at Nova, half expecting her to offer an opinion, maybe even an argument in his defense, but she stayed silent. Her back was to them, standing just inside the chapel’s arched doorway, staring out into a corridor lined with statues.

Queen Bee blew a raspberry with her ultra-glossy lips. “He was not going to killus all,” she said. “Just you. And everyone you care about.” She winked, as if this were all a joke. A hornet was crawling up her earlobe, but she didn’t seem to notice. “Now then, Nightmare, dear, which one do you think we should start with?”

Nova moved almost imperceptibly toward her. “Which what?”

“The tattoos. We can’t let him keep them, after the trouble they’ve caused.”

Nova shifted again, studying Honey more intently, though her gaze never strayed toward Adrian. “What are you talking about?”

Honey sighed dramatically. “We have to cut them out.” She parted the thigh-high slit in her sequined dress and pulled a stiletto knife from her stocking.

Adrian tensed.

“You’re not serious,” said Nova.

Honey smirked. “What did you expect?” She tapped the tip of the knife against the immunity tattoo over Adrian’s heart. He gulped. “He’s immune to Agent N, so we can’t just inject him and be done with it. And we can’t risk him getting loose and ruining everything. So the tattoos have to go.” She planted a hand on her hip. “If you’re squeamish about it, you can busy yourself finding me some bandages.” She batted her lashes at Adrian. “We’re not savages, after all.”

He ignored her, focusing on Nova instead. He couldn’t tell whether or not Queen Bee was just trying to intimidate him, but regardless, he hoped his silent pleading might have an impact on Nova.

If only she wouldlookat him.

“I think… this one goes first,” said Honey, pressing the edge of the blade against his right forearm, where the energy beam cannon was drawn. “It’ll be my little revenge. Besides, we wouldn’t want you to get worked up and blow a hole in our roof. We just finished remodeling.”

She angled the knife, its point breaking the skin.

Adrian pressed his head back against the altar, his teeth clenched. In the doorway, Nova had crossed her arms tightly over her chest. Her focus was glued to the blade as it cut into his flesh.

Adrian inhaled sharply.

The pain burned, but he’d suffered worse.

Then Honey paused and pulled the knife out. “Unless you’d like to do it?” she said, holding the handle toward Nova. “His powers have brought you a lot more headache than they ever brought me.”

Setting her jaw, Nova turned away, back toward the corridor. From her stiff posture, Adrian could tell she was uncomfortable with this, but she didn’t move to defend him.

“Suit yourself,” Honey said.

The knife dug into his arm again. He screwed up his face, refusing to so much as grunt as she sliced away the top layers of skin.

Once she had finished carving out the tattoo, she used the tip of the blade to flick away the chunk of gouged skin. “That is repulsive,” she said with a snarky titter. She left the wound to bleed freely as she walked around to his other side. “Now, let’s see here, probably the flame next.” She pinched his skin where the spiral of flame was inked.

Adrian ignited a ball of fire around his clenched fist.

Honey gasped and drew back, shaking out her hand where the flames had singed her fingertips.

Then she laughed. “Oh, what a darling trick,” she said, stroking the back of a black hornet with the pad of her thumb. “One that deserves punishment.”

The hornet buzzed at Adrian, and it suddenly felt like a searing poker was being jammed into his neck, just below his ear. He screamed, struggling to get away, but the ropes didn’t budge.

“Honey!” Nova screeched. “Stop it!”

The hornet flew away, but the venom continued to burn and throb. Adrian squeezed his eyes tight as hot tears started to brim.

The upside was that he hardly noticed the next cut of the knife as Honey Harper carved out the flame tattoo.

As the burning venom spread down his torso and into his arms, Adrian dared to open his eyes. He sought out Nova again, desperate.

She had her back to him, though, doing nothing as Honey scraped the edge of the knife down his forearm.

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