“Oh yes, there are more Ks involved,” Leslie confided, and there was cruel pleasure on her face. “Your lover’s being turned into particles as we speak . . .”
Mia sucked in her breath, her lungs unable to get enough air. Her vision darkened for a second, and then rage unlike anything she had ever experienced swept through her, leaving no room for fear.
And suddenly, she knew exactly what she needed to do.
For a brief moment, her gaze drifted to a point just beyond Leslie’s shoulder, and she let an expression of wild joy light up her face.
Startled, Leslie turned to look behind her for a second, and Mia sprang at her, her hands closing around the gun even as the girl realized she’d been tricked.
The force of Mia’s jump brought them both tumbling down on the ground, with Mia landing on top, her desperation giving her strength she didn’t know she had. However, Leslie managed to maintain her grip on the weapon, her training and larger size giving her an immeasurable advantage, and they rolled, each trying to gain possession of the gun.
The heavier girl ended up on top, her weight pressing Mia into the ground. Her knee hit Mia in the stomach, and she gasped, air temporarily knocked out of her. At the same time, Leslie wrenched at the gun with both hands, nearly tearing Mia’s arm out of her socket. The pain barely registered, dulled by the adrenaline coursing through her veins and the murderous fury filling her mind.
For the first time in her life, Mia knew what it felt like to truly want to kill someone, to tear them to shreds and watch them bleed. A reddish haze taking over her vision, she fought with no regard for her own safety or anything resembling fairness. Her face ended up near Leslie’s shoulder, and she bit, her teeth sinking savagely into the fleshy part of her upper arm. The fighter screamed, and Mia delighted in her pain, in the metallic taste of blood filling her mouth. Her knee came up hard, smashing into Leslie’s pubic bone with all the force that Mia could muster, and the girl gasped, her grip on the weapon loosening slightly.
That was all the opportunity Mia needed.
Instead of pulling at the gun, she pushed down, twisting at the same time. Leslie’s index finger caugh
t in the trigger guard, twisted with it, and the girl screamed as the digit snapped, bending unnaturally backwards.
Taking advantage of her distraction, Mia yanked at the weapon, wrenching it away from Leslie’s hand.
And then, hardly cognizant of her own actions, she brought it down with savage force on top of Leslie’s skull.
The girl’s body went slack, blood seeping out from where the hard metal object made contact with her head. Gasping and shuddering, Mia pushed her away, her mind filled with only one thought: getting to Korum before it was too late.
Jumping up, she grabbed the gun and ran, ignoring the unconscious girl left lying on the ground.
Mia ran faster than she’d ever run in her life, her lungs burning and the rough wooden bridge floor cutting into her bare feet. The gun felt heavy in her hand, unfamiliar.
On the other end of the bridge, she could see a male Krinar standing with his back turned toward her, his right arm outstretched and pointed at Korum – who stood utterly still, his gaze glued to the object in the other K’s hand.
Leslie hadn’t lied. In another minute, it might be too late. Slowing slightly, Mia lifted her hand, aimed at the broad back of the K ahead of her, and squeezed the trigger.
Nothing happened except a soft snick. Not loaded, the damn thing was not loaded.
Throwing the weapon aside, she ran faster again. Dark spots danced in front of her eyes, interfering with her vision as her brain fought to get sufficient oxygen. Everything around her blurred, greyed out, as she sprinted toward the scene with every ounce of strength still left in her body. All she could see, all she could focus on, was the deadly scene ahead.
And then she was there, seeing the K looming in front of her, his large body shaking and sweat glistening on the back of his neck. Through the roaring of her heartbeat in her ears, Mia vaguely heard the soothing tone of Korum’s voice as he tried to convince the K to put the weapon away, to just listen – and glimpsed the horror on her lover’s face as he saw her running and realized her intention.
With no further thought, Mia leapt on top of the K, heedless of the futility of her attack, her fingers grabbing his hair and viciously yanking on it. Startled and screaming in sudden pain, the K flung her away from him with one powerful blow, sending her flying into the dunes nearly twelve feet away.
Her left side slamming heavily into the ground, Mia lay there for a moment, stunned, the wind completely knocked out of her. And then her lungs expanded and she drew in a gasping breath, sucking in some much needed air. Dizzy and disoriented, she tried to get up, rolling over onto her stomach and then attempting to rise up onto all fours.
As she moved, an agonizing pain shot up her left arm.
Whimpering, she glanced at her side, and her head spun at the sight of white bone sticking out through a bloody tear in her skin. Sudden hot nausea boiled up in her throat, and she retched uncontrollably, the contents of her stomach emptying onto the dry grass of the dune.
Falling onto her right side, she tried to crawl away, her limbs weak and shaking, when strong arms lifted her, cradling her against a familiar chest.
His entire body trembling, Korum knelt in the sand, holding her in his arms and rocking back and forth. His breathing was harsh and ragged, and Mia could hear his heart beating like a drum in his chest.
“Mia . . . Oh my sweet, I thought I lost you . . .” The terror in his voice was a mirror image of the fear she’d felt at the sight of him in danger. He seemed incapable of saying anything else, just holding her pressed against him as he fought to regain control of himself. Even in his panic, he seemed mindful of her injured arm, taking care not to cause her any more pain.
“Th-the K . . .” she managed to croak out. “D-did he . . . ?”
“Don’t worry about it,” Korum said rawly. “He’s no longer a threat. You’re alive and that’s all that matters.”