Buried in the wreckage of a Compound meant to imprison her, Faine awakens a shell of her former self. With no memories and a growing taste for revenge, she is given the ultimate decision.
She must save the city, or herself.
Round One 》✅️ 2k 》✅️
R...
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Skirting each other in a delicate dance, Faine and Trace never broke their stares as they made a circle.
Each movement was slow and calculated.
Using everything in her arsenal, Faine took inventory of the man in front of her. From the way his left leg dragged slightly as he edged around her to the paling white skin, she had to wonder if he'd been malnourished before reaching the mountain.
Or if he'd already sustained some type of injury along the way.
She could feel the weight of his pinned stare sweeping over her as well, but from everything Faine had read, she knew he was only human. Perhaps enhanced by strange experiments, she wouldn't know. But the paper she found in the compound was convincing enough.
"Did you ever wonder why I hunted you in particular?" he mused. "I know I would've."
Faine scoffed. "I'm sure you would, but no. I'm certain my gifts alone were enough to lure you in."
Trace raised a brow at her, shrugging. "Suit yourself," he said, ignoring her. "You, my dear, are what we like to call a tortured soul. You balance yourself on the line between right and wrong, never committing, never choosing a side."
Snorting, Faine rolled her eyes. His words sounded like utter nonsense.
"My hypothesis was simple really. I assumed you'd be an easy break and an even easier ally," he droned on, waving his free hand to the side. "Clearly, I was wrong."
"I'm also fairly certain you just like to hear yourself talk," Faine snapped back, eyes fixed on the syringe. All she had to do was shatter the glass casing and he would be fair game. "Care to tell me about something more interesting?"
"Oh? Like what?"
"Like what you did to my partner or how long you've been working with Naisene."
Trace laughed, careful not to miss a step when Faine threw in a fake lunge.
"Stupid girl, I created Naisene over a decade ago, using them as my private task force to gain control of the city so I might one day overthrow the High Court," he explained, exasperation seeping into his voice. "Surely that's not hard for even a dimwit like you to understand."
The growl rumbling in her throat was nothing short of predatory. Faine's very body convulsed with the urge to destroy him where he stood.
She only needed to know one more thing.
Just one more and then she could have every ounce of closure owed to her.
"And my partner?" she ground out, careful not to sound too eager. "What did you do to Leighton Karras?"
He sighed, almost sounding bored. "Vengeance doesn't suit you, dearie."
Faine snarled, lunging again. She closed the gap between them by a good three feet. The controlled comfort on Trace's face began to wash away.
