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I revelled in the power ofthem deeper and deeper into her flesh The pain in ht di me to focus entirely on the mission at hand

"Fox! Stop it!" Her voice wobbled and wavered before I squeezed harder, cutting off her air supply Shebeneathattraction The coppery stench of blood filledaround, hitting anything in reach Her body convulsed as the terror of dying hit her central nervous systeers locked aroundreturned to er knehere I was All I kneas I had to kill her before uessed my secrets He’d find more victims for me to maim

She was a liability She was detrimental to my mission

"You alere reliable, Fox"

My heart raced in pride My coach, my trainer--my father for all intents and purposes--smiled, but didn’t patwasn’t allowed "I think you’re ready"

My heart thudded for a different reason I wasn’t ready Never ready

Standing as tall as my fifteen-year-old frame would let me, I said, "Yes, sir Of course, sir"

His eyes shone, knohat I’d finally agreed to do

I wished I could kill reed to killthe transforscissored outward, kicking as high as she could go Her hand flew to her tangled hair

I squeezed harder

She grunted with the last few dregs of oxygen in her lungs; her fingers erupted fro

The thick pulse of blood in her veins chugged harder, inching closer to cardiac arrest My eyes s I didn’t have to be such a coward I just wanted to be free I didn’t want to kill this woman I liked her I cared for her I wanted to keep her

But just like everything I wanted to keep, I wasn’t allowed They all had to die Every single one

I bellowed as soed intoslice joined the syed the serrated weapon into h pain--nothing would stop our objective, but the flash of torture brought clarity

What the fuck a?

I scrambled off Zel and scuttled back Far, far away Away fro distance

The white fog fro me to focus on the present and not the past

I’ to thes My head fell forward as I let my hands drop to my sides I didn’t have to kill her She was safe The conditioning ebbed away, popping into nothingness in ashes inquickly beneath the wounds All I cared about was ending my miserable life

I didn’t deserve to live Not after the atrocities I’d conore a lifeti I was ruined, and there was no way I could change

Zel had guessed everything right about me, but she’d also shown just what a lost cause I was There was only one way to end , wild-eyed woman slouched in front of ht position, one hand rubbing her tender throat Her lips were bluish-white fro her eyes "Don’t touch me, you asshole!"

My eyes dropped to her bloody outstretched hand, s me She brandished her skinny blade in my direction "That’s twice you’ve tried to kill me I’ll murder you if you try for a third" Her voice wasn’t soft and ulation

"Do it, operative"

"Finish it"

My hands clenched as the co to clear the conditioning The need to kill throbbed just out of reach,me wish I could peel off my skin and find the switch to deactivate it

I needed serious fucking help She’d never forgive atory

Zel cli the knife "Who the hell are you?"

I dropped s The red seemed to twist and helix into shapes I becaer stain on the carpet, turning black to deep red Who am I? I don’t know I’ll never knoho I was before they broke h with an unforgiving finger I winced, hissing through th, but it was deep

I’d been stabbed, beaten, and tortured more times than I could remember, but Zel was the first female--the only woman--to ever inflict harht Every injury had been given by a hters or retribution froed to deep respect Sootten needs I wanted companionship, friendship--soet out of control

It was as if the sun entered every recess ofaway the darkness and despicable past leaving me to see clearly for the first tih, stupid enough to put up with me I could suddenly breathe easier, and the hatred forwith hope

I drank her in: her fire, her teth She was fierce and quick and s her No one had been able to stop , but what could I say? How could I put into words the epiphany Zel gave ? She’d knockedshe’d screaive me, but I’d fallenher go

Panic raced in my veins with a coain