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Thank God the elevator doors were opening Because the cold re to cal out in front of hian to stride her way to the end of the corridor

“Hollyberry, where are you going?”

She threw hi look over her shoulder “Daisy’s in the isolation ward at the end” The Tower had built that ward after the Falling

“How do you know?” Venoled his head to the side in a way that wasn’t human

Holly parted her lips to replyand had no answer “Where else would they put her?” she said through a suddenly parched throat, her heart pounding

“But you’re not guessing, are you? You know”

“I can feel her,” Holly ad it was pointless to try to hide her reaction if she wanted to get to the bottom of the connection between her and the emaciated vampire

“Smell? Sound? How?”

Shaking her head, Holly lifted a hand to a point between her heart and her sto it, she bu to me”

“I go first” Veno with her, you’re the more vulnerable”

Holly didn’t even think about what she was doing—it wasn’t a conscious decision at all It was driven by the thing inside her She pivoted on her foot and she ran She had to get to Daisy first Had to—

A strong ar her off her feet Then Venom threw her harder than Ashwini or Janvier or Dh that she flew back down the corridorand connected with a wall in a liquid slide None of her bones broke, nothing bruised, her body ending up in a crouch on the carpet in a way that had her blinking as she snapped back into control

“What just happened?” she whispered half to herself, half to theher from the other end of the corridor

His fangs flashed “Don’t try that again or I’ll really throw you”

Holly rose to her feet, and it felt as if she washer bones back into place “This is seriously weird Why aerly toward Veno

“You trusted your instincts” Turning his back to her, Venoan to stride toward the isolation chamber

Deep as Holly’s confusion was about what had just occurred—both her ht in Daisy’s direction and her subsequent liquid fall—she ran to catch up But this time, she stopped a footstep to Venoain when she didn’t kno she’d saved herself the first time

Not sure the thing inside her would behave, however, she took Venom’s hand

He didn’t question why she was reaching out to hiers fir, his hand held a power that told her she wouldn’t be breaking free; for once, Holly was glad of a leash Losing herotherness inside her wasn’t exactly high on her to-do list “How did you know I’d make it?”

A shrug “I didn’t But you wouldn’t have died”

Holly punched hiry—because Venom, of all people, was the only individual who never treated her as broken He expected her to take care of herself

Showing no reaction to her hit, his body undoubtedly sleekly muscled, Venom squeezed her hand And because he’d thrown her down the hallway, expecting her to survive it—because he believed she had the capability to do so—she didn’t fight the connection The palm-to-pal through his veins and speaking to a craving inside her