Revenant's Kiss | ONC 2022 Shortlister ✓

F O U R T E E N

Anger burned in my chest as I sat tied to a chair having to watch Soren get tortured by two soldiers sporting electric prods. Each zap to Soren's body only intensified the murderous intentions rising within me, and I clenched my teeth. Once I got out of this fucking chair they wouldn't touch Soren ever again.

With every jab of the prods, Soren became increasingly more primal. He snapped at the soldiers through the cage he was held in, clawing at them like a wild beast. It broke my heart to see him so far removed from the Soren I knew. Instead of gentle and sweet, he was a raging monster craving their blood.

I couldn't blame him though, because I wanted it too. Every damn Eagle in this safehouse deserved to die, and if I was wrong then oh fucking well.

The door opened and I pulled my gaze from the window quickly as Hayden stepped through the door like some king. Oh, how I wanted to make him pay! If he hadn't gotten Ward involved, Soren wouldn't be going through such hell and I wouldn't be here tied up like some useless hag.

"Cheer up, princess. Morning will come soon enough, and you and your monster boy can enjoy all Ward has to offer at the QZ," he spoke up, his words dripping with sarcasm.

I fucking hated it. Hated him. Hated this whole damn place and what they were doing to Soren. Most of all, I hated myself for indirectly opening the door for all of this to happen.

He leaned forward, grinning down at me. "What's the matter, cat got your tongue?"

"Fuck you!" I spat in his face, watching with satisfaction as his grin screwed up into a scowl.

He took a step back and wiped at the saliva on his face. His eyes darkened as he began a slow walk around the chair I was bound to, his shoes clunking softly with each step. "Why don't you make this easy on yourself and let the guy go? You're a smart girl."

"Why don't you just leave me the fuck alone?" I countered, my voice strained with the emotions that raged within the confines of my ribcage like tongues of fire.

He chuckled and slid his fingertips along the nape of my neck, causing me to shudder in disgust. He didn't seem to care, instead slowly making his way back to face me. His cold hand pushed back the hair from my face before he squatted down in front of me as if I were a child. "C'mon. You're way too pretty to let Ward off you for disobeying a direct order once you're back in Boston."

I kept my silence, letting my glare speak for itself.

"I can't help you if you won't help yourself." He shifted his weight forward on the balls of his feet, tilting his head at me as his gaze swept over my face. "Listen to reason, Daytona."

Reason? All of this was what he called reason? Fuck it. There was no changing my mind. Not now, not ever, but it didn't mean I couldn't use this to my advantage.

"Hayden?" I let my tone soften, glancing up at him as if I were listening to his shitty way of talking me out of my choice.

He leaned forward just as I hoped, his face closer to my midsection than before. "What?"

"Go to hell," I bit out as I kicked my leg up, wrapping it around his neck and pulling it in with as much force as I could. The sudden addition of his weight toppled the chair backwards and its old wooden frame burst on impact, freeing my hands. I lost no time letting him go and rolling to the side, bringing my hands beneath my body and back to where they belonged. As Hayden coughed for air, I looped the rope around his neck and pulled back with as much force as I could muster.

Hayden choked and gargled, grabbing at the rope I tightened around his throat like a noose. His feet thrashed and his body quivered, his eyes rolling back, but I didn't let go until he lay completely and deathly still.

I slowly eased my hold, watching as Hayden's head rolled limply to the side. He was dead just as he should be, and I couldn't feel more appeased. A part of me wished this had been Ward, but there would be a time and place for that.

Oddly enough I found my flame of anger to have flickered out. I chalked it up to having taken Hayden out, and left it at that. There was no sense overthinking anything. I didn't kill for sport or pleasure, even if I enjoyed watching the life drain from Hayden.

I pushed my thoughts away and busied myself searching the body for anything useful. The karambit strapped to his thigh was quickly transferred to mine, and I wasted no time taking the sidearm and extra ammunition. It wasn't much, but it was enough for me to get Soren free and take down every last motherfucker who called themselves Eagles.

Peering up at the window confirmed the two guarding soldiers were still at work pestering Soren. "I'm coming, just hold on," I murmured under my breath as I pulled the karambit from its sheath on my thigh. Sliding my thumb through the eye at the end of the hilt, I wrapped my fingers around the rest of it.

Every muscle in me screamed with exhaustion and my side ached more than I wanted to admit, but now was no time to quit. Soren needed me.

When I eased up to the cage holding him, I felt the sudden burn of tears. Soren's eyes burned bright with hatred and pain, sending a skitter of fear lacing up my spine. What if he was full revenant now?

I forced down the thought. If that were the case, then I'd deal with it. But first thing was first.

Soren snarled, yelping with rage as the soldier on the left taunted him through the cage. All at once he threw himself against the steel bars, his hands shooting through the opening and pulling the soldier into a bite to the throat.

The sight scared the hell out of me, but I couldn't back down now. Moments later I pulled the head back of the remaining guard and drew the karambit's curved blade across his throat. Dark blood bubbled up and seeped down the soldier's throat and I let him go.

A splat beside me made me flinch and I saw the body of the other soldier fall to the ground with blood shooting from his ripped out neck.

I shuddered. My heart hammered against my ribs and beat in my ears as I lifted my eyes to Soren. Crimson stained his face and streaked his shirt like paint, burying an inkling of fear in my chest.

Without thinking, I placed a hand against the bloody steel of the cage. "Soren?"

His unwavering gaze bored into mine, but he said nothing. Not a muscle on him moved, and he gave no indication he even heard me.

My heart sank. No, this couldn't be happening. He couldn't be too far gone. He just couldn't! Hot tears stung my eyes and I blinked them away, gripping the cage bars with both hands. "Soren, please don't do this to me."

I hated begging, but at this moment I didn't care. It was as if my insides had been crushed to pulp by a heavy slab of concrete and I fought against a sob. I couldn't lose Soren, yet it seemed I had. Was there no end to this?

"Hey, guys, how's guard duty? I'm supposed to relieve one of you— fuck!"

My attention instantly snapped to my left where another soldier had made his way out of a small corridor. I ran at the man like a wild woman, burying the karambit deep into his chest without giving it any thought. The warmth of blood flooding my hands only fueled the rush of adrenaline and I found myself stalking down the small hallway in search of any other Eagles.

If they were in here, they were as good as dead. Because I wouldn't stop until I painted the walls in their blood.