80

A heavy weight knocked into my side, almost sending me sprawling to the ground. My arms flailed as I struggled to keep my balance, my boot scraping against the uneven pavement. “Adeline!” I screamed, my voice echoing in the suffocating dark.

She was already so far ahead, her silhouette barely visible in the dim light from the lone streetlamp at the alley’s entrance. My heart thundered in my chest as I clawed at the hands gripping me. My assailant was a massive figure, his bulk shadowing me completely.

He didn’t say a word, just grunted as he tried to wrestle me down. His hands were rough, one clamping over my shoulder while the other reached for my neck. I twisted violently, using all the strength I could muster, but he was too strong, too big.

“Adeline!” I screamed again, panic surging through me as I stomped down hard on the man’s foot. He barely flinched, only tightening his grip.

I lashed out blindly, my elbow connecting with something soliis ribd, hs, maybe. He grunted, his grip loosening just enough for me to wrench myself halfway free. I spun around, swinging my fists wildly, but it was like hitting a brick wall.

Footsteps pounded against the pavement, growing louder. “Eleanor, don’t stop fighting!” Adeline’s voice cut through the darkness, sharp and commanding. “I can’t shoot—move! I’ll hit you!”

I gasped for breath, my arms burning as I shoved against the man’s chest. He grabbed me again, this time by the waist, and tried to lift me off the ground. My nails dug into his skin, and I kicked out wildly, catching his shin.

Adeline appeared like a blur, launching herself at the man with the ferocity of a wild animal. Her fist cracked against his jaw, snapping his head to the side. He staggered, but only for a moment, before swinging a massive arm toward her.

She ducked, the blow missing her by inches, and came up with her knee slamming into his stomach. The man let out a low growl, swatting at her like she was a fly.

“Goddamn it, Eleanor, move!” she barked, dodging another swing.

I stumbled backward, my chest heaving as I tried to find solid footing. The man turned toward her now, his massive fists swinging with surprising speed for someone his size.

Adeline moved like a snake, weaving in and out of his reach, landing sharp punches to his ribs and jaw. But he didn’t go down. Instead, he lunged, grabbing her by the arm and throwing her against the wall with a sickening thud.

“Adeline!” I cried, surging forward despite the terror clawing at my throat.

“I’m fine,” she snarled, pushing herself off the wall. Her eyes burned with fury as she darted forward again, delivering a brutal uppercut to the man’s chin.

He reeled back, but it wasn’t enough. He swung again, his fist catching her shoulder and spinning her around. She recovered instantly, twisting mid-motion to drive her elbow into his face.

Blood sprayed from his nose, and he roared in pain, but he didn’t stop. He charged at her, and she ducked low, kicking out his knee. He stumbled, and I seized the moment, grabbing a chunk of broken brick from the ground and slamming it into the back of his head.

The man roared again, his bloodied face twisted in rage as he turned his attention to me. My heart stopped as his hand moved to his waistband, pulling out a wickedly sharp knife. The blade glinted in the dim light, slick with the blood still dripping from his own wounds.

Adeline, perched on his back like a lioness on her prey, reacted instantly. Her arm tightened around his throat, cutting off his growl into a choking gasp. “You’re not so tough now, are you, asshole?” she snarled, her voice venomous.

But the man’s strength seemed fueled by his fury. With a sudden surge, he slammed backward into the nearest wall, crushing Adeline against the jagged bricks. A sharp cry escaped her lips, but she didn’t let go. Instead, she shifted, grabbing at his wrist as he swung the knife wildly, aiming for me.

“Eleanor, move!” Adeline barked through gritted teeth, her arm still locked around his neck.

I scrambled backward, but the knife arced toward me, the tip grazing my sleeve and slicing through fabric. A thin line of warmth spread across my arm—a shallow cut, but enough to send adrenaline spiking through my veins.

Adeline twisted his wrist with a sharp jerk, forcing the blade away from me. The man let out a guttural yell, turning his head just enough to snap his teeth at her arm like a rabid dog.

“Fucking bastard!” she hissed, her knee driving into the small of his back. She yanked his arm again, harder this time, causing him to turn the blade on himself. The knife skidded across his forearm, opening a deep gash that oozed dark, glistening blood.

The man roared in pain, flailing like a trapped animal. He swung the knife again, aiming blindly now. The blade caught Adeline’s cheek, a shallow but angry slice that made her curse loudly.

“You’re going to regret that,” she spat, her voice cold as death.

She grabbed his wrist again, slamming it against the wall once, twice, until his grip faltered. Blood slicked his fingers, making the knife slippery. But he didn’t let go.

Instead, he twisted, throwing Adeline off balance. She hit the ground hard, but before he could plunge the knife toward her, she rolled, sweeping his legs out from under him. He fell with a heavy thud, the knife clattering against the ground just out of reach.

Adeline pounced, grabbing the knife and turning it on him, but before she could strike, the sound of distant shouting reached us.

“Shit,” she muttered, her head snapping toward the noise.

Footsteps—more of them. Close.

She looked at me, her face bloodied and feral. “Run,” she growled, her voice like steel. “Go, Eleanor. Now.”

I froze, my body refusing to move, even as my mind screamed at me to obey. My eyes locked onto hers, wide with fear, as the footsteps drew nearer.

“Run!” Adeline screamed.

I took one shaky step back, but before I could turn, Adeline’s attention snapped back to the man. His hand reached for her, but she was faster. With a furious snarl, she plunged the knife into his shoulder, twisting it savagely.

Blood sprayed, splattering against her face and mine. The man let out a guttural scream, his body writhing as she drove the blade in deeper. Adeline didn’t stop. She pulled the knife free, blood gushing in a thick, pulsing stream, and plunged it into his chest.

Again.

And again.

Each strike was brutal, unrelenting, the sound of flesh tearing and bones cracking filling the air. Blood splattered everywhere—onto her, onto me, pooling beneath his body in a dark, sticky mess.

The man gurgled, his eyes wide and glassy as his hands clawed weakly at her. But Adeline was merciless. She raised the knife one final time, her arm slick with his blood, and drove it into his throat with a sickening crunch.

The spray of blood was violent, warm and sticky as it hit my face. I gasped, stumbling backward, my stomach lurching at the sight of his body convulsing.

Adeline pulled the knife free, her chest heaving as she stood over the corpse. Blood dripped from her hands, her face a mask of rage and something darker, something almost primal.

Adeline’s voice was a low, dangerous snarl. “Run.”

I barely heard her over the pounding of my own heart. The man on the ground groaned, his hand weakly clawing at her ankle. Her foot came down hard on his wrist with a sickening crunch, cutting his pathetic attempt short.

The shouts were getting louder, closer, but I couldn’t move. I couldn’t look away from the bloody scene in front of me. My legs felt like cement, my body frozen in place.

Adeline shifted, her wild eyes locking onto mine. “Run, Eleanor. Get the fuck out of here before you get yourself killed!”

I took a shaky step back, but the man on the ground wasn’t done. His other hand shot out, catching Adeline’s ankle, and he yanked with what little strength he had left. She stumbled, cursing loudly as she nearly lost her balance.

“Son of a bitch!” she hissed, wrenching her leg free.

The man’s lips curled into a bloodied snarl, and I saw it—the glint of metal in his other hand. The knife. He’d somehow grabbed it again, his fingers slick with his own blood.

“Adeline!” I screamed, but she was already moving.

The knife arced toward her stomach, and she caught his wrist mid-swing, twisting it with brutal force. His scream was guttural, raw, as the blade jerked in his grip, cutting into his own palm. Blood sprayed out, hot and thick, painting the ground beneath them.

“You really don’t know when to quit,” Adeline spat through clenched teeth.

Her free hand came up, grabbing the knife from him with a sharp yank. The blade sliced his fingers as she pulled it free, and his howl of pain made my stomach twist.

But he didn’t stop. He lunged at her, his massive frame bearing down like a wild animal. She sidestepped him, quick as a whip, and drove the knife into his shoulder.

The sound it made was wet, meaty, and awful. Blood gushed from the wound, soaking his shirt in seconds. He roared in pain, spinning to face her, but she was relentless.

Adeline yanked the knife out, a spray of blood following, and slashed it across his arm before he could raise it again.

“Fucking stay down!” she barked, her voice raw, furious.

He didn’t listen. He swung at her, a wild, clumsy punch that she ducked easily. She drove her knee into his stomach, the force of it making him double over with a pained grunt.

And then she was on him.

Adeline tackled him to the ground, the knife in her hand glinting like a predator’s fang. She straddled him, pinning his massive arms beneath her knees, and raised the blade high.

“You want to play tough, huh?” she growled, her voice shaking with rage. “Let’s fucking play.”

Endless stabs.

The first stab was to his chest, the knife sinking in with a sickening crunch. His scream was cut short as blood bubbled up from his lips.

The second was to his neck.

It wasn’t clean. The blade caught, and she had to twist it to free it, her hands slick with his blood. He gurgled, choking on his own breath, his body jerking violently beneath her.

I stumbled back, my hands flying to my mouth as the smell of iron and death filled the air.

Adeline didn’t stop.

She plunged the knife into him again, over and over, her breaths coming in ragged gasps, her arms moving like a machine. Blood sprayed with every strike, splattering her face, her neck, her clothes.

I couldn’t look away.

The light in his eyes faded, his body twitching once, twice, before going still. But Adeline wasn’t done.

She raised the knife one last time, her teeth bared, and brought it down into his throat with all her strength. The blade buried itself to the hilt, and a geyser of blood erupted, warm and sticky, hitting her face and mine.

I gagged, stumbling back again, but I couldn’t tear my eyes away from her.

Adeline sat there, breathing heavily, her chest rising and falling in quick, sharp bursts. Her hands were coated in blood, the knife still clenched tightly in her fist.

“Go,” she said finally, her voice low, guttural.

I couldn’t move.

“Eleanor,” she snapped, her eyes blazing as she turned to look at me. “Run. Now.”