Twice Born

Chapter 7

This must be my night, Eve says. I sense her glee.

I quicken my pace, rounding a bend. For a moment it seems like I might get away because they don’t hurry after me. And then it becomes clear why.

A dead end.

Even better.

I whirl around to face the men. They come around the corner, four of them, including the man at the tavern. They look dangerous, but they’re unarmed. The idiots.

“You had the chance to give me what I wanted.” The leader nears me. “Looks like you’ll be paying me some other way.”

“You didn’t think you could overpower me alone?” Eve asks snidely. “Is that why you brought along your friends? For a big guy, you sure are a coward.”

He chuckles. “And for such a brazen wench, you’re stupid for walking around Heiden District alone in the middle of the night.” The gleam in his eyes tells me he believes he has the upper hand. He has no idea I fear what will happen to him.

There has to be a limit to your kindness, Bree. Do you realize what these men intend to do to you? They’re no different than Trackers. In fact, they are worse. Any man who tries to force himself on a girl doesn’t deserve to live.

I back up against the rough wall. Maybe she’s right. But I can’t be like her, with her cold logic and her swift condemnation. Each kill weighs on my conscience. Each death haunts my dreams. Constant reminders that I’m not normal, that I might be nothing more than the monster the people of Carnolay whisper about. I can’t convince myself that I’m good if I’m constantly washing blood off my hands.

So you say now. Eve lets her excitement flood into me. I hate that she’s able to make me experience it, her bloodlust and her cruelty. Stop wasting time. Let me take over, Bree.

“I don’t think she’s stupid,” says a reed-thin one with a patch over one eye. He ambles over to me, baring his yellow teeth. “I think she knew you’d come after her. She’s just like that girl I told you about last week. They play games and twist us around their fingers, but the moment we give them attention, they pretend to act outraged. I’m going to treat you same way I—”

My hand whips out and catches him across the face. It’s not Eve who struck him. This one was all me. The smile on his lips twists into something ugly. He backhands me, snapping my head. I fall back against the wall, throbbing pain imprinted across my cheek.

The men circle closer, loud and excited. One grabs my shoulders and pins me against the wall. I’m not afraid. I feel resigned. There’s no way out of this that doesn’t involve letting Eve help me. Letting her do whatever she wants. I might loathe the thought of killing, but not enough to sacrifice myself.

Shutting my eyes, I let my guard relax. Like sinking into quicksand instead of fighting against it. I let Eve have the reins. She slides to the forefront, her strength unfurling through me. I don’t know how someone so strong can’t overpower me through sheer willpower.

She grabs the wrists of the man pining me. A hard twist, evoking a cry, and then she slams her forehead into his. The other three descend upon her, but Eve maneuvers around them like they’re standing still.

Several punches to one man’s stomach doubles him over. She twirls, dodging a swinging arm, and strikes the one-eyed man in the nose. Blood spurts all over his shirt, and he staggers back, clutching his face.

The man from the tavern is left. She saved him for last. I cringe, wishing I didn’t have to witness this. The most I can hope for is that she’ll kill him in a strike or two. But after last night, I don’t think I’ll get my wish.