Sylvia pressed herself against the cold brick wall of the alley, her heart pounding in her chest. The city buzzed around her, the hum of traffic and distant chatter masking the sound of her own shallow breaths.
She’d been on the run for hours, slipping through crowds and weaving through unfamiliar streets. Every instinct told her to keep moving, but exhaustion was clawing at her.
Her mind buzzed with fragments of thought—not her own, but those of the people pursuing her.
°She’s heading south. Keep an eye on the intersections.°
°She’s smart, but she’s not invisible. We’ll find her.°
Sylvia gritted her teeth. Normally, reading minds gave her the upper hand, but this time it felt like a curse. The sheer volume of them—dozens of voices overlapping—was overwhelming.
And then there was the
