The sight of Damien, Ezra, and Kai crumpled and bleeding on the dirt hit me like a freight train, and something inside my chest exploded.
"Damien. No. Get up." I dropped beside him, hands pressing his side where blood wouldn't stop. The synthetics circled tighter, their fake healing mocking us.
He coughed, eyes half open. "Avery... run. Can't hold them."
"Run? Are you kidding me?" My voice cracked raw. "Ezra, talk to me. Your leg. It's bad. Kai, say something. Please."
Ezra groaned from a few feet away, pushing up on one elbow. "Can't feel my arm. They're too many. Avery, the bond. It's fading on us. You feel that?"
"I feel all of it," I said, words rushing out as I crawled to him. "Your edge is dull now. Damien's calm is slipping. Kai, wake up. Come on."
Kai stirred, face brui
