Chapter 31

  In that moment, Byte lunged through the tent flap, breaking his invisibility mid-leap. He activated Steel Pounce, his upgraded frame hurtling toward Matt like a chrome battering ram. Matt's eyes widened in shock, but he twisted away at the last instant, Byte's tackle grazing his side instead of connecting full force. Matt spun and fired two rounds. The bullets ricocheted off Byte's reinforced exterior with sharp metallic pings, sparking off into the tent walls.

  "Byte!" I shouted, my heart pounding as I joined the fray.

  Byte landed on all fours and whipped around, already coiling for another leap. Matt trained the gun on him again, but Felix was faster. Felix threw his hands forward, channeling a shimmering disc of arcane energy that slammed into Matt's wrist. The gun went spinning across the dirt floor, clattering to a stop beneath an overturned crate.

  "Maura, now!" Felix shouted.

  I dove for my energy sword, yanking it from my hip. The familiar hum of the blade steadied my shaking hands as I charged at Matt. The weapon connected with his shoulder, and the tent filled with the smell of burnt flesh. Matt howled, stumbling off balance, but before he could recover, Byte lunged again, sinking his teeth into Matt's forearm.

  "Get off me, you walking bear trap!" Matt roared, thrashing against Byte, but the robot held on with tenacity, servos whining as he refused to let go.

  Felix kicked hard at the back of Matt's knees, forcing him to buckle. The struggle was chaos in the tight space, limbs flailing, supplies scattering. I could hear the sounds of battle erupting outside the tent, the shouts, the clanging of weapons, the unmistakable roar of chaos spreading through the camp.

  "Stay focused!" I yelled, adrenaline surging through me. "We can't let him escape!"

  Matt scrambled back to his feet, blood running from his shoulder and arm. His expression was a mask of rage and disbelief. "You think you can take me down? You're nothing without your scrap metal and your boyfriend!" He seemed to activate some kind of ability, a pulse of raw energy washing over his body. His muscles tensed, veins standing out along his neck, and he screamed with pure, unhinged fury.

  With Byte still clamped onto his arm, Matt grabbed a nearby crate one-handed and heaved it toward Felix. Felix barely dodged in time. The crate exploded against the ground, spilling its contents, more smuggled food, across the dirt.

  "Watch out!" I shouted, but Matt was already swinging his fist in a wide arc. I ducked just in time, feeling the rush of air over my head. I retaliated with a kick to his shin, but he barely flinched, whatever ability he'd activated was fueling him past the pain.

  With a flick of his wrist, he sent Byte flying across the tent and into Felix. They both went down in a heap, and Matt lunged for me. I swung my energy sword, but he caught my wrist and wrenched the weapon from my hands.

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  He brought the blade down toward my throat. I stopped pushing mana into it a fraction of a second before it connected, and the blade winked out, leaving just the cold hilt pressing against my neck. My heart nearly stopped.

  In that frozen moment, Byte tore free from the tangle with Felix and leapt at Matt's legs. His jaws clamped down on Matt's left calf and he activated Venomous Strike. I felt the subtle vibration of the ability through the ground as the paralytic venom surged into Matt's body.

  Matt's grip on my wrist faltered. His legs buckled and he sank to one knee, beads of sweat breaking out across his brow.

  "Hold him!" Felix shouted, surging forward. Together we moved in. The sounds outside the tent intensified, the whole camp erupting into chaos.

  Matt roared, shoving Byte away and throwing himself at Felix. They crashed to the ground, wrestling for dominance. I scrambled for my energy sword and snatched it up, reactivating the blade. But the fight was a tangle of bodies, and I couldn't risk hitting Felix or Byte.

  "Let's end this!" I gripped the weapon tight, circling for an opening.

  Matt caught sight of me and snarled. "You think you can win? You're just delaying the inevitable!" But his voice was slurring, the venom eating at his coordination.

  "Enough!" I shouted. "This ends now!"

  Matt's rage was fading, and with it, the paralytic was taking over. He went down on one knee again, breathing in ragged gasps, his whole body trembling with the effort of staying upright.

  "Just return the camp's credits, Matt, and you can leave," I urged, trying to reach any shred of reason left in him.

  Matt let out a raw, choking laugh that raised gooseflesh on my arms. "I will never surrender to terrorists like you. If you win today, someone else will take my place. Leander will never allow someone like you to live."

  "Matt, you don't even know this guy. Why would you give your life for someone who doesn't care about you one way or another?" I pressed, desperate to penetrate the delusions.

  "That's where you're wrong, girl," he sneered, a manic glint burning in his eye. "Leander and Archelaus are looking for the strong from Earth. They want someone to lead here. They chose me. There is nothing that will stop me. I am chosen by the gods."

  His words dripped with fervor, each syllable laced with a fanaticism that made my stomach turn. A maddening laugh erupted from his throat, echoing inside the tent. He was slipping further into madness, the last vestiges of control fading from his eyes.

  But just as I thought I had the upper hand, he faltered, his hands catching himself before he hit the floor. With the last of his strength, he lunged at me, desperation driving every movement. I barely had time to react as he grabbed a shard of sharp metal from the scattered debris on the ground, his intentions clear.

  "Matt, no!" I shouted, instinctively raising my energy sword to defend myself. But it was too late.

  He plunged the shard into my neck as he crashed into me, and the pain was searing, immediate, all-consuming. In that same instant, my energy sword met his body, the white-hot blade bisecting him before I could pull away.

  Warmth flooded from my neck, hot and sticky. I clutched at the wound, my vision blurring as blood poured between my fingers. The world twisted in a blur of confusion and shock, the acrid tang of burnt flesh and copper overwhelming everything else.

  As I looked down, the scene was surreal, the world fading away in shades of crimson. I tried to call out, to rally Felix or Byte, but my voice was lost in the chaos, drowned by the distant sounds of battle. Darkness crept in from the edges of my vision, and I felt the weight of everything slipping away.

  I had fought so hard, and yet here I was, lost in a tide of blood and betrayal. As consciousness began to fade, I could only hope that Felix and Byte would carry on the fight, that they would find a way to reclaim Galene.