Page 267 of Psycho Gods

“You’ve done enough!” Aran shouted at Sadie. “You’re going to hurt yourself. Release them.”

“No,” Sadie snarled.

Her golden skin had a green tint, and blood dripped from her eyes, nose, and mouth. White hair clung to her naked body and was slick with sweat. She shook forcefully with exhaustion.

“Release them now,” Aran ordered as she stepped in front of her protectively.

“No!” Sadie shouted as she bowed her back and bellowed like controlling the infected was ripping her apart from the inside. Blood gushed out of her mouth.

Aran screamed an expletive and whirled around. She slammed the hilt of her sword against Sadie’s temple, and she dropped unconscious.

In a blur of movement, Aran grabbed her body and dragged her back into the corner. She propped her against the wall and stood over her body.

The five enslaved infected dropped dead.

The room went uncannily still.

There was a loud ripping as ungodly tore from their corpses. Every creature in the room turned toward Aran. Pincers snapped. Swords glowed.

I pulled out of her mind, gasping, stomach churning as I processed what I’d seen.

The urge to go get Warren and get his help was overwhelming, and I almost acted on the impulse, but I stopped myself. He was skilled, but he was still just a teenage boy. He didn’t possess nearly as much power as the soldiers who fought against the ungodly.

Stronger people than him had been killed in this war, and this was not a battle—it was a slaughter.

I couldn’t live with myself if I hurt another person.

Plus, I didn’t have the time to search for him in the forest. Every second was precious.

Before I could think, before I could panic, before I could remember I wasn’t a soldier, before I could change my mind, I grabbed my crutches and slammed my hand down on the second RJE device I’d grabbed.

Yet again, time and space warped.

Crack.

I was in a musty brick corridor that reeked of death. Rotting gore was splattered everywhere.

Gagging, I slammed my crutch against the brick floor. It sounded solid.

Ignoring the leftover substances from an old battle, I lowered myself down awkwardly and pressed my ear to the floor.

I distantly heard the muffled sounds of war.

Patting my pocket to make sure I had what I needed, once again, I didn’t give myself time to think about what I was doing.

I started to use my crutches to move forward, then stopped.

Looking down at the rubble, I awkwardly bent down and picked up a jagged piece of broken brick. I pulled my pants up and sliced it deep across my leg.

Then, as fast as I could, I crutched into the darkness.

Toward the screams.

Chapter 53

Aran

THE TRUTH IS SPILLED