Page 103 of Jump or Fall
Her fingers closed around his hand, somehow so still considering what was about to happen. How did cruelty come so easily to him? Was he born evil, or did something make him this way?
Hesitantly, she pressed the blade to Karena’s back and dragged it across. Mara watched the red trail bloom against her flesh as it split.
She deserves this. She’s a monster just like him.
The words were hollow and unconvincing, but the deed had been done. She had given a stripe.
Karena shuddered and turned her head, eyes locking onto Mara with quiet, burning hatred.
This wasn’t over.
Not even close.
Chapter 34
Mara
Waking up this time was easier. No phantoms whispering in her ears, and no panicked nightmares of choking on her own blood.
The room, however, was too bright. She winced, raising a hand to shield her new eye from the glare.
“Yeah, it’ll take a few hours to adjust,” Silva said. “You’ll probably get some headaches too—especially when using the special features you added in.”
Blinking, she tested each eye, noting the difference. The new one was noticeably crisper.
“How do I use my ‘special features’?” she asked.
“Tap the outer corner twice for thermal. For synth-mind, do the same, but above the center of your eyebrow.”
She tried the thermal first. A sharp, searing pain shot through the left side of her skull, like a hot needle stabbing into her temple.
Silva sighed. “Did I not just tell you that?”
Gritting her teeth, she tapped the corner of her eye again to switch it off. “Oh, shut it. You’d want to try it out too.”
He smirked but didn’t argue.
“Where’s Gordon?”
“Flying the birds around,” Silva said with a roll of his eyes. “I told him that believe it or not, he couldn’t play with them in here while I was putting a chip in your head. He should be back any minute.”
He held out a small bottle. “These drops will keep the eye clean and lubricated. Might have some issues with tear production, but it should balance out over time.”
She took the bottle and nodded. Slowly, she sat up, her movements stiff but manageable.
A small handheld mirror sat on the table next to her. She hesitated to grab it. The last time she’d seen her own reflection had been right before wrapping a cloth around her face to hide from the world. She didn’t want to break down in front of Silva.
Just get it over with.
Steeling herself, she took a deep breath and picked up the mirror.
The bionic eye could probably pass for real at a distance, but up close, it was obvious. The white was too stark and the iris mechanical. As she moved it, the parts inside shifted to adjust focus around the faux pupil. Even still, it was much better than having no eye at all.
The door opened, and the moment Gordon saw her awake, he rushed over. “Shit, I thought you’d still be out.”
Mara pulled him close and pressed her face against his chest. “Don’t worry about it,” she said, her voice muffled by his shirt. “What’s it like out there?”
“Millon’s stunt has resulted in a lot of severed hands in One, but there’s no telling how many actually belonged to Silvers. They even destroyed the gate. It’s a mess. I think it’s best we stay put for now.”
