Chapter 25: The Aftermath
The sleek black car slid through the neon-drenched streets like a shark through dark water. Inside, the silence was a physical entity, thick and heavy with the scent of adrenaline, sweat, and the faint, coppery tang of blood that seemed to have seeped into their very pores. Lyra stared out the window, watching the blur of lights, but seeing only the stark image of Jax's face, the shock in his eyes as Ronan's blade found its mark, the dark, pulsing flood that had followed.
Her hands lay still in her lap, but a fine tremor ran through them. The phantom pressure of Jax's grip still constricted her throat. The silver collar felt heavier than ever, a cold brand against her skin. The profound, soul-deep connection she had shared with Kael just hours before felt like a dream from another lifetime, brutally erased by the visceral reality of violence and death.
