60. Kyle

CHAPTER 60

Kyle

" N o. No, at least save Akira!" Kyle cried, but it was too late. Their last hope fled without another word, fear driving him away even though there would be no safe place to seek shelter if the city's engines truly died.

What had caused this? Runes had been failing for months across Xerxes...was this nothing more than the inevitability of it spreading to the engines? But what about the explosion they'd heard? What was happening out there?

But Kyle and Akira were trapped in here. In a room that was innately familiar to Kyle, even held fond memories for him because it had been where he'd first learned his trade under the Master's hand – and fallen in love with the lying bastard – but was now all messed up and shattered, just like Kyle's heart. A place of destruction and broken things and impassible distance between him and the man he'd dared believe actually gave a shit about him.

Kyle hissed and growled out each visceral emotion that tore at his gut, using that anger and terror to fuel his renewed struggles against the restraints that bound him.

And maybe it was the determination alone and maybe the unnamed man had unbuckled the cuff enough to have helped the pin drag to a wider notch, but Kyle's right hand began to slide free, inch by inch. Gritting his teeth, he yanked harder. His thumb squeezed past the tightest point, pain lancing his hand, and then suddenly the empty cuff swung freely on its short chain.

"Akira!"

He didn't answer.

Kyle strained for where his left hand was still tethered to the ceiling, scrabbling at the fastening with numb, desperate fingers, and another rumble dangerously shook the city before he'd worked himself free. More of the roof dislodged and fell.

Kyle threw himself over Akira's unmoving form, taking the bruising hits from the detritus that was raining down.

"Akira," Kyle half-breathed, half-choked. He pressed fingers to his blood-slick neck and panicked when he couldn't find a pulse.

Or any breath.

Kyle pumped his chest and breathed life into his mouth like he'd been shown, thinking less about what he was doing and more about how Akira couldn't die, he was too Master Epsilon for that, too stubborn and particular, and dying without Kyle getting to tell him how mad he was with him would be inordinately unfair.

Kyle's head swam. His arms ached. He could feel something warm and wet trickling down his back.

And still he fought for Akira's life.