More Than Life (Arcane Crossbreeds) by Amanda Vyne Page B

now, but you will.” The woman’s thoughts were toneless, matter-of-fact, as she infused her with whatever new serum the doctor had concocted. “We have some men in the building. They will intercept you on your way back to your room and move you out of here. We have to evacuate tonight.”
    Katya studied the woman, considering her options. Raife being here left her vulnerable in ways that terrified her. If they put her back in the room with him, the possibility she would fall into his arms was too great. If they were looking for a weakness to exploit, they found a hell of a big one. But if she went with these new men, would she be trading one prison for another? She wasn’t going to bet her freedom on it. She was going to use it as the opportunity it was.
    Careful to push her intentions deep where they wouldn’t be easy to read, she eased her mind open just enough to communicate with the woman. It wasn’t a strong connection, but the tremulousness of her tone would just make the woman believe she was desperate and accepting. “I’ll go with you. Please, just get me out of here.”
    The woman narrowed her eyes, and Katya wasn’t sure she believed her. After a long moment, the woman sighed. Setting the syringe on the table, she returned with a smaller one filled with a familiar murky liquid.
    A sedative.
    Katya pulled against her bonds once as she felt the slight pinch of the needle.
    “I’m sorry, but this is for your own good. We’re too close to lose it now.”
    The apology barely registered as her mind began to sink into the obscurity of that drug-induced sleep. She wanted to tell her to go get fucked, but the words wouldn’t pass her lips. She did manage a small smile as she succumbed.
    It felt like only moments before she became aware of voices above her and the slight shudder of the gurney beneath her as its wheels rolled over the cement floor. The light weight of a sheet covered her nudity. No restraints. No silver cuffs.
    A tiny ember of anticipation flared to life in her gut. Had Miss St. Vincent’s “men” intercepted yet? If they had, they were taking their sweet time making their escape. And they were talking about football. She was going to hazard a guess and say they hadn’t. That meant they soon would be.
    Katya took the time to completely orient herself with her surroundings and allow the rest of the drug to be pushed through her system. The last couple of months, she’d noticed her body was metabolizing the drugs they gave her at an accelerated rate. She’d taken it as the perfect opportunity to create a weak point she could exploit later on, and continued to let them think she was sedated long after the drugs wore off.
    It hadn’t been pleasant, but she’d developed a tolerance for pain in process. It was finally going to pay off. They naturally assumed she’d be out long enough to get her to her cell. They’d left her completely unrestrained.
    The sound of boots on cement echoed down the hall, and Katya had to focus on not stiffening. Were these the men she was waiting for? Her gurney slowed and came to a stop. Her mind was still groggy. She wasn’t sure she had enough focus to shimmer where she needed to go.
    “We’ve been ordered to take her to Lab Four.”
    Shuffling papers.
    “We weren’t told anything about that.”
    “Well, we were. I’m not getting on the doc’s bad side by not following orders.”
    “We can leave her in her room while we clear this up.”
    “That doesn’t work for us.”
    A flood of animosity fanned over her as the dull thud of fist hitting flesh reached her ears. Fuck! The assistant’s men weren’t damn likely to get her out now that they’d lost their cover. Soon more of the lab’s Guardians would descend on this hall, and she would lose the opportunity to escape at all. The foot end of her gurney struck the wall and sent a shudder up the entire thing as it rocked, threatening to overturn.
    She had to act now, and she wasn’t up to shimmering