Page 251 of Interion

Naoki and Adrian had Adele pinned to the ground, looking furious.

“Give it back to me!” Naoki bellowed in her face.

“I already told you: there's no way!” she shot back, trying to appear indifferent, but the paleness of her skin and the trembling of her hands said otherwise.

“Of course there is!” Adrian swore and shoved her harder against the ground. “Vomit them up or transfer the points now! I knocked those vials down from the trees—they were mine, Adele! You had no right to take them, and I wasted two arrows doing it.”

“Finders keepers. The vials were on the ground, not in your hand!” she taunted, and got a punch to the stomach for it that made her double over.

“You hellish bitch! They were on the ground because I'd just knocked them over. You're going to give me that vial back, even if I have to cut open your stomach and pull them out myself.”

The longer I watched, the more horrified I became. Adele had stolen two vials and swallowed them? Was she crazy? Naoki turned and started digging near the root of a tree, leaving Adrian pinning the Yonserian to the ground. Then the blond came back holding two worms that squirmed in his hands.

“Come on, Adele. You're going to puke one way or another,” Adrian said, sitting on her stomach.

The Yonserian thrashed on the ground, terrified. A girl like her had probably never touched a worm in her life.

“Pinch her nose. Eventually she'll have to open her mouth,” Naoki said.

Adrian pinched Adele's nose, but not before she bit him. He slapped her across the face, leaving her dazed for a moment. Then he reached for her nose again and pinched it.

I didn't know what to do. If I was going to obey Zion's commands, I should keep moving and not interfere. But my years in the forest wouldn't let me just stand by and watch, because I'd been in Adele's place before and knew how crushing that feeling of helplessness was—being overpowered, being brutalized. Back then, I'd begged for help, but no one ever did anything, until the day the shadows found me in the basement.

I might be scared and cowardly, but I would never turn my back on someone who needed help. Before I could overthink it, I stepped out from behind the tree and crept silently toward them—Adele's screams covering my approach.

My heart was pounding like crazy as I moved into position behind Naoki and called out:

“Hey, boys?”

Naoki turned to face me, so I raised my right leg and kicked the side of his head with everything I had. There was a muffled thud when my foot connected squarely with his temple, and as I caught my balance, his body crumpled onto the muddy ground.

Adrian released Adele, who scrambled away, jumping to her feet and staring at me in fright.

“Leave her alone, Adrian. If she swallowed the vials, that's it. They're hers now. It's easier to find another one than to cut those out of her stomach,” I said, bracing myself to fight or run. Adrian was a strong opponent, and I didn't want to fight him.

“What the fuck?” The Interian gaped at Naoki lying knocked out on the ground, then stared at me in horror. “She swallowed a red and a blue! I want at least the red one. She just has to say it's mine.”

I took a few steps back.

“Work that out with her like civilized people. I'm leaving.” When I turned my back on them, I heard Adele's voice.

“I'll give you half the points if you protect me and become my ally!” she shouted from behind the tree.

I almost stopped, thinking the words were meant for me, but since it made no sense for Adele to want anything to do with me, I decided to get out of there as fast as possible to avoid trouble.

“Are you deaf, Kyller? I'm offering you points! Are you going to turn them down?!” She called out again, and this time I stopped, letting the offer sink in.

“Son of a bitch!” Adrian snarled and lunged at Adele.

“Is that an alliance?” I shouted, testing just how desperate she was. She was running from him toward me, but it was clear he'd catch her soon—he was faster.

“It's an alliance! Do something!” she shrieked. Her shrill voice hurt my sensitive ears. I thought again of Zion telling me to stay out of trouble, but I couldn't turn down those points.

“Deal!” I shouted, already running toward them.

Adrian reached her first, yanking her back by the ponytail. When Adele spun around, he landed a punch on her nose that made my insides twist—I heard the crack of bones breaking. I threw myself at the Interian without thinking, forcing him to let her go. I wrapped my arms around his neck and felt him try to sink his teeth into me. The bastard was trying to bite me? Unbelievable.

I fought to keep my anger in check and focused on remembering the moves I'd trained with Zion. I kneed him in the ribs, making him recoil, but took a headbutt in return that cracked against my forehead. My arms went weak for a few seconds—long enough for him to break free. Adrian turned on me, throwing punches and kicks that, by the gods, I managed to block.