I consider trying to release him as I did Cami when she was under Manning’s control, but I know that he’ll only protect himself against my command. If we can get him back to the Remnants, maybe Kael can destroy his power long enough for me to free him. But getting him there … I have no idea how to do that.

I raise my hands again, prepared to do whatever it takes, even if it means I have to knock him out with fists rather than words. The idea of punching Ward, of attacking Ward—my stomach feels like lead. But it’s the only thing I can think of, the only thing that will incapacitate him enough for us to escape Lengard without a struggle.

Cami, however, seems to have another plan.

A stupid, foolish, idiotic plan.

One that I understand only when I see her push off from the wall and launch herself toward her brother from behind.

“Lyss, now!” she yells as she crashes into him.

Ward has one goal in mind and it isn’t his sister—it’s me. He all but ignores her even as she latches onto his back and doesn’t let go. Instead, he reaches into his leather jacket and draws something out, using the momentum from Cami’s attack to propel himself forward, closing the distance between us.

I stumble away, tripping over a glass beaker that rolls under my foot. My arms cartwheel in an effort to keep my balance as I follow what I think Cami meant and yell, “Stop!”—right as she slaps her hand against the side of her brother’s head and commands, “Sleep!”

It’s in that moment that Ward goes down.

It wasn’t from my Spoken command. No, he protected himself from that.

But he failed to protect himself from hers at the same time.

Just as I failed to protect myself from them both crashing into me on their way to the ground, Ward taking me with him in an effort to stab me with what he’d pulled from his jacket.

An effort that was successful.

“Son of a—” I snap my mouth closed as Cami scrambles to her feet and I shove Ward’s dead weight off me. Pain flares from the cuts I obtained by landing on shards of broken glass, but they’re not my main concern. I’m more worried about the burning ache in my arm and what is currently hanging from my flesh. I yank it out and turn it between my fingers, swallowing back my rising dread.

It’s a syringe.

And it’s empty.

Chapter Twelve

CHAPTER TWELVE

Cami and I are panting heavily as we stare at each other, our faces white, our adrenaline levels high.

I rise slowly to my feet, leaving Ward on the floor, unconscious from Cami’s order for him to sleep. He’s no longer a threat. But the syringe in my hand …