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n~ ZEV ~

nZev dreamed that he’d been bitten by a snake and then the world had gone dark. Strange shapes and sounds twisted through his head, taunting him. At one point there was fire. It started in his shoulder, but moved to his chest and became rage. 𝒩𝒪𝑣𝐞𝑙𝔲𝓈𝔅.𝕔𝓞𝗆

nThere was a voice he recognized, but couldn’t make out. Something patted his arm.

nThen he was blinking and the dream and reality began to mingle.

nZev had woken—at least a little—unable to hear. But a few seconds later, he heard the beep of a machine, and that voice again. His eyes were thick and his tongue slack. His jaw didn’t want to move. He blinked again. He was laying on a hard floor that pressed hard into his hip and shoulder. It took a long moment of staring at the forest of metal legs and computer hard drives in front of his face to remember where he was. To remember anything at all. But slowly it all came back.

nHe and Sasha had left Thana for the last time, and the Gateway had worked.

nHe was at the compound. In the lab.

nHe’d been sight-blind.

nSomething had bitten him…

nHe sucked in a breath and tried to sit up, but his arm only flailed.

n“Oh, thank god,” Nick’s voice was low and hushed. Zev growled and Nick clapped a hand to his mouth, leaning down to get in his face. “I’m sorry, but he had to believe that I was helping him. They’ve been suspicious of me ever since I came back. He had to believe that I am on his side. I gave you the antidote. It’ll wear off in just a minute, but until I take care of him, you have to stay down on the floor, facing this way so if he looks in, he thinks you’re still out. You have to, Zev!”

nZev blinked, struggling to follow what had happened.

nThey’d come through the Gateway, him and Sasha together.

nHe’d stepped into the lab, there’d been no one in sight, but he could smell Nathan and Nick.

nHe’d seen Nathan first, but then something hit him on the back. He winced and tried to roll his shoulder, but his movements were jerky. He couldn’t do it properly, and his shoulder ached terribly.

n“Just be still, please!” Nick hissed, looking over his shoulder towards the next room. “Please, Zev. I’m sorry, I had to do it. You’re going to be fine. And so Sasha. She’s already got your baby. We’re halfway there.”

nBut… if Sasha had the baby, that meant she was out of the Gateway, right?

nZev started to growl again and Nick leaned right down so they were eye to eye. “I’m going to die—literally die—if he realizes I brought you out of that sleep, Zev. Do you get that? I’m putting my ass on the line here to save yours. Again. So do me a **ing favor and shut the ** up for just one more minute!”

nZev blinked, but he didn’t make another noise. Nick stared at him a second, then sighed and pushed to his feet.

n“I need to wait until you’re able to move on your own and support your own weight, just in case this goes bad,” he muttered under his breath, so Zev could hear, but no human would be able to make out the words. “I’m going to try to take him out. But if I’m unsuccessful, you need to surprise him, okay?”

nZev nodded. He was moving a little smoother now. He could flex his fingers and pedal his feet. He could feel his strength returning. He was going to be able to do this very soon.

nHe glared at Nick, but Nick’s jaw flexed and he shook his head. “I told you I was on your side,” he muttered. “Wouldn’t **ing believe me after all these years.”

nZev wanted to spit that he wouldn’t trust Nick to light his birthday candles, but all he managed was a low groan.

nNick shook his head again. “You’re forcing me to do this and prove this to you before you can move. You better pray I can pull this off. Because if you’re still out and Nathan There was a strangled, “What the fffff?”

ngets wind of this. She’s the only one who’ll pay—and she’s holding your baby right now, Zev.”

nZev blinked. Sasha. Nathan had Sasha? And she was with their baby?

n“Yeah, that’s right. This isn’t just about you and me, Zev. So keep your **ing mouth shut and when you do get up, make sure your legs are steady before you let go of any support. I won’t be here to hold you.”

nAs Nick stepped over him, then started for the room behind him, Zev straightened his legs and found they were moving smoothly, that he could grip his hands again. He pushed down on the floor, pushing himself up to a sitting position, though his head spun for a moment.

nHe could only see Nick’s back and the light coming from the other room. But by the time Nick was loading the gun, Zev was on his feet—albeit a little wobbly—and starting down the aisle.

nThen he heard Nick say, “Will do,” and that strange, popping hiss of the gun that made Zev’s skin prickle.

nSasha gasped.

nThere was a strangled, “What the fffff?”

nThen a terrible clatter and thud.

nZev was running, though his head spun. He caught himself on the frame of the opening into the next room, just in time to find Nick kneeling in front of Sasha, who was sitting in a chair holding a bundle of blankets to her shoulder and staring wide-eyed at Nick.

nZev didn’t think quick enough. He was so relieved to see Sasha, so stunned to see their son, he didn’t take in the room the way he was supposed to. He didn’t think it all through. And before he could, Nick darted forward, around Nathan’s crumpled body, still twisting a little on the floor as the tranquilizers took hold, and picked up the gun that had fallen there.

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