I’d never tried this before, but I knew I could spit on my blades and that it gave them the poison trait. I needed to remember to do it more often with my blades.

  But directly into someone's eyes? Nope. Gross. But my Dad’s rules about not dying echoed loudly in my head, way louder than any disgust at spitting on someone.

  Ivkar screamed, jerked back letting me go. Both hands rubbed at his face frantically as he leaned away.

  A big mistake, as claws erupted from both of my hands and I slashed at his throat. Unfortunately, I cut the edges of a wrist instead. Still, my claws cut through his skin much easier than my knives.

  Blood sprayed everywhere as he screamed louder. He stumbled away from me, swinging wildly.

  I easily dodged and fled.

  “Get away from me!” His voice came out like a command, but it rolled right over me. Yet, a presence joined us, on the far side of the lab, away from where we’d entered.

  [An OFFENDER has been detected in your area with a bounty. You have been given a temporary boost to stats and abilities.]

  [Garlo, The Guard, Shield Wall, Level 185, Predator, Unknown, OFFENDER.]

  The notifications caused my eyes to go wide as I rolled back under the solid metal table into the shadows.

  Any minute now…

  The metal door I hadn’t noticed flew off its hinges as the Forger practically flew into the room.

  “Sir, we must… what the blaze?”

  “Protect me–” Ivkar’s command was cut short as the explosive I had set finally blew.

  The computer screen exploded, sending the room into darkness as shrapnel flew across the space.

  Thick, acidic smoke started billowing out of the area, and I scrambled to the far staircase, since it was closer. The clouds reminded me of the smoke that Gemity had warned us about.

  More people appeared on my radar, coming from the direction Lenna and Asceto had fled. I recognized a few of them and it made me smile.

  A deep cough came from the two Forgers, but I was already sprinting away, out the door Garlo had come in.

  “We must leave, now,” growled the body guard between coughs. A hint of blood lingered in the air around him, and he leaned heavily to one side.

  The rough stone stairs didn’t stop me, nor did the darkness of the stairwell. I fled up the stairs as fast as I could.

  “Help me, up the stairs. Do not mention this to…” Ivkar's voice cut off as my foot slipped on a missing step, and I barely caught myself with my hands.

  I frantically scrambled up the steps, moving faster than before. The steps went on longer than I thought they should, but I outpaced Garlo who had to help Ivkar behind me.

  Finally, the staircase ended with a door already flung open to a large round room. The only light came from a white circle pulsing in the center. Bodies littered the floor, and blood soaked the carpet. A massive door remained closed, with a thick metal beam holding it shut. Pounding came from behind it, and it sounded like the door was being hammered with a battering ram.

  “We must hurry!” The voice came from the staircase, and I searched the room for a place to hide.

  Near the portal, two bodies had fallen in a more upright position against each other, casting an area in darkness.

  I dove in that direction, barely making it as someone slammed the door shut.

  “Almost there,” grumbled Ivkar.

  I didn’t dare look as the other Forger came up on my radar, along with someone else heading to the door they’d just slammed shut.

  I grinned.

  “Go, Sir!” Garlo held the door shut, keeping Sile out. I didn’t expect him to hold it for long.

  At least that took care of one of my the problems.

  Ivkar stumbled closer to the white portal.

  Claws ready, I crouched down, then leaped.

  I hit him midchest, knocking him back over a carcass. My claws dug into his chest, but then he twisted, flipping on top of me. Again, he was faster than I would have thought possible.

  Stolen novel; please report.

  My back slammed into the stone under me, and my claws retracted as they bent the wrong way.

  “Die, you monster!” He slammed my head into the carpet covered stone floor, but it didn’t have the same strength as when he’d sent me across the room. With the carpet softening the impact, it didn’t even do much damage.

  I swiped at his hand, using my claws again and not caring how close it was to my head. A finger fell to the ground, along with a bit of my ear.

  The back of my skull hurt as the rest of the excess energy finally drained from my body.

  Ivkar pushed away from me, holding his hand to his chest and scrambling to the portal, clearly looking to flee.

  I leaped onto his back without thinking. My sharp teeth dug into his neck, and I pumped as much poison into him as possible.

  A notification rang in my head, making it hurt even more than before. I muted it. Surprisingly, this one didn’t stay muted.

  [Warning: Monstrosity has reached 11%.]

  [Warning: Devourer threshold reached.]

  [Devourer Form Unlocked.]

  Freezing cold hands ripped me away from Ivkar while I was distracted, and I went flying. Again.

  I partially rolled, but it didn’t soften my landing as much as I hoped. Pain ripped through my body as more notifications dinged.

  [Devourer Form Unlocked: Shadowstalker.]

  My internal energy source, which I hadn’t really thought too deeply about, suddenly lagged. Everything wobbled and the edges of my vision darkened.

  No. This could not be happening right now.

  I snagged another one of the energy boosters from my inventory into my hand, then froze. Pure darkness greeted me as the injection slipped to the ground. I didn't even try to catch it as I stretched my fingers out. Not fingers, claws.

  “Devouver.” Ivkar's voice was but a strangled cry, yet it still caused me to look up. He stood in front of the portal, blood dripping from his eyes and all sorts of places.

  Rage boiled up in me at the sight of him still standing. He should be dead. He needed to be dead.

  My claws wrapped around the injection and I stabbed it into my thigh as a red tinge formed around Ivkar. The shot hurt worse than the lack of energy. It burned. Each beat of my heart spread it farther.

  [You have taken an experimental energy booster.]

  The vial's contents hit that empty internal energy core, and something latched onto it. It vanished, but the burning sensation didn’t. Instead, it remained in the center of my chest.

  Yet, Ivkar wasn’t the problem. A dark shape dove in my direction with a sword.

  Garlo.

  I rolled away as his sword cut through the stone that had been under me.

  Sile pounded at the metal door, then suddenly went silent.

  “Garlo, get her!” Ivkar yelled. Then he hovered near the portal, but didn’t pass the threshold. Instead, he watched the fight.

  My heart pounded as I scrambled upright, my claws digging grooves in the stone. All that mattered was reaching him. He had to die!

  I leaped into the air using my jumping ability and practically flew to the bright white light. Ivkar would die.

  Garlo flew in front of the portal, partially blocking the light. He almost glowed with a bright white smile, and his sword was almost touching the floor.

  He cast a shadow across the room, then I hit. My claws dug in near his neck, or at least that was what I meant to do. The very tips just caught the edge, but he dodged out of the way. A fist slammed into my side and I skidded across the stone floor, slicing deep into the carpet before leaping back up.

  It didn’t hurt, but it stroked the fire burning in my chest.

  I kept my focus on Garlo’s knee. If a target couldn’t walk, that made it easier to take them down, or leave them to bleed out. Leaving me with Ivkar.

  Again, I rushed at him, but this time he barely moved out of the way, his sword swing missing as well.

  He let out a sigh. “Sir, are you sure?”

  The red outline on Ivkar spread, touching Garlo.

  I fainted at his knee again, and he swung half-heartedly at me.

  “Grab her, we need evidence,” growled Ivkar, as he straightened his clothing and ran his fingers through his hair, now bloodied.

  He’d fixed his fingers. Somehow.

  He took a deep breath, and suddenly looked alluring.

  A hand latched onto my shoulder, and I realized I had been staring. Some skill kept drawing my attention back to Ivkar.

  I waited for a moment, then swiped with all my might at his arm and hit something.

  Garlo growled and jerked back.

  I pivoted and caught his side with my foot, and he stumbled back even farther.

  “Garlo, now!”

  The swordsman growled again, and lunged at me, almost faster than I could follow.

  His blade sliced clean through me, and one of his hands cupped along my back, pulling me farther down the blade.

  Dumbass.

  “You’re coming with us,” he whispered as his neck came within biting distance.

  I chomped down, and tore. Blood went everywhere.

  He dropped his sword to clutch at his neck and stop the bleeding.

  Everything slowed down as I licked my lips. Warmth spread through my body as I tasted a hint of chocolate.

  “Garlo!”

  The scream drew my attention as Ivkar stared at me, eyes wide, pointing in my direction.

  “Monster!” Ivkar yelled as he dove through the white light.

  Laughter spilled from my lips, as my claws slid cleanly into Garlo’s chest. Then I yanked.

  He fell to his knees, his face going blank.

  The first bite sent a blast of warmth throughout my entire body. I shuddered at the warm electric current that raced through me. The next let me taste something besides raw power.

  Warm, gooey fudge, with almost a hint of marshmallow.

  Notifications pinged as the metal door flew off its hinges and across the room. It slammed into the edge of the portal, making it flicker.

  The warmth in my chest suddenly went out, almost making me wobble. My stomach clenched again as my hands shook.

  My knees hit the ground next to the carcass as I dug into it with my claws. I shoved a handful of meat in my mouth, trying to figure out how to stop the transformation. It needed to end.

  Now.

  Each mouthful of meat gave me less energy than the one before. This needed to stop. Somehow.