Chapter 43. Scars in the Rust

The smoke settled after the fight, but the stillness crushed down like pressure before a storm.

The junkyard stank of oil, blood, and burnt rubber. The gate leaned twisted in its hinges, feathers from Raven patches caught in the wire. Bodies dotted the gravel—some groaning, some not moving at all. Crownless bent over their wounded, voices low, sharp, panicked.

Riven sat against the side of a stripped sedan, her palms throbbing under the bandages. She peeled the fabric back with her teeth, hissing when the skin pulled. Blisters split open, dirt grinding in. She pressed the edge of her shirt against them, as if pressure could erase the sting.

Across from her, Axel slumped against the same car. His jacket hung half open, the bandage on his side soaked through, his breath shallow. He dragged a rag across his face, smearing blood with sweat.

Riven’s teeth ground together until her jaw ached. She snatched the metal first-aid kit from the gravel, the latch hanging b