Awareness pricked at my skin, trailing along my arms and legs like wildfire. Sweat gathered at my temple, streaming along my face before disappearing into the collar of my shirt. Like a statute, unfrightened, I stood outside on the roof staring at the machine. My house shields lasted four minutes against its pounding before crunching under its weight.
“Lady Hawthorne,” it crooned my name like a love-struck fool, smiling eerily. “I’m happy to see you’ve decided to come out and meet me. I am here to escort you back.”
Staring at it, I tipped my head to the side, lifting the sledgehammer off of the ground. Its oversized bright white eyes narrowed confusedly, quickly analyzing my widened stance and focused gaze. With dark furrowed eyebrows and down-turned lips, the machine moved forward two steps.
“Lady Hawthorne,” it tried a second time, “I mean you no harm.”
“But you mean harm to others.”
Glancing over its shoulder, the machine lined its eyes on Renee’s shaking frame. Curled on the top of my sofa, she watched our exchange with teary, bloodshot eyes. Her hands restlessly rubbed her shins as she rocked, nearly falling off the couch when the machine smiled at her.
“Yes, Miss Kirkland must meet her end. I suggest you stand to the side, Lady Hawthorne. I will handle it from here.”
Raising its arm again, the ZTR7 struck the wall. Iris rallied against the damage, attempting restorations while under blunt assault. A tremendous boom echoed, lashing across the empty space. I recoiled, dropping low to the ground with the sledgehammer still in my hands. Gathering my faltering courage, I forced my form to stand as proud as it could and called out to it.
“If you want her, you’ll have to go through me.”
The next punch froze mid-air. Lightly, it turned its head in my direction. Lethargically, it swung away from the wall to move toward me.
“It is inadvisable for you to fight me, Lady Hawthorne. I have been cleared to incapacitate you should you refuse to cooperate.”
“The only thing you’ll be doing is dying,” I promised.
“Remember, Lady Hawthorne, you initiated this course of action.”
Bitter fear ripped through me, simmering between my shoulder blades and falling down my back, but I refused to let it win. Renee wasn’t dying. No one was dying.
Readying itself, the machine switched stances, falling close to the ground like a feline predator. Iris flared to life inside of me, lighting all my systems up with a single snap so powerful, my chest thudded with effort. Conviction threaded through my veins, pumping my blood hard and sure. Focused, I assessed its abilities as it moved.
Much like its counterparts, the ZTR7 was a wet dream for Soljourner Tech. It was a mix of metals derived from a basic design of Echoes with all the advantages of a Doppelganger. Beyond what was provided in Ryker’s drive, I knew little about the machine. From the quick reflexes, brute strength, and the searing temperature boiling its outer casing, I knew one thing for certain — I couldn’t let the fucker touch me.
Weathered eyes narrowed on its molten form, catching the syncing of information from its data center to its limbs. Each operated seamlessly, flowing like water when it moved. Taking a half dozen steps to the left, the ZTR7 sized me up a second time and struck! Like lightning whipping across the sky, it closed the space between us.
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The Six | A Reverse Harem Novel | ✔️
FantasyThe battle for The Six is on! Billionaire Tech Guru Blue Hawthorne set out to make the world a better place with the Six men she loves but success comes at a heavy price. It'll take all she's got to save them and herself from an unstoppable threat b...
