Ava’s implant pulsed wildly as Mara Holt, her childhood mentor, stood in Lena’s shattered lab, the glowing device in her hand humming in sync with the mark on Ava’s neck. The underground tunnel echoed with the footsteps of Order assassins, their eyes glowing like predators. Jace’s pistol blazed, dropping one, while Lena’s rifle roared, but Mara’s cold smile froze Ava. “You were always too curious,” Mara repeated, her voice a blade from Ava’s past.

“Mara, why?” Ava demanded, her voice steady despite the implant’s heat, amplifying her fear—and desire for Jace, standing protectively close. His hand grazed her back, a spark in the chaos.

“You’ll see,” Mara said, raising the device. A sharp pain shot through Ava’s neck, and her senses exploded—Jace’s scent overwhelming, her pulse racing. She stumbled, and Jace caught her, his arms strong, his breath hot against her ear. “Stay with me, Ava,” he growled, his touch igniting her despite the danger.

Lena shouted, “The device—it’s controlling her implant!” She fired at Mara, but assassins swarmed, forcing them back. Jace yanked Ava through a side tunnel, Lena covering their retreat. The implant made every sensation vivid—Jace’s grip, his heat—and Ava’s body craved him, even as her mind fought Mara’s pull.

They reached a maintenance shaft, its dim lights flickering. Jace slammed the hatch shut, his chest heaving. “You okay?” he asked, his eyes searching hers. The implant’s pulse synced with her desire, and Ava pressed against him, her hands sliding under his coat.

“Not okay,” she whispered, her lips brushing his. “Need you.” Their kiss was fire, deep and reckless, her fingers digging into his shoulders. Jace groaned, lifting her against the wall, his hands roaming her thighs, teasing her skin. The implant amplified every touch, and Ava arched into him, their breaths ragged, bodies pressed tight. His lips trailed her neck, grazing the implant, and she gasped, desire consuming her.

A distant explosion snapped them back—Lena, holding the assassins. Jace cursed, setting Ava down, his hands lingering. “We need to move. Lena’s contact, Eli, can hack the implant. He’s in the Underdistrict.”

Ava nodded, her body still humming, Jace’s taste on her lips. They climbed through the shaft, emerging in the Underdistrict—a neon-lit maze of clubs and black markets. But a shadow moved—a drone, its lens locked on Ava’s implant. Mara’s voice crackled through it: “You can’t hide, Ava.” A figure watched from the crowd, their face hidden but familiar. Was it an Order operative, or someone closer, and what did Mara’s device want with Ava’s mind?

Cliffhanger: Who is the familiar figure in the crowd, and can Ava resist Mara’s device before it controls her?

Chapter 4: Fire in the Dark

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