I Siphoned Every Wound For Him

The world ended in a fever of teeth and shadows. We called it the Collapse, the day the cities turned into graveyards and the living became the prey.

My husband, Ryder, became a god among men. He awakened the Overdrive abilitya surge of raw, destructive power that turned him into a whirlwind of violence. But the cost was high: the power worked by tearing the users body apart at a cellular level, a self-destruct sequence in exchange for victory.

I was his secret. I awakened a Dual-S class ability: The Anchor. I was immortal, and more importantly, I could siphon pain. As long as I was within fifty yards, I could pull every broken bone, every ruptured vessel, and every jagged bite from his body into my own.

To keep him a hero, I stayed in his shadow. While he stood at the front, a golden warrior untouched by the carnage, I stood behind him, my skin splitting open, my lungs filling with blood he should have been coughing up.

He didn't know. Or perhaps, after a while, he chose to forget. He began to believe his own myththat he was the Chosen One, invincible by divine right. And he began to loathe me, his "sickly" wife who was always pale, always trembling, always a reminder of weakness in a world that demanded strength.

Then came the girl with the "Purifying Song." A college student named Melody.

To impress his new muse, he shoved me aside. "Get away from me, Nancy," hed snarled, his eyes full of disgust. "Your rot is starting to rub off on me."

But the moment he broke our connection, reality hit him like a freight train. A common zombiea creature he usually decapitated by the dozensgrazed his arm with a stray claw.

He let out a scream so primal, so pathetic, it sounded like a dying animal.

For the first time in three years, Ryder realized that being bitten actually hurts.

The gates of the Haven Colony swung open to a roar of cheers.

Ryder strode in, the severed head of an Alpha gripped in his hand, his chin held high. Not a single speck of dust marred his tactical gear. He looked like an action figure come to life.

I was at the very back of the crowd, leaning against a rusted corrugated wall. I pressed a hand over my mouth, but the dark, copper-tasting blood leaked through my fingers anyway. My insides felt like theyd been put through a meat grinder.

That was the price of Ryders "Stage Three Overdrive." His muscles should have turned to jelly; his femurs should have snapped under the pressure of his own speed.

But he was fine. Because I was his Anchor. I had swallowed his agony whole.

"Ryder is unstoppable! Another zero-injury run!"

"Hes literally made of steel!"

Ryder basked in the adoration, his gaze sweeping over the crowd. When his eyes finally landed on me, they turned cold. He marched over, his brow furrowed in a deep, permanent scowl.

"Still coughing up lungs in the corner? God, youre depressing to look at."

I swallowed the metallic tang in my throat and forced a weak smile. "Ryder, youre back. Are you... do you feel okay?"

"Why wouldn't I?" He let out a sharp, mocking laugh, looking down at me as if I were something hed stepped in. "Im the Chosen One, Nancy. I dont get 'tired.' Maybe if youd actually awakened a real power instead of just being a professional shut-in, youd understand."

I looked down at the back of my hand. It was translucent, spider-webbed with blue veins. Even with my immortality, it hurt. Every time he went into Overdrive, it felt like I was being flayed alive, inch by agonizing inch.

"Ryder, honey, don't let her ruin the mood."

A sweet, melodic voice cut through the tension. Melody stepped forward, wearing a pristine white sundress that seemed impossible in this filth. She was the colonys new darling. Her power was a "Purifying Song" that supposedly calmed the nerves and eased fatigue.

Ryders expression softened instantly. He wrapped a heavy arm around Melodys waist, pulling her close. "Hey, babe. Are you holding up okay?"

Melody gave a modest little shake of her head, casting a pointed, triumphant look my way. "Im fine. Id sing for you all day if it kept you energized. Not like some people... but I guess poor health can't be helped."

Ryder snorted. "Shes not sick, shes lazy. Born with weak blood, I guess." He turned back to Melody, ignoring me entirely. "Don't waste your breath on her. Theres a victory feast tonight. Youre sitting right next to me."

As they walked away, the whispers started among the bystanders.

"Thats his wife? She looks like a ghost."

"Pathetic. A god like Ryder tied down to a sickly anchor like that. He deserves better."

I slid down the wall, my legs giving out. The internal hemorrhaging was still settling. I fished a tattered bottle of oxycodone from my pocketthe only thing that kept me standingand swallowed a pill dry. Bitter. It tasted like my life.

It's okay, I told myself.

Five years ago, when the first fires broke out, a man in a scorched firefighters uniform had charged into a collapsing high-rise to pull me out. He had saved my life. I owed him everything. Even if he had changed, even if the power had corrupted his soul, I couldn't forget the man who carried me through the smoke.

As long as he was safe, I told myself it was enough.

The next day, the Colony Council issued an S-Rank mission: clear the central grain silos. It was a suicide missiona hive of thousands.

Ryder insisted Melody come along as his "support." I knew better. If Ryder hit his limit in that hive, the backlash would be exponential. Without me, he wouldn't just be injured; he would liquefy.

I quietly climbed into the back of the transport truck, hiding in the shadows of the gear crates.

When Ryder spotted me, his face darkened. "What are you doing here? Looking for a place to die?"

"I... I was worried," I whispered.

"Just don't get in the way." He didn't kick me out, but he made sure Melody was comfortable, tucking a soft cushion behind her back and whispering jokes into her ear.

The truck jolted over the ruined highway, each bump sent a shockwave through my healing ribs. Melody leaned into Ryder, hummed a soft, tuneless melody.

"Does my song make you feel stronger, Ryder?"

He closed his eyes, a blissful smile on his face. "Yeah, babe. Its like magic. I feel zero tension. Not a single ache."

I pulled my knees to my chest and smiled bitterly. Of course he felt great. Because the bone-crushing pressure of his "passive" state was currently radiating through my spine. I was sweating through my shirt, but I didn't make a sound.

At the silos, the nightmare began.

Ryder let out a war cry, his body erupting in a golden aura as he surged into Stage Two Overdrive. He was a human scythe, tearing through the undead with terrifying grace. Melody stood atop the armored vehicle, singing into a megaphone. "Go Ryder! You're the best!"

I crouched behind a pile of rubble nearby, biting down hard on a piece of leather.

Crr-ack.

As Ryder landed a devastating blow on a massive "Tank" zombie, a sharp snap echoed in my own right arm. My vision went black for a second. That was the kinetic kickback. It should have shattered his humerus.

Instead, it was mine that broke.

I writhed in the dirt, my nails clawing at the soil to keep from screaming.

The battle lasted thirty minutes. When it was over, Ryder stood atop a mountain of corpses, howling at the sky like a conqueror.

"I am a god!"

The team cheered, swarming him with praise. Melody ran to him, handing him a bottle of water. "Ryder, that was incredible! You didn't even get a scratch!"

Ryder laughed, pulling her into a sweaty kiss. "It was your song, Melody. Kept me feeling fresh as a daisy!"

Nobody looked at the corner of the ruins. Nobody saw me clutching my limp right arm, my face the color of ash, my hair matted with cold sweat.

I struggled to my feet, wanting to check if he had any internal micro-fractures I needed to pull. As I stumbled forward, a soldier bumped into me, nearly knocking me over.

"Whoa, watch it, Nancy. You look like a zombie yourself. Creepy."

Ryder looked over, his jaw tightening. "Nancy, seriously? Can you stop being an eyesore for five minutes? Everyones celebrating, and youre over there looking like death warmed over."

I held my broken arm, the pain making it hard to breathe. "Ryder... my arm..."

"What about it? Scratched it on a rock while you were hiding?" He sneered. "You're a real piece of work. Stop faking for attention and get in the truck. We're leaving."

He turned back to Melody, his voice turning like honey. "Melody, you must be exhausted. I'll have the cook make you something special tonight."

I watched his back, my heart feeling like it had been dipped in liquid nitrogen.

All my pain was just "faking" to him. All my sacrifice was worth less than a few off-key notes from a girl in a white dress.

Back at the base, my arm was swollen to twice its size. I set the bone myself, letting my immortality knit the tissue back together. I could heal, but I couldn't stop the feeling of the nerves screaming.

That night, the rations were distributed. It was a good haul, so everyone got a piece of real meat and a bowl of hot rice. I dragged my battered body to the line.

When I reached the front, the woman serving the food looked at me and tilted the ladle, giving me half a bowl of watery starch.

"Where's the protein?" I asked quietly.

She rolled her eyes. "Captain Ryder said you don't work, so you don't eat the heavy stuff. Waste of resources. Your portion went to Miss Melodys golden retriever."

I froze. A dog?

I had broken my arm for him. I had endured thirty minutes of torture for him. And I was worth less than a pet.

I took my watery soup and turned to leave.

"Oh, hey Nancy."

Melody was walking by, leading a well-fed golden retriever on a leash. The dog was chewing on a thick marrow bone.

Melody gave a dainty little giggle. "Oops. Ryder said I needed to keep my strength up for the singing, and well, my fur-baby needs his vitamins too. You aren't mad at a puppy, are you?"

I looked at her pretty, vacant face, and felt a surge of nausea.

"Get lost," I said, my voice dead.

Melodys face crumpled. Her eyes welled up instantly. "I know you don't like me, Nancy, but I'm just trying to help Ryder..."

"What's going on here?"

Ryder appeared, stepping between us and glaring at me. "Nancy, what is your problem now?"

"Ryder... I think she's mad about the food. She was being so mean..." Melody sobbed.

Ryder reached out and slapped the bowl out of my hand. The scalding soup splashed across my chest, turning my skin an angry red.

"Nancy! Knock it off! You live here for free on my dime! I tolerate you out of the goodness of my heart, and you have the nerve to bully Melody?"

I looked down at the spilled soup on the dirt. The last spark of something in my chest finally went out.

"On your dime?" I looked up, meeting his eyes. "Ryder, do you honestly believe you're invincible?"

Ryder laughed, a loud, arrogant sound. "The proof is in the body count, babe. I've never been hurt. Not once. That's talent. That's being the best. Something a parasite like you wouldn't understand."

He pointed a finger at my face. "If it wasn't for our history, I'd have tossed you over the wall months ago. Don't push me."

Our history. That was his favorite phrase.

I took a deep breath, pushing down the bile. "Fine, Ryder. You win."

I turned and walked back to my damp, moldy tent in the back of the camp.

That night, a fever took me. The side effects of the siphon were peakingmy body went from freezing to burning, my bones feeling like they were being gnawed by ants.

Ryder didn't come back. I heard he spent the night in Melody's tent, listening to her "song."

I curled up under a thin, moth-eaten blanket, clutching a charred, blackened dog tag in my hand. Id found it in the ruins of that high-rise five years ago. I remembered that day so clearlythe man in the firefighter's gear who carried me out. I had loved him for five years, protected him for five years. Even as he grew cruel and cold.

In the moonlight, I noticed the soot on the tag had flaked off a bit more. I took a piece of sandpaper Id found and began to polish it, wanting to see his name clearly, to remind myself why I stayed.

The name that emerged made my heart stop.

It wasn't Ryder.

It was Wyatt.

Wyatt, Ryders twin brother. The firefighter hero who had actually died before the Collapse even began.

The world tilted.

Memory is a fickle thing, but the truth hit me like a physical blow. The smoke had been so thick that day. I only remembered the silhouette, the strength of the arms. When Ryder showed up later and claimed it was him, I was so desperate for a savior I didn't question it.

And Ryder? He had just stepped into a dead man's shoes. He had stolen his brother's glory. He had stolen my gratitude, my love, and my life.

I had been a fool. I had been destroying myself for a thief and a liar.

The tears stopped. All that was left was a cold, obsidian hatred.

The next morning, the alarms screamed. A hordea real onewas at the gates.

Ryder was in top form, his gear polished, Melody clinging to his arm like an accessory. I walked up to him, my expression a mask of stone.

"Ryder. One question."

He huffed, adjusting his gloves. "Make it fast. I have a world to save."

I opened my palm, revealing the dog tag. "Who really pulled me out of the fire?"

Ryder froze. His eyes locked onto the tag, his pupils shrinking to pinpricks. But he recovered quickly, his face twisting into a sneer.

"So you found out. It was Wyatt. So what?" He snatched the tag from my hand and tossed it into a nearby sewer grate. "Hes dead. Dead weight has no value. Im the one who kept you fed. Im the one who gave you a home. You owe me."

"So it was always a lie," I said, my voice trembling.

"A lie that kept you alive. Look at youyoure a walking corpse. If you weren't my wife, nobody would even look at you." He patted my cheek condescendingly. "Be smart, Nancy. Im the King of this Colony. Stay quiet, and you get to keep eating. Bring up the past again, and Ill show you just how 'invincible' I can be."

He turned and headed for the wall. Melody followed, whispering as she passed me, "Hear that, Nancy? Know your place."

I stood there, watching the man I had protected for three years. The shackles on my soul finally shattered.

Gratitude? Debt?

To hell with that. If you aren't him, why am I the one bleeding?

Below the wall, the zombies were a sea of rotting flesh. Ryder stood at the edge, soaking in the cheers of the soldiers.

"Open the gates!" he roared. "Im going to paint the town red!"

I stepped forward, stopping a few feet behind him. He glanced back.

"Still here? Get lost! Youre bad luck!"

He gave me a hard shoveso hard I fell onto the gravel. My palms scraped open, blood oozing into the dirt.

Melody smirked. "Seriously, Nancy, stay back. Your negative energy is going to mess with his flow."

Ryder looked at me with pure loathing. "Hear her? Go. You make me sick."

I stood up, brushing the dust from my pants. My eyes were calmer than they had ever been.

"Fine. Im going."

"Good luck, Ryder," I whispered under my breath.

And then, in my mind, I flicked a switch. Sever connection.

The invisible tether that had bound us for three yearsthe cord through which I drank his poisonsnapped.

Ryder didn't notice. He let out a confident huff, leaped off the wall, and charged into the fray.

"Overdrive!"

The golden light exploded from him. He threw a punch at a lone, wandering zombie. A weakling. Usually, he would have pulverized it with a flick of his wrist.

But this time, as his fist connected with the creatures skull, the zombies claw swung out in a desperate, reflexive arc. It caught Ryder across the forearm.

Srrr-ip.

A bright red line appeared on his perfect, bronze skin.

Ryder stopped dead. He stared at his arm in total disbelief. Real, hot blood was welling up. And then, the painthe white-hot, agonizing reality of a nerve ending being severedhit him like a lightning bolt.

"AGHHHHHHH!"

A scream of pure, unadulterated terror ripped through the battlefield. Ryder clutched his arm, his eyes wide with horror.

What was happening? Why did it hurt? Why was he bleeding?

He was supposed to be made of steel.

On the wall, Melody was still singing into her megaphone: "Go Ryder! You're the best"

But Ryder couldn't hear her.