Finally , she thought. Something new. Three days later, Xenia stood in the center of the crater. The ship—Kryptonian, she’d learned from the dead scientist she’d followed—was mostly dark. But its core hummed. A pulsing green heart. She pressed her palm to it. Instead of killing her, it purred . Her veins lit up like circuitry. For the first time in her life, she felt weakness leave.

He pulled her from the dark. She woke in a white room. No windows. A bed that wasn't silk. Her wrists were bandaged. Her legs ached.

She looked up. God, he was beautiful. That ridiculous jaw. Those sad, blue eyes.

She tightened her legs one last time. "Show me," she breathed, "what happens when you break ."

He stepped forward. "I'm offering you help. A containment cell. Therapy. There are people who—"