Pain. Sharp, immediate, all-consuming. The lab’s darkness pressed against my chest as if the fragment itself had weight. Neural feedback screamed through my veins, setting every nerve on fire. My fingers trembled over the console, heart hammering, pride and fear colliding like thunder.
Vorde’s hand found mine, clutching tight, possessive. His eyes were wide, vulnerable, betraying the trust he still placed in me even as chaos tore through him. Jealousy flared in my chest. He’s relying on me, completely. I can’t fail him now.
“Veronica,” he gasped, voice ragged, uneven. “I feel it, inside me. It’s.”
“I know!” I snapped, voice raw, desperate. “Hold on, don’t let it take you!” Every word trembled, every emotion twisting inside me: fear, desire, fury, pride, jealousy, each one a weapon and a
