Audrey was as mesmerized as everyone else, but in the end, she was a Terran. They had skepticism in their blood.
"You make it sound so easy," she said. "The Fearless are horrible even without gaining another edge over you."
"That's right," he agreed. "But it is easy. Not the fight to come itself. We must prepare with more care than ever before. The fact that we will need to kill it is the easy truth. It can't be allowed to have the lifestone. Imagine what it could do with that."
Audrey's face told him that she had a very good imagination.
Her eyes turned back to the vid, now playing again for everyone on the bridge to see. Tieran wanted nothing more than to wrap his arms around her, to tell her that everything was going to be alright, but he couldn't make that promise.
Only that he would keep her safe, would protect her to his last breath.
He wondered if she knew that. If the little Terran knew she was turning his life upside down simply by existing, ripping all control from his hands.
He thought he was prepared for anything. But he hadn’t been prepared for her.
"The bracelet," he said simply. "In the light of this revelation, it's vital that we catch the Jorcossi as soon as possible. There is nothing more important in the galaxy right now."
That simple Palian truth had never felt so untrue before. Looking at Audrey smile bravely and nod, knowing that he was calling on her to hurt herself again by leading them in the right direction, Tieran wondered when exactly did she replace his sense of duty with such longing that it was painful to stay away from her.
"Alright," Audrey said. "I'm ready."
He took her into his arms gently, knowing it helped to dull the effect the lifestone had on her. Tieran had immediately informed the Palian scientists of her situation, asking them to look into curing her from the connection that pained her so. If anything were to happen to the bracelet, she'd be defenseless against it.
So far, the scientists were baffled by her condition. There shouldn't have been any remaining symptoms once she let the stone go.
He already knew he would give his life for Audrey if need be, but he didn't know how to defend her against something unseen and untouchable.
She removed the bracelet, standing above the galactic map with the pilot waiting to adjust their course. In the last few days, they had been making good speed, but the closer they got, the more it hurt Audrey to lead them.
Tieran couldn't wait until they were close enough to track the ship with their own technology and no longer had to torture her like that.
Audrey's entire body shook and a small scream escaped her lips. He had learned that there was a great pride in her, refusing to admit pain even when it was obvious to see.
She gritted her teeth and opened her eyes, looking at the map. Her hand in his was cold like the depths of the mountains back on Verien. He helped her point, feeling her body tremble against him, wracked under an assault he couldn't feel.
The pilot was taking notes, marking down the direction Audrey was giving them, making sure she pinpointed it as precisely as possible. The map kept zooming in and Audrey's finger moved over the glass surface, narrowing down the location of the enemy ship.
Finally the pilot nodded and went to insert the new course into the ship's navigation system.
Tieran reached for her hand to help snap the bracelet back on when Audrey screamed. It was not a sound a human throat was supposed to make. She threw her head back, collapsing in his arms, a high, pitching cry falling over her lips.
Tieran grabbed her wrist and started to lock the bracelet, but Audrey pushed him away.
The little Terran actually knocked him away, but she seemed surprised by her own strength. He was up in a second, ready to face anything, the same objectless prayer in his head as on the station.
Don't let her be a host.
Though the scans had brought up nothing, he couldn’t escape the slim possibility that she could
"You make it sound so easy," she said. "The Fearless are horrible even without gaining another edge over you."
"That's right," he agreed. "But it is easy. Not the fight to come itself. We must prepare with more care than ever before. The fact that we will need to kill it is the easy truth. It can't be allowed to have the lifestone. Imagine what it could do with that."
Audrey's face told him that she had a very good imagination.
Her eyes turned back to the vid, now playing again for everyone on the bridge to see. Tieran wanted nothing more than to wrap his arms around her, to tell her that everything was going to be alright, but he couldn't make that promise.
Only that he would keep her safe, would protect her to his last breath.
He wondered if she knew that. If the little Terran knew she was turning his life upside down simply by existing, ripping all control from his hands.
He thought he was prepared for anything. But he hadn’t been prepared for her.
"The bracelet," he said simply. "In the light of this revelation, it's vital that we catch the Jorcossi as soon as possible. There is nothing more important in the galaxy right now."
That simple Palian truth had never felt so untrue before. Looking at Audrey smile bravely and nod, knowing that he was calling on her to hurt herself again by leading them in the right direction, Tieran wondered when exactly did she replace his sense of duty with such longing that it was painful to stay away from her.
"Alright," Audrey said. "I'm ready."
He took her into his arms gently, knowing it helped to dull the effect the lifestone had on her. Tieran had immediately informed the Palian scientists of her situation, asking them to look into curing her from the connection that pained her so. If anything were to happen to the bracelet, she'd be defenseless against it.
So far, the scientists were baffled by her condition. There shouldn't have been any remaining symptoms once she let the stone go.
He already knew he would give his life for Audrey if need be, but he didn't know how to defend her against something unseen and untouchable.
She removed the bracelet, standing above the galactic map with the pilot waiting to adjust their course. In the last few days, they had been making good speed, but the closer they got, the more it hurt Audrey to lead them.
Tieran couldn't wait until they were close enough to track the ship with their own technology and no longer had to torture her like that.
Audrey's entire body shook and a small scream escaped her lips. He had learned that there was a great pride in her, refusing to admit pain even when it was obvious to see.
She gritted her teeth and opened her eyes, looking at the map. Her hand in his was cold like the depths of the mountains back on Verien. He helped her point, feeling her body tremble against him, wracked under an assault he couldn't feel.
The pilot was taking notes, marking down the direction Audrey was giving them, making sure she pinpointed it as precisely as possible. The map kept zooming in and Audrey's finger moved over the glass surface, narrowing down the location of the enemy ship.
Finally the pilot nodded and went to insert the new course into the ship's navigation system.
Tieran reached for her hand to help snap the bracelet back on when Audrey screamed. It was not a sound a human throat was supposed to make. She threw her head back, collapsing in his arms, a high, pitching cry falling over her lips.
Tieran grabbed her wrist and started to lock the bracelet, but Audrey pushed him away.
The little Terran actually knocked him away, but she seemed surprised by her own strength. He was up in a second, ready to face anything, the same objectless prayer in his head as on the station.
Don't let her be a host.
Though the scans had brought up nothing, he couldn’t escape the slim possibility that she could
Similar Books
