still be a vessel. If she was, he’d be utterly devastated.
Audrey was shaking her head, whimpering quietly. She had stopped screaming but it was clear she was suffering.
"Wait, wait," she panted. "I see something else. Let me... I can find it."
"Find what?" Tieran asked, although he could already guess.
"The Fearless," Audrey said, her eyes filled with tears.
He pulled her back into his arms, hoping it protected her from the pain, at least a little. Audrey was now crying, but under the tears her eyes were determined.
"You can't take this much longer," Tieran said. "We will find the Fearless, I promise."
"I can almost see it..." she replied. "Just give me a second."
"Audrey–" he warned, running his fingers over her skin. "You are turning to ice. You need to put the bracelet back on."
She shook her head furiously.
Tieran could feel Audrey shake so hard she nearly twisted herself out of his grip. He had never been so conflicted in his life.
On one hand, no one understood sacrifice in the name of a higher cause like paladins did. If it was Tieran himself, he would have taken the punishment unflinchingly, but it was a whole other matter to watch Audrey endure it.
On the other hand, she was free to choose her own path like every being in the galaxy and she wanted to help. He couldn't deny that to her, but he wasn't prepared to let her die before his very eyes.
"The lifestone," Audrey whispered, " It – It's already in the Fearless' hands. It has it. It wants more."
That was incredibly bad, but Tieran was a Palian – any information she gained was useful, it would help them all to put the picture together, to find and fight the monster. He had to weigh it rationally.
Already he sensed that the new skills of the Fearless made more sense if it possessed a piece of the lifestone.
Audrey's flesh was becoming too cold to touch, but Tieran refused to let go of her. Everyone on the bridge had stopped what they had been doing, their eyes focused on him and her as they waited to hear what they were going to face at the end of their chase.
"No," she said. "I was wrong. It doesn't have it. Like you said... it's in it. It is one with the lifestone now. Tieran, it – it saw me !"
Everything happened incredibly fast after that.
As a born warrior, Tieran was bred to be better than anything the galaxy might throw against him. His reflexes were honed by years and years of hard, relentless training and naturally keen senses. Yet the warning only came a fraction of a second before Audrey's eyes clouded over and the little Terran struck him.
This time, the force was enough to throw him right into the bridge wall, but it hadn't been Audrey who hit him.
The roar that came from her throat as she rose was definitely not her either.
For a second, Tieran stared eye to eye with a presence that was using her as a conduit. Endless hatred and hunger flared in the beautiful green eyes that were not suited for those emotions.
His armor changed and he shook the glaive open. Every paladin on the bridge rounded up, surrounding Audrey.
"Don't hurt her," he ordered roughly. " Audrey , you have to put the bracelet back on–"
He didn't have time to finish the sentence before she charged, knocking a two-ton console out of the way like it was made of paper. When Tieran saw a horrible bruise on her hand, fury roared in him. The Fearless was giving her the power, but it was using a body that wasn't meant to channel that sort of strength, uncaring of what happened to her.
"Audrey!" he called, jumping out of the way of her.
It would have been so easy. The Fearless was tempting him to strike at her, but Tieran refused to harm her.
That, however, left the bridge undefended. He knew he couldn't let the Fearless destroy the ship if he had any hope of stopping the Jorcossi, but he didn't think he could have hurt Audrey.
For a moment, he saw recognition in her light green eyes, once more hers, but then it was gone again. She was battling a
Audrey was shaking her head, whimpering quietly. She had stopped screaming but it was clear she was suffering.
"Wait, wait," she panted. "I see something else. Let me... I can find it."
"Find what?" Tieran asked, although he could already guess.
"The Fearless," Audrey said, her eyes filled with tears.
He pulled her back into his arms, hoping it protected her from the pain, at least a little. Audrey was now crying, but under the tears her eyes were determined.
"You can't take this much longer," Tieran said. "We will find the Fearless, I promise."
"I can almost see it..." she replied. "Just give me a second."
"Audrey–" he warned, running his fingers over her skin. "You are turning to ice. You need to put the bracelet back on."
She shook her head furiously.
Tieran could feel Audrey shake so hard she nearly twisted herself out of his grip. He had never been so conflicted in his life.
On one hand, no one understood sacrifice in the name of a higher cause like paladins did. If it was Tieran himself, he would have taken the punishment unflinchingly, but it was a whole other matter to watch Audrey endure it.
On the other hand, she was free to choose her own path like every being in the galaxy and she wanted to help. He couldn't deny that to her, but he wasn't prepared to let her die before his very eyes.
"The lifestone," Audrey whispered, " It – It's already in the Fearless' hands. It has it. It wants more."
That was incredibly bad, but Tieran was a Palian – any information she gained was useful, it would help them all to put the picture together, to find and fight the monster. He had to weigh it rationally.
Already he sensed that the new skills of the Fearless made more sense if it possessed a piece of the lifestone.
Audrey's flesh was becoming too cold to touch, but Tieran refused to let go of her. Everyone on the bridge had stopped what they had been doing, their eyes focused on him and her as they waited to hear what they were going to face at the end of their chase.
"No," she said. "I was wrong. It doesn't have it. Like you said... it's in it. It is one with the lifestone now. Tieran, it – it saw me !"
Everything happened incredibly fast after that.
As a born warrior, Tieran was bred to be better than anything the galaxy might throw against him. His reflexes were honed by years and years of hard, relentless training and naturally keen senses. Yet the warning only came a fraction of a second before Audrey's eyes clouded over and the little Terran struck him.
This time, the force was enough to throw him right into the bridge wall, but it hadn't been Audrey who hit him.
The roar that came from her throat as she rose was definitely not her either.
For a second, Tieran stared eye to eye with a presence that was using her as a conduit. Endless hatred and hunger flared in the beautiful green eyes that were not suited for those emotions.
His armor changed and he shook the glaive open. Every paladin on the bridge rounded up, surrounding Audrey.
"Don't hurt her," he ordered roughly. " Audrey , you have to put the bracelet back on–"
He didn't have time to finish the sentence before she charged, knocking a two-ton console out of the way like it was made of paper. When Tieran saw a horrible bruise on her hand, fury roared in him. The Fearless was giving her the power, but it was using a body that wasn't meant to channel that sort of strength, uncaring of what happened to her.
"Audrey!" he called, jumping out of the way of her.
It would have been so easy. The Fearless was tempting him to strike at her, but Tieran refused to harm her.
That, however, left the bridge undefended. He knew he couldn't let the Fearless destroy the ship if he had any hope of stopping the Jorcossi, but he didn't think he could have hurt Audrey.
For a moment, he saw recognition in her light green eyes, once more hers, but then it was gone again. She was battling a
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