afraid the engine would
overheat. Sage didn’t so much as twitch and he couldn’t pick up any of her
thoughts. Either she was trapped in a dreamless sleep or…
But
no, he could hear her heart beat.
The
tunneler dug through Rothguard’s entry hall and stopped. A swarm of thoughts
tried to bombard him, but ignored them as he scooped Sage up once more and
carried her into the cyborg’s lab.
“Told
you he’d be here.” Cassandra chirped.
“You
never tire of saying that, do you?” That from Allora.
“What
have you done to your mate?” Cormack asked as he stared down at Sage.
Rothguard
said nothing, simply indicated the place he wanted Dayen to set Sage down. It
took all his efforts to back away from her, but he did it. “Mel, scan her for
toxins.”
Mel’s
small hands closed over a portable scanning device. “There’s something there
but I don’t know what.”
Rothguard
took the scanner and scowled at it. “Let me take a blood sample.” He inserted a
needle into the vein at the crook of Sage’s elbow, then plugged the slide into
his armband. “I’ve never seen anything like this before.”
“He
said it would transcend her, that she would be like me.” Dayen relayed the
information in a hollow voice.
Rothguard’s
eyes—one human, one biomechanical—remained on his patient. “We don’t even know
what you are, never mind how to make anyone else like you.”
“The
Born have been trying to.” Cassandra said. “Ask her uncle.”
“Can
you reverse it?” Dayen’s gaze was glued to Sage, wiling her to awaken.
Rothguard
hooked up an IV to her arm. She didn’t so much as twitch as he inserted the
needle. “Not unless I know more. Right now we’ll have to fight for her life.
Now stand aside and let me do what I can.”
Dayen
moved to a corner where he could keep his eyes on his unconscious mate but not
obstruct her medical care. Cassandra moved to stand beside him.
“So,
now you know what it’s like to feel helpless.”
Her
words startled him from his vigil. “How can you say that? I’ve always known.”
She
shook her head. “No, Dayen. You didn’t have anything at risk, anything to lose.
Look to your mate there and then look me in the eye and tell me you understood
true fear before you met her.”
Dayen
looked back to Sage, to where she fought for her life. She’d been so afraid and
so brave in spite of it but until this moment, he hadn’t fully understood how
much she’d had to overcome just to survive.
Through
his parched throat he pushed out the word. “No.”
“Does
she remind you of anyone?” Cassandra put a hand on his arm.
“Isaac,”
he breathed in immediate response. The bred had fought and struggled, suffered
and bled and ultimately died, leaving behind his cherished Only One.
“Do
you understand why he struggled and fought to survive?”
Dayen’s
gaze shifted to Mel.
But
Cass shook her head. “Not just for her or even for what they shared. He
survived because it was instinctive to him, just as it is to your beast. Love
is not necessary to life, but it is what makes it worth living. You’ve been
surviving on instinct, but that’s not who you need to be. Not who we all need
you to become.”
Dayen’s
jaw clenched. “Now is not the time for this—”
Cassandra
stood before him, blocking his way. “Now is the only time, damn you!
This world will end if you
overheat. Sage didn’t so much as twitch and he couldn’t pick up any of her
thoughts. Either she was trapped in a dreamless sleep or…
But
no, he could hear her heart beat.
The
tunneler dug through Rothguard’s entry hall and stopped. A swarm of thoughts
tried to bombard him, but ignored them as he scooped Sage up once more and
carried her into the cyborg’s lab.
“Told
you he’d be here.” Cassandra chirped.
“You
never tire of saying that, do you?” That from Allora.
“What
have you done to your mate?” Cormack asked as he stared down at Sage.
Rothguard
said nothing, simply indicated the place he wanted Dayen to set Sage down. It
took all his efforts to back away from her, but he did it. “Mel, scan her for
toxins.”
Mel’s
small hands closed over a portable scanning device. “There’s something there
but I don’t know what.”
Rothguard
took the scanner and scowled at it. “Let me take a blood sample.” He inserted a
needle into the vein at the crook of Sage’s elbow, then plugged the slide into
his armband. “I’ve never seen anything like this before.”
“He
said it would transcend her, that she would be like me.” Dayen relayed the
information in a hollow voice.
Rothguard’s
eyes—one human, one biomechanical—remained on his patient. “We don’t even know
what you are, never mind how to make anyone else like you.”
“The
Born have been trying to.” Cassandra said. “Ask her uncle.”
“Can
you reverse it?” Dayen’s gaze was glued to Sage, wiling her to awaken.
Rothguard
hooked up an IV to her arm. She didn’t so much as twitch as he inserted the
needle. “Not unless I know more. Right now we’ll have to fight for her life.
Now stand aside and let me do what I can.”
Dayen
moved to a corner where he could keep his eyes on his unconscious mate but not
obstruct her medical care. Cassandra moved to stand beside him.
“So,
now you know what it’s like to feel helpless.”
Her
words startled him from his vigil. “How can you say that? I’ve always known.”
She
shook her head. “No, Dayen. You didn’t have anything at risk, anything to lose.
Look to your mate there and then look me in the eye and tell me you understood
true fear before you met her.”
Dayen
looked back to Sage, to where she fought for her life. She’d been so afraid and
so brave in spite of it but until this moment, he hadn’t fully understood how
much she’d had to overcome just to survive.
Through
his parched throat he pushed out the word. “No.”
“Does
she remind you of anyone?” Cassandra put a hand on his arm.
“Isaac,”
he breathed in immediate response. The bred had fought and struggled, suffered
and bled and ultimately died, leaving behind his cherished Only One.
“Do
you understand why he struggled and fought to survive?”
Dayen’s
gaze shifted to Mel.
But
Cass shook her head. “Not just for her or even for what they shared. He
survived because it was instinctive to him, just as it is to your beast. Love
is not necessary to life, but it is what makes it worth living. You’ve been
surviving on instinct, but that’s not who you need to be. Not who we all need
you to become.”
Dayen’s
jaw clenched. “Now is not the time for this—”
Cassandra
stood before him, blocking his way. “Now is the only time, damn you!
This world will end if you
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