Page 33 of Rebirth

She is silent. Silent enough that I brace for the disgust, hatred and horror that will shine through in those expressive eyes.

All that I witness is…nothing.

Nothing.

“You are my enemy…” she whispers again, gaze leveled with mine. “Fine. I can work with that.”

My nictitating membrane slides over my eyes as I hold her in my focus. I do not know what she means.

Sniffing I lean toward her. She does not budge and…I do not smell her fear.

This is…impossible.

“You are mentally compromised.” My voice is low, my words rumbling across the short space between us.

“Is that your way of saying I’m crazy? Mad? Insane?”

“You are,” I whisper, forcing myself not to draw closer to her as her sweet scent fills my nose.

“A little,” she whispers.

I have only been in this female’s presence for one cycle…and she puzzles me. Her reactions are uncharacteristic of her kind…and because of that, I deviate from my norm. Around her, I am as unlike myself as she is unlike any I have known of her species. She is a variable I did not expect to encounter.

And as if that was all I needed, I decide to let her see me.

Rising, I stride away from her to the nearest vein conduit large enough for me to interact with. Claws sliding over its smooth outer edge, I can feel it calling to me, wanting to connect.

Off to the side, Soh’fee remains in the same spot, eyes glued to me, and for a moment, I wonder if this is the right thing to do.

“Do it.” Her voice whispers across the space between us, stroking over my ridges like a silky caress.

Eyes on her, I rest my palm on top of the vein and I see when she inhales, chest rising as her lungs fill with air.

At my touch, the vein thrums with interest, recognizing our affinity, while, at the same time, recognizing the threat. For like with Soh’fee, I am its ally and its enemy. I can sense when it pulls back, its intelligence not as great as those that created it, yet enough to know its survival hangs in the balance.

“I am not here to destroy you,” I whisper, eyes still on Soh’fee as I speak to both her and the network itself and I see when her throat moves. She gives me a slight nod, chin moving toward chest, and I turn my attention to the Gryken structure underneath my claw.

It is true. I am not here to destroy it either. Not yet, at least.

For it all must die. Every last bit of it. Even if I have to go along with it.

“Soh’fee,” her name comes out with a growl, “you should leave.”

“Why?”

“Go through the tunnels far away from here.”

“Not a fat chance. Whatever you’re about to do, I need to see it too. I need to know what the fuck is happening here. Your people…my people need to know what we’re dealing with.”

I keep my hold on the conduit, sensing the life force thumping through the vein. I don’t know what I’m about to do. I just know that I must try to connect. Try to let go. To open the vacuum in which I have situated myself all this time.

“So be it,” I say.

Shadows crawl at the edges of my vision as I unfocus my eyes. And for the first time since my greatest sacrifice, I let go. Instead of fighting the connection as before, I open my mind to it fully. The vein feeds me knowledge in a rush, the connection shooting through me, filling my mind with information that comes all at once.

I jerk, the barrage almost too much to handle, but I do not let go.

“He’rox?”

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