Page 72 of Obsession

I nodded, but head spun as I tried to piece it together. “Why were you there again?”

Volten handed me a cup of water. “Zav was able to insert my signature into the program by having me enter from an adjacent holochamber and running simultaneous simulations that he merged. Do not ask me any more details. It barely made sense when he explained it the first time.”

“Zav pulled us out? I remember that we were running to a spot so Zav could pull us out.”

“In the end, he managed to disable the simulation. I have not had the chance to ask him how, but Reina mentioned something about getting help from others. I guess it was a good thing, because he couldn’t extract our signatures like he thought he could.”

The memory was hazy, but it was there. “You were supposed to take Britta and get her out.” I narrowed my eyes at him. “But you didn’t.”

Volten scraped a hand through his hair. “I told you when we were in the simulation, the woman refused to go. She refused to leave you.”

“She did?” Thinking about Britta sent a buzz of warmth through me. "Is she okay?"

"She's fine. She was not injured.” Volten's voice was careful, and his words measured. "How much do you remember about what happened in there with her?”

I closed my eyes as fragments crashed over me. Britta in my arms. Her lips on mine. Her body pressed against me in that cadet's quarters. But that couldn't be real. The Iron who'd always been my friend, who lived by logic and reason, would not do any of that. I gave my head a shake. It had to be the sedatives making me imagine something that had not occurred.

Brisk footsteps made me open my eyes, hope blooming in my chest. But it wasn’t Britta. It was Reina, the Vexling who assisted the academy master’s wife and who seemed to know a lot of what went on at the academy.

“You’re awake!” She smiled widely at me as she clapped her bony hands. “And you look up to having visitors, which is a good thing because Fiona and Jess went to fetch—”

Then the door burst open behind Reina, and Britta rushed in, her hair wild and her chest rising as falling as she sucked in hungry breaths.

She was beautiful. The thought hit me like a punch to the gut. But this was Britta. This was the cadet I had taught, my subordinate, my friend. My uneven pulse had to be from the blood loss.

“Oh, my.” Reina tried to smooth tousled Britta’s hair, her brow wrinkling as she looked from the woman to me and back again. “Maybe I should let you two talk privately.”

Volten mumbled something about giving us privacy, as well, and slipped out.

Reina took tiny, bouncy steps behind Volt, pausing and looking over her shoulder before leaving. “If you need anything hons, I’ll be right outside.”

When it was just us in the room, I released a breath and smiled tentatively at Britta.

"I'm so glad you're alive." Her voice cracked. "I was so scared."

I had never seen her so emotional, so raw, and I wondered for a moment if my wild imagination contained a glimmer of truth.

"Thank you for getting me out." I gave her what I hoped was a friendly smile. “Volten said you refused to leave me.”

“How could I?” Her words were intense, but her posture was rigid. Had I done something in the simulation to anger her? Had I put her in danger? I had to fix whatever I had done to make her so on- edge.

“Britta.” I reached for her hand, and she took it. “I hope I did not do anything in the simulation that would ruin our friendship."

Her hand twitched, and her eyes shuttered. “Our friendship?”

“We have always been friends. I know I put you at risk by insisting you go in the simulation with me, so if you are upset by that, I understand your—”

“That’s what you remember?” Her voice went flat.

“I remember running.” I put a hand to my throbbing head. “I remember hiding.” I remembered snatches of other things, but they couldn’t be real, could they? “I am the reason you were trapped in the simulation, and I am sorry for it.”

“Nothing to worry about.” She gave me a tight smile as she slipped her hand from mine. “I’m not mad at you.”

I studied her face. I had spent too much time with females to believe what she was saying. “Are you sure?”

She bobbed her head up and down as she took a step back. “Yep. We're all good. I’m glad you’re better. That’s what’s important.”

Before I could press her on the matter and the fact that she was most certainly upset with me, she spun on one heel and practically ran from the room.

---