Page 62 of Alien Healer's Touch

My face burned hotter. "We didn't complete a lifebond ceremony."

"Perhaps not in the traditional Nyxari sense. But the integration you described might have initiated something similar." She touched her own markings thoughtfully. "How do you feel about that possibility?"

I inhaled deeply. "Terrified. Exhilarated." I looked up at the darkening sky, searching for words. "I dedicated my life to medicine. To understanding the human body through science and methodology. Now I feel a patient's illness before touching them. I sense Kavan's presence across the settlement. Everything I thought I knew about anatomy and physiology is being rewritten."

"And Kavan himself? How do you feel about him?"

The question struck at what I'd been avoiding. "He frustrates me. Challenges me. Makes me question assumptions I didn't know I had." I shook my head, laughing softly. "And I can't imagine not having him beside me now."

Mirelle's expression softened. "The bond with a Nyxari transforms us. Not just physically with the markings, but in ways I'm still discovering."

"Does it frighten you? Losing yourself?"

"I thought that would happen." She gazed toward the central clearing where Lazrin spoke with other warriors. "Instead, I've found pieces of myself I never knew were missing."

Comfortable silence settled between us.

"What happens next?" I finally asked. "With Hammond? With Claire?"

"We plan. We gather information. When the time comes, we act." Mirelle squeezed my hand. "But tonight, rest. And perhaps talk to Kavan. The space between you two crackles with unresolved tension."

I laughed despite myself. "That obvious?"

"To anyone with eyes." She stood, smoothing her clothing. "The Nyxari value our autonomy above all. They won't push for what we're not ready to give. But don't mistake patience for indifference."

As she walked away, I remained on the bench, watching twilight deepen into night. The markings along my wrists and hands caught the starlight, shimmering faintly with possibilities I was only beginning to understand.

And somewhere in the settlement, I felt Kavan waiting. Not demanding, not expecting. Just... there. A steady presence at the edges of my consciousness.

Waiting for me to decide what came next.

KAVAN

The weight of ancient knowledge pressed upon my shoulders as I stood within the center of the Council Hall. Around me, a circle of Elders sat silently in their carved vashkai chairs, their golden eyes fixed on my face like predators assessing prey. Nothing about this gathering resembled the usual Council sessions—not with what I'd discovered alongside Selene.

"Speak without restriction," Elder Rylis said, his copper-tipped fingers steepled before his face. "Every detail may matter more than you know."

I drew a deep breath, my tail flicking behind me in an involuntary display of tension. "The human settlement has been experimenting with technology that predates our Great Division."

A murmur rippled through the gathering. Several Elders leaned forward, their lifelines showing faintly beneath their skin.

"The facility Selene and I discovered contains neural integration chambers. The markings on the human women—they're not contamination as Hammond believes. They're receivers, connectors." I touched my own lifelines along my wrist. "Like our own, but adapted for human physiology."

"Are you certain of this?" Elder Thaxin asked, his midnight blue skin almost disappearing in the low light. "Or is this merely your interpretation?"

"I witnessed it myself. When Selene interacted with the technology, information transferred directly between our minds—medical knowledge, cultural understanding." I paused, uncertain how to describe the more... intimate aspects of the connection. "The integration bypasses language barriers completely."

Elder Shyla's silver-blue skin caught the light as she shifted in her seat. Unlike the others, her expression remained unreadable, though her eyes never left mine.

"There is more," I continued. "The facility contained medical technology far beyond our current capabilities. Treatments that could aid both our peoples."

"And you believe this ancient technology is meant for sharing with humans?" another Elder challenged, skepticism dripping from every word.

Before I could answer, Lazrin entered the chamber, his copper braids catching the flickering light. His expression looked grim, his movements precise with the urgency of his news.

"Forgive the interruption," he said with a quick bow toward the Council. "My scouts bring troubling reports. Hammond's forces are moving equipment toward the western canyon."

"The western canyon?" Elder Rylis repeated. "There is nothing there but?—"

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