Page 22 of Fractured Souls

Alexis tensed. Her hand looked like it had been dipped in some shiny blue substance, with the transformation ending at her wrist, where her skin returned to its normal deep brown color.

To his surprise, her other hand dropped and came to rest against his arm, her fingers curling tightly around his forearm. Her touch was transmitted through the hardened layer of his exo-armor, and he sensed the desperation in her.

She took a deep breath, her fingers digging into his arm as if he were her anchor in the storm.

“She wants to speak with the one called Akkadian.” Her voice was flat, trance-like. “Get him here, now.”

Ha. This Tharian. Was she mad? One did not just summon the boss and expect him to appear instantaneously.

But for Nythian, Tarak would come. The boss was the only being in the Universe who could command the First Division’s absolute loyalty, and in return, Nythian knew Tarak would tear down the fucking stars for them if he had to.

He opened his comm. “Boss.”

“Problem, Nythian?” Tarak answered instantly, as sharp and alert as ever.

In the background, he heard the sound of slow, rhythmic breathing—Tarak’s sleeping mate, perhaps?

“Well, yeah. I need you down at the med-labs. We have a bit of a situation here.”

Despite her predicament, Alexis raised an ironic eyebrow.

“Coming.” Tarak understood at once. He didn’t waste time. That was the thing about the boss. He got it. “Alert Enki.”

The boss cut the comm. Nythian raised Enki. “Brother, I know you’re off-duty, but I need you to get your ass down to the med-labs. There’s a problem.”

“With the human?” Enki’s response was equally as quick. He didn’t sound surprised at all.

“Your Tharian has made an appearance.”

“Hm. Is the human now lucid enough to take directions?”

“She’s plenty lucid,” Nythian said softly. He put his hand over Alexis’s good hand and squeezed. He switched to Universal. “She’s definitely able to handle things a lot better now.” He didn’t know that for certain, but perhaps just by saying the words, he could give her strength. “You just need to explain to her how this whole Tharian business works.”

“There is no way to explain it,” Enki said coldly, and the savage part of Nythian wanted to punch him. “But I will come and tell the human my techniques for dealing with the Tharian. Her situation is different, though. She is the true host.”

“And what in Kaiin’s hells does that even mean?”

“The answers are on Tharos.”

“I had a feeling you might say something like that. How would you know? You haven’t set foot there since Vethal destroyed the cursed place.”

“I have no plans to return to that place,” Enki said coolly. “I just know. I was there.”

Ah, Enki. As infuriatingly cryptic as ever. He’d always been a surly creature, even before the incident on Tharos.

Nythian growled in irritation. “Just get your ass down—”

“Coming.” And the comm went silent.

Alexis stared down at her transformed hand, a look of dismay creeping across her face. “I’m so sick of this shit,” she muttered under her breath, anger and loathing creeping into her voice.

Nythian didn’t know what to say. He’d never been in this situation before. Comforting a human… especially one who’d been brought back from the dead?

It wasn’t part of his skill-set, but hey, what was that ridiculous human phrase Abbey had once uttered?

Fake it until you make it.

Or something like that.

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