Page 40 of Craze

I don’t want to, but as the tunnel moves up and down and sways side to side, I grow weary of supporting myself and Loli.

The heat of Craze’s chest spreads through my back as my body slumps under the effort.

His warm breath feathers down my neck. Craze draws my hood over my head as the tunnels grow colder, then adjusts his position and slides an arm around my waist.

Craze>>Navi: Don’t want you to fall off.

His need to touch me is unusual, but it’s growing harder to not like it.

Chapter 12: Craze

My ultro thunders as Navi leans into me. I can’t control the urge to feel more of her. But the reason takes me a second to come up with. I can’t just touch her. She doesn’t like it. And while I want her to, I can’t force it. I have to show her I am safe and my contact is safe because I want to protect her.

Where did you learn that rock trick?I ask her.

She draws in a deep breath.I spent my childhood on Earth Minor. But after the Solcrue burned our city to the ground, my parents moved to an asteroid and became communications specialists for the rebellion. We didn’t have much for heat, so we stayed warm at night with rocks from the fire.

Navi leans forward as if listening to something Loli says but it’s too quiet to hear it. The cold air that rushes between our bodies makes me scoot closer to Navi.

When she finally leans back into me again, a wave of relief rushes through me. It doesn’t matter that she’s not Titan. I wantNavillera. But I don’t know if she’ll ever learn to trust me or care for me in return.

How did you end up with your augments?I ask her.

She rubs Loli’s arm in comforting strokes and sniffles.Solcrue burned out my eyes on Earth Minor. I spent several years on asteroid Heberus, healing. I had to learn my way around by feel, sound, and memorize everything. My father built me an integrated headset that he could communicate with to assist me when I needed it and ask for things as he and my mother needed.

Integrated?

She chews a lip.Implant.

Quite the engineer. That’s a—

Creator’s skill, I know.Navi’s brows pinch together as we climb a slope fast, making out bodies press into the platform.

“Are you saying that your father—”

“Was a Creator, yes.” Navi hugs Loli and subtly rocks her body.We left Titan when I was just a baby. My parents wanted to protect me.Her head sways.They shamed him for leaving, shut him out. Then they all died during the takeover.

I want to ease the pain of her memories. Sympathy for her struggles makes me curl around her as if I could protect her from them now. I know I can’t but I want to try.

I don’t deserve this, whatever this is that you’re trying to do,she says.It feels too good. But I don’t deserve it.

How can you say that? You freed many. You fought for them.

Her face twists with frustration.I got my parents killed by Solcrue! I answered a distress call. Because I couldn’t read the code on the screen, I didn’t know it was from the enemy.

Her body tenses, and I realize that she feels like saving the women she has wasn’t enough to make up for past mistakes.

I am built for initial assault missions, infiltrating the most secure and heavily guarded ships. Many have died on my teams. I have out-operated hundreds. Few of our Brothers and Sisters are left. In a perfect universe, none of them would have perished.

Many times, I tried to fight my programming to save them. But it was always the mission or them. And the Creators made me to focus on one thing—the mission right in front of me. So I carry a lot of guilt, too.

I clutch her against me.You tried to do the right thing based on what you knew. Many choose to hide and hope someone else will take action. The rebellion needs people like you.

I need her.

Navi>>Local:pops up in my vision, and I don’t need to know what she says. I feel it.

Tangle slows the hoverdrone. We pull into an adjacent tunnel and park in an alcove off of the main road.

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