Page 17 of Kazmyr: Molten for Her
Kazmyr's hand shot out, passing through Silvyr's holographic form to slam against the console. The metal dented beneath his palm, his heat leaving scorch patterns on its surface.
"Your commentary is not required," he snarled.
"On the contrary," Silvyr replied, utterly unfazed by the display. "My analysis of successful relationship dynamics suggests that Jenna's autonomy is essential to the stability of your bond. Your attempts to restrict her agency echo the very institutional control mechanisms you claim to oppose."
I blinked, surprised to find myself agreeing with the irritating creature. "He's right."
Kazmyr's head snapped back toward me, betrayal flashing across his features.
"Your protection is no different than the IDA's control," I said, the words dropping between us like stones. "Both decide what's best for me without asking what I want. Both think they own my future."
The marks across Kazmyr's chest pulsed once, bright as a solar flare, then dimmed to the dullest I'd ever seen them. His massive shoulders curved inward, the great warrior suddenly reduced by words more effectively than any weapon.
My chest tightened painfully. I hadn't meant to wound him, only to make him understand. The silence stretched between us, heavy with things unsaid.
"I don't want to die any more than you want me to," I said finally, my voice gentler. "But I refuse to live as a prisoner… even in a gilded cage of protection."
Maya stepped forward then, her hand brushing my arm in silent solidarity. "The plan isn't as reckless as it sounds. We'll have multiple fail-safes in place. The enhancer only activates on command, and we'll have extraction protocols ready at every stage."
Vylit's deep voice rumbled through the chamber, speaking for the first time since the plan was proposed. "The Voraxx fleet patterns suggest they will send scouts first. Smaller vessels, more vulnerable to ambush. We will have superiority of position."
Kazmyr remained silent, his marks pulsing in slow, mournful waves across his skin. The rage had drained from him, leaving something far more difficult to witness… fear. Not for himself, but for me.
"I need to do this," I said quietly, stepping close enough that I could feel the heat radiating from his body. Not the inferno of before, but a banked fire, restrained and wounded. "Not just for the mission, but for me. I need to know I still have choices."
His molten eyes finally lifted to mine, burning not with anger now but with something far more devastating… resignation.
"Then we do it your way." His voice was raw, as if the words had been torn from him. The marks across his chest pulsed irregularly, like a heart struggling to find its rhythm.
Silvyr's projection brightened with triumph, his silver form expanding to fill the center of the chamber. "Excellent! Now that the relationship drama portion of our meeting has concluded, perhaps we can return to the actual mission planning?"
He materialized the signal enhancer between his flickering fingers, a filament thin as spider silk that glowed with its own internal light. The sight of it sent a shiver of apprehension down my spine, but I refused to show it.
"The integration is simple enough," Silvyr explained, his voice dropping to a more serious tone. "The filament binds with your translator patch, using its existing connection to your biological functions. When activated, it amplifies the chemical signatures that mark you as unbonded."
Kazmyr's flared briefly at the word "unbonded," then settled back to their subdued pulse. He stood rigidly apart from us now, his massive frame radiating tension.
"Will it hurt?" I asked, hating the tremor in my voice but needing to know.
"Only a momentary discomfort during integration," Maya answered before Silvyr could, her scientist's precision reassuring. "I've reviewed the specifications. The technology is solid."
I nodded, squaring my shoulders. "Let's do it."
Silvyr's projection approached, the holographic filament glowing between his fingers. "I'll need to interface with your translator patch. Hold still, my drones will handle the physical integration."
A small, metallic sphere detached itself from somewhere near the ceiling, hovering toward me with surprising grace. The drone was no larger than my palm, its surface gleaming with the same silver tone as Silvyr's projection.
I swallowed hard as it approached my neck, fighting the instinct to back away. The Breather patch at my throat tingled as the drone interfaced with it, a strange pressure building beneath my skin.
"Integration commencing," Silvyr announced, his projection's hands moving through complex patterns as he guided the drone's work. "Try not to flinch, or we might accidentally turn you into a homing beacon for Gorgolian mating swarms instead."
"Is that supposed to be comforting?" I gritted out as the filament began to snake its way into my Breather system, a burning sensation spreading from my throat down to my chest.
"Merely maintaining a light atmosphere during a potentially stressful procedure," Silvyr replied, his tone entirely too cheerful. "Statistically speaking, humans respond better to invasive procedures when distracted by inappropriate humor."
The burning intensified, spreading through my veins like liquid fire. I gasped, my hands flying to my throat.
In an instant, Kazmyr was beside me, his massive hand supporting my back as my knees threatened to buckle. Heat radiated from his palm, not scorching now but soothing, counteracting the cold burn of the enhancer threading through my system.
