Page 176 of Bonds of Starfall
Aetherborn.
Had he already known that?
Her sobs and cries came in and out of focus as he stared at his orders. Everything blurred as he read the words.
Electroshock therapy. Initiate high-voltage pulse. Now.
The words fizzled away. He focused back on her. The table beside the chair had the necessary equipment for his orders.
"You should not be here," he said. The words bubbled up, unbidden. Why did he believe that? He tried to focus on the feelings, but they drifted away—a tide going out.
She flinched away. "What do you mean? Why are you here, Kit? What happened to you? I thought you were dead. We had a funeral…" she sobbed.
"I do not know what you are talking about." A part of him did, though. Flashes of agony, gleaming steel, and tracing letters against his thigh to keep sane.
He reached for the shock equipment. The arm of his prosthetic grazed her cheek. He didn’t feel it. He looked down.
"Where have you been?" Her breath puffed against the fabric of his suit.
He didn’tfeelit.
Kit pulled away from her sharply. "Stop talking."
"Are you in trouble? Is that what this is? I know about your parents. Have they done this to you? Have they hurt you?"
His heart rate spiked at her words.
Make her stop talking,the orders read.
Kit snapped, reaching for her neck. The unyielding fingers of his prosthetic squeezed. Tighter.
She groaned, lids fluttering.
He let up—slightly—then leaned down over her, his eyes flicking between hers. The shade was so unnatural. Grey. Everything about her was grey.
Her lips struggled to form words. Her mouth was pretty.
Her lips looked so unbearably soft.
Let her go.
He let her go.
His eyes dropped to his hand around her throat—a warning. He wondered what her skin would feel like.
Her accusations echoed in his mind as her breath came ragged.
"Nothing was done to me." Kit’s brow furrowed. "I was nowhere."
"I grieved you. We all did. I thought—" Her voice broke.
Administer the shocks.
He bent to pick up the wires he’d dropped.
"You should not have grieved me, Vesperin." Kit didn’t like anything, but if he could, he’d like the feel of her name rolling off his tongue. Hair had fallen into her face, obscuring her eyes. He wanted to see her eyes. He brushed the hair away. "I am ungrievable. I am your nightmare."
Please,he wanted to tell her,run from me.Save me from myself. Get away from me before I hurt you.
