Wanting to help halfers had gotten her into trouble. It’s why she was here, instead of Earth. SpaceTech had found her books and research on Aunare physiology and had thrown her into jail. But she didn’t regret what she’d done or what she’d learned because it meant she was here to help me today.

She explained that Aunare bloodlines were complicated. Her bloodline was weak—basically dormant—which allowed her to pass through SpaceTech’s scans without being found out. Depending on the bloodline, the effects of the nanos on a halfer could be nothing at all or minor annoyance or extremely excruciating.

She’d had nanos before, and they didn’t bother her at all.

Lucky Audrey.

Pain rolled through my body again, and I screamed again and again and again. One scream rolled until the next until my throat was wrecked.

“Okay. You’re doing great. You’re getting through this.”

“Please,” I cried. “I can’t take it anymore.” I was pathetic, but I wasn’t beyond begging. Not anymore. I would do anything—anything—to make it stop.

“You can do this. I’m right here with you.”

Hot tears rolled down my cheeks as I turned my head toward her. “I’m done. I can’t do it. End it. Please.”

“No!” she yelled. “You’re getting through this. Minute by minute. I wish it wasn’t like this for you, but a day of pain for a lifetime of walking. It’s worth it.”

I tried. I really did. But I was so, so tired and I never passed out.

No matter how much I wanted it, begged for it, that sweet darkness never came to rescue me.

* * *

After a while, the pain started to ease, but I was still glowing. By the time Audrey asked if I wanted a painkiller, the worst had passed, but I still wanted it. I was tired of hurting.

Audrey left for a minute to grab it, and Tyler came to stand next to me.

“How’re you feelin’?” he asked.

The pain wasn’t much worse now than getting a tattoo, but the combined hours of suffering plus my shift on the surface of Abaddon had left me feeling jittery and weaker than I’d ever felt before. “Not good.” My voice was raspy from all the screaming.

As I looked up at Tyler, I wondered what he made of all of this. Of Audrey’s story and what both of us were and my still glowing skin. “Are you going to say anything about me?”

“About you being a halfer?”

I nodded, not trusting my voice.

“You made it this far, that’s your business. I don’t have any problems with the Aunare.”

“Okay.” I wanted to know more, but I wasn’t going to push.