It’s getting worse, Tair’s voice in my head should’ve been grating, but instead it soothed the jabbing pain. Of course it did. Everything about him made me want him that much more.

It’s getting harder. The answers we needed were so close.

I just hoped we found them before we hit my limit.

Chapter Twenty-Two

Chapter Twenty-Two

ALTAIR

Dizziness tilted my view after the latest timewind, but whatever ill effects I felt, Quanta must be feeling them to the tenth power. Jump by jump her skin lost its luster. Her breaths came heavier, almost wheezing, and her gray eyes were slow to focus.

We only had seconds to talk and plan before we had to start our latest production for the cameras, but I couldn’t bring myself to pull apart from her. You’re sure you can keep this up?

It’s fine. Just… She rubbed the spot between her eyebrows and seemed to lose her line of thought, but her shoulders hunched in, giving the distinct impression she wanted to hide something.

Just?

Quanta stared down at the table. Stay close this time.

Something in my chest soared. I’m not going anywhere.

I couldn’t leave her alone again. Not with Darren waiting to swoop in. If I saw him trying to touch her…

The sound of creaking plastic drew my gaze downward. I’d snap the tray in half if I kept this up.

Was I still myself if protecting Quanta was all I could think of?

I’d trained martial arts for most my life, learning to calm myself under pressure and fight only as a last resort. Then I’d seen Darren, holding Quanta by her wrists, with the shadow of fear dark in her eyes…

Snapping was the mild way to put it. I would’ve happily bludgeoned the bastard to death.

Now I regretted that I hadn’t. He would’ve reversed back to life, and it was wasting Quanta’s powers not to give him what he deserved.

At least that clarified how I felt about Quanta. I was willing to kill for her.

As she stared blankly in front of her, still catching her breath, I ached to do anything that would ease her pain. The emotions were obviously stronger than they should be—supercharged by our genetic ties—but at their roots, they were mine. My respect for her went farther than respect and if Eva had left us to our own devices, I still would’ve been drawn to her.

She’d made the best of her terrible situation and I couldn’t wait to see what she and I could do when we finally made it out. Her power rewrote what was possible.

Getting there was the problem.