Page 75 of Border Control

Nevare grimaces. “Am I going nova?”

“No, you had a mild episode,” Arik says, smile back in place as he hunkers next to us. “Just a teeny one.”

He shudders. “It was all… and I… there were… it was too much.”

I rub his back, murmuring, “It won’t happen again.”

‘You can’t promise that,’Arik sends to me.‘You’re right, you win, you’re the strongest. Without you, I can’t control Nevare.’

“No. You can,” I say out loud. “This wouldn’t be so bad if…”‘Law-rah wasn’t part of the mind-sync.’

We can all feel her. A pulse of sadness, cold and alone in the abandoned stone farmhouse. And then it seals away from us as she shields.

‘At least she’s getting better at that,’Arik allows.

Law-rah’s new ability should have made me content, a suitable temporary solution while we disentangle the mind-sync.

But it means Law-rah is cast out, alone.

‘She’s used to being alone in her head. She’s not used to sharing her thoughts with another,’Arik reminds me.‘This is scary for her, as scary as us being isolated would be.’

‘But not having intimacy with anyone, not trusting another to see inside you, is…sad.’I say. ‘She’s afraid, but of what?’

‘Of us,’Nevare says, thoughts tinged with gray misery.

I look back toward the farmhouse I ran from, leaving her, abandoning her.‘She’s locking herself away.’

Arik touches my shoulder.‘Although I empathize with her, need I remind you, she’s not our true Apex. Nevare is. Perhaps… helping her build that shield is for the best.’

Everything in me revolts, except… he’s right. The veralash was more effective at quickly centering me without risk to Nevare, no matter if I get equilibrium from our togetherness. The bond is destabilizing. This is evidence. My feelings come second to Nevare and Arik, always, so separating is what’s best for Nevare.

But not best for Law-rah.

Once I helpNevare limp to the lean-to, he sleeps. His section of the shelter has been customized by Arra-bellah to have a great deal of shelves and cubbies for placing small objects which fascinate him. I expect Shade to crawl out of one any moment now, but they're inside the house, where Law-rah left them.

“I'll stay with him,” Arik says. “He'll need to recuperate; he won't be able to summon more than I can handle.”

I nod. In theory, Nevare could channel a great deal of energy, transmuting it from bonds surrounding us, but it would break materials apart in its wake.

Arik nudges me. “Return to Law-rah and retrieve her from the farmhouse. Then you must work on severing the mind-sync connection.”

“But how?”

“How did it form? We are the only experts on Parthiastock bonds. You'll have to investigate and repeat those actions.”

My scales heat, recalling Law-rah's golden aura cascading over my hands.

Arik scowls, no doubt feeling my selfish desire. That's what got us into this predicament.

I prepare to run back to the abandoned farmhouse buildings when Law-rah's red car comes up the long lane to the main house. I sprint to meet her, but she doesn't look at me.

Useless, I stand in the courtyard, flexing my hands, waiting for her to be ready to speak to me. It's odd, now that I cannot hear her steady stream in my head. The silence makes my breathing seem louder.

She leaves her car, doing a quick head turn. “Anyone around?”

“No. Ilia and Arture are repairing the damage to the lake. I'll join them soon.”

She cranes her neck to look around me. “How's Nevare?”