Chapter 26 · Frequency Sync

"Step away from her, Kael. Now."

Varick didn't enter the room. He took it.

The air went thick and cold. Like wet wool shoved down my throat. My lungs couldn't pull right.

Kael didn't move. He shifted his weight, planted his shoulder between me and that doorway, hand locked on his hilt. "She's not going back to the lab, Lord Varick."

"She's not a she," Varick said. Smooth. Calm. The kind of calm that means someone's about to bleed. "It's hardware, Kael. A malfunctioning asset. Time for a factory reset."

Asset. Hardware.

My fingers dug into the back of Kael's leather. Nails white. "I'm right here, you narcissistic prick. Say it to my face."

Kael went rigid. He didn't look back. "Sloane. Shut up. Stay behind me."

"Why?" I hissed, crowding closer. My breath hit his neck. "So I can watch you die playing hero for your synthetic doll?"

Varick laughed. Dry. Empty. "Oh, that spark. Personality matrix fighting core programming. Fascinating."

He took one step forward. Just one. The cleaners in the shadows twitched.

"Move, Kael," Varick said, "or your next assignment is mopping her off this floor. Piece by piece."

Kael's sword creaked in his grip.