Chapter 10 · Sync or Die

"Hold still, you idiot, or I’ll fry your nervous system just to make you shut up!" Nyx’s voice didn't just ring in my head; it felt like a hot needle scraping against the inside of my skull.

I didn't hold still. I slammed my shoulder into the Elite Hunter, pinning him against the reinforced alloy wall of the corridor. The guy was fast, but I was desperate. My fingers dug into his collar, pulling him close enough to smell the expensive synthetic cologne and the metallic tang of high-grade combat stims.

"Get out of my head, Nyx!" I spat, my voice sounding like I’d swallowed a handful of gravel. "I’ve got him. Just give me the damn surge!"

"The surge? You can't even handle a five-percent sync without shaking like a newborn calf," she shot back. I could feel her consciousness pressing against mine, a cold, violet pressure that wanted to push me out of my own skin. "If I give you full access now, your heart will explode before you even touch his Core."

"Then I'll die with my hands around his throat!"

I lunged, but the Hunter didn't panic.