Chapter 15 · Symbiosis Protocol

"Don't even think about it," Lilith snapped, her boot pinning my wrist to the grime-slicked floor. "One twitch toward that console and I'll see if your nervous system can handle a direct surge from the main grid."

I stared up at her, the neon flicker of the safehouse ceiling casting a jagged violet light across her face. My wrist was throbbing, and the Reaper Plugin in my skull was screaming—a low-frequency hum that vibrated in my teeth.

"You're not going to kill me," I gritted out, twisting my arm just enough to feel the leather of her boot tighten. "Not while I'm the only one who can decrypt the Viktor files. You need me, Lilith. Admit it."

She leaned down, her face inches from mine. I could smell the sharp scent of ozone and expensive synthetic jasmine. Her eyes weren't kind; they were calculating, like she was weighing my organs against the price of a corporate promotion.

"I need the data, Kai. I don't need the ghost who comes with it," she whispered. She shifted her weight, her knee pressing into my ribs, forcing a sharp wheeze out of my lungs. "You're a liability. A glitch.