Chapter 14 · The First Anchor

"Don't touch me, Cael. If that power jumps again, I'll break your hand before it breaks me."

His wrist was trapped beneath her palm. Heat pulsed against her skin.

Cael didn't pull away. He stood between her and the cracked core chamber, one shoulder braced against the metal door while red warning lights flashed over his face.

"You can't break the bond," he said.

"I'm not talking about the bond. I'm talking about you."

"Tessa—"

"Say it. Say what you did."

Behind him, the shield core groaned.

Blue-white lines crawled across the walls, then snapped into sparks. The last blast had thrown Tessa across the chamber and carved a burning stripe along her ribs.

Cael had caught her before her head hit the floor.

He'd also caused the blast.

His fingers tightened around the door's edge. "I lost control."

"That's not an answer."

"It's the only one you're getting while the core is trying to tear us apart."

Tessa shoved his wrist harder against the wall. His pulse jumped under her thumb.

The bond answered from inside her chest.

One sharp beat.

His and hers.

Cael looked down at their hands.