Chapter 14 · Your heart is too loud

She stumbled into him when the lift doors opened. His back hit the wall. Her hand landed beside his head. Their faces were inches apart.

For once, she didn't have a quick answer.

Kael felt the heat from her palm through his coat. He caught the faint scent of ozone and machine oil around her, mixed with the sharp metallic smell from the gunfire. Her eyes dropped again, this time to the pulse beating in his throat.

"Your heart is too loud," she whispered.

"Your sensors are too nosy."

"You could make me stop."

"Could I?"

Nyx's gaze snapped back to his. "No."

The lift jolted upward.

Sable's voice crackled through the emergency speaker. "You have one minute before the dock seals. Move faster."

Kael kept his hand around Nyx's wrist. He could feel her systems feeding from him. Every pulse in his chest sent a faint blue glow across her knuckles.

"What happens if the dock seals?" he asked.

"We stay here and let the Empire open us up."

"You say that like they can open you."

"They built the tools."

"Who?"

Nyx went quiet.

Kael's hand tightened. "Who built you?"

"You already know.