Page 192 of Godslayer
My head is still strapped down, but my eyes shift just enough to see the cause of this clanking.
His weapon is on the floor, shaking like it’s alive.
Or, more accurately, like it wants tocomealive.
Not enough!
Please, please, please.
Tyse looking down at his right hand.
The hand that holds that weapon.
A memory hits me.
Tyse, Anneeta, and me. Escaping from Tau City. He’s holding the Versi. Lasers are targeting eighteen men in a wide arc, at the same time.
He warned them.
“One more step, Stayn. I’m not fuckin’ around.” Tyse is in front of us, that weapon of his pointed at the men who are blocking our way out.
He warned them, not because he wanted to make a threat—but because the Versiacts on its own.
Epsilon, just a little while ago, saying,You know they get buried with those weapons, right? They’re biological.
Not enough!
Please, please, please.
Clara!
Tyse looking down at his right hand.
A revelation. A terrible, gut-wrenching revelation.
It’s notTysethat needs more spark.
It’s his weapon.
Panic. Pure panic hits me so hard, my heart thumps in my chest. Because I fucked up! I fucked it all up! I gave all the spark toTyse, not the weapon! And now I have nothing left!
I can’t breathe. I’m dying. Literally dying. Gasping, horrified and heartbroken. I let him down. He was counting on me to understand—to think and act. To have his back.
And I let him down.
Shhhhhhhh, a little voice hushes me. Soothing. Calming. Rational.It’s not over yet, Clara. Quiet now. You’ve got more. You know you do. You feel it. There’s more, you just have to?—
I look down and there it is.
My heart shard.
My eyes roll up. And there’s another little bit. The cherry spark. The final little bits ofme. Mine. To use, or give away. Not much, but maybe enough if I combine them together.
It’s not even a conscious decision. My heart shard sputters, goes out.
The clinking and clanking turns into a loud bang. And just before my little cherry spark extinguishes, the VersiStrike hovers up into the air, hits the wall, pulls backwards, and leaves through the fucking door!
43 - TYSE
