Page 27 of The Quoram Effect

“Could be better.”

“Is your shoulder still giving you grief?”

“No.” I swallowed the lump of regret clogging my throat. “That’s one thing that’s improved today.” I wasn’t surprised the wound had healed entirely. The Q had worked its magic, but the consequences…

I might as well have ruptured the organ caged inside my chest. The agony grew with every minute that ticked by. Why had I been so stupid?

“I’m thinking…” Forcing my eyes from Torz, I looked down at my fidgeting hands. “Once this ordeal with Zuli is over. I’m gonna…I’m going to request a transfer.”

Saul’s silence ate away at the little conviction I had left, leaving an echo of doubt in my mind. I glanced at him, meeting his shocked expression, the planes of his bronze face swiftly shifting into a frown sculpted by sorrow.

“Really? Are things that bad?”

I slumped deeper into my chair, releasing a long breath. “The bond becomes too intrusive at times, and…and emotions keep getting in the way. I think it’s time to distance myself. Let him live his life.” The words didn’t sit right, and the pain in my chest swelled and stung with a profound reluctance.

“I always assumed rejected Damsons lost their bond.”

“So did I,” I mumbled, baffled at why it was still so strong. Annoyed at myself for never finding the time or courage to lookfurther into it. It wasn’t something taught at school or in military training. It wasn’t common knowledge.

“Where will you go?” Saul asked.

I shrugged. “As far as possible.”

Saul scoffed. “Furthest from the Argentum is the Onexx. You don’t wanna live there. It’s a shithole.”

At his jape, a smile thawed my cheeks. He always made me laugh, even in times of turmoil. But the reality of the situation was that I couldn’t live with Torz being so close. Perhaps the Damson God was right. To move past this episode of infatuation, I had to either risk my heart and confess, or risk my soul and walk away for good.

As long as Torz found a way out of the predicament he was facing, and when he got back on his feet again, I’d tell him.

Chapter Fourteen

Two hours later, we docked with Titus Space Station. Compared to the Argentum’s four-ringed architecture, Titus’s huge, bulbous structure was uncharismatic and garish. With a solid white hull, the enormous cube sparkled in the sunlight, making it the most visible space station from all others and the surface of Quoram, apparently.

Due to being one of the newer erected stations—built only a century ago—the inside was fresh, bright, and spacious. The towering ceilings made the echoes of voices and machinery ten times louder than they actually were, and the twelve-metre-wide corridors around the docks always swarmed with people. This area was a prime spot for pickpockets, catching the dazed arrivals and inexperienced travellers unawares. At the thought, I clutched my backpack straps a little tighter as we ambled through the crowd, ignoring the ensnaring advertisers and obnoxious salesmen. It was one of the reasons I hated Titus—too many people.

But that wasn’t the main reason I avoided this station. The last time I’d stepped foot onboard Titus was the night of my graduation—the night the Damson bond had tried to take hold. And as the sounds and smells of the vast station probed a redundant part of my brain, my chest tightened at the memory they stirred.

I followed behind Saul and the rest of our security unit as Torz strode two steps ahead. Marla, with her luscious red hair and flowing purple robes, walked close beside him. Still unableto sense any trickle of emotion from Torz, I wondered if he was haunted by the memories the station roused. But due to Titus being the government hub of the Orbital Civilisation, he’d attended plenty of Board meetings here over the past few years. Perhaps he’d become numb to its relevance and our history. Perhaps he’d forgotten or simply didn’t care. I wasn’t sure which one I preferred.

As soon as we passed through luggage control, Torz and Marla were met by two Linxos guards dressed in their navy-blue uniforms. After a brief conversation, Marla and her new security detail turned towards the government offices located far to the left, across the vast atrium. Watching her go with an astute gaze, Torz handed his small suitcase to a porter, then led our team across the shiny white floor tiles to the main elevator pods.

A modest crowd congregated at the wall of at least twenty metal doors, where they waited for the next scheduled pod to arrive. A door pinged open, and the majority squeezed into the cramped lift, leaving the space before us empty as another pod arrived. This one displayed a downward arrow with the letters BR on the digital panel overhead.

Torz nodded to it. “Barracks are on Level Twelve, Zone BR. I’ve requested a private room for the four of you to share. Meet me on Level Twenty-Five, Zone AA in…” He glanced at his watch. “Let’s say forty minutes.”

Understanding his orders, I went to follow the others into the awaiting pod, but Torz’s fingers caught my right arm, pulling me back. Electricity zapped through my veins, and I almost yelped from the shock.

Looking back at my commander, I found him smirking at me.

“Can’t you count?”

Confused, I caught Saul waving as the elevator doors closed, shutting him and the others off from view.

The adjacent door pinged open, and Torz coerced me in with a gentle tug on the arm he still held. My skin tingled under the warmth of his fingertips, even more so when his hand fell away.

I cleared my throat, wanting to ask where we were going, but words failed me. I already knew why. He was keeping me close, well aware last night’s Q still flittered about in my bloodstream. Soon I’d be overwhelmed by withdrawal symptoms, and he didn’t trust me not to seek out replenishment.

Surrounded by a dozen strangers, we stood side by side, watching the level numbers scroll up and the zone letters sweep across. The higher they went, the harsher the uncertainty consuming me bared its teeth, gnashing at me like an assault of pointed spikes. I was ready to scream.