The Eldarin had healed him, and he wondered if he could do the same for Verona.
Aaron drew in the energy and saw Verona’s lifebeat pulsing in rhythm with his beating heart. The lifebeat encompassed his whole body, springing from Verona’s head. At the location of the wound there was a small mass of swirling darkness. Aaron reached toward the wound with a tendril of energy, urging the body to repair itself.
Nothing happened.
The wound itself was a shallow gash and nothing else, but the flesh just beneath wouldn’t react to anything that Aaron could do. He could try using the Falcons and keying the bladesong. Aaron shook his head; it wasn’t the amount of energy that was failing but his lack of knowledge.
Tanneth brought out his scanner and ran it over Verona’s wound. “The Nanites appear to be stopping the spread of the infection, but they can’t rid his body of it.”
“Cut it out of me then,” Verona said.
Aaron glanced at the others. “There is no guarantee that it will work.”
“There’s no guarantee that it won’t work either, my friend,” Verona replied.
Aaron nodded. “We’ll need to seal the wound after,” he said.
An FNA soldier handed him a sharp knife. Aaron washed it as best he could. Tanneth withdrew a small tube from his pack and adjusted the dial on top. He motioned for the knife, and a beam of light came from the tube. Tanneth moved the light up and down both sides of the blade.
“It’s clean now,” Tanneth said, handing the knife back to Aaron.
“Hold him down. This is going to hurt.”
FNA soldiers surrounded them, taking positions so that they could keep Verona from moving. One handed Verona a piece of leather that he could bite down on. The wound was on the outer thigh. Aaron brought the knife just outside the blackened area of skin and looked up at his friend. Verona nodded for him to begin.
Aaron swallowed some of his angst away and steeled himself to the task. He drew in the energy, enhancing his strength so he could make a clean cut. With one final nod to Verona, Aaron cut deeply into his flesh. Verona screamed, his body went rigid, and the FNA soldiers clamped down to hold him in place. The darkened flesh fell to the ground, and blood rushed the area. Tanneth used the laser to cauterize the wound. Verona’s muffled groans gave way to silence. They burned the remains.
Tanneth scanned the wound. “I don’t detect any traces of the infection.”
Aaron released the breath he was holding and gave Verona a pat on his shoulder. “You said before that the Nanites send a signal so they can report in. How come you weren’t able to detect them before?”
“Roselyn must have changed the protocol to hide the test. Which means she did this without the approval of the council,” Tanneth said. “It’s not as bad as it sounds. It was always the intent to share all of our technology with the people of Safanar.”
“I don’t know if they’re ready for this, and honestly the decision is beyond just the council,” Aaron said.
Tanneth nodded. “We’ll need to keep an eye on Verona. The Nanites only slowed it down, and he was lucky the wound was so small.”
“We need answers, and we’re not going to find them by staying here,” Aaron said, and glanced at Bayen, who stood off to the side. He was hunched over with his back to him. “I think I’ll start with him. Let’s break camp.”
Aaron headed toward the mysterious member of the Safanarion Order. He approached silently.
“…The probability is still estimated at 55 percent. Thirteen days, twelve hours, and thirty-seven minutes until matrix moves out of alignment,” a low voice said.
Aaron cleared his throat, and Bayen cursed and spun around.
“I think it’s time you and I had a talk,” Aaron said.
“You got lucky. I’m not sure he’s out of the woods just yet,” Bayen said, nodding toward where Verona lay.
Aaron studied the young man. The way Bayen glared at him as if Aaron had
Aaron drew in the energy and saw Verona’s lifebeat pulsing in rhythm with his beating heart. The lifebeat encompassed his whole body, springing from Verona’s head. At the location of the wound there was a small mass of swirling darkness. Aaron reached toward the wound with a tendril of energy, urging the body to repair itself.
Nothing happened.
The wound itself was a shallow gash and nothing else, but the flesh just beneath wouldn’t react to anything that Aaron could do. He could try using the Falcons and keying the bladesong. Aaron shook his head; it wasn’t the amount of energy that was failing but his lack of knowledge.
Tanneth brought out his scanner and ran it over Verona’s wound. “The Nanites appear to be stopping the spread of the infection, but they can’t rid his body of it.”
“Cut it out of me then,” Verona said.
Aaron glanced at the others. “There is no guarantee that it will work.”
“There’s no guarantee that it won’t work either, my friend,” Verona replied.
Aaron nodded. “We’ll need to seal the wound after,” he said.
An FNA soldier handed him a sharp knife. Aaron washed it as best he could. Tanneth withdrew a small tube from his pack and adjusted the dial on top. He motioned for the knife, and a beam of light came from the tube. Tanneth moved the light up and down both sides of the blade.
“It’s clean now,” Tanneth said, handing the knife back to Aaron.
“Hold him down. This is going to hurt.”
FNA soldiers surrounded them, taking positions so that they could keep Verona from moving. One handed Verona a piece of leather that he could bite down on. The wound was on the outer thigh. Aaron brought the knife just outside the blackened area of skin and looked up at his friend. Verona nodded for him to begin.
Aaron swallowed some of his angst away and steeled himself to the task. He drew in the energy, enhancing his strength so he could make a clean cut. With one final nod to Verona, Aaron cut deeply into his flesh. Verona screamed, his body went rigid, and the FNA soldiers clamped down to hold him in place. The darkened flesh fell to the ground, and blood rushed the area. Tanneth used the laser to cauterize the wound. Verona’s muffled groans gave way to silence. They burned the remains.
Tanneth scanned the wound. “I don’t detect any traces of the infection.”
Aaron released the breath he was holding and gave Verona a pat on his shoulder. “You said before that the Nanites send a signal so they can report in. How come you weren’t able to detect them before?”
“Roselyn must have changed the protocol to hide the test. Which means she did this without the approval of the council,” Tanneth said. “It’s not as bad as it sounds. It was always the intent to share all of our technology with the people of Safanar.”
“I don’t know if they’re ready for this, and honestly the decision is beyond just the council,” Aaron said.
Tanneth nodded. “We’ll need to keep an eye on Verona. The Nanites only slowed it down, and he was lucky the wound was so small.”
“We need answers, and we’re not going to find them by staying here,” Aaron said, and glanced at Bayen, who stood off to the side. He was hunched over with his back to him. “I think I’ll start with him. Let’s break camp.”
Aaron headed toward the mysterious member of the Safanarion Order. He approached silently.
“…The probability is still estimated at 55 percent. Thirteen days, twelve hours, and thirty-seven minutes until matrix moves out of alignment,” a low voice said.
Aaron cleared his throat, and Bayen cursed and spun around.
“I think it’s time you and I had a talk,” Aaron said.
“You got lucky. I’m not sure he’s out of the woods just yet,” Bayen said, nodding toward where Verona lay.
Aaron studied the young man. The way Bayen glared at him as if Aaron had
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