“Oh, I see him, E. Hot damn, where can I find me a hermit like that?” Dev asked.
“I’m putting you onspeakernow, Dev,” I said, with emphasis.
“Right, well, okay—you need to hook the probes up over all the client’s implants,” Dev said, doctor bedside manner back in place. I let that ground me. I could do this.
“Just be gentle with me. It’s my first time.” Cy’s grin widened—I didn’t think that was possible.
I pulled the sticky backing off the electrode and slapped it down onto his chest with a satisfyingsmack.
“Ow, so rough, doll.”
“You can take it,” I retorted. His eyes sparked at that, and I hated how the treacherous creature between my legs throbbed.“Roll over.” I could hear Dev holding back a laugh. He sent me a text so only I could see:
Dev: Should I just give you two a moment?
“Attaching the electrodes, Doctor.” I pressed them over each of his implants—first on his back, then his chest. I pushed him to lie back down again and he did, hands behind his head, grinning. He knew exactly what that pose did, how it flexed his arms and chest.
I flicked on the diagnostic device, and it whirred to life, a series of complex graphs blooming across the screen. At that, Cy’s smile vanished.
“Okay, I’m getting the readings. Have him walk through the Mercer Protocol.”
“Fuck me.” Cy let out a groan and sat up.
“Um, everything okay over there?” Dev asked.
“Yes,” I said, glaring at Cy. He shrugged innocently and started tapping his fingers together. He went through the steps smoothly until he had to send a spark between his outstretched hands. I relayed this to Dev as Cy’s mood darkened.
“Displays volatile unilateral instability. That’s consistent with the glitches you observed. Have him do it again and I’ll confirm.”
Cy groaned but did it again. His shoulder glitched again.
“The data is erratic near the acromioclavicular joint. That’s where the problem is. E, I need you to palpate the area to trigger a response.”
I put my hand over the probe on his chest and pressed down. Cy’s breathing sped up, his chest heaving under my palm.
“Not exactly painless, doll.”
I ignored him and pressed again. He hissed, the muscles under my hand tightening. I watched the screen with Dev. Nothing at first—no change—until…
“Fuck!” Cy buckled under my hand, and the readings went haywire. His Flux spiked, sparks crackling across his skin.
“Hey! Calm down!”
“Trying, doll, but—” He seized again. The probe was throwing out readings I didn’t understand, but I knew they weren’t good.
“Dev?”
“E, you’ve got to get him down here immediately. He needs surgery—”
“No fucking surgery!” Cy snarled, and then a bolt of power arced from his body to the wall screens, blowing them out in a cascade of sparks and static.
“Dev, I’ll call you back.” I didn’t give him a chance to argue.
Cy’s Flux was erratic now. Sparks jumped from him to me, stinging, but I could take it. I searched for the rhythm of his power, like I had in the Den. I pressed my hand over the probe again and, for a moment, the signal cleared. I let out a long breath.
I tried again, and the signal stabilized, before spiking even harder. Cy was groaning now.
“Cy, stop. We’ll get Dev, I can’t—” But he wasn’t stopping. His whole body twitched violently, his eyes rolling back. A bolt of lightning exploded from him and shattered the window.
