Inside the strange, timeless space of Ryan's soul, Scarlett was almost finished. The tapestry of his being was nearly complete, a beautiful thing woven from memories and feelings.
She could see him now, a form of soft light that looked just like the man she loved. Just a few more threads, a few more touches, and he would be whole. She felt a surge of pride. They were going to make it.
And then, she felt it.
It wasn't a sound or a shake. It was a feeling deep within the connection she had to the real world. It was a feeling of a sudden, bright flash of defiance, followed by an empty space where two of her friends used to be.
Jaxon and Carmella . The ship shuddered from their sacrifice, and the echo of that loss rippled through her mind.
For just a single, terrible second, her focus broke. Her mind, which had been a laser beam of concentration, wavered.
And the forces she had been fighting took their chance.
