Chapter 11

“JO’NAY?” she called.

“Yes, mate?” His deep voice rumbled through her, avibration that resonated in the very depths of her being.

“What are you working on?” she asked, heading toward the bridge of his ship. She paused, troubled by the deep crease of hisbrow.

He hesitated, along moment of silence stretching between them, filled only by the steady hum of the ship’s engine. She could sense the tension radiating from him, the tightening of his muscles visible since he’d stripped off his shirt. It was as if he were bracing himself for ablow.

“It is difficult to explain,” he said finally, his voice hesitant, as if he were choosing his words carefully. “I am experiencing a sensation that is unfamiliar, awarmth that is unlike anything I have encountered before.”

“Warmth?” Winn approached, peering into his face, searching for any sign of distress or pain. She cupped his cheek, his skin feeling unusually hot. Afeverish heat radiated through him, making her own skin tingle. “Are you ill? Is it another heat flash? Should I move away?”

“No, little one, it is not like the heat flashes I experienced before,” he reassured, his hand closing over hers, the familiar caress grounding her amidst her sudden surge of anxiety. “This warmth is different. It is localized, concentrated in certain areas of my body.”

His voice, deep and resonant, held a note of bewildered curiosity, as if he were exploring a new landscape, aterrain of sensations that were both intriguing and unsettling.

Winn frowned, her brow furrowing in concern. “Concentrated? What do you mean?” She moved closer, her hand instinctively shifting toward his chest, wanting to pinpoint the source of his warmth, to offer comfort, but he caught her wrist, his grip firm yet gentle, stoppingher.

“Do not touch me there, Winn,” he warned, the amethyst fire in his eyes flickering with a hint of something she couldn’t quite decipher. Pain? Longing? “This warmth… it is sensitive, heightened. Your touch appears to amplify it.” His words, clipped yet cautious, betrayed his struggle to articulate the unfamiliar sensation, to make sense of the changes sweeping throughhim.

A wave of apprehension washed over Winn. “Sensitive? Amplified? Jo’Nay, what’s happening to you?” She searched his face, trying to gauge the extent of his discomfort, to understand this new threat to their hard-won happiness.

“I am uncertain,” he admitted. “But I suspect it is related to the apples.” His gaze drifted toward the crate nestled against the wall, the vibrant colors of the apples a stark contrast to the sleek metal of the spaceship’s interior. The forbidden fruit, the miracle that had saved hislife.

“The apples?” Winn echoed, her mind racing, trying to make sense of his words. “But you haven’t eaten any since… When? The morning after the Halloween fair?”

“No, Ihave not.” He tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. “This warmth is not unpleasant,” he reassured her. “In fact, it is stimulating, invigorating. Ifeel heightened, more aware. My senses are far more acute.”

“Acute, how?”

He hesitated, his gaze drifting toward the viewscreen, as if he were trying to focus on something in the distance, something beyond the swirling nebulae and twinkling stars. “I can see details I could not perceive before. The colors are more vibrant and intense. And the sounds…” He turned his head, his amethyst eyes locking with hers, aflicker of wonder, of excitement, dancing in their depths. “I can hear your heartbeat, Winn. The rush of your blood through your veins. The soft whisper of your breath.”

He could hear her heartbeat? That was impossible. Unless… “The apples? Do you think they’re changing you?”

“Affirmative. They are changing me, Winn,” he said, his voice soft, yet powerful. “They are enhancing me in ways I do not yet understand.” He reached for her, his hand cupping her cheek, his touch gentle, reverent, as if he were handling a fragile treasure. “But I fear losing control. This power is growing, surging within me. And I do not know how to contain it, how to harness it.”

His words sent a shiver of apprehension down her spine. Power? What kind of power? Was it dangerous? Destructive? Would it turn him into something… other? Something she wouldn’t recognize, wouldn’tlove?

“Jo’Nay,” she whispered, her voice trembling with a mixture of fear and fascination. “What should we do?”

“We must investigate,” he said, his gaze hardening, the warrior’s decisiveness returning, abeacon of strength amidst the swirling uncertainty. “I need to understand these changes, to control them, before they control me.”

He stood, his movements fluid, graceful, belying his size, and gestured toward the medicalbay.

Winn glanced in that direction “Do you want Rory to scan you?” she asked apprehensively.

“I do. Rory,” he commanded, his voice firm, authoritative, “I need a full diagnostic scan. And Winn…” He turned to her, his gaze softening, the amethyst fire in his eyes replaced by a warmth that reassured her, calmed the storm within. “Stay close. Ido not want to be alone in this.”

Winn nodded, her fear receding, replaced by a surge of determination. She would face this unknown with him, side by side, just as they had faced every other challenge that had been thrown theirway.

The medical bay, though small, was surprisingly advanced, filled with sleek, humming equipment that looked more like something out of a science fiction movie than anything she had ever seen in a human hospital. Jo’Nay, with practiced ease, stripped off his clothes, revealing the magnificent physique that had captivated her from the moment she first laid eyes on him. The long, lean muscles, the smooth, bronze skin, the white hair that spilled over his shoulders — a testament to his Vettian heritage, areminder of the warrior within.

He stretched out on the examination table, his towering form dwarfed by the surrounding machinery, and closed his eyes, his face etched with calm resolve.

“Rory, commence scan,” he ordered.

A soft hum filled the air as the scanner came to life, aluminous green light sweeping over his body, tracing his contours, probing his flesh, searching for answers. Winn watched, her heart pounding in her chest, amixture of fear and fascination swirling within her. What would they find? What secrets did his body hold? What changes were the apples wreaking?

The silence stretched, broken only by the rhythmic hum of the scanner and the soft hiss of the ventilation system. The tension in the air remained palpable, thick enough to choke on. Winn found herself holding her breath, her gaze fixed on Jo’Nay’s face, searching for any sign of distress, of pain. But his features remained impassive, his breathing slow and even, as if he were asleep.

And then, without warning, the scanner shrieked, the green light flaring, bathing the room in an eerie, pulsatingglow.

“What’s happening?” Winn cried, her heart leaping into her throat, her hand instinctively reaching for Jo’Nay, but he opened his eyes, his amethyst gaze blazing with a power that startled her, araw energy that seemed to crackle in the air aroundhim.

“Stay back, Winn,” he commanded, his deep voice resonant, vibrating through her and carrying a force she had never heard before. “I do not know what is happening. This power is… overwhelming.” He sat up, his movements swift, predatory, his body radiating a heat that was almost unbearable, making her skin tingle, her breath catch in her throat.

“Rory, report!” he demanded, his voice sharp, edged with a ruthlessness she’d never heard before.

“Multiple anomalies detected,” Rory’s voice responded, the usually calm, soothing tone laced with a hint of alarm. “Physiological changes exceeding projected parameters. Genetic modifications accelerating. Unable to determine cause or extent of transformation.”

Jo’Nay’s jaw clenched, the muscles in his neck corded, his body trembling with a suppressed energy that crackled in the air aroundhim.

“What does that mean, Rory?” Winn asked, her voice barely a whisper, her fear rising, acold knot in her stomach.

“It means… the apples are doing more than we anticipated,” Rory replied, the AI’s voice hesitant, uncertain. “They are… altering his physiology and enhancing his abilities, in ways we do not yet comprehend.”

“Enhancing?” Winn echoed, her mind struggling to grasp the implications of Rory’s words.

“His senses are heightened, amplified,” Rory confirmed. “His strength, his speed, his reflexes are all exceeding Vettian norms. And his healing abilities are accelerating, becoming regenerative. It is as if the apples are unlocking his true potential.”

“Wait.” Winn cocked her head in thought. “We know that the Vettian government altered the Primes in unknown ways. For sure, they limited their natural lifespan. Is it possible that these changes aren’t enhancements, but restoring Jo’Nay’s natural abilities?”

Jo’Nay stood, his movements sinuous, controlled, his body radiating a power that was both awe-inspiring and terrifying. He flexed his hands, his fingers cracking, his gaze fixed on Winn. “You believe this is how I would have been if I had never been changed by my government?”

“I think it’s entirely possible. Maybe the genetic changes they made limited your abilities instead of augmenting them, as they claimed. They may not have wanted you to have your full strength and capabilities. You would have been almost impossible to control, especially if a group of you decided to fight them.” She cautiously approached. “How do you feel?”

He dressed as he considered her question. “I feel… different,” he replied, his voice deep, resonant, vibrating through her, carrying a force she had never heard before. “Stronger. Faster. More alive. But…” He paused, his brow furrowing, aflicker of doubt shadowing his gaze. “I also feel uncontrolled. This power is raw and untamed. Ifear I may not be able to contain it.”

Winn’s heart pounded in her chest. What would this power do to him? Would it consume him? No. No, she didn’t believe it. Not if he was changing into what he was meant to be all along.

“Jo’Nay,” she whispered, her voice trembling with a mixture of resolve combined with love. “You will not lose control. You are strong. You are disciplined. You will master this power, just as you have mastered every other challenge you have ever faced.”

He reached for her, his hand cupping her cheek, his touch gentle, reassuring, grounding her amidst the swirling uncertainty.

“I hope you are right, Winn,” he murmured, his voice husky with emotion. “For both our sakes.”

“Red Alert!” Rory cut in. “Incoming ships!”