A loud banging sounded at the door. Bruce ignored the knocking and moved to the registry book.
“Do you swear that this soul is the one she claims to be and that you are responsible for her education, results and welfare?” Andrea’s words rushed out in a panic.
“Wait,” I said and sat forward in the chair. I was certain those words were meant for Cash. He should sign for me, not my father.
But it was too late.
Bruce snatched the book off Andrea and signed away. To the remaining green sidekick, he said, “Get on with it.”
“No,” I said.
The attendant tightened the strap on my needle mark free arm and pushed me backward until I reclined. In the absence of the second attendant, my father held my other arm down.
Before I could blink, a burning, searing pain exploded at the inside of my elbow. In a daze I looked down and saw the needle sticking out—glowing red substance expended. I hadn’t even noticed them mixing the pearly stuff with my blood and testing it on the machine. The pain multiplied and spread throughout my body until it was like liquid napalm in my veins.
I screamed.
“Get it out. It’s burning. Holy crap it’s burning.” I rolled around and thrashed in the chair. Was this what Lincoln felt? My goodness, was this what everyone felt?
Someone must have poured rocket fuel into that syringe. It was the only explanation. I would combust.
Stop. I cried in my mind. Stop the pain. Stop.
“Strap her down.” My father’s voice swam through the haze.
But I couldn’t focus my energy, I couldn’t focus my mind. I heard sizzling and crackling and thought it was my skin on fire. There was a banging too. The noise was so loud it reverberated like a beating drum. I was burning up.
I screamed.
Stop. Just stop.
And then the room shook. Metal scraped against metal.
“Something’s not right,” Andrea said.
“It will pass.” Another voice.
“But the room.”
A loud crash echoed in my head. Maybe it was my brain bursting because the pain stopped.
I must have been dead.
I wasn’t dead. The sound was someone trying to break through the door. I tried to sit up but a wave of dizziness overcame me.
“Is the data received?”
There was a pause.
“Damien. Is the data coming through?” Andrea asked again.
“I don’t know. Something is coming through, but it’s all wrong. We didn’t have time to test the connection properly.”
The sound of a chair scraping back hit my ears.
“Give me a look,” Andrea said. “I see what you mean. Her vitals are duplicating and breaking up. The transmitters could be faulty, or picking up someone else’s signal.”
Bruce pulled me upright. Black spots danced across the insides of my eyelids, but at least I wasn’t burning. Now I was pain free, I felt the wrongness inside of me. Like a foreign object that needed to be pulled out.
“It’s time to go,” Bruce said and slipped an arm under mine to hoist me off the chair.
“Wait. We need to do that again. The product is faulty,” Andrea said.
“It will have to do,” my father growled in a rush. “We’re leaving.”
Chapter 5
My father stabbed the button on the wall that activated the sliding doors.
Cash and Squid waited on the other side, in the middle of an argument, blocking our exit. Every muscle in both of their bodies tensed as though on the verge of snapping. The heat bouncing between them was tangible. Cash whipped his gaze to me. “Are you okay? I heard screaming.”
All the adrenaline in my body broke down and my bottom lip trembled. “I’m okay. The nano-things hurt, that’s all.”
“Jed’s gone to notify the Tribunal.” Cash pulled me from my father and into a sudden embrace. For a minute, I froze. Then I realized my father hadn’t stopped him, and despite my proclamation to do things myself, for a small moment, my head dipped to his chest. It was so much easier when he was around. My ear pressed against his shirt, eyes fluttering closed. He smelled musky, male and familiar. For a minute, I wanted to forget everything that had happened between us. To pretend he hadn’t thought about abandoning me, and he’d meant it when he said he was going to stay.
“I’m taking her back with me,” Cash said, presumably to my father because I wasn’t lifting my gaze. Two more minutes of avoiding the world.
“You are leaving her with us. She is my daughter, and now I am responsible for her welfare. I have signed for her registration. She is my concern.”
Cash stiffened.
“Your tricks won’t work on me. You know that. I am her mentor. She is my concern until she finishes her trials. I’ve already notified the Tribunal of your indiscretion.”
“Just because I can’t glamor you doesn’t mean I can’t hurt you, Samson.”
I held my breath. That information was new. Cash was immune to the influence of gods and witches. No wonder my father had such an interest in him when he discovered him all those years ago and took him under his wing.
“Give it up Bruce. She wasn’t what you ordered, so you left her behind and now you’ve seen what she can do, you want her back.”
“You have no right to speak to me like that. You are not even worth the spit to shine my shoes.”
Cash jerked back as though shoved. His arms tightened around me.
“You are an imperfect soul in a human body. She has first generation blood running through her veins. The blood pumping through that body has responsibilities. And as far as you are concerned? I will never get the time I wasted on you back, and that is a regret I will hold for a long time. The Tribunal can’t veto me. You need to leave before I have you canceled.”
Just for a moment I wanted to ignore what was going on around me in favor of hiding in Cash’s arms, feeling safe.
Safe.
Lately, I didn’t know the meaning of the word. I’d felt safe a few weeks ago, and then he choked me. My injury should have concerned me, but I worried more for his safety. It was the tipping point for him. That was the moment he decided I was safer without him. What if he lost control again and made the same decision? My heart would break when he inevitably left me.
I groaned, torn. This would not work. I couldn’t hide my head in his chest and ignore everything forever. I needed a better solution. Part of me, an enormous part, wanted to go with him, but the other part knew the business with my father wouldn’t end. His manipulation went so far back. Those papers I’d seen in his room. All those names and medical results. That boy in Houston, James. Petra. Steve, my ex-boyfriend. Alvin when he was hexed. Leila. My birth mother. Innocents caught in his crossfire. It all stemmed from his machinations around controlling me. No one would control me. Ever.
But if I didn’t stay to uncover his plans, then who knew what bodies would be left in his wake?
Okay, Roo, what’s the worst case scenario? I asked myself.
I replied, thinking to myself in a talk-show host’s buttery voice. Well, Roo, take a look behind door number one: You get canceled and die. Then, there’s door number creepy: You fail the trials and live your days as a breeding machine. And don’t forget door number three: You lose Cash; You lose your friends; You lose everything.
So what’s left?
The hope against hope that I actually pass the trials and Bruce lets me leave?
No. What was left was my time here on earth and how I chose to spend it. Do I spend it running and hiding in the arms of someone who might break my heart, or fighting to protect the innocents mixed up in this mess that all started with me stealing the chance to be in this body?
Who needed The Others when I could hold a perfectly sane conversation with myself?
I took a deep breath and pushed away from Cash. Cool air washed away the warmth he had provided.
“I’m going with my family,” I said.
Cash jolt
ed like he’d been shot. Color drained from his face. “You’re choosing to go with him?”
My father’s smirk flickered in my periphery. I turned to him, my face frozen in case I my true emotions shone through.
“Bruce, I need a few minutes alone with my mentor. Then I’ll be right out.”
“Clear the room,” my father said, then leaned into me. “I’ll be outside if you need me sweet-pea.”
If he called me that name one more time I would puke. That he thought I was doing this because of family duty, love or whatever, made my skin crawl. That wasn’t what this was about. It was about that list of names I’d found in his room, and not leaving a trail of bodies behind. I had to take responsibility for my identity. I may not be a warrior princess, but I could find a way to stop Bruce from turning more innocents into monsters… including Cash.
Cash paced the room. We were alone.
“What’s going on, Roo? I know we haven’t had the best two weeks, but I thought we were behind that. I thought you at least trusted me more than that guy.” He gestured the way Bruce left. “I know I wasn’t honest with you, but I told you, I’m not leaving. You need me to help you pass the trials.”
He stopped and squinted at me, irises going dark.
“Cash.” My tone was soft, resolute. The tightness in my chest constricted. I screwed up my face. “I found papers in my father’s room. Names. Lab results. It could be the proof you’ve been looking for. I just need my phone from my luggage and then I can take photos for you.”
“Really?” He took a step back, eyes darting around the room at invisible things beyond his focus, trying to comprehend what he thought was happening. “Names. Lab results… No. Not acceptable. You’re not safe with him.”
“I’m not safe with you, either.” The hurt in his eyes told me I may have gone too far, but his name had been on that list too. Then I laughed, a short, sharp and cruel laugh. “I hate his guts, Cash. That hasn’t changed. I’m sure you can still help me train while I’m there. You’re my mentor. That has to count for something. There was a Tribunal member called Felix. He didn’t like Bruce very much. Maybe he’ll help you.”
“No. You saw how Lincoln behaved. He didn’t give a rat’s ass if he passed or failed. He knows Urser will keep him here to—” he cut himself off.
“To breed? Oh, yeah. I know about that bit.”
“It will not happen if you come with me.” His frown deepened. “I can’t protect you there.”
I took a deep breath. Here goes. “Cash, I stole the chance to be in this body, and ever since then, bad stuff has happened. Innocent people are getting hurt and I need to take responsibility. I don’t even know who I am. I should follow the rules considering I shouldn’t be here.”
“Don’t say that,” he said. “You have as much right to be here as I do.”
“You are the queen’s lover Cash.” There, I said it—I was putting his needs before mine. Very big of me. “You are important in this world, and I’m not. I’m here on the side of evil and you belong there on the side of good. I’m a Soul-Eater. You and Marc told me that Soul-Eaters devolve when they get back to the Empire. I don’t want that. I want to do the opposite of eating souls while I’m here so I don’t want to end up a puddle of nothing when I get back there. You’re important. I’m not.” And if I could save him from Bruce’s list, then I would be happy.
“You and I both know that’s not true. You’re not a Soul-Eater.”
“But I eat souls.”
“And what the hell does it matter who I was with lifetimes ago? Why are you fighting this?”
He closed the gap between us in an instant, taking hold of my shoulders.
“Look,” he said. “You’re just as important… more important and—” He scratched his head and grimaced, pausing, struggling with a thought. “I know what you’re doing. It’s because of what happened in Houston. I can be unpredictable and dangerous to live with, but I’m working on it. Seeing your neck crushed at my hands is a sight I’ll never be able to erase from my memory. Every day I wonder what if? What if I locked my door? What if I stopped fighting my new emotions enough to warn you about the dreams instead of holding it all inside? But the point is, I’m dealing with it instead of running away. You should too. Don’t push me away because you think this isn’t working. I told you I’m not leaving you and I meant it. I will get the Tribunal to overrule Urser’s self-proclaimed decree to keep you under lock and key. I’ll get your phone. You get the evidence, then you’re out.”
Cash fished something out of his pocket and dropped it into my hand. “Here. I meant to give this to you earlier. I bought it for you. Something to keep you motivated to pass the trials, and if not… well it can still help you.”
Then he stormed past me and left the room, leaving a wake so cold I needed to hug myself.
I opened my palm and found the keys to the Ducati.
That beautiful bike. Mine. If I passed, I could have it. If I failed… he intended for me to use it anyway—to escape.
My eyes stung and I sniffled.
Monster.
Shut up, I told The Others.
I pocketed the keys and dragged my feet back into the hallway, drained and exhausted. Despite a grumbling stomach from an overspent use of my energy, I needed to sleep and heading back to the rooms seemed the best thing to do.
“I’m proud of you, Roo. You did the right thing.” My father seemed pleased with Cash’s stormy eruption. He placed a steady hand on my shoulder and gave it a courtesy squeeze. I knew he felt nothing. His aura betrayed him. Flatlining as usual. I used to suspect the lack of movement in his aura was perhaps something native to the full blooded gods—aliens, angels, Seraphim—whatever you wanted to call them. But Marc’s aura affected me deeply sometimes, so that wasn’t the truth. The lack of reaction in my father’s aura was most likely because behind his mask of fatherly love, he cared nothing for me. He only wanted to control me.
Not if I destroyed him first.
Chapter 6
When we returned to our apartment, there was a table set with six places for dinner. I let my gaze trail over the formal dining setting with disdain and a sense of foreboding. Shiny crystal glassware and porcelain crockery fit together with a candelabra center piece like something out of a Martha Stewart magazine. I approached with caution and noticed each setting had a name tag. About to lean in close for a glimpse, I felt movement to my rear and tensed.
“Go freshen up, Roo. There are people coming tonight and I’d like you to make a good impression.” Bruce spoke with his arms crossed and jaw set, waiting for a rebuttal.
“Has my luggage arrived?”
“It’s in your room. I have already asked the concierge for new clothes. An Urser needs to look and dress a certain way. Follow me.” My father spoke over his shoulder as he strode down the west wing. “After the trials, you’ll be inducted into the family business. This is your room; across the hall is your brother’s. That door down there is the guest room and my quarters are down the east wing of the apartment. They’re out of bounds. We only intend to stay here until the trials are over, so don’t get too comfortable.”
“Okay.”
“If there’s nothing else, I will see you at the table in thirty.”
I mock saluted his back as he walked away and then opened the door to my personal hotel room.
The little pink suitcase was the only colorful thing in the room. The carpet was cream; the walls were a champagne cream, the curtains on the fake window were “mother-of-pearl” and the bed spread was… I tapped my lip trying to think of another shade of cream.
Almond. Antique White. Bisque, take your pick, The Others said.
Bisque will do, it’s all cream, anyway. What I needed was purple. A pang shot through my heart at the thought of my old purple bedspread back in Margaret River. Those good old days were gone. I went to open the suitcase. Maybe someone had moved my belongings into it. Stranger things had happened. Cash had once surprised me by unpa
cking all my belongings after moving in with him. He color coded too. If this was my suitcase, hopefully my phone was in there with my Prince albums. I was dying for a bit of musical comfort.
All at once, I remembered the hurt in Cash’s eyes when I told him I was staying with my father. That hurt lodged in my stomach and grew. Distracted by my thoughts, I paid little attention to the abnormal whirring sound the zipper made when I pulled it down its tracks. And I certainly wasn’t taking note of the solid click when I opened the suitcase for a look.
But The Others were.
BOMB!
A vacuum sucked all the sound from the room. Time stopped. The next thing I knew, I was on my back staring at the scorched ceiling, ears ringing so loud it hurt. I must have blacked out because the furniture debris had already landed, burnt and scattered on the floor. Blackened, charred pieces everywhere.
I blinked.
I stared.
Smoke singed my nose. It burned the back of my throat.
I blinked again.
My body jostled from side to side, I looked down the length of my body and saw two hands on my arms, shaking me. A fuzz of fine blond hairs covered those two hands. My eyes trailed up, and I found the hands belonged to Bruce. His mouth moved but I couldn’t quite figure out what he said. The words came out distorted and muffled as though we were under water, and then somebody pulled the plug and the sound came rushing in.
“Roo?” He shook me again. He needn’t have bothered, I already trembled. My breath came in short, sharp gasps and my heart beat a percussion in my ears. I was alive, and unhurt. Somehow.
“I’m okay,” I said, the words vibrating inside my skull.
“What the hell happened? The room is scorched. I had to use my power to stifle the flames in case the entire Ludus burned.”
“I think…” My voice trailed off, trying to recount my steps. I came in the room, I opened the suitcase, then—
Boom.
A bomb? But how did I survive?
We were four, now we are three, they said.
I gasped.
The Game of Gods: Series Box Set Page 50