by J. L. Weil
My father wasn’t amused by my tone. “This is serious, Charlotte.”
No shit. I’d almost died… or maybe I hadn’t. A few snickers broke out from my squad of misfits. Not helping. “Believe it or not, I take my life very seriously.”
“If you are, in fact, the reason they ventured out of the mist, we need to find out why. What do they want with you?” my father continued, voicing out loud the questions in his head.
Thinking back to the night I’d snuck down into the dungeons, the eerie encounter with the captured Forsaken returned.
“We can start by trying to get answers out of the one we have,” my father said.
I swallowed a lump in my throat. His methods of interrogation made me want to throw up on the founding members’ shoes. The vision I’d had of Dash chained to the wall was enough to have bile rising up my throat.
Dash sensed the sudden change inside me and laced his fingers through mine. “Now that I know she is the target, I won’t leave her side.”
“Great,” I mumbled, feeling more and more like a prisoner.
Dash frowned at my response.
My father leaned back in his chair. “Needless to say, the frequent attacks have tensions running high. The Institute is on lockdown until further notice. No one is to come or go. Once the council has made a decision about our next course of action over this new development, you will be notified.” As if an invisible gavel had hit the table, the meeting was adjourned.
What nobody had said was that I was a liability. They needed to figure out what to do with me. If the Forsaken were truly hunting me, then I had suddenly become a big problem for the Institute.
Threads of unease slithered through me. Would I be tossed out on my ass to fend for myself like so many other Gifted who had been deemed unfit by the Institute?
I was the last one out of the room, dragging my feet, lost in my own personal trial. Dash was waiting for me in the hall, studying me with a neutral expression, but I knew he was thinking the same thing I was and already working out a solution in that head of his.
A sneaking suspicion told me I was running out of time. The Forsaken or the Institute, one of them would get what they wanted from me. It had become a race, and I was only a pawn who didn’t know what I was running toward or from.
I needed to find out what was different about my abilities and how to control them without losing myself. There was only one person who could help me with that. Even though I despised doctors and their endless tests, I would have to whip on my big girl pants and get this shit done.
“I need to talk to my mom. I’ll see you back in the room,” I told Dash.
He became an immovable wall. “You heard what I told your father. I go where you go.”
“How could I forget?” I grumbled. “What about Star? Don’t you think someone should check on her?” I asked, hoping to divert his attention for a few moments. I really was worried about her though.
His lips curled in satisfaction. “Ryker’s on it.”
Of course he was. “You got it all figured out, huh?”
He nodded. “We’re joined at the hip.”
“Fine, but at some point, I’m going to need to pee, and you’re just going to have to accept I need to do some things on my own.”
Dash let out a puff like a perturbed dragon and gave me a wry glance. I could tell he wasn’t pleased by my demand for privacy.
I found Mom behind door number three. Her head was bent over a sheet of paper while she concentrated on some data at her desk. Strawberry blond strands were tied loosely at the nape of her neck, her, and a long lab coat hung open over her body, revealing a peach blouse beneath it.
I cleared my throat to grab her attention.
Her head popped up. “Charlotte?” Relief poured from her as if she’d been worried about me.
It was hard to believe it was genuine. “Do you have a moment?” I asked, hopping up on a medical table. Dash was pacing outside the doorway to keep guard much to his annoyance.
Mom set down the paperwork and crossed her legs. “Always for you,” she said with a soft smile that didn’t quite reach her eyes.
I couldn’t shake the feeling that my parents had been possessed by aliens. They might look as I remembered them, but their mannerisms and the lack of life in their eyes was disturbing.
“I saw the council today,” I informed, just in case she hadn’t heard already.
“Your father told me what you and your sister did. That was very brave of you.” Very stupid was probably more what she meant.
“I didn’t feel very brave,” I answered, not entirely sure why I had confessed that out loud. But it was the truth. Being surrounded by a horde of toxic zombies had activated my scaredy-cat gene.
“Fear doesn’t mean you’re weak.”
“You might want to have that talk with dad,” I replied dryly.
She chuckled. “He gets so wrapped up in his work.”
That was one way of putting it. Fidgeting with my hands, I kept my voice low, not wanting Dash to hear what I was about to ask. “I was hoping we might accelerate the tests on my abilities.”
Mom blinked in surprise. “Can I ask why? Does this have anything to do with what happened in Hurst?”
“Partially,” I admitted. “I’m not helping anyone by being a loose cannon. No one knows when I’m going to have an episode. It makes me unpredictable and could put the people I care about in danger.”
“Like Dash?” she asked in a brittle tone. Her disdain for the Slayer was unmistakable.
My heart leaped at the mention of his name. “Yes, but I’m also talking about my friends and family. I need to find out how my powers work, how to control them.”
Regardless of my motives for moving forward with the testing, Mom approved. “I’m glad you’ve decided to go further. I believe it is important for the future.”
Time to lay down some ground rules. My parents had a way of taking something and running with it. “Just so we’re clear, I’m not offering myself up as an experiment to reproduce my DNA and make other Gifted. I just want to learn more about what’s going on with me.”
“Understood. We can begin with some routine physical exercises to see how your body responds to your abilities.”
She sounded calm and unemotional as if I was just another patient, not her daughter. I found it frightening. Don’t get me wrong, I got the whole keeping a subjective outlook thing. I just wished she had offered me some words of comfort or a freaking hug.
“All right.” I sighed. Here went nothing. Worse case, my blackouts get more frequent. Right?
Picking up her discarded papers, she offered me a tender smile. “Tomorrow, then.”
Let the trials and fun begin.
Over the next few days, a routine developed. Mom continued to test the samples extracted from the Forsaken held in the dungeon, as well as the blood she had taken from me, but the results were frustrating.
Nothing she could find set me apart from the other Gifted. My DNA had been mutated as expected, but other than that, I wasn’t special… except I must be.
The zombie data was way over my head. I barely understood the basics of genetics, let alone something as complex as the toxic undead.
My father enlisted Dash and a few others to strategize our defense against the Forsaken. Dash had insisted he be included in the inner workings of the Institute, and my father, so far, was keeping his word. I, on the other hand, wanted nothing to do with the underhanded tactics of this place.
It was during these strategy meetings that I did my physical testing. Ryker had volunteered to be my willing babysitter/test partner. Basically, he would let me beat the crap out of him in the name of science while pretending to keep an eye on me.
I’m sure he had ulterior reasons for helping me, but I was also sure it was better if I didn’t know them, because I didn’t want to admit that Ryker might have feelings for me.
Besides, he seemed to be spending a lot of time with Star, which was
good. They both needed someone. Star often came with Ryker to our practice sessions. She was against me hiding them from Dash but promised to not tell him anything unless directly asked.
That was good enough for me. I didn’t want her lying on my behalf.
I stepped out of the locker room, geared up and ready to get my game on. Ryker and Star were chatting with a group of Gifted who had just completed a round of Night’s Guard training.
Ryker broke away from them when he spotted me, and walked toward me. “What’s up with the body armor?” he asked, referring to the little circular patches scattered over my arms and above my boobs—one of my mother’s tests.
You asked for this, I reminded myself. “Hopefully, it will let me know how my body responds to each of my gifts.”
“And you’re sure this is a good idea?” Star asked, her eyes instantly glowing with concern.
“We’ll find out,” I replied, tossing my hair up into a wild, messy bun, while Star went to find a safe place to watch. We wouldn’t want to accidentally hurt the human in the room.
Ryker cracked his knuckles. “You know, if Dash finds out, I’m dead,” he reminded me for the umpteenth time.
Inwardly cringing, I smoothed out the wrinkles from my clothes, but gave him an encouraging smile. “Live on the edge.”
“What do you think I’ve been doing every time I talk or look at you?”
I rolled my eyes. “He is not that protective.”
Ryker scoffed. “You must have blinders on or are partially senile.”
Giving him a half smirk, I stepped back. “Can we move on to me kicking your ass?”
Ryker winked. “You’re the boss.”
“That has a nice ring to it.”
A grin flashed on his face before he readied himself to fight.
“Okay, you two.” Mom’s voice echoed through the speakers in the airy training room. “We’re all set. Charlotte, start with the power that comes the easiest.”
I nodded, feeling the first beads of sweat start to form. Knowing this practice would end with me blacking out didn’t exactly have me jittery with anticipation. I looked Ryker in the eyes. “No wings.”
A noise of outrage sounded from his throat. “Seriously? You can use up to four abilities and I can’t shift? Utter horse shit, if you ask me.”
Grabbing my ankle, I brought up my foot to stretch my quad. “This is about my abilities, remember?”
His golden eyes twinkled. For all the razzing, Ryker actually enjoyed our little sessions. “Like I said, you’re the boss.”
I grinned and curled my finger at him, motioning him to come at me.
We began our usual sparring, and even though I made him promise each time not to hold back, I knew he didn’t use his full strength against me. He was incredibly skilled in his combat maneuvers, avoiding my lightning attacks with relative ease, which I found vexing. His reaction time and intuition gave him an unfair advantage. Damn shifter.
It didn’t stop me from trying to electrocute him.
The training room lit up, spears of lightning striking from the ceiling and into my hand at my command. I could hurl them at a target, unless that target was on the move. My aim wasn’t always accurate.
Ryker darted to the side, evading a flash of white energy. “How many holes are you going to incinerate into the walls?”
My body was covered with a thin gloss of sweat that made my skin glisten. “As many as it takes, until one of them hits you in that smug face.”
He laughed, the rich sound bellowing to the other side of the room. Then his face became serious. “Is it true you snuck into the dungeons?”
Momentarily distracted, I missed a beat, which I realized was part of his ploy when I found myself lying flat on my back, staring up at his cocky face. “How did you hear about that?” I asked, trying to catch my breath. No one knew besides Dash.
He extended a hand. “Does it matter how I know?”
Ignoring his offer to help me up, I pushed myself to my feet. “Not really. It’s just hard to figure out who to trust around here.”
A frown twisted his roguish features. “Do you trust Dash?”
“With my life. Multiple times over,” I added, curious where that was coming from. It was no secret how I felt about Dash.
He bit his lip while shoving damp pieces of hair off his forehead. “But does he make you happy?”
My brows crinkled. “Is there such a thing as happiness in the Heights?”
“Touché.”
I could see from his earnest expression that he wanted an honest answer from me. It seemed important to him.
“Being with Dash is the only good thing in my life,” I assured.
“You know the rules. No breaks. We need to keep her heart rate up.” Mom’s voice carried through the intercom with a clear flare of annoyance.
I rolled my eyes. “You heard the doc. Time for round two.” This meant I needed to switch powers.
His stoic demeanor switched back to lighthearted. “Joy. The lightning storms were so fun.” He ditched his sweat-drenched T-shirt, tossing it in the corner, and baring his bronzed chest—ripped to perfection. I wasn’t surprised by his all-too glorious body, but what did shock me was the crisscrossing scars marring his back. They looked similar to Dash’s. He had been tortured.
How had I not seen them before?
“Should I put my shirt back on?” he asked, his tone laced with amusement.
I hadn’t meant to stare… or blush. “Don’t bother. It’s nothing I haven’t seen before.”
“In that case…”
He lunged, going for my neck. I managed to duck at the last second, dropping down to my knees. Rolling over on my back, I put space between us as he spun to deliver a second blow. I pushed to my feet, throwing up a protective bubble around me. His arm bounced off the invisible shield, and I grinned.
“How long do you think you can keep that up?” he asked, panting.
I looked at my nails, feigning boredom, because the truth was it took most of my concentration to keep the barrier intact. “All. Day. Long,” I replied, oozing fake confidence.
“I hope you’re ready to test that theory.” Ryker didn’t give me a chance to respond. The jerk broke the rules partially shifting into a Blinken, so that just his arm changed, fingers morphing into claws. Using those sharp talons, he swiped his fingers through the air, scoring my shield. “Pop goes the weasel.”
An instant burn radiated down my shoulder as if his claws had scraped my arm, but he had never touched me directly, only the shell of my invisible barrier—maybe not so invisible to Ryker’s other form. Either way, it caused me to lose my hold and down the barrier went.
I tore my eyes away from my stinging arm to yell at Ryker, but he was gone. Where the—A scream burst from my lips as my feet were jerked out from under me. I landed on my back, the wind knocked out of me. I could do nothing but glare at the ceiling.
Ryker’s smug face appeared above me. “Not as untouchable as you thought.”
When I finally caught my breath, I wiped the sweat from my brow, smoothing away the damp hair from my face and stared up at Ryker. “Holy crap. I didn’t know you could do that.”
He chuckled. “Neither did I. Just shows what a Gifted can do under pressure. Besides, I owe you for all those electric jolts you lunged at me.”
I sat up and winced, my shoulder causing me a bit of pain. Four bright red scratches traveled from my shoulder to elbow.
“I hope that doesn’t last for long,” he said, frowning, crouching down to touch my shoulder. “The last thing I need is for your boyfriend to find—”
Chapter Thirteen
Whizz.
The head of an arrow zoomed through Ryker’s legs, just a fraction of an inch away from hitting a vital part of his manhood.
“Speaking of the devil,” Ryker mumbled for just my ears as he yanked the arrow out of the wall behind him. Slowly turning around, he lifted his gaze to the dark form leaning in the doorway of th
e training room. “You missed.”
Dash raised an arrogant brow. “Did I?”
I met his tumultuous eyes, and cringed. The silver in them swirled. Not good. This could go two ways… no, that was wishful thinking. There was really only one way Dash would react.
Before Dash decided to shoot Ryker for real, I moved to him, putting a hand on his chest to keep him from advancing. “He’s joking,” I assured Ryker, my eyes never leaving Dash’s, but I didn’t feel confident in my words.
Am I? Dash mouthed.
I kept my mouth shut for the moment, slowly backing him toward the lockers. “What are you doing here?” I hissed, keeping my voice low.
“Looking for you.” He plucked one of the white sensors off the side of my forehead. His line of sight traveled above my head, looking at a section in the white wall where my mother was watching. He took the little disc and crushed it in his hand.
That explained how he felt about the testing. “Was that necessary?” I asked with a sigh.
He threw the sensor onto the ground. “Why didn’t you tell me?”
When I managed to get him in the locker room, it wasn’t empty. Beth, a new recruit, took one look at Dash and scrambled out of the room. “I wasn’t keeping it from you… technically. You’ve had so much other crap to deal with.”
He wasn’t happy with me, but he appeared to be more worried about my health, also, he couldn’t have cared less that I’d pushed him inside the girl’s locker room. It didn’t seem to faze him, but hardly anything did. “And you think exploring the combination of your powers is the key to unlocking the reason behind the blackouts?”
I plucked the other sensors off my body. “I don’t know. Maybe. If so, I have to try.”
“For how long?” He wanted to know all the ins and outs.
“Until we figure it out,” I answered with a frown. “These things take time.”
He pinched the bridge of his nose. “And what about the risks? Do the benefits outweigh the possible consequences?”