“She’s turning blue! She’s freezing.” Chai looked like he was about to throw something across the room and Sylvain was the nearest.
“She’s hypothermic. We need to get her core temperature back to normal.”
“Get her another blanket.” Bill ordered. Next to him was Erich, balling his fists at his side. His face mirrored the helplessness he felt. I wanted to tell them it’ll be okay, but I couldn’t. My teeth chattered so hard when I tried to open my mouth that I nearly chipped a tooth.
“A blanket won’t help.” Sylvain tapped the device in her hand thoughtfully against the palm of her hand. “I’ve tried everything, from heat packs to warmed IV fluids. Her temperature keeps dropping.”
“Sylvy…” Bill’s voice sounded broken as he used his nickname for Sylvain. She sharply bent over me.
“It’s getting worse. Her breathing is too shallow and her blood pressure is dropping fast. Her heart won’t be able to keep it up longer, before shutting down.”
“Chai, use the Aikai,” Gaios said. I didn’t even see him and Arianna in the room. Chai stiffened next to me and something like hope flashed across his face.
He pulled his shirt over his head and dropped it on the chair.
“What’re you doing?” Bill asked and arched his eyebrows.
“Trust me,” he answered and slid his pants to the floor, leaving on only a pair of boxer shorts. He slid his arms underneath my body and cradled me in his arms. He lay down on the bed and held me tightly in his arms, pressing his warm skin on my icy body.
He pressed the palm of his hand against my cheek. I felt the swirling smoke enter me. I felt it searching and trying to soothe my tired cold body. It swirled and wound its way through my body, warming me wherever it touched, expelling the iciness inside me.
“It’s working,” Sylvain said and clapped her hands together, tears dampening her cheeks.
I relaxed and closed my eyes, drifting away on the waves of warmth.
I was all alone. The heart monitor beeped away monotonously. I wasn’t cold and I wasn’t on fire. I felt normal. Exhausted but better. I pushed myself upright. I was thirsty. There was a glass of water on the bedside table. I reached for it. It moved across the table, picking up speed and smashed into the wall across the room. My eyes widened and my jaw slackened. I hadn’t touched it.
I clasped a hand across my mouth, stifling the scream building in my chest. Did I do that? I lifted my trembling hand, pointing my fingers at the heart monitor. It quavered and then the trolley rolled away, snapping the wires from my chest.
What was happening to me? Sylvain said my DNA was changing, but this…I could move things with my mind. I was changing into a freak. I threw the blanket of me. I saw movement in the corner of my eye as I rushed from the room, but I kept going.
The knife hit the target dead center in the middle. I hadn’t touched the knife. I picked it up with my mind, letting it hover in the air before I flung it across the room to hit the target.
“It’ll be okay,” Chai said, his hands skimming my shoulders. It was him I saw moving in the infirmary. The concern in his eyes belied the calmness in his voice. He was just as freaked out as I was.
“What’s happening to me? I’m a freak.”
“You’re not,” he said calmly. “My DNA fused with your human side. It changed you. It gave you powers. You can do things now…things you weren’t able to do before.”
“Do I…do I look different?” I was still a vain little girl. I didn’t want to look like a freak. The Vandelrizi could move things with their minds. What if I started to look like them? I shuddered at the thought of their red lizard-like eyes.
“You’re just as beautiful as always.” A smile tucked at his lips. “And the horns suit you.”
My hands flew to my head, searching through my hair. I found nothing. Chai grinned smugly.
“Very funny!”
He pulled me to his chest. “I promise it’ll be okay. You’re not alone. We’re in this together.”
“But am I still me?” I didn’t want to change. I didn’t want to lose myself. Not now that I had everything I ever wanted within my reach.
“It can’t change what’s inside you.” He rested a hand on my collarbone. “You’re still my wood nymph. You’ve only got some abilities now.”
I inhaled his minty scent. Maybe he was right. I still felt the same on the inside. Maybe this wasn’t so bad after all.
“Let’s get you back to the infirmary, before Sylvain organize a search party.”
Chapter 19
Arianna looked disapprovingly at the mess in my room. All the clothes I owned were strewn across the floor. I lifted a hand and a crumpled shirt flew across the room and disappeared into a drawer. I was practicing using my new ability.
“That’s all you can do?” She chewed her thumb nail, seemingly unimpressed. I lifted my eyebrows at her. I thought this was pretty awesome. “You didn’t get any super strength?
I hit her on the arm with my fist. She barely felt it and smirked at me.
“Nope, still a puny human.” I stuck out my tongue at her. Apparently the change my DNA underwent only influenced some telepathic ability to develop that was already latent in my body. According to Sylvain future generations of humans would’ve developed this ability on their own through decades of evolution, the Epsilon DNA infusion only served as a catalyst in me to develop it quicker. I was a bit disappointed I didn’t get the Epsilon strength or speed.
Arianna’s eyes narrowed and she grabbed my arm. I winced as she painfully twisted my arm to take a better look at the delicate bracelet around my wrist. Her eyes widened and she gasped.
“He didn’t!”
“What?” I didn’t understand why she was so shocked. “Chai gave it to me as a birthday present.”
She squealed and hugged me so fiercely to her chest, that the air was pressed from my lungs.
“Ouch! Puny human girl remember.” I pushed away from her. She looked like she was about to explode. “It’s just a bracelet.”
“He didn’t tell you! Oh my …this is the best news ever.” She was nearly bouncing up and down.
“Okay, spill it. What didn’t he tell me?” Arianna shifted uncomfortably and bounced to the door, pressing the button.
“I have to go…” she stammered. I flicked my eyes to the button and the door closed. My powers came in handy.
“You’re not going anywhere. Not until you tell me what’s up with the bracelet.” She may be stronger than me, but I had some power of my own now.
She sighed and flopped down on the bed.
“It’s an Iishga. On our planet, Epsilon, things are different than on earth. We’re different from humans.” No kidding. They were stronger and faster than us. “We don’t date. We don’t get married.”
“You’ve said something like that before. What does it mean? Don’t you ever fall in love?” I was confused. Chai loved me. He said so himself. I even thought of him as my boyfriend.
“When we fall in love…its different. When you see that person for the first time…you just know. They’re your mate. The one you’re destined to be with. Nothing can change that. You’re together forever. That’s why we don’t date. We don’t need to search for our true love.”
I sat down on the bed beside her, twirling the bracelet between my fingers.
“What does the bracelet have to do with it?”
“The Iishga is very important. It’s a symbol of your love, telling everyone that you belong together. It’s the start of the Shidmina.”
“What’s the Shidmina?”
“I’ve already said too much. Chai’s going to smother me in my sleep.”
No matter how much I begged, Arianna refused to say another word.
Surprise was written all over his face. I sat cross-legged on Chai’s bed, the bracelet lying in front of me on the bed.
“Hi, beautiful,” he said. His eyes darted to the bracelet, but he didn’t ask why I let myself into his room.
/>
“Hi.” My answer was less than enthusiastic and he frowned, dropping his jacket on the chair.
“What’s up?” He didn’t sit down, swaying on the balls of his feet.
“Why didn’t you tell me what the bracelet means?” Annoyance crept into my voice and I folded my arms across my chest.
“Let me guess…Arianna?” He sighed. “That big mouth of hers…”
“Why didn’t you tell me?” I interrupted. He shifted and wiped his hands on his pants. He was nervous. Good. I hated that he was keeping things from me.
“I didn’t want to scare you. You’re not like us. You’re human.”
“Oh, and humans aren’t capable of love?” He fidgeted with his belt buckle.
“You don’t understand. The Epsilon doesn’t fall in and out of love. We believe the cosmos brings us together. We don’t change our minds. Ever. We don’t cheat. We don’t get divorced. Our love is forever.”
“You thought I’ll change my mind? You think I’ll fall in love with someone else.” I swung my legs over the side of the bed and stood.
“No…I want you to be sure. You’ve been through a hell of a lot these past few weeks. I don’t want to pressure you into anything.” There was a fine sheen of sweat on his forehead.
“And the Shidmina?” He took a step back and ran a hand through his hair. I swear he wanted to run away.
“It’s a custom we have on our planet.”
“Explain it to me.” I wasn’t backing down.
“The Shidmina is a mating ritual. The Iishga is the first symbol when you find your mate. It’s the start of the Shidmina. It’s the claiming. I claim you as mine.”
“I belong to you now?” I arched an eyebrow. Chai cleared his throat.
“We belong to each other. Then we tell our friends and family.”
“You have to get their permission?” This didn’t sound so different from human customs.
“No. It doesn’t work like that. The cosmos brought you together and no one is allowed to interfere. They can ask you to do certain tasks to show your commitment to the union, but they can’t undo what the cosmos decided.”
I turned my face to the wall. I didn’t want him to see the smile tucking at my lips. Not yet.
“What happens then?”
“When the time is right…we…” He cleared his throat again. “We complete the union.”
“How?”
“We…the Epsilon don’t have sex until they find their mate.” He flushed, looking at everything in the room, except me. He and Emily never…relieve flooded me. That answers a question that bothered me for some time now. And it explained his extra ordinary willpower.
“We have to…” I gave him a look of pure innocence.
“Yes.”
“And you didn’t think it was important to tell me this?”
He took a step toward me. “Lexie, I’ll never force you into anything. I want you to be sure it’s what you want. I’ll give you all the time in the world, if that is what you need.”
I grabbed the bracelet and angled past him to the door. He appeared in front of me.
“Where’re you going?”
“I’m going to show everyone the Iishga. I love you and nothing on earth or in any galaxy can change that. Then I’m going to find Bill and give him some ideas what to do with you.”
I didn’t make it to the door. Chai’s lips on mine distracted me. I slid my arms around his neck.
“Never keep something so important from me again,” I whispered against his lips.
He didn’t answer. His hands slid down my hips and he pressed my back against the wall. His mouth closed over mine, claiming my heart.
Chapter 20
Training took on a whole new meaning. I was disappointed. I didn’t develop super strength or speed. I was just as slow and uncoordinated as before. Moving things with my mind was the only ability I developed. But it did give me the edge I needed.
Gaios moved toward me. I knew I didn’t stand a chance against him. He still moved slower for my benefit, always careful not to hurt me. I concentrated, focusing my thoughts. I couldn’t lift him from the floor, he was too heavy and I hadn’t figured out how to use my full power yet, but I made him stumble and he ploughed into the mats. Arianna clapped thunderously. She enjoyed seeing me kick butt for a change, especially if it involved Gaios.
“Not bad.” Gaios straightened. “With practice you’ll get stronger.” He ruffled my hair.
“Excuse me.” A Brakalorn faced us. He was so small; I nearly didn’t see him standing there. “Captain Chai Quintus requests your presence on deck B.” Gaios nodded and the Brakalorn shuffled away.
“Are you coming?” Arianna grabbed her towel and wiped the sweat from her neck. I nodded eagerly. Until now I hadn’t been allowed on deck B.
The elevator slid open. A small crowd gathered in front of the screens. Bill was among the bodies trying to press closer. I automatically edged closer to see what they were watching. Chai was right in front, his hands clutching the back of a chair turning white with the pressure he exerted. He glanced in my direction and he pressed his lips together when he saw me.
“Get her out of here. Now!” he snapped at Gaios. This wasn’t good. I knew the look on his face. Something very bad was happening that he didn’t want me to see.
“What’s going on?” I pushed through the crowd to take a better look at the screens lining the wall.
Chai tried to put his body between me and the screens, but I quickly sidestepped him. I sucked in my breath. The screens zoomed in on the cobblestone square in front of the Vandelrizi palace in Palasium. To one side was a solid black wall of Vandelrizi, roughly about twenty of them. They watched in silent unity as Robert Miller impatiently paced the square. There was no audio to the images and I didn’t know what orders he heaved at the soldiers. A woman was shoved forward and she fell on her knees, joining five other humans in the middle of the square. She braced her fall with the palms of her hands on the stones, grey strands of hair falling from the disheveled bun on her head. It was Maria. She was one of a row of humans forced to kneel on the square. My nails bit into the palms of my hands. This couldn’t be happening.
“Lexie.” Chai placed a hand on my shoulder willing me to look away.
“Don’t.” I needed to keep watching. I owed it to Maria. She was the one that looked after me when my mother died, she wiped the tears when I cried, and she tended to the bruises that Robert inflicted. Robert waved his hand, his face red and bloated. A soldier lifted his rifle, but didn’t pull the trigger, uncertainty written all over his face. Robert snatched the rifle from his hands and turned to the six men and woman. The rifle jerked in his hands and they toppled over. He killed them…they were dead…Maria…he killed her.
I wasn’t on the alien spaceship anymore. I was a twelve-year-old girl clutching her arms over her chest, begging her father not to do it, watching in terror as he lifted his gun and shooting her mother.
Chai’s arms were around me, whispering in my ear, bringing me back to reality. I clamped my mouth shut, stopping the screams from my mouth. I had never felt such a potent mixture of anger, hate and pain inside of me. Robert was a monster. I shoved away from Chai, blindly heading for the elevator, barely aware that I was pushing people out of my way using my telepathic abilities. I knew what I had to do.
The elevator door opened on deck C. With a flick of my hand I flung open the locked doors of the weapon lockers. I would stop him, no matter what I had to do. I couldn’t let any more innocent humans suffer at his hands.
“Lexie stop.” Chai’s body barred the entrance to the lockers.
“Get out of my way!” He didn’t move. I focused on him. I could make him move out of the way. My thoughts hit a solid brick wall too strong for me to penetrate.
“I’m not going to let you do this. Your ability doesn’t work on me. I’m stronger than you,” he said grimly. I forgot he had his own version of telepathic abilities. I let a chair fly through
the air aiming straight for him. He caught it in mid-air and dropped it to the floor.
“You can’t stop me!” I flung a chair in frustration against the wall.
“I know you’re upset…”
“You don’t know anything. Maria never did anything to anyone. Why…why did he kill her? It’s all my fault. I left her there with him. I left all of them…I should’ve helped them. Now he’s going to kill them one by one.” The shelves rattled behind Chai. My anger was gaining momentum, fueling my power.
“You can’t go storming into Palasium by yourself.”
“You want me to sit back and do nothing? Let him kill every human left on this planet?” I thought Chai was the one person that would understand.
“No. I want you to calm down and listen to me.” He took a step closer and touched my cheek. The anger seeped away, leaving only pain in its place.
“She didn’t deserve to die…like this. We have to get all the slaves out of Palasium.” Chai pulled me into his arms, tucking my head under his chin.
“We will. I promise. We’ll do it together.”
The bullet proof jacket brought back a lot of bad memories, but Chai insisted I wore it. He was not taking the chance of me getting shot again. He grimly sheathed a knife on my belt.
“You don’t take one step without me.” He scrutinized me, making sure I had all the weapons I needed. He pressed a quick kiss on my lips. I knew he wasn’t happy that I was going with him, but he knew he couldn’t stop me. He promised me we would do this together. Besides he needed me. I was the only one that knew Palasium like the back of my hand. I also knew where the safe was in Robert’s office and the code to open it. I used this information as a bargaining chip to get Bill to agree with me tagging along. It was a long heated discussion he lost in the end. Chai stepped away from me, going over our plan with Gaios one more time.
Bill placed his hands on my shoulders.
“Be careful.” His eyes were full of concern. It was still new to me to have a father that cared about me.
“I will be. I’ve got three aliens to protect me.” I tried to smile, but my face felt stiff. I was scared of going back to Palasium, though I wouldn’t admit it to anyone. Chai would use it against me to make me stay here.
Extinction Page 17