Judgement 8 (Subject Alpha #1)

by D H Sidebottom

I nodded, shame rushing through me. “He just went for me. Something snapped and I fought back.”

  “Yeah,” he said on a heavy breath. He lifted his eyes to me and I winced at the pain in them. “I take it you and Reid are . . . together.”

  Something inside me stilled with the hurt on his face. “Ruben?”

  He continued to stare at me, his eyes unblinking and sad. Then he closed them and sighed. “You love him?”

  “What?” I snorted. “No.”

  He snatched up the bottle, refilling us both before he shot upright, his chair flying backwards as he threw his glass against the wall. My body jerked.

  “Don’t lie to me, Princess. You reek of it. Love, the most dangerous thing in the world. The only thing that is capable of killing you. He doesn’t love you! He’s using you to get what he wants, what he needs. All he feeds you is lies! You stupid fucking girl!”

  What the fuck was wrong with everyone? Those who had previously hurt me were trying to help me and those who I thought cared for me were turning on me. I couldn’t take it; my mind was confused and filled with confliction.

  I shot upright, storming across the room to him. “How dare you?” He blinked when I stabbed him in the chest with my finger. “Reid has helped me. He’s been there for me. He’s taken my shit and fought it. He’s fought for me. He . . . he’s made me feel again. That wasn’t him earlier. The real Reid cares about me.” I spat at him. “What about you, eh? Oh that’s right, you’ve done nothing but hurt me, Ruben. Abused me with your hatred and your position, and then sat back and laughed at me getting gang raped by your friends!”

  He flinched as though I’d slapped him. Tears poured down my face. Everything was going wrong. What had been hope not twelve hours ago had turned into despair and the unknown. Everyone was losing their shit, me included, and I was scared about what was coming next.

  “El, I didn’t know what they . . . I didn’t think they would go that far . . . I thought . . .” Ruben whispered, his hand reaching for me as his face crumbled.

  Shaking my head, fighting my energy that was desperate to crush him, I turned my back and fled. If I stayed there I would kill him, annihilate him with a simplicity that terrified me. That was the only thing I was certain of.

  I had no idea where I was, where I was going, or even if my magnetised other half would soon catch up with me, but all I heard was the pounding of my bare feet on a pavement that was wet and cold. Wind pushed my hair from my face as I ran faster than ever before. My heart soared with my freedom, the air around me feeding my soul. Exhilaration and pure contentment flowed through me as my feet slammed harder and harder on the ground, their relentless push driving me forward until I accepted my body’s need to go with it.

  Oxygen fuelled my lungs. Freedom fed my mind and the open space soothed every single muscle until the anger in me started to subside.

  Rain beat down on me and I lifted my face to the sky when a bolt of lightning shot across the black, lighting my way when I found myself on a beach.

  I slammed to a halt, blinking in confusion. How far had I run? I hadn’t a clue where I was but when another strike burrowed through the night sky, I tilted my head back and allowed its fevered need to take me.

  Ecstasy stormed me with each furious hit on my body, the force driving me to my knees with each energetic strike. My blood felt like molten arousal; desire and pleasure seeped inside me. The energy inside me danced in delight at the power feeding me, its fury escalating until all I could do was scream to release the build up inside me. My brain sharpened my senses, my ears catching the rustle of wildlife around me, my nose picking up the scent of honey and leather.

  Sensing movement behind me, I spun round. My eyes widened, disbelieving before the world tipped and blackness surrounded me.

  Light flooded my eyes and I snapped awake. I gasped, drawing in air as though I’d been starved of it for too long.

  I stared at her, swallowing the bile as she regarded me with questioning eyes.

  “How are you feeling?” she asked, her voice a soft purr.

  I let my gaze slide from hers to the room. It was plush; or in my words, fucking posh. The high walls were cream but decorated with what looked like textured murals, and adorned with paintings. Huge cream curtains hung from two large bay windows, the daylight notifying me I’d been out for a while. The furniture was elegant; masses of stylish ornaments and exclusive antiques were scattered around. The bed I lay on was a four poster, the high columns draped in a sheer cream muslin and the sheets below me cool, crisp silk.

  “Elina. Are you feeling better?”

  “What the fuck?”

  She blinked at my crudeness but a smile played her lips. A small giggle burst from her and I stared in shock. “Like chalk and cheese, aren’t we?”

  My brain wouldn’t work. My mouth fell open then shut again. My hands pressed on the bed to push me up but I fell back down, unable to process anything.

  “I’m sorry.” Her smile dropped and she sighed. “I must be a bit of a shock and a slap in the face, huh?”

  I nodded slowly, my gaze roaming over her perfection. I shifted uncomfortably, my flaws and imperfections suddenly looking even more appalling. Her thick, lustrous ebony hair cascaded down her back, the edges framing her face perfectly. Her boobs were a perfect size, high and round beneath her stylish silk dress. Her eyes were blue, a slight hint of silver lighting them behind long, thick lashes. Her waist was trim, her hips tight and compact as long perfect legs peeked out from the hem of her dress. I didn’t need to see to know she also had the perfect arse. A lot of perfects? Yeah, she was perfection itself—as much as it grieved me to admit.

  “I . . .” She tapped her thigh with her long fingernails and sighed.

  I echoed her, both of us unable to form the words to say what we wanted to. I shook my head, blinking and hoping to wake from the dream that had completely staggered me.

  “Where am I?” Out of everything I should have asked, that came out. I groaned, pressing the heels of my hands to my eyes.

  “I didn’t want it to be like this, Elina. I’m sorry. Ruben called me, frantic. As soon as I saw the lightning, I knew where to find you.”

  “But . . .” I groaned again, but in frustration. “You know what?” I shook my head in disbelief but smiled at her. “Why I am shocked after this week I have no idea.” I held out my hand to her. She smiled widely and clasped it. “It’s a pleasure to finally meet you, Petra.”

  MY HAND SHOOK, THE tiny porcelain cup rattling against the saucer as I placed it back down. Leaning over, I placed both on the table in front of me, not trusting myself to keep the liquid in the cup.

  Petra sat opposite me in a large chaise longue, the plump cushions threatening to swallow her slight frame as her curious eyes swept over me, but a soft smile remained on her face.

  “Don’t feel threatened by me, Elina. I promise I’m not here to cause trouble between you and Reid.”

  I shrugged, licking my dry lips. “I’m not even sure what is between Reid and me. Ruben . . . Ruben said . . .”

  She waved her hand before taking a delicate sip of her own drink. I paused, my mind unable to picture this elegant, beautiful woman with Reid. I would describe Reid as animalistic, wild and unrefined, yet Petra was like a slice of fragility; a tiny blow on her and she would disintegrate before your eyes. “Ignore Ruben, he’s somewhat biased. He doesn’t fully understand.”

  “That makes two of us. What’s going on, Petra? You’re supposed to be dead. And forgive me, but you’re too hot to be a ghost.”

  She smiled wider. “I like you, Elina. Your honesty is refreshing. Before we get down to who’s who and what’s what, I want you to meet someone.”

  I narrowed my eyes. This could be a trap. I didn’t know what to expect but something inside me trusted her. On the other hand, I’d learnt my instincts were always way out. However, I didn’t have a choice so I nodded.

  She moved from the chair, her body almost gliding across the room
. She opened the door and a man walked in, his eyes moving from Petra to me. The steel of his eyes was animalistic, wild and unrefined, just how I described Reid.

  “Holy shit!”

  He smirked, his lips twitching with humour at my outburst. “Hello, Elina.” He leaned down and softly placed a kiss on my cheek, his warm lips lingering as he inhaled my scent. “It’s a pleasure to finally meet you.”

  I stared at him as he took the other chair in the room. Okay, I just gave in and went with it. There were too many what the fuck moments for me to stomach any more. I shook my head. “You’re Reid’s brother.”

  “Logan McCallum,” he said. His eyes climbed down my body and I shivered with the scorching look of approval. “My brother has fine taste.”

  Petra tutted and slapped the top of his arm. “Stop teasing her.”

  He shrugged, his eyes moving up to my face. “She needs to know she picked the wrong half.”

  Petra growled, my eyes widening when her long fingers curved around Logan’s jaw and she snapped his face to hers. “I told you to behave. Don’t scare Elina before we even have a chance to explain.”

  Logan snarled in return, grabbing Petra’s face as he pulled her close and smashed her lips onto his. What the hell? They were both crazy. I watched in a stunned silence as they ate each other’s face, their tongues twisting angrily.

  “Uhh guys,” I murmured when they refused to come up for air. “Sorry and all that but can you let me in on what’s going on before you suddenly decide tongues aren’t enough and I have to sit and watch you fuck on an antique chaise longue.”

  Their faces parted and they both stared at me wide-eyed. Logan barked out a laugh. “I like you.”

  “I’m pleased,” I muttered, growing more annoyed by the second. “Now can you get me in the loop please?”

  We all turned to the door when someone tapped on it. “Come,” Petra called out, prompting a tall guy in a suit to enter the room. He whispered something in her ear before tipping his head to me respectfully and left. I sighed. This was all surreal. I felt the stirrings of a headache.

  “Your friends are here.”

  “My friends?”

  She nodded. “Yes, Reid and Jonah. Ruben brought them.”

  My body stiffened. I wasn’t sure how I felt about Reid finding out his wife was still alive. I couldn’t compete with her, she was perfect. Me? Well my ass was wobbly, my stomach was soft and a little rounded. My boobs were less than a handful. My nose was too small and my body held a mass of scars. I wasn’t in her league.

  Pushing my self-doubts aside, I nodded to her. “Are they here by choice?”

  “I’m sorry?”

  “Well, forgive me, Petra, but none of this makes any sense. How do I know I can trust you? Everyone seems to be backstabbing each other. Hell, your husband, my lover, tried to kill me a few hours ago. The only friend I had in Judgement turned out to be my lover’s daughter. My lover’s wife’s ghost is making out with my lover’s brother. My mother has turned out to be an ally who I thought was an enemy for so many years . . .” I stopped short when Petra stiffened and her lip curled in disgust. Logan took her hand in his, squeezing it reassuringly. I rolled my eyes and let out a frustrated groan, shaking my head at my own stupidity. “Fuck. I should have known. The bitch!”

  Petra gave me a sorrowful smile. “I’m sorry, Elina.” She stood and picked something up from a table and handed it me. My eyes snapped up to hers. “She fitted you with a fresh tracker.” I winced when she ran a long nail gently across the wound in my arm. So that’s why it felt sore; Janice had opened the fucker back up.

  I couldn’t help but recoil when tears filled my eyes. The hope that had settled in my heart disintegrated, my spirit crumbling with it. She’d used me again. This time it hurt so much more. At least when I knew what she was, I’d accepted it. But this time, she’d broke me with her deceit because I had allowed her to own a piece of my heart. It was agonising as that section tore away and died a death inside me.

  I turned my head, trying to hide my devastation when Petra sat down beside me and slipped her arm around my shoulder. “I’m sorry, Elina. I’m so sorry.”

  I shook my head and shrugged. “It’s okay. I’m okay.”

  “No, you’re not,” she whispered. “How could you be?”

  “I’m used to it. And Reid?” She flinched. This time I laughed, full on laughed at my own foolishness. Had I been that desperate? “Ruben was right, wasn’t he? Reid just used me to get what he wants. And tell me, Petra, what is it that Reid wants? You?”

  She gave me a puzzled look, her eyes narrowing as she shook her head. “No, Judgement wants me. Reid thinks I’m dead.” I stared, waiting her out. Eventually she sighed and lowered her eyes. “Look,” she started, taking my hand in hers as if that would stop my heart from fragmenting any more. “Do you have any idea how . . . how important to people you are, Elina?”

  It was my turn to give her a look of bewilderment, her words confusing me. “What do you mean?”

  “You were created to be very special. A beacon, if you like, in the darkness. You can provide night with daylight, the sun on the dullest of days. You’re unique, almost . . . Godly.”

  I laughed loudly, staring at her with incredulity.

  She smiled at me. “I’m not saying you’re celestial or the Holy Divine. But when you were created, something happened that not even Janice can understand. You were supposed to be like the rest of us, just able to manipulate the energy in the air around us. Use it to fight when we were needed in wars and battles. But you, you master it, you own it. It doesn’t fight with you, it begs to be your slave. You are virtually unstoppable. However, they can’t control you and that is the worst thing for them, especially because you’re moral and ethical. They wanted monsters who would relish in destruction and crave the need to fight. You think they’ve been testing you to encourage your abilities and enhance your skill but you already have all your power. They’ve been trying to manipulate your mind, encouraging you to become the bloodthirsty warrior that will join them in destroying any country that won’t follow their lead. But when they realised we weren’t like them, that whatever they did it didn’t change what was in our hearts, we were of no use. They can’t create killers out of people who don’t want to kill.”

  I couldn’t even blink as I listened to what I knew was the truth.

  “So, they have no other choice. They can’t just kill you, it’s impossible, you’re too strong for them to simply take you out. And even then, they haven’t got a clue how to kill you,” Logan explained. “So when Janice pretended to help you, she messed with yours and Reid’s minds and programmed you to kill each other.

  “That’s a lie. Of course they can kill us. They can just flood our chips.”

  Petra laughed, shaking her head. “If that were true, wouldn’t all who escaped be dead? Would I be here now? Would Reid be alive?”

  She was right. Why hadn’t I realised before? They could have just fried all the escapees. I knew Janice had tried with me but it had just caused a surge. Yet all this time I thought they had the capability of terminating us all.

  “Oh my God.” My mouth was too dry. “And Reid? He knows all this?”

  She shrugged. “I’m not sure. But I know at first, when you stormed into his life, he knew you were the ultimate weapon. The nuclear bomb in the war he was fighting.”

  “He used me to win a battle?”

  Wow! How special did I feel? My mother’s betrayal was nowhere near as heart crippling as what Reid had done. He used me. Fucked me and used me. Wooed me into being something he would eventually send out to blow them all up, knowing that when it happened I would go down with them. A suicide bomber, so to speak.

  “So Ruben was right.” My voice was a choked whisper and I was surprised they even heard me.

  “Not necessarily,” Logan cut in. “We don’t know what’s going on in Reid’s head. We only know he was trying to get what was left of The Eight to fight Judgeme
nt with.”

  “And there was nothing better than when I came running in.” Ruben was right. I was stupid. Reid knew how powerful I was. He knew what I could do and that I was the only one capable of taking Judgement down. I groaned when something else finally made sense. “My escape wasn’t an accident, was it?”

  Petra shook her head. “No. Janice surged your chip on purpose, knowing it would flood you with energy. She had already programmed you to go straight to Reid, hoping you would kill each other. But when you grew close, she changed tactics. What better opportunity than when you rang her asking her for the flood. She knew if she upped the voltage it would knock you out. She was then the only hope of fixing you. She knew they would take you back to her, giving her the opportunity to reprogram both of you. Somehow you mostly managed to block them but Reid . . .” She finished with a shrug and a shake of her head.

  I looked at them both. “And you? You and Ruben? What the fuck is going on?”

  “We want what Reid wants; to end Judgement. I won’t lie to you, Elina. Ruben is with us. He was like a brother to me in there. He and Logan helped me to escape, fake my own death so I could get out and plan.”

  “Did Reid know you faked your death?”

  She shook her head, sadness covering her face. “I couldn’t risk it. His mind is too open. He’s easy to penetrate. I tried to teach him not to be so open but he wouldn’t listen. Besides, I needed to leave him to look after Lettie.”

  I shot upright, my body trembling with fear. “Shit, Lettie. They have her!” I whimpered with guilt, sobbing as I looked at Petra. “I’m so sorry, if I’d known I wouldn’t have allowed them to take her back.”

  “Calm down.” Petra grabbed hold of my hand. “Relax, Elina. It’s okay,”

  “But . . .”

  “She’s here, Elina. It’s okay. Lettie is here, with me.”

  “What?” I blinked at her, freezing with the shock of her words.

  “Ruben got her out of there. Don’t panic. Although, they know he’s with us now so he can’t go back.”

  “Are you sure she’s okay?”