‘Really? I didn’t think he was fussed, tired maybe,’ Ingrid said, quite pleased with her tiny lie.
‘Oh, you didn’t notice the way he slouched off,’ she laughed, ‘it’s so typical of Steven. He tends to mope if things don’t go his way.’
Ingrid remembered the way Steven had become withdrawn when Jenson, his best friend, had been taken away for his change whilst at the community. Not to forget, the way he had berated her for the way she had acted, it was embarrassing now to think back to the way she had thrown herself at him. She would not act desperate again. She had to act aloof, indifferent, it might work. ‘I never noticed,’ the lies came easy enough.
‘Hey, I think I’ll go check on him. Speak to you later,’ Caitlin smiled, ‘it really has been great to get to know you. I never thought I’d make a friend so easily.’
Ingrid beamed and waved her off. It killed her to think of what they might get up to, she hoped not much. It was a lot to ask for.
She made her way to the front of the ship, her hand running over the wooden banister. At the entrance, she climbed the stairs leading up to the cockpit. Carmen was there, she was one of the best navigators they had.
‘Ingrid,’ Carmen smiled, and put her book down.
Ingrid gave her a hug and sat next to her.
Carmen resumed her position in front of the wheel. The river was quite wide, but you still had to watch it. ‘New girl seems to have settled in alright. Ian says you’ve become friends.’
Ingrid felt herself blush, ‘She’s nice.’
‘So I hear. It sounds like it’s going to be hard for anyone to actually dislike her,’ Carmen mused. ‘Of course, the fact she’s so normal will give fuel to the fire for those that think that a life with humans is the way to go.’
Ingrid had considered that already, ‘It’s not difficult to see why. Do you think maybe we have been wrong all these years? Do you think what we have been trying to protect was just something that was meant to happen? I don’t know what to think.’
‘I don’t know either, Ian is beside himself,’ Carmen sighed, ‘he tries to act like it doesn’t matter, but he’s scared. He knows he’s holding on to control by thin tenterhooks as it is.’
Ingrid got up and made her way over to the window. ‘I’m starting to think that maybe we should be amongst normal humans. Perhaps, we were meant to co-exist. It was not a fluke. The world needs a way to suppress humanity?’
Carmen laughed, scornful, ‘What by creating us, a species capable of outliving every human in existence, capable of reproduction on a much grander scale, capable of feats that should be impossible?’
Ingrid knew what she was saying, but she had considered this too. ‘But, we don’t age and we can heal with blood. Think about it. Natural diseases, old age, cancer, all those horrible afflictions normal humans succumb too. We would make people stronger and take away the need for suffering.’
‘And slowly irradiate a species in the process,’ Ian said, as he came into the room. ‘I don’t think any creature has ever consciously wiped out another, do you want to be the first?’
Ingrid huffed, ‘Actually, humans make animals extinct all the time. They don’t care, so why should we? And also, we would not be eradicating it, don’t be so melodramatic. We would be making it different. You can’t tell me change doesn’t happen all the time. It would take thousands of years for our small group to dominate in a world this big. Our kind is but a drop in the ocean.’
Ian dropped his eyes to the floor for a moment. Slowly, he raised his head, ‘We would start the chain reaction.’
Carmen broke her silence, ‘And so what if we did?’
‘I’ll let you ladies chat, I have things to do,’ Ian said, as he turned on his heel.
It was the first time Ingrid had seen the fight taken out of him. If Ian did not want to fight, it looked like it was game over. It made her giddy to think that soon they might plan a life out in the open. There was no point going to Borneo, when they could just go back to their homelands. Ingrid had no idea what that would be like. Her home had always been amongst the community, some had never left the Amazon. She had no idea what people would choose to do if given the choice.
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Chapter 12
Truth
Caitlin could not believe what she was seeing. She was actually on a ship, currently sailing on the Amazon River, that is, the actual Amazon River in Brazil, not the make pretend one in her dream. She remembered when Steven had shown her the vision in the dream, the dream that revealed the truth about Steven, the truth about their relationship. It seemed like months ago when she had found out that Eilif had erased her memory. She still resented the fact she had been so embarrassed in front of Daniel. She blushed at the thought – how was she supposed to know she was not a virgin?
It was all forgotten now though.
Steven had changed her and she was one of them, only the second human to have ever been changed. It was an interesting development, it was a shame neither of Steven’s grandparents were there to shed any light on what she would be. They had both chosen to die. She found it hard to understand why they would have done that. She knew his grandmother had chosen to die first.
Since his grandmother was the only other human to have been changed before, she wondered if there had been something else wrong with her. She wondered if she was actually like the others. She hoped someone might have some answers, and so far the only one who seemed to know something was Steven’s mum, Emily, and she was not exactly trustworthy.
She did not think she could trust Emily, but if she wanted answers she might just have to listen regardless of the fact she was unstable. It was obvious Ingrid still wanted to be with Steven, yet Caitlin did not feel threatened in any way. She almost wanted Ingrid to have him. She knew she was a fool. Steven was a kind, gorgeous, intelligent man who had done everything in his power to get her back. And yet, something else had changed. Caitlin was amazed by her reaction. When they had made love it had been amazing, but she did not feel overwhelmed by him anymore.
She did not know if it was just a phase, or whether there was more to it. Either way, she had to find out. She had to go and see him. By giving him a cold shoulder, she was only delaying the inevitable.
She did not know where he had gone, so she had to go and investigate. She opened the door and eased past the cabin doors. They were all shut, this was not going to be easy. She started to walk down the corridor and the door at the far end opened. Steven stuck out his head and smiled, it was a tired smile. She suspected he had actually been having a rest.
She made her way over, and stopped outside the door. ‘Hey.’
‘Do you want to come in?’ he asked, his eyes blinked slowly.
‘Sure, as long as I’m not disturbing you. Am I?’ She gave a half-smile.
‘Not at all, please come in.’ He made way for her and backed into the room.
It was a small cabin, barely over a few metres squared. A small single bed was nestled on the side on the room, one of those that could be pulled back up after use. There was a small sink opposite, and a pull-out table. It was a basic, but functional, room for one.
She sat down on the bed, head low, and said, ‘So?’
Steven sat next to her. He took her hand and held it on his. He turned it round and with his other hand traced her vein from her hand up to her elbow. Before he had got very far she pulled it away and chuckled.
‘I knew that would make you laugh,’ Steven said, his voice low, almost tempting.
She gazed up into his eyes and was entranced once again by the pool of amber. She could not look away, but neither moved closer. Caitlin wondered if he needed her to make the move. She narrowed the gap and gave him a small peck on his lips before she fell back, watching him. Steven did not kiss her back, but his thumb glided up and down on her wrist. It was a very sensual experience.
Caitlin placed her other hand behind his head and leaned in towards him so that their foreheads w
ere touching. ‘Steven, I…’ she did not know what to say.
‘It’s okay…’ he said, neither could finish.
The both raised their heads and came in for another kiss. This time is was slow, steady, as though they were having a first kiss all over again. The kiss became deeper, more desperate, as they sought out the connection which she knew had been partially severed. She started to feel lightheaded, as every nerve ending in her body stood to attention. She raised her other hand and played with his hair. His hands sat on the curve of her lower back, their warmth creating a small furnace.
Even though she wanted to carry on kissing, the position was not the most comfortable. A supposedly ‘better’ human could still get a sore neck. She pulled back. ‘Can we lie down? I would like to kiss you some more, but my neck is at an awkward angle.’
Steven laughed, ‘I thought you’d never ask.’
Caitlin lay down and Steven eased on his side alongside her, it was a bit of a squeeze but they made it work. He put his arm under her head and she nestled into his shoulder. It was nice to just lie together. She was not bothered if it did not develop into anything else. It was just comfortable to be with him. She closed her eyes as Steven ran his finger along her cheek, and she let herself relax.
*
Caitlin opened her eyes and noticed Steven had stopped caressing her cheek, her mouth felt dry and she had a slight saliva trail on the corner of her mouth. She wiped it off quickly and sat up. She was alone.
She got up, made her way over to the basin and turned on the tap to splash water on her face. Her stomach growled since it had been a while since they last ate. She had no idea how long she had been asleep for, or how long the journey would take. Since Steven had disappeared it was probably a good idea to go see where everyone had gone. She could not believe she had fallen asleep when she should have been trying to figure out what was going on between them.
As she made for the door, it opened and Steven walked in. He held a plate with some thick slices of bread and two mugs of what looked and smelled like coffee in his other hand.
‘I can’t believe I fell asleep?’ Her shoulders slumped.
‘Yes,’ he smiled, ‘and you looked very cute.’
‘Cute? Urgh, how embarrassing,’ Caitlin sighed, ‘I’m starving. Can I have one?’
‘I thought you might be, help yourself.’ He held out the plate and Caitlin took a piece. ‘They only had coffee, but I figured it was better than nothing.’
‘Thanks.’ Caitlin took the mug and had a sip. With the buttered bread the combination was heavenly. Hunger made anything taste good.
She ate the slice quickly and downed the rest of the coffee, Steven watched, as though amused.
Caitlin smiled, ‘Told you I was hungry.’
Steven chuckled, ‘I believe you.’ He finished his own bread and put the plate on the side table, then he looked out of the small, round window, ‘We’ll be there soon. Are you nervous?’
Caitlin replied, ‘No, not nervous, uncertain really. So far, it’s been too easy. I expect something will happen to complicate things.’
He turned back to face her, nodded, a sad expression in his eyes, and then looked away again.
Caitlin swallowed involuntarily. She could hear every sound they made, her gulp magnified. She thought of sitting down, but then decided against it. ‘Steven, I…’ she trailed.
‘I know, Caitlin, I know,’ he turned to face her. ‘Something has changed for you. You don’t feel the same way you used to. Love is a fickle thing sometimes. All I can do is hope that you’ll feel the same way you used to about me, but if you don’t I’m not going to begrudge you forever. We can both move on, and I’ll always be here for you as a friend if you need me.’
Caitlin raised an eyebrow and frowned. ‘It almost sounds like a breaking up speech.’
Steven walked towards her and held her in his arms, his head on hers. For a minute they just embraced, it felt right. When he pulled back, he put his arms on her shoulders and looked her in the eyes. ‘You’re not in love with me anymore, are you?’
Caitlin did not know what to say, she opened and closed her mouth, unable to engage her brain.
‘You don’t have to say another word, it is what it is.’ Steven let her go and made to leave.
Caitlin stood frozen on the spot for a second, unable to move, unable to react. As the door was about to close, she rushed towards it and managed to put her hand on his arm, ‘Steven, don’t tell anyone yet, please.’
He nodded, his eyes devoid of all emotion, and then walked away.
Caitlin eased back into the room and leant against the wall. It took her a few minutes to breathe properly. As she did, her breaths got louder and louder, as the constriction at the back of her throat erupted, and she broke down. She sat on the bed, head in hands, and wept. She could not believe it was over. Was that all it took?
After she had calmed down, she wiped her face with the back of her hands. She missed Gemma. She would do anything to have her best friend there. To talk over the situation and try to figure out what, if anything, could be done. Her chest ached, it was a dull pain. She could not understand how it was possible to be completely infatuated with someone one minute and then feel nothing the next. Well, not nothing exactly, but Steven was right she was not in love with him anymore. He had known it before she had acknowledged what had happened.
If she was honest, she wished she could lie better. It would have been easier to pretend she was still in love. She was just not the sort to play with someone’s emotions. You either loved them or you didn’t, it should be simple. But, the truth was it was far from simple.
What she most feared was the reaction of the community. Steven had changed her because she was supposedly his true love. If she actually wasn’t, it made things a nightmare for them to explain. She figured the community would understand love more than irrational lust. Either way, maybe she should talk to Steven, so they could get their story straight. She would do that for him.
Caitlin cursed and made her way back to the sink. After she had ensured her eyes were less puffy, she made her way out. She had to find Steven, she had to find a way to make things right.
She opened the door and stopped, as her ears picked up a faint whispering, calling her name. She followed the sound to a cabin door and opened it. Inside, Emily was waiting. Her eyes open, staring at Caitlin.
‘Where’s Catherine?’ Caitlin asked.
Emily whispered back, ‘She went to get some food. Come closer.’
Caitlin moved closer the bed, but remained an arm’s length away.
‘We’re not that different, you and I. We both want freedom, to see the world, to taste everything on offer. My son, he’s not for you, is he?’
Caitlin narrowed her eyes. ‘Did you hear us?’
‘My hearing has always been short of remarkable. Yes, I heard. I can help you escape this place. I can help you find happiness,’ her soft voice pleaded, ‘let me help you.’
‘What do you want me to do?’ Caitlin asked, she could not help it. Her defences were low and she would take any lifeline offered.
‘Hold out your hand, give me your wrist,’ Emily said.
Caitlin bridged the distance and held out her hand, she had stopped thinking.
‘Closer,’ Emily whispered.
Caitlin put her wrist in front of Emily’s face. When Emily bit into her wrist and started to feed, Caitlin watched with mild curiosity as her eyes drooped. She knelt down on the floor and barely noticed the fact she had dozed off.
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Chapter 13
Blood
Steven needed to clear his head, to get some air. He had no idea why he had done that. He had just made it easy for Caitlin, he had let her go. He could not understand why he had been compelled to take the conversation there. It hurt like hell, and he fought the urge to cry. He never cried, it was stupid, and yet he wanted to. It was him that had made the break, not Caitlin. And yet, he didn’
t think he had any choice. He could not carry on with the charade if she did not want him.
Once on the side of the ship, he took a gulp of air and focused on the muddy green river water. He was tempted to jump in and go for a swim, to explore, to get away. But, he had to protect Caitlin and she was right, they should not tell anyone. He could not let the others know they were not together, not yet.
‘Penny for your thoughts? That’s what you say in England, isn’t it?’
Ingrid.
‘Trust me a penny will not be enough. Seriously though, thanks for being a good friend to Caitlin. I misjudged you. I’m sorry for the way I’ve been with you in the past.’ He held out his hand, it was better to start afresh, ‘Friends?’
Ingrid smiled, her eyes alight, as she held out her hand, ‘Friends.’
Steven gave her hand a squeeze, he noticed her grip was firm but casual. ‘Caitlin was a bit tired. Maybe you can check on her later on?’
‘Sure, do you want me to go now?’ Her reply was eager, she was willing to please.
‘No, give her some time.’
‘Is everything okay?’ Ingrid eased up alongside him.
He needed to think about something else, fast. ‘Talk to me, what’s been going on since I left? How’s Jenson, Susanna, Gideon?’
Ingrid laughed, ‘Slow down. They’re all doing great. In fact, I think Jenson and Susanna are going to be tying the knot soon.’
‘They’re getting married?’ Steven gave a half-smile, ‘that’s great.’
‘It is. They’ll be very happy together. Sometimes, you see a couple and you just know they are meant to be together,’ Ingrid flicked her hair out of her face, ‘You know what I mean?’
The Evolution Trilogy: Hybrid, Complications & Return Page 71