Mastering Their Human

by Ivy Barrett

  She laughed and slapped at him playfully. “If Brianna is half as helpless as her sister, you’re in serious trouble.”

  “Well, it’s certainly enjoyable trouble.” He squeezed her hand and stood. “Will you come meet her?”

  As fast as her levity appeared, it evaporated. “I’m not ready. I promise I’ll eat, but give me a few more days.”

  “Two.” He held up his fingers, reinforcing his offer. “On the third day, one way or another, your isolation ends.”

  A sad smile was her only reply, so he reluctantly departed.

  There is no guarantee I’d survive this time. Her cryptic words echoed through Sean’s mind as he climbed the stairs to the great room. She couldn’t be serious, but the twisting pressure in his gut wouldn’t relax.

  He paused at the edge of the room and took in the sight before him. Kellan and Brianna sat on one couch, Mal Ton and Lorelle on the one facing them. Fane leaned against the arm of the couch near Mal Ton, remarkably relaxed given the challenging dynamics of his guests.

  Without dissecting the gathering further, Sean joined the small group. He paused by Fane as their conversations lulled. “Can you please assign someone to shadow Sarah?”

  “She hasn’t left her room in days.” Concern narrowed Fane’s gaze. “What’s going on?”

  “Maybe nothing.” Sean shook his head and rubbed his eyes. “Gods, I hope I’m wrong, but she hinted that she might try to resubmit to the change.”

  “That’s insane,” Mal Ton said with his characteristic candor.

  “What does that mean, ‘resubmit to the change’?” Brianna asked.

  “She’ll intentionally expose herself to the virus so she’ll mutate all over again.” Kellan’s tone hinted at his disgust. “Is it really better to die an agonizing death than to live the rest of her life as me and my people live?”

  “This isn’t about you,” Sean snapped.

  “Think about it this way,” Fane suggested. “You had been born without sight, but a risky, painful surgery that everyone advised you against allowed you to see. Then without warning, and through no fault of your own, your sight was taken from you. Would you consider a second surgery?”

  Kellan didn’t argue, but the hostility in his gaze made it obvious he wasn’t convinced.

  “You’re going to try to stop her, aren’t you?” Brianna asked.

  “Ultimately it’s Brianna’s choice,” Fane began. “But I will have her shadowed,” he concluded before Sean could object.

  “Thank you.”

  “Now, what were you talking about earlier? You’ve encountered some sort of ghost?”

  “The spirit insists that she’s alive.” Sean raked his hair with his fingers as he sat down on the other side of Brianna. “We discovered her on the metaphysical plane—no, I better start at the beginning. When I arrived at Kellan’s headquarters, Brianna had been trapped in a highly detailed visualization.”

  “How was this visualization constructed?” Following Sean’s example, Fane sat on the opposite side of Lorelle. “You aren’t psychic, are you?” he asked Brianna directly.

  “No. Ceddrik, one of Kellan’s advisors, was scanning my mind and I sort of freaked out. I wasn’t told what he intended to do, so I felt like someone was invading me. I struggled for a few minutes and then I blacked out. When I woke up, I was in the castle.”

  Sean quickly filled Fane in on the basics of what had transpired, ending with the spirit’s insistence that Ceddrik was a ‘dragon’ and needed to be destroyed. “The spirit appeared to Brianna after we escaped the visualization, so her existence isn’t limited to the metaphysical plane.”

  “Fascinating,” Fane muttered. “What do we know about this Ceddrik? Do you know why she wants him dead?”

  “No, but I think you might.” Sean stood and approached Fane. “I was able to extract a clear image of Ceddrik from Brianna’s memory.”

  “And why do you believe it will mean something to me?”

  “May I pass you the image?”

  “Of course.”

  Sean felt a tiny opening form in Fane’s mental shields. He pushed the image into Fane’s mind and the shield reformed, dense and impenetrable.

  “You’re certain this man is Ceddrik?” Fane’s tone was crisp, his features suddenly expressionless.

  “I am.”

  Fane pushed to his feet and approached the other couch, his movements stiff, almost stilted. “Can any of you summon the spirit?”

  “It doesn’t seem to work that way. She has a connection with Brianna, but—”

  “Brianna, I need to speak with this spirit. Will you allow me to enter your mind?”

  She pressed against Kellan’s side, her eyes wide and unblinking. “Why? Who is Ceddrik? Sean’s right, isn’t he? You know who he is and why the spirit wants him dead.”

  Fane was silent for a long time. He could likely slip into Brianna’s mind and summon the spirit before she detected his presence. But Sean knew he wouldn’t. Fane was honorable. He expected his people to use their abilities responsibly and he led by example.

  “We can’t talk here. What I’m about to tell you must not be overheard.” He turned to his longtime friend and confidant. “Mal Ton, you’re already acquainted with the dragon. I’ll fill you in later.”

  Mal Ton accepted the dismissal with a stiff nod and led Lorelle away.

  * * *

  Saddened to be separated from her sister so soon after their reunion, Brianna followed Fane into a small office beneath the great room. Ironically, conditions were far less primitive once they reached the lower levels of the Underground. Electric light replaced oil lamps and candles, and the furnishings were significantly newer than what she’d seen above.

  They settled into chairs around Fane’s desk. He closed the door and activated an audio dampener before he took his place behind the desk and began his tale. “I belong to a people most believe long dead. Our role in the war is complicated, but basically we were used as a living delivery mechanism for the lentavirus.”

  Brianna couldn’t really imagine how that could be accomplished, but she decided to wait until his explanation was complete before she grilled him with questions.

  “Are you implying that you’re Faundi?” Kellan sounded skeptical. “I’ve heard stories about them, but they haven’t existed for hundreds of years.”

  “A stable telomere isn’t the only way to arrest aging.” Fane looked pointedly at Brianna. “Appearances can be deceiving when it comes to age.”

  “Just get to the point,” Kellan grumbled. “Who is Ceddrik?”

  “He found out the Protarian government was interested in our warriors. We had abilities they found useful. In fact most of the abilities found in mutants occurred naturally in the Faundi people.” Fane paused, obviously uncomfortable with the topic. “After the Protarians figured out which segments of Faundi DNA were responsible for these abilities, they engineered the virus to attach at those points.”

  “The lentavirus intentionally created paranormal abilities in its victims?” Fascination gradually eroded Kellan’s skepticism.

  Fane rested his forearms on the desktop and folded his hands. “I don’t think they intended the results to be so widespread or unpredictable, but the virus spread much faster than they anticipated.”

  “Why did so few of the people in the black zones mutate? We all got sick, but very few of us changed.”

  “That’s always been somewhat of a mystery,” Fane agreed. “I know more than one version of the virus was released. Apparently the outlying areas were blanketed with the original virus, the one created before the Faundi were captured.”

  “What does all this have to do with Ceddrik?”

  Fane took a deep breath then expelled the facts in a calm, almost detached tone. “The Protarian government approached our tribal leaders and requested our willing participation. We had always been separatists and had no interest in anything they offered. The last
meeting turned into a heated argument. After the meeting, our leaders decided to move us to our winter camp. It was much more secluded and easier to defend.”

  “Your leaders believed the Protarians would try to take you by force?” The skepticism returned to Kellan’s demeanor.

  Brianna watched the exchange in silent fascination. Kellan obviously knew none of what Fane was explaining, but how much did Sean already know? His expression was calm and his mind shielded. She couldn’t sense his emotions.

  “When all their offers failed to lure a sufficient number of us away,” Fane went on, “the Protarians focused their ambition on one weak warrior. They recruited the man you know as Ceddrik, promised him anything he wanted if he would lead them to our winter camp. You see, we’d cloaked the village in magic so the Protarians had been unable to locate it until Ceddrik led the way.”

  “Selan’te.” Sean spat out the name, his fists clenched on his knees. “Ceddrik is Selan’te? I was in the same room with that vile creature. Oh, gods, I scanned his mind.” He shuddered violently. “I failed you utterly.”

  Fane shook his head, compassion warming his gaze. “He is a deceiver. You had no way of knowing who—”

  “Wait a minute.” Kellan held up his hand, halting the flow of conversation. “You said this betrayer was a warrior. You must have Ceddrik confused with someone else.”

  “He wasn’t born deaf.” Fane easily anticipated Kellan’s reasoning. “He was born strong and capable, a competent telepath, who was receptive to other people’s emotions. He also had the ability to construct compulsions. Sound anything like the Ceddrik you know?”

  “What happened to his hearing?” Brianna asked.

  “When our high priestess learned of his betrayal, she unleashed the full scope of her abilities on him. She belonged to an ancient order who passed power from one generation to the next as they died. She possessed the accumulated power of countless generations and she used it all to punish Selan’te. His hearing went first then she shriveled his vocal cords. But before she could rob him of sight, he stabbed her through the heart.”

  “Your high priestess is the spirit?” Brianna shook her head even as her heart told her it was true. “Has she followed him all these years, trying to complete her revenge?”

  “I suspect it’s something like that,” Fane agreed. “There was no time to perform the ritual of passing before her body died, so she poured her essence into her enemy. According to legend, she will find the lost seer and empower that person to finish the job.”

  “Then why does she need us to slay her dragon?” Kellan managed to keep most of the sarcasm out of his voice. “And don’t you find this all a little dramatic?”

  Fane leaned back in his chair, his gaze boring into Kellan’s. “These aren’t fairytales, overlord. I was there. I saw it happen.”

  “It sounds like she’s given up on her quest for the seer and has settled on Plan B,” Sean concluded.

  “Perhaps.” Fane’s gaze shifted from Kellan to Brianna then back to Kellan. “And perhaps the dragon’s spy is in our midst. Why do I detect his energy coming from you?”

  * * *

  Renn picked up one of the cylinders, his touch almost reverent. “If you’ve only just gained control over your gift, how were the cylinders charged?”

  “Howyn had a device that transferred the energy.” It had slowly and painful leeched it from her body, but many of the details were no longer relevant. Nehalem watched him closely. The cylinders were relatively harmless, but if either of them reached for an injector, she’d dive for the pulse pistol hidden under her pillow. She was going to hold on to control of this project for as long as she possibly could. “I didn’t have much time when I teleported into the lab. I grabbed what I knew was important and got the hell out of there.”

  “You can teleport?” Renn returned the cylinder to its slot in the case and took a step back.

  “Not anymore. It was a borrowed ability. They never last long.”

  Why didn’t you inject yourself with the nanites? Ced eyed the contents of the case with obvious interest, but didn’t touch anything. His gaze returned to her face as he waited for her response.

  “That was my original plan.” She hesitated. They knew she’d been cruising mutant bars when they found her. Was there really any reason to deny the truth? Ced might be the host she was looking for, but she no longer trusted Renn. What choice did she have? She hadn’t accomplished anything on her own. “All the… gathering I did before changed me somehow. I started craving mutant energy. I become physically ill if I don’t receive regular infusions. Each nanite is like a microscopic amplifier. I was afraid it would make my cravings worse.”

  Renn moved away from the bed as if his interest were waning. His pretense didn’t fool her, however. Cunning still burned in his eyes. “Were you going to try to sell the case to an arms dealer?”

  She shook her head, closing and locking the case. “I have unfinished business on Protaria.”

  Renn chuckled. “Let me guess. Incarceration is too good for your husband?”

  “You have no idea what that man put me through,” she snapped, infuriated by his nonchalance.

  “If half the rumors are true, I have a pretty good idea.” Renn sat on the side of the bed, one leg bent in front of him, the other foot still resting on the floor. “He turned you into an energy whore. You fucked mutants and captured their abilities then the energy was stored in those cylinders until the human with the nanites was ready to use them. Does that about sum it up?”

  She’d been coerced every step of the way. It was either fuck the mutants or rot in a penal facility for the rest of her life. “No need for the review, asshole. I was there.”

  His smile didn’t quite reach his eyes and he held out his hand. “Come here. I have another proposition for you.”

  She crossed her arms over her chest and tossed her head. “I’m not happy with how our last arrangement turned out. The result differed greatly from what you described in the bar.”

  His gaze shot to Ced and he chuckled, the men obviously sharing some inside joke. “I promised to teach you how to use the conduit. Do you or do you not possess the promised skill?”

  “You had nothing to do with my new skill. Ced guided me to the conduit and taught me how to use it.” While he wove strands of influence through her brain! Her angry gaze shifted to Ced and a shiver ran down her spine. He wasn’t tugging on the telepathic cords at the moment, but she could sense the tether, knew at any moment he could bend her to his will.

  And you restored my energy. Everything Renn promised came to pass. Are you really upset by the sex? If you were left wanting, just say the word and Renn will bring you to climax.

  “While you watch, no doubt.”

  His gaze narrowed and his chin rose, the expression both resentful and tragic. I’ve spent a lot of time watching others fuck. Few women will bother with someone like me.

  She just shook her head. She’d felt his power in her mind, could sense his potential even now. Ced wanted people to think he was weak and helpless. She knew better. “I’d rather have you on your knees licking my pussy while Renn watches.” She called his bluff, expecting an immediate refusal.

  He crossed to her with a slow, rolling stride, challenge gleaming in his eyes. I’ll lick you until you scream for me to stop and then I’ll fuck you until you’re too weak to move. I will think only of your pleasure. I’ll do anything you ask, no matter how perverse, and I won’t let Renn touch you.

  Heat built between her thighs and radiated outward, awakening nerves and stirring her sense as nothing had before. He could control her with a thought, yet he offered to be her slave, to surrender control to her. Even if the offer were temporary, nothing in her life had been so appealing.

  “Why?” she whispered. He stood close but didn’t touch her. Awareness sizzled, intoxicating and… dangerous. “Nothing comes without a price. What do you want in exchange for my pleasure?”<
br />
  I want to forge a partnership, a true meeting of equals. I know you’re thinking about this too. I can use mutant energy without being tainted by it. You can now gather all we need without degradation or danger. We would make an unstoppable team. We can accomplish anything we’re brave enough to imagine, starting with your husband’s death.

  “You want the nanites.” She glanced at the case. When she’d taken it from the lab, she thought it would secure her freedom, finally offer her a life without masters. But her body had failed her, leaving only this compromise.

  They are useless without your gift. I cannot charge the nanites and you are unable to use them yourself. This is the obvious solution.

  Her anxious gaze shifted to Renn. Had he heard everything Ced said to her? Ced sent thoughts to Renn that she was unable to hear, so it was conceivable that Renn was unaware of the offer. Conceivable but unlikely.

  Unsure if she could manage the same subtlety, she carefully accessed the strand Ced had been using and pushed her thought into his mind. What about Renn? Where does he fit into this ‘meeting of equals’?

  Renn chuckled and stood up, ambling toward them. “You need some more practice before you’re ready to tell secrets. You haven’t asked about my abilities. Didn’t you ever wonder why your father hired me? I’m rather scrawny to be a bodyguard. Don’t you think?”

  She’d been so captivated by his charm and the forbidden nature of their relationship that mutation had never entered her mind. “You had abilities way back then?”

  “I’m a sensitive. Do you know what that means?” She shook her head, remembering his cock slamming into her core and the ease with which he’d manipulated her feelings. “When I walk into a room, I can tell you exactly what each person is capable of and how well they can do it. My accuracy is infallible, but my range is limited.”

  Their roles took shape within her mind. Renn would identify the mutants, she would collect their energy, and Ced would become the most powerful weapon anyone had ever seen. Each person relied on the others and none could function alone. A meeting of equals as Ced had proposed.