Remembered

by Krista Street

  We carried along a pathway, in and out of landscaped desert plants. The house disappeared behind us. The dark walled perimeter I had seen from upstairs grew larger. The sound of trickling water reached my ears a moment later. A fountain appeared. I guessed it hadn’t dropped below freezing if the thing still ran. From the cool mountain air, freezing temps were to come.

  We sailed past the fountain and didn’t stop until we reached a small rock garden.

  “Lie down.” Flint pointed to something on the ground.

  “What’s that?”

  “A blanket. I took it off one of the beds.”

  I glanced back at the house. “How’d you get it out here?”

  “I did a quick run of the perimeter and grounds while you were talking to Conroy. This place sits on at least five acres.”

  I rolled my eyes but couldn’t help my smile. Flint still seemed somewhat oblivious to how unique his gift was. He probably patrolled the grounds in under a minute, while it would have taken a normal human around twenty.

  “Do you think Conroy would approve?”

  Flint grunted. “I could care less if he approves.”

  Right, case closed. I sat on the blanket and drew my knees up.

  In a flash, Flint lay beside me. Moonlight shimmered off his chestnut locks. That playful look was back on his face.

  “What did you want to show me?” I smiled and savored his perpetual warmth. My sweater was no match for the cold temperature.

  “Lie flat.”

  I lay down, the small pebbles underneath the blanket shifting with my weight. I raised my eyebrows expectantly.

  He grinned. “Look up.”

  I did as he said and gasped. “Wow…”

  “Incredible, isn’t it?”

  I knew a lot of telescopes were built in high mountain deserts. The low humidity and lesser particles in the air, along with the higher elevation, allowed scientists a clearer picture of space. However, I’d never actually seen the night sky under such conditions. I’d only read about it in books I had checked out from Little Raven’s library.

  The view above me was too beautiful for words. The entire sky was a shimmering array of stars. The cloudy Milky Way trailed across its midst, like an opaque ribbon stretching from horizon to horizon. The night sky here was so bright and abundant. I’d never realized how much we were missing at the ranch.

  “This is amazing!” I breathed.

  “I’ve already seen eight satellites.”

  “You have?”

  He pointed up. “There’s another one.”

  I followed his finger. Sure enough, a tiny dot sailed in a steady line across the sky. We both watched until it disappeared.

  “Does this remind you of anything?”

  I smiled. “Yeah, although the sky’s better here.”

  Back at Hideaway Hills ranch, only weeks ago, we sneaked away frequently to be alone. Often, we’d lay on the grass, staring at the night sky, just like we were right now. Flint and I both loved backyard astronomy. It was one of the many things we had in common.

  We lay quietly for a while. I inched closer to his side and let his radiating warmth keep the chill away.

  “It’s so quiet out here.”

  He grumbled a response and stroked my hair. The fleeting movement sent tingles down my spine. I expected kisses on my neck to follow with some clothes being removed after that, but his hands stayed put.

  “Babe?”

  Something in his voice made me pause. “Yeah?”

  “Are you really going through with it tomorrow?” His words were soft, yet I heard the catch in them.

  “You mean the antidote? Yes.”

  “Why?” he whispered.

  I leaned up on an elbow to meet his gaze. “Do you really need to ask? I want to know about my life. I want to remember everything I’ve done.”

  “Even if there are consequences?”

  “Such as?”

  “Side effects for one. We don’t know what this drug will do to us. Remember, these drugs are mind altering. One bad reaction and our brains could be fried.”

  I frowned. “Yeah, I know, but this drug is much safer than the ones we received as babies. The chances of that happening are rare.”

  “So you still want to do it?”

  “Conroy tried it. Nothing happened to him.”

  Flint guffawed. “Conroy says he tried it. I trust Conroy about as far as I can throw him.”

  I swallowed a smile. “You could probably throw him pretty far.”

  Flint tried to scowl, but his lips tugged up. “You know what I mean.”

  I sighed. “Yes, but I trust him. I don’t know what else you want me to say.”

  Flint glanced away, his profile a shadowy line. “Why do you need to know what our lives were like? Isn’t this enough? What we have now? Why do you need to risk that?”

  “Of course I don’t want to risk this, but I need to know what happened to me. Don’t you want to remember your life too?”

  A dark emotion flashed across his face before he masked it.

  “What are you afraid of?” I asked quietly.

  He shook his head, his eyes downcast.

  “Flint. Talk to me.”

  He sighed harshly. “I just don’t want anything to happen to you.”

  I tilted his chin toward me, forcing his gaze to meet mine. “There’s something more than that. I can tell.”

  He looked away again. “It’s nothing.”

  “Flint, you can tell me.”

  “It’s dumb,” he said so quietly, I had to strain to hear. “I’m not sure I want to remember…what they did to me.”

  “Oh,” I breathed.

  I felt so stupid I hadn’t put two and two together. Of course. Flint was the oldest in the group. Conroy had mentioned that Flint remembered more about O’Brien than any of us. He’d been eight years old when Conroy took us away. I’d only been five. I’d be lucky if I remembered more than a few details, but Flint would probably remember years of details.

  “So you’re afraid of what you’ll remember?”

  He shrugged. “I think I’m more afraid of how I’ll react.”

  “What do you mean?”

  The strained look in his eyes made my heart ache. They were the eyes of a little boy. “What if it changes me?”

  I took a deep breath. What can I say to that? It won’t. Everything will be fine. It was a cliché response, but I wasn’t one to make promises I couldn’t keep.

  “It could,” I finally said. “I wish I could say it won’t change you, but I don’t know that.”

  “And what if it changes you too?”

  I cocked my head. “Do you think it would? Even though I was so young when we left O’Brien?”

  He shrugged. “Or what if we both remember things that make us feel differently about one another?”

  I shook my head. “No. No, I’m sure that won’t happen. Remember what Conroy said? He said you’ve always been protective of me. And remember the way we both reacted when we saw each other for the first time two months ago? There’s no way we’d feel that way if this wasn’t real. I’m sure of that. Whatever that drug does to us tomorrow, it won’t change how we feel for one another.”

  He smiled. “You sound so convinced.”

  “Because I am.”

  Flint sighed and pulled me to him. He resumed stroking my hair.

  “There’s no way I’m going to talk you out of this, is there?”

  I shook my head.

  He sighed heavily. “Then I guess that means I’m taking it too.”

  “You don’t have to. Conroy said you don’t have additional powers to remember. There’s no reason you have to take it.”

  “You really think I’d let you take it first, without me knowing what it could do to you?”

  My lips parted. “You mean the only reason you’re taking it is to make sure nothing bad happens to me?”

  “I’ll never let anything hurt you.”

  My stomach dro
pped. “Flint, you don’t need to do that.”

  “And you think I’d ever forgive myself if something bad happened? Especially something I could have prevented?” Before I could say anything, he added, “No, if you’re taking this drug, then I’m taking it, and I’m taking it first.”

  A heavy ache settled in my chest. I didn’t want him to do this for me, but the other part of me knew I was wasting my breath by arguing. When Flint’s mind was made up, nothing could sway it. I’d learned that months ago.

  “I would try to talk you out of it, but I know there’s no use.”

  “You know me well.” He pulled me closer. “I can’t let you take that drug without me knowing what it will do. Will you let me?”

  I hugged him tighter and gazed at the stars. I didn’t know how to make him understand that I felt the same way. I’d do anything to keep him from being hurt, but he’d never let me put myself at risk for him.

  I chewed my lip and wondered if taking Conroy’s antidote was the right thing to do after all – additional abilities be damned.

  CHAPTER FIVE

  We didn’t eat dinner until ten o’clock. Flint and I both returned to the backyard following the meal. I had no idea how long we stayed outside. I must have fallen asleep while we lay under the stars, and Flint must have carried me back inside.

  I woke in a large bed. Soft, warm sheets and a thick duvet covered me. My eyes opened to a mass of hair in my face. I reached over, expecting to feel Flint.

  The empty bed greeted me.

  Pushing up, I blew curls out of my eyes and surveyed my surroundings. I had no memory of moving into a bedroom and mused that I could have sleepwalked here. I did have a history of that.

  Disappointment strummed through me that I was alone. Flint and I had never slept beside one another. Not really at least. It had been too hard at the ranch since we tried to respect our roommates. None of them appreciated our kissing and petting on display. Not to mention twin sized beds weren’t exactly practical for that sort of thing.

  My fingers drifted to the indent lining the pillow beside me. I leaned down and inhaled. Flint’s unique scent wafted up. So he had slept here. I smiled, but then a frown tugged at my lips. We still hadn’t slept together, though. Well, at least not that I knew of. Perhaps we had before we re-met in August, but I simply didn’t remember it.

  Flint’s distant figure abruptly appeared in the bedroom door. He was pacing in the large family room outside the bedroom. After a few paces, he stopped and stood quietly by the wall of windows. He gazed at the desert landscape, hands stuffed in his jean pockets, his profile a chiseled line. In the sun, his beautiful chestnut hair shone with dark streaks of gold.

  I got up and quickly dressed. When I approached him, he didn’t seem to know I was there. I encircled his waist from behind and buried my face between his shoulder blades.

  “Good morning.” His voice was a deep rumble.

  “Morning, did you sleep at all?”

  “A few hours.”

  “Flint? Lena?” a voice called from the stairs. It was Di. “Are you two coming up?”

  Flint turned and gave me a brief hug. Dark circles lined his eyes. “Let’s go.”

  I glanced at the clock when we all gathered in the living room. It was almost ten in the morning. Everyone else was up and talking nervously to one another. From the whispered comments, it sounded like everyone knew about the “additional abilities” that Conroy had told us about in the car. Despite the chance of side effects, most seemed eager to take it.

  Conroy had sold his drug well. If we wanted to defeat O’Brien, what better way to do that than to present our strongest selves?

  The older scientist was nowhere to be seen. I approached Di. That manic gleam was in her eyes again. “Do you know if Conroy discovered anything about that man in the sedan?”

  Di sipped her coffee and nodded. “He came back clean. His description matches the driver’s license photo of the man registered to that vehicle.”

  “So he doesn’t work for O’Brien? They don’t know we’re here?”

  “No, not yet.”

  Not yet. Right.

  Nervous energy churned in me when I walked into the kitchen for a cup of coffee. When I returned, Flint was standing in front of the windows again. He stood like he had been in the basement: still, not moving. He looked like a statue, hard marble carved with graceful strokes. His gaze was trained on something in the distance. I could only imagine what he was thinking.

  The sky was overcast with spurts of blue intermingled among the white cloud cover. Mountains bathed in snow surrounded the rolling hills. The high mountain desert was beautiful, and in a way, reminded me of Hideaway Hills.

  Jacinda appeared at my side. “Are you nervous?” Her honey brown eyes were especially bright this morning. Dark circles also lined her eyes. It seemed everyone was on edge.

  “A little. You?”

  She nodded.

  Mica approached. She held up a plate of food. “Conroy made quite the spread in there. Eggs, bacon, hash browns, sausage, you name it. You guys eat yet?”

  We both shook our heads.

  “Better get some before it’s all gone!” Mica said cheerfully before taking a big bite of eggs.

  I smiled. Mica’s appetite hadn’t diminished in the slightest since leaving Hideaway Hills. It didn’t seem the prospect of being drugged and potentially suffering severe side effects affected it.

  “I think I’ll wait until we’re done.” I was too nervous to eat, which was probably an absolute first for me. Food and I usually got along quite well, but I kept thinking about what Flint was doing. For me.

  “I’ll stick with the coffee.” Jacinda held up the steaming mug in her hand.

  Mica shrugged. “Suit yourself.” She ambled toward Jet and Jasper. For once, Amber wasn’t with them. Mica smiled brightly at Jasper when she reached his side.

  I glanced at Flint. He still hadn’t moved.

  “All right, everyone, gather round.” Conroy emerged from the hallway. He carried a briefcase and was dressed more elegantly than I’d ever seen. Tan dress pants, a navy sweater and a button up shirt underneath. The pants were smooth, the sweater tailored perfectly. Everything about his clothes hinted at money. I wondered if the outdoor gear he’d been wearing since we met wasn’t his usual attire. Perhaps this was.

  I frowned. Those thoughts only made me realize that Flint may be right. We didn’t know Conroy at all. I switched my vision. Conroy’s beautiful rainbow cloud appeared. It billowed around his shoulders. Despite the faint colors, it was vibrant and unique. My worry evaporated. An instinct deep inside of me told me that I could trust Conroy. I trusted my instinct. It had kept me alive during my homeless months.

  Flint finally turned from the window, his expression stony. For a brief second, it faltered. Once again, a fleeting glimpse of fear emerged.

  My shoulders slumped. He was doing this for me and only me. It didn’t seem he was remotely interested in our childhood or pasts. He was happy to live in the present, but he didn’t want to risk me being hurt by the drug, so he was going to take it first. Never mind that the drug may affect each of us differently. Never mind that one of us may experience side effects that the other didn’t. He would still insist on going ahead of me.

  I stepped closer to him. Flint put his arm around my shoulders and gripped me tightly. Leaning down, he buried his nose in my hair and inhaled.

  I squeezed him back.

  Conroy stepped into the middle of the living room. Everyone formed a circle around him, including Amber, who had finally appeared. Conroy put a strange looking briefcase on the center coffee table. It opened with a hiss, revealing rows of glass vials.

  Conroy removed several vials and a handful of incredibly long syringes. My eyes widened.

  “The drug will need to be injected. It’s not an easy procedure as it requires a lumbar puncture. From there, it will travel up the spinal column before it passes through the blood brain barrier. I’ll onl
y be able to inject one of you at a time, and you’ll need to be monitored afterward. This will most likely take all day.”

  “I can help,” Di said. “It’ll go faster if I help.”

  Conroy smiled, a knowing glint in his eyes. “If you’d like to help, Diamond, I’d appreciate your assistance.”

  I marveled again that Di was a doctor. Apparently, Conroy had taught her, and although she didn’t hold an official degree, she was a very talented physician.

  “I’ll let all of you decide who will go first,” Conroy continued. “From there–”

  “Wait a minute,” Flint interrupted. His entire body tensed against me as a push of power rolled off him.

  I gasped when it hit me. It felt like a hot wave as powerful as the surf pounding the shore.

  “You said this requires a lumbar puncture?” Flint asked.

  Conroy nodded. “Correct.”

  “But if that’s true, how did you administer the drug to yourself?”

  The nervous whispering that had been traveling in the living room stopped.

  “You claim to have already taken it,” Flint said tightly. “Yet you couldn’t have given it to yourself, could you?”

  I stopped breathing. Flint was right. There was no way Conroy could have injected this drug into himself.

  “You’re right,” Conroy replied calmly. “I didn’t give it to myself. Diamond did.”

  A few gasps sounded. My gaze darted to Di’s.

  Di looked as surprised as the rest of us. “I did?”

  The silence resumed before Mica sat down heavily on one of the couches. I followed suit before pulling Flint down too. I faintly registered how uncomfortable the hard, angular sofa was.

  “That means Di knew about this drug,” Jasper said slowly. “Before it was given to us…”

  Jasper eyed his brother. Their features became a rotating display of every emotional expression. I had no idea what they were saying to one another.

  Given what he just revealed, I couldn’t help but question Conroy’s sincerity. It was obvious Flint felt the same. The powerful, hot feeling pouring off him kicked up a notch.

  “Is it true?” Jacinda pierced Conroy and Di with suspicious looks. “Did you do this together?”