Halfblood Heritage

by Rheaume, Laura

  “Maybe, maybe not,” said the governor, walking through the door. He was holding Serena’s baby in his arms, which began to cry the distinctive wail of a newborn. In his hand, laying against the blanket, was Scythe’s own knife.

  The purring that filled him began to crackle in Scythe’s head. He leaned on the man’s neck, savoring the choking sounds and the feeble grabbing and twisting of the man’s hands on his boot and leg. It would take just a little more...

  Scythe had already decided who would go down first, second and third. His hands fell to his sides, resting on two of the remaining three knives that he wore sheathed on his thighs, and a smile started to spread over his face. The three guards slowed, eyeing their fallen man, the knives, and Scythe’s determined face. He could tell by the hitch in one man’s shoulder that he was itching to pull his gun.

  So far, it had gone unspoken that firepower was off limits, but it looked like that was about to change. Scythe didn’t have clearance to wear a gun yet; he still needed to log more hours on the range and pass a test for that. However, the wolf in him didn’t even flinch when he saw the man’s intention. He wasn’t afraid of that gun; the man was well within his range and would be lucky to get it halfway out before Scythe shut him down. The only difference it made was a slight change in the man’s position in line. Scythe moved him up to number one.

  Number One narrowed his eyes. He had noticed his new position in the queue.

  “My Lord...” the man farthest from him...but easiest...spoke out for the first time. His urgent tone matched the astonishment that covered his face.

  Talto spoke over him angrily, “Enough. The penalty for injuring a Red Guard is heavy, boy. Let him up.”

  Scythe backed away from him, unconcerned. He reevaluated: first, second, third, then fourth.

  The man scrambled up, holding his neck, and backed toward his fellows. “Shit,” he said after he got a good look at Scythe’s expression.

  Scythe spoke with the voice that he pulled from his center. It was the only one that he had at the moment. “Serena’s child is under my protection, My Lord. Please hand him to his mother.”

  “Or what?” Talto wondered, tilting his head and studying Scythe intently.

  “Or I’ll come get him.”

  The governor finished evaluating Scythe and nodded, “You are a good soldier, Scythe. You are a Blade. I underestimated you.” He waited expectantly.

  Scythe didn’t respond, beyond gripping his knives. He breathed in the baby’s cry, letting none of the rage it created escape when he exhaled. Take what is yours and make them pay for their mistake.

  Yes.

  The governor, seeing that Scythe wasn’t backing down, barked, “A halfblood does not threaten a leader of the Kin!”

  Half of Scythe blinked at the sharp tone and realized for the first time that he was supposed to be standing down. The other half wanted to bark back, or bite. He wasn’t able to discover which one would have won out, because at that moment Serena succumbed to her fears.

  “My Lord, please, let me have my son!” Serena’s high pitched plea from the doorway made Talto, his advisor and all his men flinch.

  The governor turned to her, handing the child over but pocketing the knife. He looked back at Scythe and his voice was thick with controlled anger. “I want to see you tomorrow, boy. You need to learn your place here.”

  Scythe was still furious and could only nod. He didn’t want it to end. He still had a lot of gold and wanted to spend it on some of his favorite things.

  The governor turned and stalked down the hall with his men following behind. The rear two walked backwards several yards before turning.

  Scythe felt as if he had been cheated, somehow, watching the men retreat down the hall. Now! Don’t let them get away! He took a few steps forward, his attention on the last man’s back.

  “Scythe?” a voice stopped him.

  He blinked and looked over at Flame, who was comforting a tearful and shaky Serena. He battled with himself for a few moments. The voice in his head, his voice, seethed, frustrated with the lack of victory. However, the sight of his friend and her baby weakened his need.

  As he exhaled, pressing down the sweet exhilaration, it whispered just before it retreated, It isn’t smart to let them go. Better to finish it. He took several more breaths to calm himself before he turned to the nursery.

  Flame and Serena stood inside the doorway, eyes wide and fearful; they were the mirror image of the rest of the mothers and the nurse who had witnessed the exchange from inside the room. Serena clutched her son like she would never let him go.

  Scythe’s stomach began to roil, and his hands were shaking now that the danger had passed. He said shamefully, “I’m so sorry, Serena. I couldn’t protect him.” He grit his teeth, “The governor was right.”

  Flame frowned, stepped forward and embraced him, ignoring the way his body jerked instinctively just before she brought her arms around his chest. “You nearly took them all out, Scythe, without wounding them. They should have accepted your competence, but they didn’t. Then, the governor used a hostage against you. Do you realize that if you had attacked him, you would have been severely punished, maybe imprisoned or killed?”

  Scythe knew that in the mood he was in, he would have done it and not cared one bit. Thinking about that made him shiver. His hands curled into fists, and he searched inside himself for his cold cloak. It was a trial, though, to push away the thrilling heat that felt so good.

  Serena nodded, “It was a trap, and we’re proud that you didn’t fall into it, Scythe. We’re very fond of you; we don’t want you hurt. So, don’t be sorry.” She looked at Flame and then turned to the other women, whispering, “I...I’m not sure our children will be safe here.”

  Flame answered, “He may hate them, but that doesn’t mean he’ll allow them to be hurt; we are Kin and these are our children.”

  Scythe looked down the hall before Rend, Smoke, Lex and Leandra turned the corner and approached at a quick jog.

  When they reached the nursery, Rend wrapped his arms around Serena, frowning at her distressed face. “What happened?”

  “Rend, I was so scared for Scythe, and for my son,” she said, leaning into his embrace.

  Rend, his face carved in hard lines, stared at Scythe, “Flame called and said you were fighting with the Red Guard.”

  “Which is impossible, of course,” added Smoke, “since that would mean you were opposing the governor in some way.” Each Blade looked at Scythe for an explanation.

  Scythe related to them what had happened, beginning with Talto’s arrival at the nursery, and finishing with the order to report to him the next day.

  Leandra shook her head, “Well, you’ve got a big bucket of troubles now, Scythe. I’m going to try to get a hold of Keyrin and see what he can do. Back in a bit.” She jogged down the hall, following the path of the governor.

  Flame spoke up, “I don’t know what Scythe could have done differently, except stand down from the beginning, admitting that the Blades had made a mistake by assigning him…or was he supposed to let them beat him?”

  Lex said, “He is here to guard you and the babes, and that is what he did, but to take a stand against our leader...That shows very bad judgement. You should have stood down, refusing to fight.”

  “They attacked him, and then Talto ordered him to fight.” Serena argued. She turned to Rend, “He came up and took my son straight out of his crib without a word and walked out. I thought I would die in that moment, Rend. His face was blank and he didn’t respond when I called out to him.” She lowered her head and pressed her face against her son’s.

  “My brother would have brought him back to you, Serena,” he comforted her, looking furiously back at the Blades over the top of her head.

  “There’s no doubt about that,” agreed Flame, her eyes on Scythe. “He was formidable.”

  “I need to have my blood checked to see if the virus has become active, Smoke,” Scythe said. Now
that he had cooled off, he began to worry about his condition, and the worry was growing quickly into something more fearful. “I...felt the same way I did after I was infected, like I wanted to tear them up. It happened after I heard one of the babies cry and got a lot worse when I saw the governor holding Serena’s son.”

  “We may be able to use that to our advantage. Let’s get that checked out right away. Lex, can you stand?”

  Lex agreed to keep watch and they headed into the room to call for Scythe’s doctor.

  Chapter 18

  “The blood test shows that the virus did become active last night, but only partially. We were only able to identify a small number of active units, perhaps only ten percent of the amount estimated to inhabit his system. However, by this morning, I could find none. All had gone dormant again.”

  “So, the virus is definitely triggered by stressful situations?” asked Leandra.

  The doctor nodded, adding, “And returns to dormancy when his body’s stress indicators, like increased heart rate and adrenaline, subside. That is the theory right now. It was good that it happened right here, because we were able to gather a great deal of data about the symptoms, much more than we could when he first came. The virus by then had already gone dormant. We have a better idea of what to expect now, and I’ve already begun to work on an antiviral treatment that will help with the symptoms next time.”

  “Will it stop...um...the voice I keep hearing?” Scythe asked nervously.

  “I have some ideas about limiting the pronounced aggression; it should be reduced by the psychotropic medication that I’m developing. The voice you’re hearing may or may not be related to the aggression; we have to try out a few things before we find what counteracts it. Since it only occurs when you experience symptoms, we might have to purposefully induce your symptoms…that is, I'll have to activate your virus by putting you in a stressful situation to study it further.” She frowned sympathetically at his anxious expression, “I know, it probably won’t be comfortable for you, but, then, neither is living with this virus.”

  She motioned Scythe and the rest of his friends over to a small bank of glass containers, each holding a small rat. “The good news is that the active virus did not begin to replicate when introduced to these rats. This morning, no sign of the virus was found in any of them. We are hoping that this indicates the virus will not spread to Kin through blood when active. However, there is obviously no safe way to test that, and I warn you to never allow your fluids, blood, saliva, et cetera, to mix with those of another Kin when the virus is active. The dormant virus has not been found to replicate when introduced into Kin blood, so the only thing I’m concerned about now is its behavior when active. Since the aggression makes bloodshed and perhaps biting much more likely, it is imperative that we find a suitable treatment for it soon. I will have the first test treatment ready by the end of the week. Until then, take this.”

  She handed Scythe a self injecting syringe, similar to the type that they brought back when they escaped the laboratory. This one was filled with a clear liquid. “It is one of the drugs I think will work to counteract the aggressive tendencies. Use it if you think the virus may be activating, especially if you feel violent or if you hear the voice.”

  “Thank you, Doctor,” Scythe said, putting the tube in his chest pocket.

  “Thanks, Jenna,” Leandra put her hand on the woman's shoulder and smiled. “I know you are working extra long hours on this. We appreciate it.”

  “I’m happy to help however I can. Let me know if anything happens, Scythe. Other than that, I’ll see you at the end of the week.”

  The small group walked out of the laboratory: Scythe, Leandra, Smoke and Rend. They turned down the hall, passing the room where the last four of the abducted patients were recovering. As they neared the nursery, they greeted Ungol outside the door.

  “So, how did it go?” he asked.

  “Jenna has some ideas for a treatment for our youngest here,” Leandra said. “We’re expected with the governor in a little less than a half hour, so we’re just stopping in for a quick visit. How has your watch been?”

  “Well, I’ve been here for four hours and haven’t been assaulted by anyone yet,” he teased, getting a chuckle out of the Blades and a sigh out of an unamused Scythe. “But, you never know...”

  “Scythe!” Flame called from inside, “Take this girl from me for a couple of minutes, will you? She’s making me insane and you know she always settles down for you.”

  Glad for an excuse to avoid further teasing, Scythe hurried over to take a fussy Cinder from her mother. As soon as she was in his arms, he felt himself relaxing for the first time that morning. The little girl reached for his hair immediately, smiling up at him. He leaned his head forward, letting his long hair fall forward where she could grab it. Then he said, making a surprised face, “Cinder! That’s my hair! Ouch!” She giggled, tugging harder.

  Flame sat down and rolled her eyes, “See! I knew she was working me! What a handful that girl is going to be.” She smiled and then leaned back, closing her eyes. “Ah, five minutes of peace. What a miracle. Thank you, Scythe. You’re my hero. Forget protecting me from the Red Guard. I just need you to protect me from the she-devil.”

  “Anytime, Flame.” He sat on the bed, bouncing up and down with the little girl, enjoying her boisterous laugh. “You’re not a little devil, are you? You’re my little angel.” He leaned back on the bed, holding her above him as if she were flying. She screeched when he made her dive down and then soar back up, and a little saliva dripped on his face.

  “Aww! You slobber monkey!” Scythe brought her down for a landing on his stomach, wiping his face with the back of his sleeve. Baby Cinder leaned forward, falling on his chest and laying with a thumb in her mouth.

  Scythe laid one arm over her, giving her a little squeeze and closing his eyes. He concentrated on her heartbeat and breathing and the smell of her, so that he wouldn’t think about his impending trip to see Talto, or the virus that threatened his self control. When another worrisome thought tried to push its way in, he started to hum a quiet tune, his chest vibrating with the low, soft sounds. It was a song his father used to sing to him when he was very young, an old Kin lullaby. He could tell immediately that Cinder liked both the sound and the vibration because she giggled, snuggled into his shirt and then relaxed.

  Smoke’s voice interrupted him after a few minutes, “Time to go.”

  Scythe sat up, holding a now sleeping Cinder out for Flame to take into her arms. “Are you okay?” he asked when he saw her moist eyes.

  “I am now. It’s been a long time since I heard that song; my father used to sing it to me, too.” She paused before adding, “Do you remember what it is about?”

  Scythe, seeing from her expression that it was something significant to her, replied, “I don’t remember all the words, but I do know that it’s about a father singing to his baby. I think...isn’t he going away on a trip or something?”

  He noticed that the nursery was very quiet and, looking around, saw quite a few other mothers with tearful faces. Rend sat on the bed next to Serena, his arm around her shoulders and his free hand gripping her baby’s fist. Smoke had moved to stand behind Flame, leaning on the back of her chair comfortably.

  Flame explained, “He’s going on the ‘long, last journey’ which means he is going to die, and he sings to his child of all the things he wants for her. He also gives her advice, like, ‘Chase not the rainbow, its false colors don’t shine true; find your treasure in simple pleasures around you.’” She rose, tucking Cinder in her crib and waving to a nurse, before turning toward them, “We’d better get going.”

  Scythe asked her curiously, “You’re going with us?”

  “Surely I am. Don’t you want me to accompany you?” She walked with Smoke to the door, where they were joined by Rend.

  “No...I mean...Yes, I want you to come along, but why?” Scythe followed them, waving to Serena and a few other women
who called out to him, sending their wishes.

  “Well, I’ve been elected, or rather, I voted myself into office and everyone else agreed after the fact, to represent all of us. I’m speaking for you on behalf of the mothers.”

  “You’re going to talk to the governor…about me?”

  “That’s the plan.”

  At the door, Leandra waited with a surprise visitor.

  “Hi, Resner, how have you been feeling?” Scythe asked as they headed out of the infirmary toward the more formal section of the palace.

  “Good, the physical therapy is really helping a lot. I’ll be in shape before you know it. I hope you don’t mind, but I’m coming along too, to speak for the rest of us who were abducted. We want the governor to know how important you are to us, too.”

  Scythe didn’t know what to say, except, “Thanks, I really appreciate that, but I don’t want either of you to get into any trouble over me. I can take responsibility for my choices yesterday.”

  Resner shook his head, smiling along with the others. “It’s a noble goal, to be sure, but in a situation like this, good intentions are not enough. Where rulers are concerned, you need to tread carefully and accept what help you are offered.”

  “Okay. Well, then, thanks,” Scythe responded. “You know, it’s strange you should say that, because Talto said almost the same thing to Alondra last night.”

  Rend, his face mirroring the others’ interest, asked, “What did he say?”

  “He said that it wasn’t enough for me to want to protect my friends and their children. I also needed to have the skill to do it. That’s what the whole thing was about. It didn’t matter that I wanted to be able to protect them; he didn’t think I could protect them if it came down to it. And, well, he was right.”

  “Of course he was, but not the way you think, Scythe,” said Smoke. “You could have protected them against a real foe. You would have sliced them up, am I right?”