“Aaronmon.” I jabbed him in the side with my elbow.
“I didn’t get involved in their tactics, nor did they give me any secret information. They are very careful with their plans,” Kyle said.
“Is Karlie on the ship we captured?” I asked.
“I honestly don’t know. I was never on one of their prison ships,” Kyle answered.
I bit my lip for a moment, hesitant to ask my last question. I took a breath and worked up the courage. “Do you think she is alive?”
Kyle hesitated. I could feel him searching for the right answers, trying to find padding for the fall.
“It’s possible,” Kyle started. ”But if she is alive, she probably wishes she wasn’t.”
I pressed my lips together, unsure how to respond.
“You didn’t have to tell her that,” Aaronmon sputtered.
“She would rather I told her up front,” Kyle said.
“You’re only making her worry even more!” Aaronmon snapped.
“Stop it!” I shouted.
They both became silent. A brewing storm of tension lingered over them.
“Kyle.” I walked in between the two men. “I’ll let you know the details once we know more, okay?”
Kyle nodded and gave Aaronmon a tense look before leaving the room.
I turned back to face Aaronmon. “You don’t have to act like that toward him. I would know if he was untrustworthy. I’m an empath, remember.”
Aaronmon’s tension started to dissolve, relaxing my empathy.
“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to act like that, but it’s hard. He lied to you for fourteen years, and I’m supposed to believe that he cares about you? I’m sorry that I don’t have empathy like you, but I would show my feelings with actions.”
“You’ve lied to me several times, too,” I pointed out. Aaronmon’s frustration grew, flustering me. I dug deep down inside of me, channeling my power away from his emotions.
“Let’s forget about this,” I suggested.
Aaronmon agreed and stayed with me while we waited for the admiral’s report. I thought about how I met Karlie. I hoped that we could save her, but I was glad to have such good memories.
“When I first met Karlie, she was shy and quiet.” I told Aaronmon. “We sat next to each other in the first grade, but she never said anything to me. One day, she forgot her crayons at home, so I pushed my desk next to hers, and she borrowed mine. I remember that she only used pink and green. Back then, those were the only colors she used. Meagan was the outgoing one, so when I introduced the two it was like night and day were sitting right next to each other, but they got along really well. After that, it was always the four of us: Meagan, Karlie, Kyle, and me. Everyone said that once you hit middle school, cliques formed and your friends would change, but that never happened for us. Sure, we had our arguments, but we never stayed mad at each other.”
“I hope we find her.” Aaronmon said when I paused.
“What about you? This entire time I have been here, I have not seen you interact with a single friend.”
“I had a few friends when I went to taeu annonun, but I never really had any close friends. Your father was the one man I could trust most.”
“Why didn’t you have any friends? I mean, I know you’re a bit stubborn, but I didn’t think it was that bad,” I teased.
Aaronmon chuckled. “I had a hard time getting close to others after my family died.”
I could sense the scar that had made a home in Aaronmon’s heart. I covered his hand with mine and laid my head on his shoulder.
“Well, I’m your friend,” I told him.
“You are a lot more than that,” Aaronmon whispered and kissed the top of my head before resting his chin on it. Then he wrapped his arms around me.
I was comforted by his warmth. We watched the city below, motionless, the stars passing by. At times like this I could not deny our bond with one another. Being around him felt natural, like it was always meant to be. But that was what scared me the most—the feeling that the love I felt for Kyle was a lie. That those moments of happiness and bliss that I believed to be love wasn’t even love at all. Every time that I told him that I loved him could have been mistaken feelings.
My abula vibrated, signaling an incoming transmission. I quickly pulled it out of my pocket and allowed the transmission through. The abula opened the holographic system and showed the admiral’s face.
“Lenai Carsona,” Admiral Radeon said.
“Admiral Radeon.”
“I did as you asked, and we did find a female human aboard the carrier.”
My heart skipped a beat. I could hardly focus on the rest of the conversation. They had found her. Karlie was safe. Happy tears filled my eyes, and millions of pounds of stress left my body. For once, everything felt like it was going to be okay.
CHAPTER ELEVEN
Days had passed, and I waited for the ship to arrive with Karlie. Nobody sent me any pictures of her on the abula, but I knew it was her. I could feel it. The news of the captured ship had swept throughout the planet and galaxy, spreading a little bit of hope. This small feat was huge compared to the progress we had made before. The ship was sent to the barren planets to be studied, in hopes that we could find a way to bring the Bremoir down. But it was early in the investigation, and things did not look promising. The technology of the Bremoir was unbelievable. The researchers believed they were mixing technologies from other planets that they took over. This diminished my hope. It became one more thing I would have to worry about and find a solution to. But I kept that to myself. I would not take away the hopes of others.
Elise came to inform me that more people in the Dianie were joining my ranks. It wasn’t just the capturing of the ship that helped, it was also Aaronmon. Ever since the date had been set for the bonding ceremony, the media had been keeping a close eye on his decisions within the Elaeye. It was a relief; the public grew more interested in him instead of me—for now, anyway. My mother was slowly giving her responsibilities to us. The stress coming from her was painful. I knew that she was eagerly awaiting the day to pass us the torch. Although I wasn’t too excited about the idea of ruling, it would be a relief to know that I could help her.
When the ship finally arrived with Karlie, Aaronmon and my mother had me wait a few hours before I went in to see her. She was taken to a medical center within Inae. When the time came for me to see her, an onmore came to pick me up and transport me to the clinic. My thoughts wandered during the trip. The idea of how I might find her made me panic slightly. The ship came to a stop, and I was informed that we had reached the center. My stomach jumped, and my heart pounded. I went inside and quickly found Aaronmon. Immediately his feelings of concern bombarded me.
“H-H-How is she?” I asked, stuttering.
“Are you sure you want to see her right now?” Aaronmon asked.
“I have to see her.” I inhaled deeply. “I just need to.”
Aaronmon nodded and reached for my hand, leading me through a sliding door into a long hall.
“She is being kept in a secured room,” he informed me. “She isn’t going to be like the Karlie you knew. She hasn’t even said a word yet, according to the doctors that were with her on the ride over. But she isn’t the only one. There are several prisoners who are having a hard time recovering.”
I took in a deep breath, taking in everything he was telling me.
“One last thing,” he said when we got to the door. “She was badly mistreated. I just want you to be prepared.”
“I understand,” I told him, but I knew he was still worried about me.
Aaronmon pressed a button next to the door, to let them know he was there. Within a few minutes, the door opened, and a doctor stepped out.
“Lenai Carsona,” he greeted me. “I’m Dr. Guildionaious.”
I bowed my head to show respect.
“The patient has severe trauma. I understand your past with her and your status, but in order to help w
ith her recovery and safety, I can only allow you to see her for ten minutes.”
“Thank you, Doctor, for taking care of her. I promise not to stay long.”
Dr. Guildionaious stepped out of the way, and I entered the room. Surprisingly, the area was warm and comforting. The walls were a warm yellow, and plants decorated the walls. I found the bed to one side. Lying on top of the sheets was a skinny, bony girl. I stared at her body in shock. Her limbs looked skeletal beneath her loose shirt and pants. Bruises colored her skin. A thin scar threaded around her neck. Her dark hair was turning slightly gray at the roots and thin to the point of balding. My eyes traced the thinness of her cheeks, and dark rings surrounded her empty blue eyes. Everything physically beautiful about Karlie was lost because of her torture.
It took a sob for me to realize that I was crying. My chest tightened, and my lungs felt as if they had collapsed while I took a step toward her. A small seat stood next to her bed, and once I reached it, my legs faltered beneath me. I reached for her hand with a sobbing gasp; my stomach tightened on the unsettling sight of her mangled fingers, several replaced by splintered nubs. My tears quickly soaked my face and the bed. I gripped her hand tight, releasing my pain, but never once did she stir. She lay there, unmoving and staring. Only a few blinks gave any indication that she was awake.
“Karlie,” I choked. “It’s me, Carson.”
Her lips remained unmoved, and she did nothing more energetic than staring. My empathy grew sensitive as I searched for any essence of her. My emotions tried to tangle with hers, only to be struck down as if crashing into a bricked wall. There was nothing. Her soul was as empty as deep space—no life, no vitality.
“Karlie!” I cried. “I’m so sorry! Please, be okay! I need you to be okay! Karlie!”
The door flew open behind me and everything was obscured by my tears.
“Lenai Carsona,” the doctor said, but I could not tear my eyes from my friend, so tortured that her soul had been lost.
“Fix her! Someone please fix her! There is nothing in her! She isn’t there!”
“Carson,” Aaronmon pleaded. I felt his arms tighten around me— holding me against him. I flailed hysterically.
“Help her!” I kicked the chair over.
“I need some illimor,” Dr. Guildionaious called.
“No!” I screamed, but Aaronmon’s grip tightened.
“Please! There is nothing there! Help her!” I struggled.
A woman came in quickly with a bottle. She opened it and poured the dust into her palm before blowing it into my face. I couldn’t help inhaling, and it started to take effect.
“Carson, it will be okay.” Aaronmon whispered as my struggles weakened.
“I felt her soul,” I managed to say. My face was wet with tears. “It’s empty and terrifying.”
“I’m sorry, Carson. I shouldn’t have let you see that. I should have fought to make you wait longer.” Aaronmon brushed my hair out of my face and scooped me up into his arms. Fog started to veil my vision. The world around me faded away, and I slipped into unconsciousness.
When I awoke, my head felt like a carnival ride spinning out of control. I sat up, realizing that I was in a bed that was sitting in an office. I knew I was still in the recovery room. I slid off the mattress; the soles of my feet pattered on the cold marbled floor. I looked around for my slippers and quickly slipped my feet into them, warming them. I looked for the exit and was halfway out before I heard Aaronmon’s voice. He was talking to Dr. Guildionaious.
“What are the recovery plans for the victims?” Aaronmon asked.
“We’ll give them small doses of illimor to help them sleep. Then we will have Capritus go into memonais, some while they are awake and others while they sleep. We want to try to suppress the memories until they can handle them.”
“Will that help with the ones like Karlie who are in shock?” Aaronmon asked.
“We hope so, but it will be hard. Seeing the Lenai’s reaction to her emotions, it doesn’t seem like a good sign; however, Lenai Carsona is the only Gemini Emréiana has had. Maybe if we had a Gemini who wanted to go into this profession we could get more out of it. I had wanted to ask Lenai Carsona to help with Karlie’s recovery as an experiment, using her empath abilities to help Karlie’s emotions surface. But seeing the Lenai today, that might be a bad idea.”
“You’re right. Lenai Carsona has a lot to handle. I’m sorry that we can’t be of more help.”
I decided it was time to make my presence known. Who were they to tell me what I could and couldn’t handle? I stepped around the corner, holding my skirt so I didn’t trip.
“Lenai Carsona,” the doctor said.
“How are you feeling?” Aaronmon asked, concerned.
“As though someone drugged me,” I snapped.
I felt an uncomfortable shift in atmosphere, and I realized my answer was inappropriate for my status.
“I apologize. I’m just a bit groggy, I guess.” I bowed my head to the doctor slightly.
“Please, don’t apologize. I hated having to do that to the Lenai.” Dr. Guildionaious put his hand up, and turned in the direction I had come from. “Let’s talk in my office.”
We followed him into the office and sat on the couch in front of the window; Dr. Guildionaious sat across from us.
“I heard you talking about using my Gemini powers to help Karlie,” I started. “I would like to try.”
Both men looked at me with surprise, and I suppressed their feelings. I put my hands lightly on my knees and continued. “Karlie is one of my best friends. I will do anything to help her recovery.”
“Of course, Lenai,” the doctor said happily. I was concerned about his happiness at my acceptance. I didn’t know if it was because he was adamant about helping, or if it was because he wanted to see what my powers entailed. If I hadn’t been the Lenai of Emréiana, I’m sure I would have been studied like a lab rat.
“Lenai,” Aaronmon said, “the recovery center has lots of treatment options to help Karlie. You don’t have to do this.”
“I want to,” I said firmly. “But first I want to know what happened to these victims. What did the Bremoir do to her?”
Dr. Guildionaious sat more comfortably in his chair as if to hide the uneasiness of his answer.
“There are some victims who are in a lesser state of shock. Communication with them is hard, however, because many belong to planets that we have yet to study or come to know.”
“So, do we not know anything?” Aaronmon asked for me.
“We do know a little, and I have to be honest, it’s a bit disturbing,” the doctor told us.
“I need to know.” I sat up straight, as if to prove that I was ready for the information. But I knew I would never be ready to hear the excruciating details of Karlie’s torment.
The doctor cleared his throat. “What we have learned is that many captives have had limbs gnawed on, which is why some are missing fingers, toes, arms, and legs. Many have had bones removed, more than likely for the cartilage. That is what the Borain Warriors like to eat.”
As the doctor told me the horrors of the victims, I thought about Karlie and every bruise, wound, and scar on her body. Her torturous story unfolded in front of me. My stomach tightened, and my hands trembled slightly. The tears started to burn my eyes, but I held them back. How could I ask Karlie to overcome this if I couldn’t be strong for her?
“Some victims, it would seem, had viruses, antidotes, and weapons tested on them.” The doctor paused for a second. “But I think the worst thing was that several committed suicide. A few of them succeeded, but others were resuscitated and tortured further.”
My gaze fell to the floor. “The scar on her neck,” I murmured, choking back tears. Karlie had been one of those victims. She had tried to end her torment quickly, but she had failed. That realization alone was more than I wanted to know.
“Thank you doctor,” I said. “I want to be able to help Karlie in any way. I know her the
best, and if my powers can help her, then I am grateful.”
“It will be hard work, Lenai,” the doctor warned. “I would need you here every day for about an hour. Are you sure your schedule would allow it? I know you are very busy and have the ceremony coming up.”
“I will cover her duties so she can be with Karlie,” Aaronmon said.
His gesture was a relief. I would have done it anyway, despite my hectic schedule, but I was happy to have Aaronmon to help and support me.
We finished things up at the recovery center and made a plan with Dr. Guildionaious for us to come back every day during lunch. When Aaronmon and I got into the onmore, I couldn’t help remembering the emptiness that consumed Karlie. It was disturbing. I wrapped my arms around myself as if to warm my soul.
“I’m sorry you had to go through that,” Aaronmon said, sitting in the seat across from me.
“I shouldn’t have acted that way. I knew there was evil in the universe, but I wasn’t prepared for that.”
Aaronmon leaned forward and took my hand. “You have me. I will be here for you.”
My eyes were stinging with tears, but I held them back. I couldn’t be weak at this moment. There was still one thing I needed to do today.
“When will they be interrogating the Bremoir prisoner?” I asked.
Aaronmon leaned back in his seat and pressed his lips together. “Are you sure you want to watch it? They can record it and send it for tomorrow.”
“Aaronmon, it is my duty to come up with our next plan. I want to have plenty of time to figure it all out,” I said.
“You have plenty of time, and lots of help. You don’t have to put so much stress on yourself.”
“Don’t I? Every moment that we don’t have a plan, another world is being taken over by the Bremoir and being subjected to the torture that Karlie and those other prisoners went through. Every moment, someone’s life is falling apart. We need a plan.”
“Carsona, you are not the only person out there who wants the Bremoir brought down. You can take a break every now and then.”
The onmore slowed to a stop, and we were told we had arrived at the palace. I stood up and headed to the door.
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