Copula Chronicles: The Complete Collection: Origin, Descend, Ascend, Legacy

by Venessa Kimball

  I try not to focus on Monica cutting into my sister’s neck. Instead, I focus on her removing the device that has warped and enslaved my sister, making her the enemy. I look away from the blade in Monica’s hand as it rests on Corinna’s neck and focus on Corinna’s splayed hand on the steel gurney; that is the safest spot for me to look right now. If I see her blood, I might lose it.

  I need to talk to her. If I thought, could she hear me? I give it a try. Corinna, if you can hear me, I’m waiting for you right here. Make it through this. Be strong.

  Monica commands one of the other guardians, “I need you to hold open the incision. Jake, pliers.”

  The sound of used equipment hitting a metal bowl makes my stomach turn. I focus on the palm of her hand and the steady sound of the heart monitor to avoid the temptation to look. “Almost got it. Just need to sever the...”

  The strain in Monica’s voice is matched only by the increase in the heart monitoring sensor as it spikes. “Shit, she’s bleeding out!”

  No.

  The pounding of my heart, pulses in my head and the tremor in my legs weakens them as I go limp. Still holding me, Luke’s grip tightens as he holds me to his chest, feeling my legs give from under me. I don’t want to, but I need to. My eyes fixed focus on her palm, slowly moves up her arm. I don’t want to see what’s happening, but I need to see her. It might be the last time.

  His voice echoes in my head. “It won’t be. Don’t look Isabel.”

  I shake my head, denying him. I whimper through the clouding tears filling my eyes, “I have to.”

  “No, just wait. Please.”

  His pleas are accompanied by the sound of metal hitting metal as Monica drops something into the bowl on the edge of the table. “Cauterize it, fast. There isn’t much time. Okay, I’m ready to implant,” she says urgently.

  While her voice isn’t soothing, it is the beacon to my sister’s survival and my only sight I have to know what’s going on as I focus on the pale skin of my sister’s arm. “It’s in. Cauterize there. No, there! You have it? Okay, close her up.”

  I notice two men step back from her, and one looks directly at me. I can’t see his expression as his face is covered with a mask, but his eyes dart from me, then up to Luke and linger.

  Suddenly, Luke’s gently pulls me back with him and whispers. “We need to leave Isabel.”

  I angle to look up at him and resist his tug. Nothing good can come from Luke asking me to go with him right now. “Why?” I plead as an involuntary sob escapes with my question.

  Suddenly, the rigorous beep of the monitor, my sister’s heart racing to catch life, becomes a long, solid tone––a stand-still of life. I try to turn back around, but Luke pulls me into him, gripping me to his chest. I push against his chest and try to look back at her, but he holds me firmly to him. “Luke! Let me go! No Corinna! Come back! Fight back Corinna!”

  Somehow, maybe the need to be with my sister, my strength over powers his hold as I push away from him and turn to the table where my sister lays. Gripping the table with one hand, holding on for dear life––my sister’s life—I weave my fingers with hers. They’re so cold. I don’t want her to die cold!

  I look up into the red mass of hair splayed on the table, then settle on her closed eyes. “Corinna. Listen to me. Please don’t leave,” I whisper, broken and torn. “You aren’t done here.”

  I feel my body being pulled, Monica yelling and Luke asking me to let go of her, but I fight against them and hold on tight. “Stay with me Corinna.”

  The tremor in my legs, the weakening with me, is changing. The pain’s becoming a rage of energy, filling me, pushing against me to be released. I feel Luke’s tight grip slacken as he sends me his thought. “Release it Isabel.”

  I’m not sure what he’s saying as Monica interrupts the mindful link between us. “Luke, pull her off! I need to try and save her!”

  As I hold onto Corinna and the table, Luke yells back at her. “That’s what she’s trying to do damnit! She can heal! Isabel, let your energy go to her!”

  Closing my eyes, I envision my rage, my energy, an even flow straight to her heart. The pulsing wave of fire coming from within is both empowering and humbling as I pour it from me and into my sister. The spin of the room behind closed eyes is making it hard to stand, until I feel Luke’s hand tighten around my waist. The touch of his hand holds warmth I hadn’t noticed moments ago. “Let me help,” he whispers as he leans in close to me.

  His other hand closes over mine and Corinna’s, sending more intense heat into my body.

  A surge of energy suddenly hits me, sending a flash of my sister as a little girl into my mind. She’s holding my hands and we’re spinning in an open field. She throws her head back and giggles, just like she used to as I keep her face in focus while the world around us spins. More laughter comes, but I don’t recognize it as my own until I hear the voice––my voice as a child. “I love you Corinna.”

  Corinna’s smile softens and she stops running, slowing the spin of the world around us to pull me into her arms. The smell of her hair––it’s just like I remember. “I love you Isabel,” she whispers.

  My heart swells at the sound of those words as the feel and smell of her starts to dissolve. I grip her hand harder as panic fills me again. No! Don’t go!

  “Luke! Help me! I can’t lose her!”

  I lay my head on her chest, needing more contact. If I have more contact, I can send her more energy and heal her!

  Leaning over me, he whispers into my hair. “It’s okay Isabel.”

  What is he saying? I lost her, I didn’t save her! The memory of us faded away! She faded away! I open my eyes and pull my head up, looking into my sister’s face. Motionless and pale, she lies beneath me. I look down my hand tightly clasping hers. That’s when the steady beep of the monitor stutters. My eyes open and I pull back to look up at the monitor, the steady flat line gone as her heart rate rises. Like the last drop of energy has gone from my body, I feel my legs give way, but Luke’s holding me up as Monica hovers over Corinna with an oxygen mask.

  ***

  Opening my eyes, I stare at the respirator, rising and falling, pumping oxygen into her. We healed her, but she’s not out of the woods yet. Luke says that while her body is healed, her mind will take longer. The sedation should wear off soon and she’ll be waking up. I can’t help but worry that my sister may not be behind the eyes that open.

  CHAPTER 6: SAFEGUARD

  Jesca

  Xander and I walk down the hall on either side of Monica. I’m thankful for the space she’s put between him and me after the shit he pulled in the briefing room, bringing up Nate’s and my relationship as partners.

  Corinna has been in this wing for the past forty-eight hours, unconscious. Monica told us how Isabel saved her with Latrosis––her healing life force. Hearing that term again makes me think of Nate. This time I do nothing to hide my thinking of him from Xander.

  “But she’s still out?” I ask

  “Yes. We told Isabel her mind would take longer, but frankly I’m afraid its fried,” Monica says in a low voice as we continue down the hall. She shakes her head. “Isabel won’t leave her and I’m not sure she’s going to be receptive of your presence, but it seems you don’t mind.”

  I had told Monica that if she didn’t take me to Corinna I was going to turn this facility upside down until I found both her and Isabel.

  Monica turns her head toward us while keeping the quick pace toward the metal doors. “I didn’t know your mom, but you definitely share your father’s persistence.”

  I avoid Xander’s hard look and take pride in Ezra’s and my shared quality as we move on through the doorway.

  This section of the facility looks like a hospital. Monica stops in front of us, feet away from another set of metal doors. “Her vitals are solid. We just need to wait and see. Isa
bel is adamant that her sister will be herself. I know her emotions are fragile right now, so I didn’t pose my concerns.”

  I know she’s talking about the chance that Corinna won’t be the same as she once was, or maybe not even wake up. I keep my mental block up just as Monica and Xander are for Isabel’s sake. “Okay.”

  Xander asks, “The one you activated in Corinna is the new Dobrian Copula, right?”

  Monica, “Yes, the one with orthomolecular therapy capabilities. So is Marcus’s.

  So if they have gotten the modified Dobrian Copula, when will we? “When will we be re-implanted?”

  Monica nods. “Our current Copulas protect us, but it won’t always be the case. For now, we are safe and need to concentrate on civilians without anything to protect them.”

  Xander nods, understanding her reasons. “It is their only chance for survival.”

  Seeing that Corinna’s only chance at surviving beyond the removal of the warped Sondian-based Copula, I can’t help but worry that once her soul is unchained from the trappings will it have any resemblance of the Corinna I knew in Florida? Or will the torture, brainwashing and corruption she endured be too much to overcome?

  I sense Monica watching me, sizing up my resolve to go through with seeing Corinna. “You ready?”

  I glance at Xander; the same worry passes over him as I return to her. “Yeah.”

  As we start forward, I think of ways I could help Corinna and Xander puts his hand out to stop me from moving on. “Woah, wait. What are you going to do?”

  Monica looks between both of us, not sure of what he’s talking about.

  Defensively, I hiss. “I’m going to do what I can. Stop getting in my fucking head without permission.”

  “The hell you are! Do you know how insane that is? You getting into her batshit crazy head!” Xander can barely keep his voice from hissing above a whisper.

  I know his blow up is going to have Monica on edge, so I focus on her and explain, “If I get in there through a lucid dream, maybe I can coax her out.”

  Xander snaps at me, “Hell no!”

  I narrow my eyes on the arrogant and demanding ass. “You don’t have a say. It’s my decision.”

  I connect with Monica and see the glimmer of hope light up in her eyes with my possible solution. As quickly as it shows, the glimmer falls away. “You could get lost in there. Not find your way back.”

  Ezra had told us his fear of this when Xander got into Sam’s head before the intersection. Xander takes hold of my arm. “Hey, you don’t know what kind of shit they did to her Jes. If it’s still in there and you fall into a trap—”

  He doesn’t finish as the fear in his eyes steals his words. If I do fall into a trap, I’ll be gone.

  He shakes his head at me, his steely blue eyes piercing me deep and hard, “I can’t let that happen. I won’t let it!”

  “Go with her then.”

  Monica’s suggestion is a shock to both Xander and me as we look at her. She nods slowly as she stares at Xander and thinks through her idea. “Follow Jesca into Corinna’s mind. You can read her thoughts, get into her head, right? You’ve done it with Nate. Shit, Ezra reamed you both for it. You’ll be her safeguard like Nate was yours.”

  I have to give it to Monica, it’s brilliant but I can’t risk him at the same time. “No.”

  Xander looks back at me and furrows his brow. “No, what do you mean no! It’s smart. Fucking nuts, but smart.”

  Decidedly, I shake my head and cross my arms over my chest. “No, I’m going on my own.”

  “Fuck that!” Xander says a little too loud and looks back at the door separating us from Isabel and Corinna before returning to Monica. “No, you and I both go in or you don’t go at all. Bottom line. End of story. I know how to do this. Nate and I—”

  He looks down for a moment, seeming to be surprised by his own thoughts of him before he continues, “—I can be your safeguard. Just like Monica says. It’s both of us together or nothing Jes.”

  I don’t answer right away as I weigh my options, which are pushing none unless I let Xander in with me.

  “Jesca?” Monica’s voice pulls my lowered eyes to her.

  I have no choice. We need to try to save her and if Isabel and Luke couldn’t bring her all the way back, my idea is the last chance to try to bring her out. “Okay.”

  Monica punches the large red button on the wall and the double doors open. We follow behind her, walking past a handful of doors with small windows to see in through.

  Two nurses occupying a desk look up at us and nod, as we move past them. Monica only nods back, not breaking stride, as she halts at the closed door in front of her. When she turns to look at us, I immediately sense her concern––Isabel will turn us away and won’t want us near Corinna once she finds out what we plan to do.

  I step back a little and peer into the window next to the door. I see Isabel, her head down and her hand holding Corinna’s as it rests on her stomach.

  Monica knocks, interrupting Isabel. She catches a glimpse of me in the window. Feeling intrusive, I look down at the floor and wait for Isabel to respond. I hold my breath and hope my presence won’t spook her. I can’t hear her thoughts; she has blocked them from me. I would do the same.

  When the door opens, I release my held breath and look up at Isabel. She takes in the three of us. “There’s been no change.”

  Monica glances at me, and then speaks to Isabel who’s watching me. “It’ll just take some time. It sometimes helps to have visitors. People they know talk to them, like you have been.”

  Isabel shifts her eyes back to Monica. “Visitors? Like her?”

  The glare she gives me could kill if I wasn’t already feeling the bitter loathing she holds for me. Her blame before was unwarranted with Corinna’s disappearance. Now that she’s here in the flesh and on the verge of becoming brain dead, the rage she holds is ready to be unleashed on the person that left her sister in this mess in the first place––me.

  “Would it be okay to come in and talk with her? Just for a few moments,” Xander probes then Monica adds, “I’ve seen it help with patients in the state she’s in Isabel.”

  I’m not sure if she has, but Monica’s words sound genuine enough that they might win her over. Isabel seems to weigh the decision before responding. “I’m not sure she can help her.”

  She looks over at me, then wastes no time before looking away. “Might make things worse.”

  I don’t deny that it’s because of me Corinna is lying in there in a fucking coma.

  “Look, I understand you want to keep your sister safe. If I had a chance to turn back time and protect my mother, I would.”

  Monica pauses and looks at me before she continues her voice thick with emotion, “Jesca knew Corinna. It might not have been long and it might not have been the best situation, but her presence might make a difference.”

  As Monica stares at Isabel, waiting for a response, I can feel the turmoil Monica is still experiencing from the loss of her mother. We were told about her, Joan Leal. A high-ranking Dobrian guardian running the Tokyo team ambushed by deep cover Sondian guardians. They were sent in to lift data from our fellowship and take down the team. Joan threw her life on the line to thwart the attack.

  Monica’s eyes become glassy and she quickly looks up to the ceiling, trying to pull back the tears brewing within her––she’s too damn strong to let them fall so easily. She clears her throat and shifts her stance to stand taller. “I didn’t get to say goodbye or try to bring her back. If I could, I would do whatever it took.”

  She looks at me sideways, “Even if it meant taking a risk.”

  I have a feeling her comment isn’t just for Isabel all of a sudden. Before I can consider which of my own risks she’s pegging, Isabel speaks up. “I want to bring her back. I just can’t—”

  I
sabel shakes her head, denying the thought of me helping and the words that carry it. I can hear it though. She can’t block it from me. It’s loud and clear. I can feel her struggle inside though and that’s what makes me reach out and take her hand.

  She looks down at my hand holding hers, then up at me. I’m surprised she doesn’t pull away, but I don’t give her the time to consider it either. “Isabel, I know you don’t trust me. I haven’t done anything to earn it. Only giving you reason to stay away because of what happened.”

  Pained by my giving voice to what I see in her, she looks away. “You’re right.”

  “But you need to know I hate myself for what happened to her. If I can make it right, bring your sister back to you, I want to try.”

  “We want to try,” Xander corrects me and draws Isabel’s attention.

  Looking at all three of us now, one to the other, her confusion and apprehension is written all over her face. “What do you want to do?”

  Her consideration is a step in the right direction and I take it slowly, “We only need to hold her hand.”

  She looks to Xander for the reason for him being involved. “We. Why him?”

  Her defenses rise, but Monica steps in. “Xander is able to project into lucid dreams. Jesca knows Corinna better than him, but his ability combined with Jesca’s Telepathy will give them a shot of reaching the deepest and dormant recesses of her mind.”

  She looks at Xander for a moment, weighing his position in what we are trying to do. “Luke and I combined our abilities to heal her. I know what our abilities can do when we join them.”