The Kat Dubois Chronicles: The Complete Series (Echo World Book 2)

by Lindsey Fairleigh

  “Little sister—”

  I dropped the mirror back to the floor, hands clutching my chest. Dom’s voice had been clear as day in my mind. There was no mistaking it. I looked from Dom in the mirror to Nik and back. Dom’s mouth was still moving, but his voice was gone.

  Without hesitation, I pressed my palm against the frame of the mirror.

  “Can you truly hear me?” Dom asked, his faint French accent more comforting than any hug had ever been.

  “Yes,” I said, chin trembling. Let’s be real, my whole body was trembling. I nodded, my free hand covering my mouth. “Are you alright?”

  Dom nodded sedately. “I am well enough. Though this position is not the most comfortable . . .”

  “Oh, right.” Once again, I gripped either side of the tall standing mirror and lifted it up off the ground. Nik helped, and we moved the armchair aside and arranged Dom in the corner of the room, where he would have a good view of the entire space.

  “Thank you,” Dom said. “That is much better.”

  Nik’s eyes opened wide, and a moment later, his lips spread into a broad grin. “Welcome back.”

  Dom’s dark eyes locked on Nik. “Should I say the same to you?”

  Nik chuckled. “We’ll see.” He looked at me. “Let go for a minute.” The moment I did, the mirror and its frame were taken over by a sheet of At, spreading out like ice freezing over a lake. Within seconds, the entire mirror had been transformed into At. “Wouldn’t want him to break,” he said as he pulled his hand back.

  Remotely, I could feel myself nodding, hear myself saying thank you. But I couldn’t tear my eyes away from my half-brother’s face.

  “I’ll give the two of you a minute,” Nik said, backing away. Out of the corner of my eye, I watched him turn and leave the room, shutting the door on his way out.

  I touched the mirror’s unbreakable At frame with trembling fingertips so I could once again hear Dom’s voice. “Dom, I—I’m so sorry . . . for everything. I tried so hard to save you, but I just wasn’t good enough.”

  His silvery reflection clasped his fingers together, almost like he was preparing to pray. “Answer me one thing, little sister, and all will be forgiven.”

  “Anything,” I said, meaning it with every fiber of my being.

  “Are you done running?” His eyes, somehow just as dark and penetrating in silver as they’d been in flesh, bore into me. “Are you back, for good?”

  I nodded vehemently. “Yes, Dom. I swear it. I’m back.”

  Chapter Twenty-Seven

  “And that’s how you ended up in the phone,” I told Dom, arching my back and stretching my arms over my head. I’d been sitting in front of the mirror—his mirror, now—legs folded under me and elbows on my knees, for nearly an hour. Dom’s silvery non-reflection mirrored my position, if not the stretching.

  I dropped my hands into my lap, flicking a few fingers at the mirror. “So what’s it like in there, anyway?” I touched my fingertips to the base of the frame so I could hear his response.

  “It is . . .” His eyes narrowed, and he looked around. “It is strange. But also quite familiar.” His thin lips twisted into a wry smile. “I’ll let you know more once I’ve had a chance to explore.”

  I nodded slowly.

  “Kat . . . ”

  Uh-oh. I knew that tone—it was Dom’s do-as-I-say tone. His I’m-disappointed-in-you tone. Especially when he actually used my name. Usually he called me “little sister.” I held my breath.

  “You need food,” he said. “And rest. You must allow your body to heal—another regeneration cycle, at least. You will continue to weaken until you do.”

  “I know,” I said, shaking my head. “I can’t, though. Once Lex and Heru and the others get here with . . .” . . . your body. I cleared my throat, the words sticking, unspoken. “Once they get here, you need to tell them everything you can remember about Ouroboros, what they’re up to, and where they kept you and the others. Now that we know some of the Senators are involved . . . I just have a feeling it’s all going to blow up. I want to get those Nejerets—and those kids”—especially the kids—“somewhere safe before the Senate and Ouroboros figure out that we know what they’re up to. We can’t give them the chance to burn the evidence.” It was a figure of speech, but in this case, I feared the reality would be far too literal. Those poor kids . . .

  “Personally, I am more interested in why.”

  I cocked my head to the side.

  “Why did the Senate feed a human-owned and -run company the documentation proving our existence?” Dom said. “Why are they funding Ouroboros? Why are they handing over Nejerets allied with Heru and Mei? Why have they deemed them the opposing faction?”

  I stared off into the background of the reflection, searching for answers where there were none. “And what’s their endgame?” I said, adding to his list of questions.

  It didn’t make sense to me why any Senators would be involved in Ouroboros’s plan to prolong human life indefinitely—it would only crowd the earth, especially if, unlike the females of our species, human women retained their ability to reproduce, even when relatively immortal. And why give them the proof of our existence, unless they wanted Ouroboros to share it with the world? It would create curiosity at first, closely followed by hostility, paranoia, and panic. Then, if Nik’s fears proved true, all-out war.

  “We can only speculate the reason behind their actions at this point,” Dom said. “And in your state, speculate poorly. Heru and the others have yet to return home, and there is little you can do without them. Rest, little sister.”

  I rubbed a hand over my eyes. They felt gritty and dry, and my body ached with fatigue. I knew, in my bones, that Dom was right, but I wasn’t ready to leave him just yet. Part of me feared he wouldn’t be there when I woke up, like the magic would fade, and he would disappear from my life for good.

  My mouth opened wide in a jaw-cracking yawn.

  Dom stared at me through the mirror, his expression set.

  “Fine,” I said, giving in. “I’ll take a damn nap.” When I stood, I was surprised by how unsteady I felt. I touched the edge of the mirror so I could still hear him. “What will you do?”

  Dom turned his head, looking over his shoulder. “Why, explore my new realm, of course. I’m sensing that there’s more to it than either of us might think.”

  “Like what?” I asked, yawning once more.

  “I am unsure, but there are . . .” He frowned. “Sounds. And there are doors that do not exist on your side of the glass.” His frown faded. “‘There are more things in heaven and earth . . .’”

  It was my turn to frown. “Just don’t get lost, alright? We need you.” I need you.

  Dom nodded. “I won’t go far.”

  I held his reflected, silvery gaze for a moment, then nodded. Turning away from the tall mirror, I dragged my feet across the room to the bed and collapsed on it face-first. I was out within seconds.

  “Just watch . . . one day, they’ll know us.” The rogue Nejeret, a slender guy with the innate sheut power to camouflage himself like a chameleon, laughs bitterly.

  I’m standing over him, the tip of my sword perched on his chest, just over his heart.

  “Killing me won’t make one fucking difference.” He coughs, blood spraying out of his mouth. I’ve worked him over pretty good already. He deserved it; he used those color-changing cells of his to rob several dozen banks, resulting in thirteen human deaths. “Just you watch—one day they’ll know us. They’ll see us for what we are: the cure sent to wipe the scourge that they are off the face of the earth. One day, they’ll know us, and the next day, they’ll die.”

  I put pressure on the sword, shoving the blade straight through his heart.

  His whole body tenses, his eyes bulging. A moment later, he goes limp.

  “Self-righteous prick,” I mumble, yanking the blade free.

  “Tell me about it.” Mari leans against the wall on the far side of the garage, cl
eaning her nails with the tip of an inky black nail file. “Maybe the world’ll know about us one day”—her eyes met mine, almost highlighter green in the florescent lighting—“but only when we want them to. Only when we’re ready . . .”

  I sucked in a sharp breath and opened my eyes. Mari’s words from my dream of a memory of something that happened sixteen years ago echoed through my mind.

  . . . only when we want them to . . . only when we’re ready . . .

  Pushing myself up, I scooted to the edge of the bed, wiping the smear of drool from my cheek and chin with the back of my hand.

  “Dom,” I said, rushing across the room to the standing mirror. He wasn’t there, at least, not that I could see. “Dom!” I pressed both hands against the frame on either side of the mirror and moved my head from side to side, searching for him in the murky reflection of the room.

  “I am here,” he said, coming into view. He smoothed back his hair and studied my face. “What is it, little sister? Has something happened?”

  I shook my head. “Not exactly, but . . .” I thought back to the dream. “What if the shadow Senate wants the info about us to leak out? What if they want the humans to learn about us? What if they want war?” My thoughts sped up, spinning around my mind like race cars around a track, faster and faster. “What if they want to wipe humans off the face of the earth?”

  Dom’s sharp features pinched. “It would be suicide. Without a way to reproduce, eventually, our kind would die out as well. Besides, if that is their goal, why not simply release the information themselves?”

  I chewed on my thumbnail, seeking out a phantom hangnail. Nejerets’ natural regenerative abilities effectively rendered us a doomed species, since it locked the females of our kind in a constant state of infertility. Our bodies rejected any fertilized eggs almost as soon as they implanted in our uterine walls. Without human women, we would die out. It would take a while, since violent deaths were pretty much the only way to kill us, but in time, we would go extinct. Whatever the shadow Senate’s plans, they needed to keep some human women alive, specifically the ones who carried the latent recessive Nejeret genes.

  “Oh my God.” I lowered my hand, my mouth hanging open. “What if that’s the whole point of funding the research—to create some immortal humans, a select, chosen few women who are Nejeret carriers? Maybe they want to give them prolonged lives, then use them as premier breeding stock. They could commoditize the right to reproduce . . . control who has access to the women. They would have absolute control over the future of our people.”

  “A truly terrifying thought.”

  I heard the distant sound of the front door opening downstairs, followed by several pairs of footsteps entering the house.

  I looked at the bedroom door, then glanced at Dom. “They’re back. Are you ready for them?”

  He nodded.

  “Nik!” I shouted in the general direction of the door. “Can you bring everyone up here?”

  “On it,” he said, tapping the door with his knuckles as he passed by.

  I grabbed the throw off the back of the armchair and tossed it over the mirror. “Just for a sec,” I whispered to Dom. “I want to prepare them first.”

  Less than a minute later, Nik pushed the door to my bedroom open and let the others file in ahead of him, first Lex, then Heru, then Neffe and Aset. They looked like hell, eyes red-rimmed and puffy and shoulders slumped. Nik followed them in, crossing the room to sit in the armchair.

  “Nik tells us you have news,” Heru said, his voice weary. He sidestepped closer to Lex and curled an arm around her waist. She leaned her cheek on his shoulder, letting out a heavy sigh.

  “I know you all must think I failed, but I didn’t.” I took a step toward them, wringing my hands. “I found Mari . . . and she released Dom’s ba.”

  Lex’s head lifted, and her listless gaze wandered my way.

  “It was too late,” I said. “He was already—his body was already dead.” I took a deep breath. “But we managed to recapture his ba.”

  Aset looked at her son.

  Nik raised his hands in front of himself. “Not me,” he said, shaking his head. “This soul capture was all Kat’s doing.”

  All five sets of eyes fixed on me, curiosity muting the grief, just a little.

  “I, um, well . . .” I cleared my throat and took a couple small backward steps, moving closer to the covered mirror. “He’s not gone—not dead, exactly.” I reached out my right hand and pinched the fuzzy blanket. “He’s right here.” With one quick tug, the blanket slid off the mirror and fell to the floor.

  Dom, the only clear thing in the murky reflection, lifted one hand and waved.

  All four newcomers gasped. Neffe and Aset covered their mouths with their hands, and Lex took a couple steps forward, hand outstretched toward the mirror. Heru simply stood where he was and stared, golden eyes glassy.

  “It’s really him?” Lex asked, slowly moving closer.

  “It is,” I assured her.

  “Can I talk to him? Can he hear me?”

  I nodded. “He can hear you now, but you have to be touching the mirror to hear him.”

  She rushed forward, pressing her palm against the mirror. “Dom?”

  A gentle smiled curved his lips and he raised his hand, pressing it against the other side of the mirror’s surface. His lips moved, but lipreading was a skill I didn’t have.

  Lex rested her forehead against the mirror, shoulders shaking as soft sobs tumbled free.

  Not a moment later, Heru was behind her. He settled an arm around her shoulders, the other on the mirror beside hers. “Welcome back, my old friend.”

  Chapter Twenty-Eight

  “So you can’t say for sure where the warehouse was?” Heru paced across my old room, from the hallway door to the wardrobe and back. He’d been at it for at least an hour now, mobility seeming to help him process the information Dom relayed through me.

  For the past hour or so, Dom had been explaining what had happened to him—how he’d been captured in a trap that resulted in the release of a knockout gas and what Ouroboros had done to him and the others while he was in their hands. Or rather, in their holding cells. According to Dom, the captive Nejerets were divided into two subject groups—those who were abused and brought to the brink of death, then allowed to regenerate, and those who’d had their bas extracted and then were abused and brought to the brink of death. Dom had been in the latter group.

  He wasn’t sure how the ba-extraction worked, science-wise, only that he’d been strapped down in a chair and that electricity had coursed through his body for what felt like an eternity. Once his soul was removed from his body, he had a brief moment of what felt like astral projection before he was encased in absolute darkness—the anti-At sphere closing in around him, we all assumed. His ba had been returned to his body several times during his several-week stay in the warehouse laboratory, allowing him to heal, but as a result, his moments of consciousness and lucidity were few and far between.

  “I could hear the roar of the freeway, the frequent rumble of a foghorn in the distance, and, on occasion, the sound of a large crowd cheering—those are the only identifying sounds I can recall,” Dom said, and I repeated his words to the others. Lex was sitting on the floor near me, Nik in the armchair in the corner, and Aset and Neffe on the foot of the bed. “Sounds like SoDo to me,” I added. Not only was the industrial area packed with warehouses and near I-5 and the water, but it was also the location of Seattle’s two professional sports stadiums—Safeco and Century Link Fields, where the Mariners and Seahawks played, respectively.

  Heru nodded. “I agree, but there are hundreds of warehouses there, and I highly doubt Ouroboros would be reckless enough to leave any kind of paper trail linking them to their illicit research branch. We need more information.”

  “Mari,” Dom said, voicing the option I was unwilling to suggest. “She was there each time my ba was extracted. If you can find her, I am certain you could convin
ce her to tell you the exact location.”

  “We can’t trust her,” I told him. “She lied to me about knowing you were even there—said she didn’t know until I told her. She’s clearly got her own agenda. She’s fanatical about ‘saving our people.’ It’s the most important thing in the world to her.”

  “Is it truly?” He stared at me with those dark eyes. “Is there not anything else you can think of that might be of paramount importance to her? Perhaps a person . . . ?”

  “Well, yeah—her mom, but . . .”

  “Might Mari’s priorities shift if she were to find out that her mother is just another test subject?”

  My eyes widened. “Are you saying Ouroboros has Mei? That they’re experimenting on her—torturing her?”

  Dom shrugged. “Truly, I do not know what they are doing with her, only that they have her. I watched them bring her in a few days ago during one of my recovery periods. They took her to a separate wing of holding cells.”

  “Mari’d never allow that,” I said.

  “Then she must not know.”

  I shook my head. “But that doesn’t make sense. Mei could just shift out of there.” It was her innate sheut gift, along with a number of others she’d attained proficiency in through years of rigorous dedication and training. She was old, centuries beyond me in understanding and developing her sheut. I was still figuring out how my own innate powers worked. But her . . . I couldn’t imagine anyone, especially not humans, figuring out a way to contain her.

  “My holding cell was surrounded by an electromagnetic field that would keep those like Mei and Heru from being able to locate us—Mari explained it to me herself. It seems logical to me that the same field used to keep Mei out could be used to keep her in.”

  “Oh, shit . . .”

  “Care to share?” Heru said, his tone bland. He’d finally stopped moving and was standing in the center of the room, staring at me.