Tainted Rescue

by Jenn Vakey

  But I couldn’t stop to assess the extent of the damage I had done to him. The shower was running. That meant that someone had been in here. Someone who hadn’t even made a sound while the fight was going on.

  I spun in place, eyes widening when I saw the shower curtain missing from the hooks above. When my eyes moved down to the floor, I saw it there. Draped over a pair of legs that were pushing out of the large shower and lying still on the floor.

  So still.

  I gasped, panic gripping at my heart. Tears clouded my vision when I saw the mix of red swirling in the water that covered the shower floor.

  CHAPTER FOURTEEN

  LEEYA

  “No,” I said, closing the distance between where I stood and the shower in a second flat. My whole body shook as I looked down and saw a mound of blonde hair, which always appeared darker when it was wet. The trail of blood that was coming from somewhere within it as he lie motionless on his side.

  “Rhydian!” I yelled. My bastons fell from my hands, the sounds of them hitting the floor echoing around me.

  I stepped over his legs and dropped down at his side. The water from the still flowing shower head poured down over me. I didn’t care. I grabbed his shoulder and rolled him to his back, my hands moving the hair out of his face as tears began to run down mine.

  “Come on,” I pleaded, my trembling hands moving to his neck. But they didn’t make it there. He let out a groan, his eyes opening as he blinked up at me. Confusion and pain swam through them. I gasped, my hand resting down on his cheek. My voice cracking as I said, “I thought I lost you.”

  He seemed so out of it as his eyes slowly moved around, from me to the shower around us. The water raining down. The shower curtain twisted over him.

  Then, as he came to more, he looked back up to meet my eye. “What’s going on?”

  I let out a shaky breath, pushing my soaked hair out of my face. My heart was still pounding, that lingering feeling of panic not leaving me. “Two Sentry came in with the others,” I breathed out. “They said they were an advanced team and joined them before they met you at the archway. When we realized, I had to…” I shook my head, trying to clear my thoughts. I needed to pull myself together.

  “What?” he asked.

  I shook my head again. “It doesn’t matter. We need to go. We have to find the other one.”

  Rhydian pushed himself slowly up, bracing himself with his hands as he wobbled slightly. “You had to what, Leeya?” he asked again. He looked worried, like I had done something wrong. I hadn’t wanted to tell him what I had actually started to say, but now I knew I needed to. I couldn’t let him think that I’d done something and was intentionally keeping it from him.

  Tears filled my eyes again as I blinked, though I was fairly certain the water hid them. “I had to find you,” I said softly, hesitantly. “I had to make sure you were safe.”

  His expression softened, his worry falling away as his eyes worked over my face. Like he was looking for any sign that I wasn’t being honest. Then his hand was tangled in my hair, pulling me almost forcefully toward him.

  His lips met mine with an intensity that hadn't been there during that kiss last night. When I gave a surprised gasp, his tongue pushed into my mouth, working against mine in a way that took my breath away.

  My hand moved to his chest, feeling his heart pounding against it. I was very aware as the water ran through my fingers that he was naked, but I couldn't care. This wasn't just a kiss. There was a meaning behind it, like he was telling me something without words. Just his mouth moving with mine, his tongue fighting feverishly with mine. Bringing with it heat that I never thought I'd feel again.

  Then it was over.

  I dropped back onto my heels when Rhydian extracted his hand from my hair and reached up to turn the water off. I blinked at him numbly, no idea what had just happened. I knew I couldn't read into it. He had a head injury. He wasn't thinking straight.

  It didn't mean anything.

  Moving my shaking hand through my hair, I looked away from him as he pushed up, holding the shower curtain in place around him. Not looking back until I saw him moving out of the shower toward the fallen Sentry. It wasn't until then that I could force myself to stand and follow. I didn't make it further than the edge of the shower.

  “Did I kill him?” I asked, remembering the sound his head made when it hit the floor. It was one that I’d heard once before. That first week I had been in Alkwin when I’d encountered a Tainted man in the woods. I had been fighting to keep him from taking me and knocked him back into a rock. The sound of his head hitting it still haunted my dreams.

  Rhydian crouched down and pressed his fingers to the man's neck, then shook his head. I let out a breath of relief. Sentry or not, I didn't want him dead. Especially not at my hand. “He's just unconscious. Grab some ties so we can restrain him.”

  I nodded, then walked out of the bathroom. When I returned a few minutes later, I saw that Rhydian was mostly dressed. His pants were on and he was pulling a shirt over his head, though he didn't have any shoes.

  As he ran a hand through his hair, I dropped to my knees next to the Sentry and secured his hands behind his back. My hands were still shaking, although I wasn't sure if it was the adrenaline spike from the danger or that kiss. I could figure it out later.

  “We have to go,” Rhydian said quickly, tension still very much in his voice. He moved back to the shower and grabbed my bastons, then held a hand down to help me to my feet. “We have to find Linley.”

  “I already did,” I said, taking the weapons he held out for me. His gaze shot to mine for an explanation. “I grabbed her on the way here. She's in my room.”

  His eyes softened again, a mix of relief and appreciation in them.

  I stopped him before we reached the door, grabbing a towel from the shelf next to it. There was blood still running down the side of his neck. He might be safe, but I knew the sight would worry his sister. As I held it up and started wiping it off, I could feel his eyes on me. Watching me. But I couldn't look at him. I didn't want to see what he was thinking, knowing very well that everything would just go back to the way it had been when this was all over.

  When he was clean, I walked with him down the hall toward my room. He wasn't fully steady on his feet, so I stayed close in case he fell. Not offering any help, but still ready.

  “Linley,” I said when I opened the door and we walked in. I looked up and down the hall quickly, then shut and locked the door.

  Only seconds passed before the closet door opened and Linley rocketed out, flying into Rhydian's awaiting arms. I grabbed his arm, bracing him to keep him from going over.

  Then, giving them some space, I turned and grabbed some clothes out of the dresser. Mine were soaked.

  Not wanting to leave the room, I moved behind Rhydian and turned my back to him as I swiftly shed the saturated ones and redressed.

  “Stay in here while I go check and see where things stand with the second guy,” I said, pulling my shoes back on. They were still wet, but they would do.

  “No,” Rhydian said defiantly. He peered carefully over his shoulder, not turning around until he was certain I was dressed. Linley was still in his arms, her hold wrapped tightly around his neck. She might not have said it, but the way she clung to him was enough to know she was on my side with this one.

  “You have a concussion,” I told him, knowing just how hard it would be for him to actually stay behind. He wouldn't like it, but I needed him to listen. Otherwise I would be worried about him instead of having my full focus on finding the other Sentry. “You can barely stand right now. Linley’s scared. Keep her safe.”

  I didn't wait for him to argue. I walked over to them and kissed the side of Linley’s head, then grabbed my bastons and left.

  There were still people walking around casually when I ran back out of the dorm. I wasn't really sure if that was a good thing or a bad thing. On one hand, it meant that the chances were lower that the s
econd Sentry had attacked someone. If people were calm, though, it also meant the chances were good he hadn’t been discovered.

  I got my answer quickly when I saw Orson walking from the houses with a bound man in front of him. He was headed toward the dining hall, so I changed my direction to meet him there.

  “Everyone out,” he bellowed when he walked in. I was only seconds behind, just in time to see the stunned looks on the faces of the few people that were in there. No one hesitated, though. “Search the rest of the camp.”

  “I already got the other one,” I told him. He turned, surprised for a moment I was there, then the relief set in as he nodded. “He's tied up in the guys’ bathroom in the dorm where he went after Rhydian. Unconscious.”

  He walked further into the room, shoving the man down so that he sat on one of the benches at a table.

  The man gave him a malicious look, then held his head up high and said, “We are here by the authority of Eden to get justice for the deaths of King Phineas, Prince Gryffin, and Adler Behrer.”

  “Adler killed the king and his son,” I said, folding my arms as I faced him. I wasn't going to mention that I had, in fact, killed Adler. By this point, I imagined that every Sentry knew that. I wouldn’t have even been surprised if the entire city had been aware.

  “Lying Tainted bitch,” he growled.

  I raised an eyebrow, going through the list of snarky remarks I could make in my head, but I didn't get the chance. The door flung open behind me, and I turned to see Rhydian pushing the other Sentry toward us. There was an anger coming off of him that seemed to reach into every part of his body. Judging by the short amount of time that had passed since I left him, it appeared that he hadn't waited at all before following. I wasn't really sure why I had thought he would.

  “Who am I?” he demanded, pushing the man in his hold down next to his friend.

  Both men looked at him, no sense of recognition there. Nothing beyond the hatred that said they had been fed the same information that I had. That he was the one who had taken down the royal family in Eden.

  “Look at his eyes,” I told them. Those deep green eyes that every member of the Behrer family shared. Looking back now, I was almost embarrassed that I hadn't figured out the truth just by looking at them. It was true that green eyes weren't limited to the royal family, but the shade was. Well, I had never encountered anyone else that had it at least. It was deep and bright, beautiful.

  I watched their brows both drop as they looked at his eyes. It was the man I'd fought with who reacted first. I hadn't really paid much attention at the time, my focus on getting past him to find Rhydian, but he was younger than a lot of the Sentry that came after us. He couldn't be any older than Rhydian. When he sucked in a breath, I watched his pale blue eyes widen in surprise. Disbelief.

  “Prince Evran?”

  The other man looked at him, then back at Rhydian. Then the truth settled in. I didn't wait for them to collect themselves before speaking.

  “My sister was grabbed by Sentry when we were trying to leave Eden,” I said. “Adler told me he would give her back if I killed the remaining prince. He admitted to killing Phineas and Gryffin because he wanted the crown.”

  “You expect us to buy that story?” the man Orson brought in asked, eyes locked on Rhydian. “We have security images of you. We were just told you were trying to take down Eden. But you were after the crown yourself, weren't you? Greedy little Tainted scum.”

  “If I wanted the crown, I would go to Eden and take it,” Rhydian stated. “If I wanted to destroy the ways of Eden like the council claims, I would go to Eden and take my rightful place on the throne and rewrite the laws. Being Tainted wouldn't even matter, because every single person in Eden has the Tainted genes.”

  The first man balked, but the one from the dorm was remaining still and listening. Not that he believed anything he was being told. He just didn't seem to see the sense in arguing with a prince. Or maybe he was just smart enough to know arguing wouldn't get them anywhere.

  “Why was Adler outside of the wall alone?” I asked, although I didn't really see the point in trying to convince them that we were telling the truth. They would be just as set in their beliefs as we were with ours. The only thing we could hope to gain was information about where they could be keeping the Tainted in the city, but even then, it wasn't like we could really trust what they said. At this point, though, it was more about pride. I didn't like being looked at like a murderer. I definitely didn't like someone looking at Rhydian that way. The way I first had. “Assassinations can't really be witnessed.”

  “Adler told us that night that all of the Tainted that are captured or taken after failing the tests are still alive and being held in Eden,” Rhydian added. “We just want them back.”

  “That's bullshit,” the chatty one said.

  I looked at Rhydian, silently asking a question. I could see the conflict there. Like me, he had to know the chances of getting anything out of these men was small. Still, there were too many lives at risk not to try everything we could. Lillith’s life. With a resigned sigh, he nodded and turned to leave.

  My heart was racing at the thought of what I was about to do. The consequences it would bring. Orson was here. It wasn't like I could ask him to leave. He was already looking at me for an explanation. But I couldn't give one. All I could do was hold my breath and brace myself until Rhydian walked back in a couple minutes later, my Haller in hand.

  Here goes nothing.

  “We have proof,” I said, turning back to face them. “Adler sent me here after the prince the night he captured my sister.” Even saying all of this out loud made me feel sick. I was worried how Orson would take it. More than that, I was worried about what talking about it would do to Rhydian. But I couldn't stop now. “King Phineas told me himself that I was to deliver him to Eden alive, but Adler had different plans. He wanted him dead and to take me so he could test on twins.”

  Rhydian held the Haller out for them to see, pictures of Lillith up on the screen. The men looked at them, then to each other. I could see it there, the conflict starting to build. The questions.

  I chanced a look at Orson and saw pretty much what I had been expecting. He was pissed. I could deal with that later.

  “I would never kill my father or brother,” Rhydian went on. “My father was going to change the laws on Tainted, allowing them to leave the city at will. Killing him only hurt our cause. And it put countless lives in danger, because like we said, everyone has the Tainted genes.”

  “We can prove that part too,” Orson interjected.

  I looked to Rhydian, because I was still avoiding Orson. He didn't look happy at all with the statement.

  “It's not ready,” he said firmly.

  “Yes it is. It's already been tested on people who weren't Tainted in Stassa’s camp.”

  The Sentry started to look nervous, and I couldn't blame them. Even I wasn't comfortable with what it seemed like Orson was implying. Turning them Tainted would ensure that they could no longer safely call Eden their home, but it wasn't the way to earn their allegiance.

  “What are you talking about?” the Sentry from the bathroom asked.

  It was Orson who answered. “A serum that activates the dormant abilities. It wouldn't do anything to someone who doesn’t already have Tainted genes, but it would trigger the abilities in the ones that do.”

  The fear they showed angered me. Not with them, with Orson.

  “And you're going to force that on us?” the first guy asked.

  “No,” I said firmly, almost protectively moving myself so that I was between them and Orson. I looked back at him with a stare that said he would have to do it over my dead body, then looked at the men. “It wasn't created to make people into something they didn't want to be. Only to allow those that wanted to have access to their abilities to have them.”

  The talkative one scoffed, but there was something going on with the other one. He looked more curious, almost hop
eful. It was a look I definitely hadn't been expecting. Was he wanting the serum? Desiring to be Tainted? And to what end? It was one thing for someone who had an allegiance with Tainted to want it. As much as I wanted to believe it would be in our favor, I couldn’t help but wonder if Sentry would see gaining abilities as a way to fight against us.

  “They're really alive?” he finally asked. “The ones that failed the test?”

  Okay, not what I had expected.

  “Yes,” I said with a confident nod. “We're certain of it.”

  He looked to be thinking over something for a moment before giving an almost imperceptible nod. Like he had come to a decision about something.

  “My fiancé failed her test and was taken a year ago,” he explained. “Could she be there with them? Even after that long?”

  I felt my heart flutter with excitement, my eyes shifting to Rhydian. I knew he would be looking, waiting for confirmation. I met his eye and nodded. He was telling the truth.

  “You aren't seriously buying into this?” the other guy yelled toward him, snapping my attention back. He slammed his shoulder into the young Sentry, as if trying to knock some sense into him. “They're Tainted! Their trying to manipulate us.”

  The blue eyed Sentry turned back, a look of frustration with his comrade. There was also something else there. A raw hope. “Use your eyes!” he yelled back. “The prince is standing right there. And what they're saying makes a whole hell of a lot more sense than what we've been told. They didn't give a reason to us at all to explain why Adler was outside of the wall. Or why he had a gun. The reports for both the king and prince said nothing about Tainted abilities being used. I'm not saying I completely believe this, but I will if Stazie is still alive. That would mean we were lied to.”

  “You understand why we can't just let you go,” Rhydian said calmly. “Eden would fall into a panic if people knew I was still alive. Most of the people there are innocent. Besides, you have too much information about Alkwin.”

  The first guy looked furious, but not the other one. He just nodded. I watched him curiously, but he didn't seem to be trying to talk his way out of this situation. I wouldn't know more until I could question him, but I almost wanted to believe him. I knew better than most what lengths people would take to save someone they loved.