by D T Dyllin
My father sliced his hand through the air. “Enough! Humans have already destroyed so much. Since their birth as a species, everything they create is for destruction. We cannot allow them the opportunity to escape this time. The damage they’ve accrued in the last few years alone is astounding. Yes, there will be causalities, but in the end, no sacrifice outside of our own is too big to finally free the Universe of the scourge of mankind.”
Faltering on my feet, I swayed with shock. “Humans?”
“Yes,” my mother interjected. “Pureblood humans. Not extinct as they would have the Universe believe. Instead, they became something else, but a rose with any other name is still a rose.”
My eyes widened as everything finally clicked into place. “The Denards are humans. All this time …” I swiped a hand down my face. Why hadn’t I seen it? Why wasn’t I able to figure it out? There was one tiny part I still hadn’t figured out. “If the Denards are humans, then why do they hate the spliced humans of New Earth? Why did they destroy their own origin planet?”
“Irrelevant,” my father snapped. “Our time together has come to an end. Your mother and I have important things to attend to. We simply wanted to make clear to you that you have no reason to attempt an escape, you and your friends will be safe.”
I opened my mouth to protest, to let them know I wasn’t as selfish as they were, and that I cared about more than just my friends. It mattered to me if innocent lives were lost across the Universe, especially if I could possibly stop the massacres. But my parents had already swept down the hall in a blatant dismissal, leaving me alone with my concerns … and my brother. Oh joy!
Shuffling away from the wall, I lifted my hand to the back of my neck, knowing I was going to have to ask my brother for help, the notion a bitter pill to swallow. “There’s something I need you to take a look at, please.”
Mikla’s dark eyebrows shot up to his hairline. “This must be rather urgent or else you wouldn’t ask me.”
Hanging my head, I said, “Yes. It is urgent. I have this thing in the back of my neck, and it—”
My brother was behind me, lifting my hair. “Oh! This is quite interesting. Of course I’m going to need to nanoscan you first, and then run a series of diagnostic tests.”
Gritting my teeth, I ground out, “I just want you to remove it.”
“It’s not that simple. I need to fully understand what was done to you first.”
Of course it wasn’t that simple. It never was. At least not when Mikla was involved.
“Come with me so we can get started. There’s so much to do, so many tests ...” Mikla jogged down the hallway, excitement of a new discovery giving him extra pep in his step.
Great. I had willingly volunteered to be Mikla’s test subject again. Not that I had a choice. Shuffling along after him, I mumbled under my breath, “Just like old times.”
Me sprawled over a metal table in a lab, writhing in agony as my brother monitored my progress … was entirely too familiar, and somehow a twisted homecoming. Eventually the plate would safely be removed from my head, but not before I suffered excruciating torture, all in the name of science. Yes, Mikla cares so much for my wellbeing and would never want to see me injured.
I gritted my teeth, my thoughts muddled, messy. Humans … humans … humans. Denards are humans. Despite everything else, the thought circled my mind, never quite sinking in. How had the Denards managed to fool everyone, and for so long? How did the Galvrarons get involved and discover their secret? Each question that sprang to life brought more with it, multiplying exponentially.
“You never did tell me where you got the plate from,” Mikla said just as he switched off the current of electricity surging into my body.
Panting, I pushed myself up onto my elbows, and swiped at the sweat running into my eyes and a few strands of blonde hair plastered to my forehead. “That’s because you didn’t ask.”
My brother raised his eyebrows expectantly. “All right, I’m asking now. Where did you get the vile thing?” He spun around on his chair, the wheels squeaking, and his attention diverted by the computer readouts.
I chuckled, exhaustion causing me to be borderline delirious. “Vile? It’s because it suppresses logic and encourages emotional mayhem. That thought terrifies you, doesn’t it?” I glanced at Mikla. His face was pressed close to the computer, and his shoulders were hunched over as he studied his findings. What would he be like with the same metal plate in his head? Did he even have the scope of emotions for it to make a difference? The only time he seemed happy or excited was when he was in a lab, his true element. Did he truly understand love and compassion? Or did he mistake other muted emotions for those things?
“Actually, yes, the thought does terrify me. Now, tell me where you got the vile thing. Don’t make me ask again.”
Rolling my eyes, I flopped back onto the cool metal table, tugging at the electrodes attached to my temples. “Before Kade got to me on Telvin, they managed—”
Mikla jumped to his feet, his chair rolling back to hit into his desk with a loud thud. “Did you say Telvin?”
Peering up at my brother, I thought I detected a slight edge of panic in his demeanor. No, that can’t be right. “Yes, Telvin.” The humanoid who’d placed the plate in my head hadn’t specifically detailed the connection between the facility and Galvrarons, but after Zeffrin, and the little talk with my parents, I was sure they were connected.
His gaze darting back and forth, Mikla fidgeted with his sleeves. “Tell me about this place.”
What? Was he going to pretend after that reaction that he knew nothing about Telvin? Maybe it was best if I played along. “It’s some kind of research facility run by the Denards. I wasn’t there long, but between what they did to me, and the information I garnered from Tamzea, my Mazatimz crewmate, I know that they do experiments on unwilling prisoners of various species. Their goal is unknown to me.”
“And you know nothing else of this place?”
I narrowed my eyes. “No. I just told you that I wasn’t there long.”
Mikla sagged into himself, expelling a long breath. “Well, I’ll have to look into the matter, have it researched.”
“Mmm hmm …” My brother knew more than he was saying, which made me wonder what he was hiding. He and my family had been unexpectedly open about the Denards and their plans, so it didn’t make sense that he would hide his knowledge of Telvin. In my gut, I knew it as the truth though. He was hiding something and I wanted to find out why.
Fiddling with the electrodes on my temples, Mikla said, “Lie back, I want to do another round with a higher current before we move on to the next test.”
I squeezed my eyes shut and bit the insides of my cheeks. Of course you do.
“LaLa.” Kade’s voice swirled through my mind, tugging me back to consciousness. My eyelashes fluttered open. “Yeah, that’s right, let me see those beautiful baby blues.”
I blinked dark spots away from my eyes, focusing with confusion in on the welcome sight of Kade’s masculine face. Inhaling deeply, I let his sweet scent replace the sterile aroma of the lab, the warm essence chasing away the chill in my bones. “What are you doing here?” Without thought, I reached up, my fingers tracing along the contours of his mouth. As much as I hated to admit it, I’d missed him even though we’d been separated for such a short period of time. As usual, my reactions to him defied logic.
“I need him for the next round of tests,” my brother said from somewhere off to my left.
My gut clenched, nerves pinging around my stomach. “Oh? And what could you possibly need him for?”
Kade rose, his gaze unfathomable as he backed away. “No matter what happens, I want you to know that I agreed to this, okay?”
Alarm bells went off inside of me, causing panic to erupt, and my hearts to quadruple in time. “What are you talking about?” But when I went to sit up, I realized I was strapped down, several metal bands circling my waist and tethering me to the table. “Wait. Sto
p. Someone needs to explain what’s going on right now.” Kade lifted his hands over his head, Mikla climbing up onto a stool to secure the Talsen in bonds of his own. “You can’t trust him! Stop! Mikla, what are you going to do?”
My brother checked the chains on Kade’s ankles and wrists before responding. “I need to know how well the plate actually works with subjugating logic, and how much of it is like the placebo effect. Your friend has volunteered to help me discover the answer.”
All the blood drained from my face. “Kade. No. Whatever it is you think you’re doing, it’s not too late to change your mind.”
“I have to know, LaLa.”
My nostrils flared, and my chest heaved. My hands slid over the metal fastenings bolting me to the table. “Let me out of here, Mikla, and let Kade go, too.”
My brother shook his head. “This needs to be done. We all need answers.”
“Why do you need answers about this?” I snarled. “None of this affects you. Just take the damn plate out of my head and be done with it!”
“Ah, but you’re wrong, sister dear. If the Denards are attempting to figure out a way to control Galvrarons, then it is indeed my business.”
I stilled, the humanoid’s words from Telvin playing through my mind yet again. “We’ve never had a Galvraron here before. At least not as a prisoner. Truth be told … if we get found out it could lead to some trouble. But when the opportunity to study one of you presented itself, we just couldn’t look the other way.”
I’d assumed with what I’d discovered on Zeffrin that his comment had meant more than one Galvraron … but what if there was only one? And what if that singular Galvraron happened to be my brother? Was he using dubious methods to further experiment beyond what even my people approved of? What if by keeping Telvin a secret, and supplying the scientific means for interspecies testing, it had given the Denards ideas?
The time for games was over. “Tell me what you know about Telvin. And don’t lie to me, brother. Even you couldn’t hide your reaction when I told you where this plate came from.”
Ignoring my question, Mikla strode over to stand in front of Kade with something hidden in his palm. “Do you care for this Talsen, Zula? I’m well aware that you didn’t want us to know, but just like always, your emotions betrayed you in subtle ways.” He glanced at me, his cold eyes sweeping over me. “Does your pulse quicken at the sight of him? Do you yearn to be close to him?”
Squirming, I glared at Mikla. “What’s the point to your questions? What do they have to do with anything?”
He shrugged. “I thought it was obvious. I want to gauge what you think you feel for him now, and during his torture with the plate—and then without the plate. I will then compare and contrast, discovering the full extent of what was done to you.”
“Torture? Kade, no.” But he’d turned his head, the muscles in his jaw popping. “I don’t understand why you’d agree to this.”
“I hope the damage isn’t permanent, sister dear, because you’re quite obtuse at the moment. Your Talsen wants to know if there’s any hope for you to ever feel about him the way he feels about you.” He tapped his chin in thought. “The side effects of the Dragon DNA are quite surprising. I wonder if I could duplicate them to create a species of bodyguards linked by love instead of duty?” He winked at me, a devious smile creeping across his face. “I’m sure many would be interested in having such a creature at their disposal.”
My throat closed up as my chest constricted painfully. “You did this to him on purpose?” Even though it came out that way, it wasn’t a question. In that moment, what Mikla had done to Kade as a child was crystal clear. The only question remaining was had he meant for Kade to imprint on me, or was that just a lucky happenstance?
Mikla chuckled. “Ah, so you finally understand. Although up until the little complication of you possibly feeling something for the Talsen, only he’d been part of my ongoing experiment. You see, darling sister, Kade periodically checked in with me over the years so I could run tests. It was part of the bargain when I helped him. I would fix his damaged body, and in return he’d have to allow me access so I could monitor for any changes in stability.”
“So this now,” I swallowed, “it’s to test us both.”
“Yes. And if all goes well, there might be a new brand of bodyguard available in the very near future. Isn’t science amazing?”
My brother wasn’t interested in wealth, at least excess wealth. He only cared for the kind that provided him what he needed to do his experiments. “What would you get out of creating such a creature?”
His lips curled. “The freedom to do whatever I wish out in the open.”
“Telvin is yours, isn’t it?” I snorted. “Actually, you don’t need to bother answering, I already know it is.”
Mikla didn’t reply; instead, he turned his attention to unfastening Kade’s leather vest, exposing his smooth, muscular chest. “Mmm … I did do a fine job, if I do say so myself.”
Kade remained silent and still, his body taut. I gnawed on the insides of my cheeks, the flesh raw from the bad habit. “Just look at me, Kade. Please. You don’t have to do this. You don’t owe him anything.”
“I owe him my life, and … and I have to know.”
Mikla ran his open palm down Kade’s stomach, blood blooming in its wake. “No!” I screeched. “Stop! Don’t hurt him!” Thrashing against my restraints, I reacted without thought, without care for myself. I would do anything to make it stop before it got worse.
I screamed until my throat was shredded, and my body bruised from fighting against the metal bands.
Finally, Mikla paused, addressing me, “Would you take some of this torture onto yourself, if it meant sparing him?”
Snot and tears intermingled, running down my face as I struggled to breathe. Kade’s flesh was ripped open, his chest a macabre scene painted black and red, his blood oozing from open wounds. “Yes. Absolutely. Anything you want to stop hurting him.”
Kade’s head snapped up. “You said you wouldn’t hurt her. I would never have agreed to this if—”
My brother laughed. “Please, even someone of your lower intellect should have known better.”
Meeting Kade’s gaze, I smiled. “Don’t worry, I can withstand whatever it is. He’s been using me as a subject in his little experiments since I was just a child.”
“That part is true, sister dear. But it doesn’t lessen the pain.”
“No!” Kade rattled his chains, and bared his teeth, his eyes glowing a bright yellow. “I won’t let you hurt her!”
Mikla, unfazed, marched over to me, extending his palm over my arm, using the tiny device to rip into my skin. I gritted my teeth in an attempt to contain my scream, hoping it would help to calm Kade. Him being so riled up wasn’t doing either of us any favors. But as things progressed, I couldn’t hide my body’s reactions.
“I’ll kill you, Mikla, I swear it! I’ll rip you limb from limb before I …”
Kade’s fury played in the background, as constant as the pain, never wavering, never fading, even as the meaning of his words faded away into the same space that eventually claimed my consciousness.
“Do it. Fix her now,” Kade commanded, his voice not much more than a growl. “All of it.”
I fought to open my eyes, to move, but exhaustion weighed me down. I wasn’t afraid, though, for I knew my brother would never cause me permanent harm. He had all the latest and greatest tools at hand to heal me up without leaving so much as a mark … the better to have a fresh start when he wanted to use me again. Some of his medical devices had been invented out of necessity, to put me back together again after he’d gone too far. In the end, I always walked away whole, at least bodily.
“I intended to heal her when we were done regardless of what happened. She is my sister, after all.”
Jolted with energy, I gasped, my eyes fluttering open. My brother’s face swam before me, his features pinched with annoyance. “There,” he said. “She�
�s as good as new.”
“Not so fast. Take the plate out. Now. We’re not playing any more of your games.”
Turning my head, I could only see the left side of Kade, the dark skin on his wrist mangled and bloody from ripping off his chains. “Heal him, Mikla, please. Heal him before you do anything else.”
My brother scowled. “How cute. You each want me to heal the other one.”
“Take the plate out of her head. I’m in control here.”
Frustration tore through me, and I sat up, glaring over my brother’s shoulder at Kade. “You’re not the one in control here. Let him mend your wounds. It’ll take minutes, and then he can deal with me.”
Before I could blink, Kade had shoved my brother aside, and had my face cupped in his large hands. “I’m fine. I already healed on my own. Dragon DNA has some benefits. It’s you I’m worried about.”
Placing my hands over his, I leaned forward, brushing my lips against his. There was something about Kade’s presence that fortified me, reminding me of the woman I’d become since I’d left Xianfrey. Without him, I’d fallen back into the routine of doing whatever my brother wanted. But I’m not a child anymore. And I’m not his to play with anymore either. “Then let’s get this plate out of my head.” Without breaking his gaze, I said, “Mikla, you heard him. Take this thing out of my head now. No more tests or experiments.”
Kade’s mouth opened, and his eyes widened, before he slumped forward, his head landing on my chest. Behind him Mikla stood with a large needle in his hand. “You’re right. He wasn’t in charge, and neither are you. This ends when I say it does.”
Swallowing, I smoothed Kade’s hair back. “Why are you so cruel, Mikla? Why can’t anything ever be simple with you? My entire life all you’ve done is torture me, and yet you claim to not want to see me injured. Why? Which one is the truth?”
“My sister dear, you mistake kindness for cruelty because you’re unable to see through false emotions, things triggered in a primal part of your brain. Even now, I’m trying to help both you and Kade, and yet the two of you have the nerve to act like victims. Maybe I do want to know how things turn out for personal reasons as well, but at the core, I’m still doing these things, taking time away from my day, to help you.”
