Fractured Truth

by Rachel McClellan

  He guided me down a long flight of stairs to a basement. It was dirtier down here than upstairs and smelled bad too, reminding me of the time my father took me to a horse stable to go riding. It was just after my mother had passed away. I never forgot the smell.

  “Where are we?” I asked.

  “I call it the basement, but others call it the dungeon.” He peeked in through a small window of a nearby door. I moved to look through it too, but he pushed me forward. “Keep going,” he ordered.

  I walked down the long hallway, taking in as much as I could for when I escaped. Every twenty steps or so, the hallway intersected with another just as long, and all of them looked alike. The place was a giant maze with locked doors everywhere.

  “What’s in all these rooms?” I asked and glanced back at Christian.

  “See for yourself.”

  I moved to the nearest door and peeked through a dirty glass window. A girl with light brown hair was facing away from me, on a bed, an IV hooked to her arm.

  “Oh no,” I whispered, one of my fears confirmed.

  “We treat them well enough,” Christian said, picking at his teeth. “They get food every day, fresh water. We even let them bathe.”

  “They’re not animals!”

  The girl inside stirred and turned over. Air caught in my chest. “Valerie?”

  “Let’s go,” Christian said, nudging me forward. “Your room’s on the end.”

  “Where’s Sophie and May?”

  “You’ll see them soon enough.” Christian stopped me when we reached the end of the hall. A photo of us was taped to the door. “Do you remember this?” he asked.

  The photo was of Christian and me at the high school dance back in Utah. That felt like years ago. “Open the door, Christian.”

  “But do you remember?”

  I leaned my forehead against the cool wood of the door. “I remember being there with a boy I loved. I remember dancing with him, the little air between us, the way he looked at me as if I was the only girl in the world.” I leaned back and looked at him. “That boy wasn’t you. Now open the stupid door.”

  His lips tightened, but he did as I asked. Inside was a small space, much like the room Valerie had been in, but this one had a painting of the Cliffs of Moher hanging on a wall, and on another one, a poster of Batman.

  “I tried to decorate it with some of your favorite things,” he said, his voice proud.

  In the corner was a basket full of books. Why would he go to so much effort? I spun around, startling him, and searched his eyes, looking for any hint of the boy I once loved. “Leave this place with me, Christian. Maybe there’s still hope.”

  He reached up and touched my cheek. “I’ll leave if we can disappear together. No Auras, no Vykens, just us.”

  “But you know I can’t do that. I have to help May, Sophie, the other girls who are trapped here.”

  He dropped his hand. “I don’t care about them.”

  “I do.”

  He looked at me for a few seconds, then lowered his eyes to my neck. “My necklace. Where is it?”

  “I took it off.”

  His face scrunched as if in pain. “Why would you do that?”

  “Because the man who gave it to me is dead. It’s time I move on.”

  His pained expression turned to anger. “You won’t be moving anywhere. This is your home now.” He turned around and slammed the door, leaving me alone in the cold room.

  I sat on the bed, my wrists still bound behind my back. If I could just get untied I could contact Liam. I closed my eyes and moaned. And tell him what? To come save me? The place had at least four Vykens for every one of us that could fight, and that included those I knew of at the Deific, the Lycans, and even the Auras who were half ready to fight. We were outnumbered, but that wouldn’t stop Liam. He would storm the place to find me. Once upon a time Christian would’ve done the same thing.

  I went horizontal on the bed, squirming until I found a semi-comfortable place to lie. I had to find a way out of here and fast. Only then would I be able to help the others. If I could just get the ropes off, then I could turn invisible. That would give me a chance to get away, but not the others. There had to be a way to sneak them out, though.

  A long time passed. I thought of every possible scenario, but they always led back to the same ending: there was going to be a fight.

  I was pacing now while trying to stretch my arms behind me. I’d already searched the room looking for anything that might get the ropes off me, but found nothing. Even the glass in the small window turned out not to be glass, but a hard plastic I probably wouldn’t be able to break through without Light’s strength. I needed these stupid ropes off quick!

  I paced again, up and to the side of the bed and then back again. It was a small bed with a metal frame. I stopped and stared down. Possibly. Maybe. One way to find out.

  Using my feet, I slid the thin mattress from the bed, and stepped up on the very end of the metal rails. I bounced once. It groaned under the pressure. I bounced harder. Between each jump, I glanced toward the door and listened carefully. No one was coming. Using all the strength I had, I jumped one last time. The frame snapped into three pieces. Two of them broke at the joint, but one bar had splintered altogether, exposing exactly what I needed: a jagged edge.

  The sound of footsteps had me scrambling for the mattress. I turned my back to it and with my fingers pulled it back onto the broken frame. I used my hips and legs to shove it all the way on, just as the door opened.

  Christian stepped inside. Two Vykens, one in a striped shirt, the other wearing a yellow collared shirt, stood behind him.

  “What did you do?” Christian asked, staring down at the bed.

  I followed his gaze. The bed clearly looked broken, but at least the mattress hid the rail’s jagged edge. “You got me a cheap bed. It broke.”

  He seemed to consider this. “We’ll get you a new one.”

  “That’s okay. I can just put the mattress on the floor.”

  “Not my girlfriend.” He glanced back at stripes. “Get her a new bed.”

  Stripes grimaced like he’d just been assigned the worst job ever, but he didn’t say anything as he slinked back into the hall.

  “Did you get some rest, Llona?” Christian asked.

  “Kind of hard to do with my hands tied.”

  “They won’t be like that for long. Come with me.”

  “Where?”

  He took hold of my arm and pulled me forward. “I’m taking you to see someone special.”

  My heartbeat raced. “Is it May? Sophie?”

  “Patience.” He steered me down a side hallway. The drywall on each side of me had what looked like water stains and mold growing up the sides. At one point the basement must’ve flooded. In the distance I still heard water sloshing.

  Christian stopped at two double doors and pushed them open. This room was bright, with florescent lights instead of single bulbs. A long, white counter was just inside, lining the far wall. On its top were all sorts of lab instruments, and not far from it was a gurney, half of it stained a dark crimson color. I didn’t need my nose to tell me that it was blood.

  “What is this room?” I asked, but a second later wished I hadn’t, especially when I saw a bloodied hammer lying on the counter.

  Christian crossed the room to stand in front of two white curtains like what you’d see in a hospital. “Which one?” he asked.

  “I don’t understand.”

  “Pick curtain number one”—he held out his left hand—“or curtain number two.” He held out his right. “I’ll let you hug whoever is behind the one you choose. Oh, wait. Your hands are tied.” He chuckled. “I guess you can snuggle them.”

  I thought of both Sophie and May. “I don’t want to play your game, Christian. Just open them both.”

  “Go back to your room then.” He motioned for the collared-shirt Vyken to grab me.

  “No, stop! I’ll play.” I looked at both curtai
ns. “The right one.”

  A smile played at the corners of his mouth. “Are you sure?”

  I nodded.

  Christian pulled back the curtain. Slumped over in a chair with a face almost unrecognizable was Jackson. His hair was matted with blood, and the right side of his face was swollen, the same color as his navy-blue shirt. A pool of blood lay beneath his chair.

  “Go on now,” Christian said. “Give him a snuggle.”

  Air caught in my lungs. As much as I despised Jackson for betraying Auras, he didn’t deserve this. I stumbled forward and fell to my knees in front of him. “Jackson?”

  One of his eyelids opened; a bloodshot eye stared back at me. “Llona?” His voice was hoarse.

  “You’re a monster, Christian,” I said, horrified.

  Christian spit on the ground in front of me. “He got what he deserved.”

  I looked Jackson over. He wasn’t bound, but his right thigh was completely open, exposing meaty flesh and muscle. He couldn’t get away if he had wanted to.

  I wished there was something I could do for him, but just then Christian jerked me backward. “Don’t you want to see who’s behind curtain number one?” He flung the thin material back.

  May was sitting in a chair, her hands tied to its arms with the same kind of rope binding me. Tape covered her mouth and part of her cheek was swollen. A cut above her right eye was partially scabbed over.

  I shook my head. “Oh, May.” I tried to go to her, but Christian stopped me.

  May looked at me beneath heavy lids. She looked so tired.

  “I’m giving you a choice, Llona,” Christian said and removed a small blade from behind his back. “But it’s not a hard one. This will show you how much I love you.”

  I wasn’t listening. I was looking all around the room, searching for anything I might use to free my hands and help May and Jackson. While Christian was talking, another Vyken had come into the room, and two more were out in the hall. There was no way I could fight them all, especially with my hands tied up.

  “Are you listening, Llona?” He tapped me hard on the arm. “I’m letting you choose.”

  “Choose what?”

  “Who you’re going to kill.”

  “Kill?”

  “Easy right?” Christian walked in front of Jackson. “It’s either this jerk who betrayed the Auras, or your best friend, May.” He turned around and smiled. “I told you it would be easy. So which one are you going to stab through the heart?”

  TWENTY-FIVE

  I stared at him, appalled. “I can’t kill either of them.” But even as I said the words, my darker half told me I could do it. It longed to see the rest of Jackson’s blood flow to the ground.

  Christian came to stand in front of me. “Of course you can, because if you don’t, I’m going to kill them both.”

  The strength in my legs faltered, and I stumbled back until I was up against the wall. “Don’t do this, Christian. Please don’t ask this of me.”

  He stepped close to me, his breath warming my cheek. I used to love being this close to him, but now it made me sick. The feeling only grew when his hands snaked around my waist. I held my breath. What was he doing? A second later he had untied my hands and brought them to the front, clutching them tightly.

  I didn’t know whether to hurry and send a message to Liam or to start blasting everyone with Light. Before I could decide, Christian had bound my hands again at the wrists, this time in front of me. He placed the dagger into my fingers. “Hold onto it, but don’t try anything funny or they both die.”

  When tears breached my eyelids, he said, “What’s the problem? I couldn’t have made this easier.”

  “I can’t take an innocent life.” I snuffed out the voice in my brain telling me that I would enjoy killing Jackson.

  “But he’s not innocent!” Christian’s face was growing red. “What is your deal? Are you really such a prude?”

  “He may not be innocent for past deeds, but he’s not attacking me now. If I kill him,” I swallowed hard, “I won’t be able to come back from that.”

  Christian raised his hand and stroked my face. “That’s the point, Llona. If you do this, we can be together. We can be great again.”

  I shook my head. “Please don’t make me do this. Don’t make me choose.” I looked over at May. Great tears were rolling down her cheeks. Both of Jackson’s eyes were open now, and even he looked sad.

  “Go on, Llona,” Christian said and nudged me forward. The blade fell from my hands and clamored against the concrete floor, rattling my nerves.

  “You’re going to have to hold on to it tighter than that.” Christian picked it back up. He wrapped my fingers around the handle and squeezed. “A straight shot to his heart will do.” He pushed me forward again. Jackson was just in front of me, breathing hard.

  “I won’t do this,” I said, meaning every word.

  “Maybe you need an incentive. Luther, you know what to do.”

  A tall Vyken with short black hair moved behind May. His hands gave her shoulders a tight squeeze until her eyes rolled back into her head, and she moaned into the tape over her mouth.

  “Don’t hurt her!”

  “Then make your choice!” Christian yelled.

  I gripped the knife, staring hard at Jackson. My Vyken half begged me to do it, while my Auran half held back. If I killed him, it wouldn’t be like I was giving up my life for May; I would do that in a heartbeat. The reality was the second I became a full Vyken, I would hunt and kill Auras. So it wasn’t just my life I was trading for May’s.

  “Kill me instead, Christian. Please.” I looked over at him. “I can’t—”

  I saw movement out of the corner of my eye. Just as I looked back, Jackson was standing up and pressing his body into me. Into the knife. It slid into his belly with little resistance. When his legs buckled, the knife sliced upward. I cried out and let go. Jackson fell to the ground, blood flowing from his gut.

  Christian looked at me, at the others, at May, color gone from his face. “What does this mean?”

  I couldn’t speak, only shake my head slowly back and forth.

  “You did it. You killed him!” Christian glanced at the other Vykens. “Right? She did it, right?”

  I knelt next to Jackson and touched him lightly on the face with my bound hands. His eyes were wide, and he was gasping for air. Just as his eyelids began to close, he looked at me, and I swore he smiled.

  “This isn’t right,” Christian said. He was pacing behind me. “That wasn’t supposed to happen!” He shoved me to the side and kicked at Jackson, but he was already dead.

  Christian breathed hard, his chest heaving, while he stared down at Jackson’s body. “This was our chance, Llona. To be together.” His voice lowered. “And you blew it.” He spun around. The suddenness of it made me back up until I bumped into the wall.

  “I would’ve done anything for you. In fact I did do everything for you. All so we could be together.” He pressed his forehead to mine. “They made me do things. They said it was the only way we could be together. Don’t you understand? That’s all I wanted.” He grimaced as if every part of him was in pain.

  And in that moment I felt great pity and sadness. “I never wanted you to give up your soul for me,” I said, keeping my voice as gentle as possible.

  Christian leaned back. The air between us was cold. “But I did,” he said. “And now you’re going to give up yours for me.”

  He went over to May and shoved Luther out of the way. “I’m going to kill her,” he said. “And then you’re going to suffer so much that you’ll beg to be like me.” He gripped May around the throat.

  “No!” I stretched out my bound hands. He gripped harder. May’s face was turning blue. “I’ll do anything!”

  This gave him pause, and he looked up at me. “Anything?”

  “Except kill my best friend. Please don’t ask me to do that.”

  “I won’t. Not right now, anyway.” He released May, who
immediately sucked in air through her nose. He circled around her and came in front of me. I backed up, but his arm came around my waist and pressed me to him. “I want you to kiss me,” he said. “Like you used to.”

  The thought made me taste stomach bile. Going into this, I knew at some point I’d have to pretend to like him, but now that I was here, having witnessed his cruelty again, I wasn’t sure I could go through with what was obviously a dumb plan. I hate hindsight.

  His face twisted ugly at my hesitation. “I don’t think I can keep from killing May much longer.”

  I looked everywhere but at him. The Vykens in the room were watching us with amused expressions. Before I could think too much about it, I lifted on my tiptoes and pecked him on the lips. “There.”

  He squeezed me tight until my back popped in several places. “That was the worst kiss I’ve ever had! Now kiss me like you mean it.”

  “Give me a second,” I said and lowered my head to his chest. I could do this. Just think of Christian and how he used to be. I remembered the dance at Lucent Academy where he’d pursued me into the white curtains until we were hidden. The kiss we shared was full of passion. I lifted again, my lips pressing to his. I saw his face, what it used to be. For a moment there was love, but then I remembered the hurt and pain. My Christian was dead.

  “What is your problem?” Christian cried. “This shouldn’t be so difficult.” Someone laughed behind us.

  Christian’s muscles relaxed like he was going to let go of me. I couldn’t let that happen. I gripped the front of his shirt with my bound hands to keep him from turning and slowed my breath. “Hold still,” I said.

  I closed my eyes again and let my heart feel. But it wasn’t Christian’s face that came to my mind. It was Liam’s. My fingers moved up his chest and to his face. I opened my bound hands and caressed his jaw. His stubbled hair was coarse beneath my touch, just the way I thought it would feel. I leaned into him and inhaled deeply. A musky smell relaxed every part of me in a way that only Liam could do. I licked my lips and allowed myself to think of Liam in ways I wouldn’t have otherwise. My lips touched his and moved slowly. His mouth was softer than I expected, but after only a few seconds I hungered for more and pressed harder. Hands wrapped around my back. Too tight. Sharp nails dug into my skin. I broke away and gasped.