Enigma

by Aimee Ash

  “Wait, explain this again,” Jack said.

  Lindsey’s eyes glimmered with excitement. “Kate is the one carrying the curse Jack, not you. The curse lives within her. We know you love her and your feelings are real, and deep down you know that Kate only loves you because the curse made her fall for you.”

  Silence fell around the room.

  “Lindsey, this is insane,” Jonathan objected.

  Finally, there was a glimmer of hope. There was a way to destroy the curse and I was willing to do anything to save Jack and Sebastian.

  “I’ll do it. I’ll be adrenalized.”

  I was excited that we finally had a way to resolve our problem. I could finally be with Sebastian without the fear of killing Jack.

  “I know it’ll work!” Lindsey said enthusiastically.

  Lindsey and I hugged while everyone else tried to absorb what Lindsey had just said.

  “No! Will you listen to yourselves?” Jonathan protested. “You have no idea what you’re saying! This is madness. I’m not going to tamper with an innocent person’s life. Kate could die in the process! Marcus and Alissa may have just been lucky to survive. And if Kate does make it, she’ll never be able to bear a child, the risks are—”

  “I’ll do anything to save Jack and Seb,” I said.

  “Kate, I’m not going to ask you to risk your life to save me,” Seb said.

  Jack’s eyes widened. “This is dangerous, Kate!”

  “Seb, I appreciate your concern. I appreciate everyone’s concern, but we don’t really have a choice. I want to do this.”

  I wasn’t going to allow anyone to die when there was a way to save us all. My mind was made up; if Jonathan wouldn’t do it, I knew that Lindsey would help me. It was time to let everyone know once and for all that I wasn’t going to back down.

  “I’m going to do this with or without your help, Jonathan. I’ll do it with Lindsey’s help alone,” I said abruptly.

  “Follow me, Kate. Let’s go to the basement,” Lindsey said as she walked out of the kitchen.

  “Wait, Lindsey! You’re insane! Boys, stop them! This is madness!” Jonathan yelled.

  I ran out of the kitchen and followed Lindsey down the hallway. I ran downstairs to the basement and almost tripped over my feet when Seb stood in front of me, blocking the way.

  “No Kate. I’m not allowing this. My dad won’t do it! I won’t let you risk your life for mine,” he said. “Kate, you need to think about this. Your life will never be the same—that’s if you even survive.”

  I understood what Seb was saying, but it was my decision and nobody was going to change my mind.

  “Jack, say something. Stop her from making a huge mistake!” Seb yelled.

  “It’s her decision,” Jack said.

  “You’re unreal. Completely selfish. If you love her then don’t let her do this!” Seb grabbed Jack. “Tell her not to risk her life! If you love her like you say you do, then set her free!”

  “No! If she wants to do it, I’ll stand by her. We love each other too much to be apart. That’s why she’s doing this; she wants us to be together forever.”

  I prayed that Seb could keep his emotions under control. If he revealed that I loved him, he could kill Jack. We had to allow Jack to believe that I loved him, and we could tell him the truth after the adrenalization.

  Lindsey yelled for Jonathan to open the lab door.

  “No! I’m not opening the lab. Kate, I’m not doing this on a whim. There’s too much to think about. I’m not saying that I won’t do it, but not now. Not today. Let’s all sleep on it. I’m begging you all. This is madness!” he said desperately.

  “Jon, do you want Jack and Sebastian to live, or do you want them to die?”

  “We’ll sleep on it tonight and talk again in the morning.” Jonathan said shaking his head, walking away from us all.

  “Jack, take Ethan up to the guest bedroom, I’ll get him some towels,” Lindsey said as she headed out of the room.

  “Sure,” Jack replied and Ethan trailed behind him.

  I said my goodbyes to Seb and Jonathan and headed for the door.

  “Wait!” Jonathan called out.

  “I’m going! I have to get home; my brother will be calling me soon and I don’t want to miss him,” I answered.

  “You’re not going anywhere. I know exactly what’s going on.”

  “Dad, Kate has to go,” Seb told him, as he walked me to the front door.

  “I said wait! Tell me how long?” Jonathan asked.

  Seb ushered me closer to the door, but Jonathan stood in my way.

  “Dad, let her leave,” Seb whispered.

  “Jonathan, what are you talking about?” I asked.

  “How long have you and Sebastian been lying to Jack?”

  My stomach turned. I didn’t know whether to look at Seb or not, but I had to lie.

  “I don’t know what you mean,” I said.

  “Dad, you have to keep your voice down. If Jack even hears a whisper of this conversation, it could kill him.” Seb ushered us into the backyard.

  “Kate, I’m sorry. We have to tell him the truth. There’s no point in denying it.” Seb walked over to me and Jonathan looked at us with disgust.

  “How could you do this to your brother, especially after he did the same thing to you? He made a stupid mistake, Seb, but you’re in love with his girlfriend! This is so dangerous.”

  “I’m sorry, Dad. I didn’t mean to fall in love with Kate. I swear I tried to stay away from her. We haven’t done anything. We haven’t even shared a single kiss.” Seb looked at me.

  He was in love with me; the words rang in my ears.

  “This is terrible. You have to keep your feelings a secret. You aren’t doing this to save Jack; you’re doing this to save Sebastian, aren’t you, Kate?”

  Seb stood next to me.

  “I’m doing this for both of them. I may not be in love with Jack, but I do care about him.”

  “I don’t want you to do this, Kate. I’m begging you not to risk your life. I love you too much to see you die. I would die in place of you in a heartbeat,” Seb said.

  I felt tears welling in my eyes and I ran into the house. I heard Jonathan ordering Seb to follow me, to convince me not to go ahead with the adrenalization.

  I couldn’t go home, so I headed to the beach with Seb in hot pursuit of me. Out of breath, I had to stop running and Seb walked by my side.

  “I wish you were on my side; then this would be a lot easier,” I said, trying to catch my breath.

  “I wish you would see how stupid and dangerous my mom’s idea is.” He pulled me back. “I love you, Kate, and don’t want you to risk your life for me. You deserve to live a normal and happy life.”

  “I love you too, Seb, and that’s the reason I’m willing to sacrifice my human life. We’re not going to agree, so why don’t we drop the subject?”

  Walking toward the beach, I picked up my pace, leaving Seb trailing behind me.

  “You’re so stubborn.”

  “Yes I am!” I shouted. Seb laughed.

  We reached the beach and I stood at the edge of the ebbing waves. Seb stood next to me, and I wanted his arms around me, but I knew we couldn’t even risk a hug.

  “Let’s talk about what’ll happen if you die,” Seb said, his ruffled hair blowing in the breeze. I held my head in my hands. “If you die, Jack will be left with a broken heart—courtesy of the curse—and then I’ll die too. If you remain human, then the same thing will happen, but at least you’ll still have a full life to lead.”

  Seb was frustrating me with his persistence.

  “If you die, then I don’t want to live anyway,” I said.

  Seb moved closer to me and I backed away from him, not wanting to weaken my resistance by touching him.

  “Kate, don’t be ridiculous.” He sighed.

  “I don’t want to live without you. Please support me with the adrenalization, and then we can eventually be together.”


  “I’ll support you, but not the decision you’re making.” He looked over at me. “You have no idea how much I want to kiss you right now,” he whispered. We stood only a breath apart, but I trusted that he wouldn’t kiss me.

  It was no use; we were on different pages, but for the same reason: we loved each other. We sat in the sand, careful not to get too close.

  “How do you feel about Jack? Have you really forgiven him?” I asked.

  “I don’t hate Jack. I couldn’t. I’ve forgiven him because I want to move on with my life. I don’t know if he’ll ever forgive me for falling in love with you though.”

  I felt guilty for being the one who was going to come between them.

  “We just have to bide our time. After I’m adrenalized, I’ll be able to break up with Jack.”

  “He’ll be devastated,” Seb said.

  “I know, but he’ll be free to meet someone else. Honestly, I don’t think he’ll be lonely for too long.”

  “Whatever happens, I’ll wait for you. I’d wait forever.”

  And then it hit me all at once. I couldn’t deny it: I was scared, afraid of the pain more than dying, and the pressure was enormous. I knew that if I didn’t survive, it would all be over. Jack would die of a broken heart and Seb would die as a consequence of that. My heart raced and my panic was more obvious than I’d wanted it to be.

  “Kate, what’s wrong?”

  “I’m so frightened . . . of the adrenalization. I’m worried about the pain.” Tears slid down my cheeks.

  “You don’t need to do this, Kate. I must be out of my mind agreeing to this madness.” Seb wiped my tears away.

  “No, you can’t tell anyone. I want to do this, however frightened I might be. Promise me you won’t say anything.”

  Seb looked at me in frustration and I laid my head on his shoulder.

  “Okay, I promise, but feel free to change your mind at any time, even if it’s at the last second. I’ll support you. Don’t feel guilty if you want to back out. You’re about to risk your life, and you have every right to reconsider.”

  Seb’s words comforted me. It was a relief to know I could confide in him. I gazed up at him, somehow finding the strength to resist him.

  “Kate, you’re stronger than you think.”

  “I hope you’re right. Please promise me that you’ll be there for me when I’m adrenalized. I need you there.”

  “If that’s what you want, I’ll be there every step of the way. “Kate, you have to prepare yourself. You have to realize that after the adrenalization, you won’t be human anymore. Don’t trick yourself into believing any different. What you’re about to do will change your life forever—in some ways for the better, but some for worse.”

  I hadn’t thought about how my life would change if I survived the adrenalization, but Seb was right; I wouldn’t be normal, Kate Harris. I would become someone else with different physical attributes. I would be the same emotionally—at least I hoped that I would—but everything else would be different.

  “Kate, tell me what you’re thinking. You need to talk about this, get whatever it is that you are harboring out in the open.”

  “I’ll be fine as long as I have the support of my new adopted family.”

  Seb ran his finger down the side of my face, until I reluctantly moved away.

  “Focus on what your life will be like after the adrenalization,” Seb told me. “Think of us and how we’ll be free to be together. But, you should know the truth about living the life we live. There’s a lot to know, but also a lot that’s unknown. You need to be sure that you understand what you’re committing yourself to.”

  He was right, I should know more than I did, and he was the perfect person to tell me.

  “Okay, so tell me the good and the bad.”

  “You have to remember that I have nothing to compare my life with, not like you’ll have. If I were to consolidate all the good things in just a few words, I’d say that the speed is exhilarating—a complete rush. It’s a bonus to be able to read an entire novel in only a few minutes; we have excellent memory retention, so you’ll reap the benefits of good grades. But the best part about being adrenalized is the power; you’ll never feel physically threatened by anyone and you won’t feel any pain.”

  He looked over at me for a reaction. Seeing that I hadn’t been completely freaked out, he continued.

  “The bad part is that you have to be on guard at all times, looking over your shoulder a lot so that you don’t expose yourself. You also have to watch what you say all the time; look what I said and how that’s turned out. You also have to choose your friends carefully. It’s hard to trust anyone.”

  I understood everything he’d told me and thought I could handle a new supernatural life. I already had Jack, Seb, and Ethan. We had our own family. I had Brett too. But, I’d have to be careful around my family, watching how I moved and what I said when I got mad. But it wasn’t like I was having a personality transplant; I wouldn’t physically appear any different either. I would just be acquiring some extra skills. Nothing else about me would change.

  CHAPTER 26

  After a sleepless night, I was eager to get on with things; the sooner I was adrenalized, the better. I headed over to the Joneses’ house and Jonathan answered the door. He ushered me downstairs to the basement and locked the door before anyone else could see us.

  “Kate, I hope you’re a good actress, because you have to make Jack believe you’re in love with him, not Sebastian.”

  He led me inside his lab and I looked around the dismal room. I thought it would be full of laboratory tools, but I didn’t see any glass beakers, test tubes, thermometers, or pH papers. Maybe they were hidden away somewhere. The walls were painted peppermint green, which made the room feel empty and cold. The lighting was dim and with no windows, the small space felt claustrophobic. I sank uncomfortably into a shabby brown-leather chair.

  Jonathan retrieved a tattered photo album from one of the many cabinets and handed it to me. On the first page, there was a black-and-white photograph of four young people. I recognized Lindsey—she had aged well—and assumed that Jonathan was standing next to her with his arm around her waist. The other two people in the photograph must have been Marcus and Alissa.

  Jack was the spitting image of his mother; he had her stunning smile and sandy-blonde hair. Sebastian resembled his father, having dark hair and the same jaw line. Ethan resembled his father too.

  I smiled at the photograph and turned the pages. There were more and more photos of the four of them looking happy, having fun, and enjoying life together. My favorite photograph was of Marcus kneeling down, kissing Alissa’s huge baby bump. She was laughing. It was truly magical, full of genuine emotion. I wiped a tear from my eye, knowing that Jack and Seb would love to see a photograph of their parents. How could Jonathan have kept such precious memories from them? I continued turning pages, but they were blank.

  Closing the album, Jonathan took it from me and placed it on his lap. He folded his arms and looked at me with tired eyes. I had no idea of the relevance of showing me the photographs. It would have been much more appropriate to show Jack and Seb.

  “As you can see, this photo album represents happiness. Then when you get to the end of it, there’s nothing.”

  “Marcus and Alissa looked so happy together,” I commented.

  “They were, but their happiness was destroyed by the adrenalization. Kate, you need to realize that what you’re about to do has consequences. Have you thought about the prospect of all this going horribly wrong? You could die. What about your family?”

  I knew the adrenalization could go horribly wrong, but I was going ahead with it regardless of the consequences. He was right though; sadly, I hadn’t considered my family much in all of this. But I had thought about Brett. I would write him a letter and one for Flo, just in case anything happened. Apart from them, the Joneses were my family now, and I needed their support. But Jonathan wasn’t happy with my
silence.

  “If you die, how will I explain that to your parents?” He held his head in his shaky hands.

  He was genuinely concerned, which in a strange way was thoughtful, but I had made up my mind, regardless of how many times he was going to try and talk me out of it.

  “I doubt they’ll even notice. Make something up; you’re the doctor.”

  “They’re your parents, Kate. Even if they don’t show it, they do love you. They’ll be heartbroken.”

  Honestly, I had no idea how my parents would react to my death, but Brett and Flo would be devastated. The thought of that made me feel guilty, but it was too late; I couldn’t allow myself to feel guilty. This was about saving Seb’s life, and Jack’s, of course.

  “You don’t know my parents, Jonathan,” I protested.

  “Even if you survive, you’ll have to accept that you’ll never be able to carry a child. Giving birth killed Alissa and it would kill you too. Do you dream of having a family of your own someday, Kate?”

  He was playing the pregnancy card now.

  “All I want is him. We complete each other,” I said in a last bid to convince him to let up.

  Jonathan knew exactly who I was talking about. I couldn’t say his name because I knew both Jack and Seb would be listening to every word of our conversation.

  “Listen, Jonathan, he’s all that matters to me. Without him, I’m nothing. Nothing you say will change my mind. I’m not going to be talked out of this. I kept my side of the bargain and now it’s your turn to keep yours,” I whispered.

  I impatiently stood up, walked over to an antique cabinet and rattled the doors, but it was locked. Everything had a lock on it. I grabbed a set of keys off the counter next to me and began turning each key in the rusty keyhole in a bid to open the cabinet and find the drug that would change me, the drug that would free me from living a lie.

  “Where is it?” I yelled.

  “Kate, stop! If we’re going to do this, you need to know the risks.” Jonathan stood up and walked over to me.

  “Open it!” I demanded. “No more talk about the risks. I know I might die and know I’ll be in terrible pain. I have to try and save them. Now open this damn cabinet!”