Flawed (Perfection)

by J. L. Spelbring

  Tingles left in the wake of his touch, his breath washed over her like a soft breeze, his scent filling her nose. Incontestably, Aalexis’ heart responded. “What?”

  “I love you.”

  Although Aalexis had been attempting to conceal the turmoil raging inside her, there was no hiding what happened next. Her mouth opened with an audible pop.

  An eternity seemed to unfold before Aalexis had the sense to close her mouth. When she did, her teeth clicked together.

  She didn’t know what to say. Her mental processors had jammed. Not in a million years would she have ever thought those words would flow past Xaver’s lips with such ease.

  Several minutes later, she uttered, “We cannot love.”

  The words seemed not to have an effect on him. “Ellyssa loves.”

  “She is broken.”

  “I thought we already established how bonding with others strengthens.”

  What in the hell did he want from her? Aalexis didn’t know how to love. She didn’t want to know how. “Maybe it does, maybe it does not,” she stated, irritated. “I would not even know what love would feel like.”

  The corner of Xaver’s mouth tilted into a smirk. “Do you hate me?”

  Aalexis blinked. Hate was something she did know. The taste of detestation flooded her mouth whenever she thought about Ellyssa, or anyone else for that matter. Everyone…except for her father and, with the exception of her sister, her siblings. But because she didn’t hate them, did that equate love? “I have never thought about it,” she whispered. “I do not know.”

  “I have.”

  “Clearly.” She paused, looking at the incubator again. “How do you know you love me?”

  “When you are near, I feel it here,” Xaver said, placing his palm against his chest. “Even when I think about you, my heart…it flutters. When you touch me, my whole body buzzes.”

  Aalexis’ pulse increased as he described what happened to him, the same physiological effects she had felt. Maybe she did love him.

  “When we are apart, I cannot stop wondering if you are hurt. I cannot wait to return to you.”

  Maybe everything would be jeopardized. Too much.

  She covered her ears. “Just stop it,” Aalexis said, shaking her head. “I do not want to hear any more.” Her mind whirled as she tried to grasp on to anything with which to refute his argument. Then she found it so easy, she felt a little stupid for not thinking of it earlier. She blamed her moment of obtuseness on the inexperience of dealing with the sensations. Like a lifesaver, Aalexis seized hold of her salvation at the same time he gave her another excuse.

  Xaver reached up and pulled down one of her hands and didn’t let it go. “I would protect you no matter the cost.”

  Dropping her other hand, her eyes flicked to him. Her pulse quieted. Her face became smooth, slate-like, as she slipped into her emotionless skin. Comfortable. “Even if it meant your life?”

  He nodded.

  “Then that is where we differ, brother. I would not sacrifice my life for yours.” Xaver flinched as if Aalexis had slapped him, and she reclaimed control. For good measure, she tossed in her other reason, logically blocking him further. If their discussion had been a game of chess, she would have won. “Besides, it is wrong.”

  “Wrong? Why is it wrong?”

  She slipped off the stool and started toward the decontamination port. “A millennium of taboo. You are my brother,” she said without looking at him.

  “All we have is each other.” His feet hit the ground followed by the muffled padding of covered shoes as he moved closer. “Besides, sister, you know as well as I do, we might share a common strand of DNA from der Vater, but we are far from being genetically brother and sister. Our DNA comes from several sources, sliced and spliced together. We are more like distant cousins.”

  Aalexis stopped, her shoulder blades pulling together.

  “I know you feel for me. I can see. If you continue to try and fight something that is overwhelming a part of you, you might break like Ellyssa did. Maybe like Micah was about to. I told you something changed in him.”

  Xaver edged closer, and Aalexis could feel his presence behind her.

  “With the acknowledgement of this inevitability, we could become stronger.”

  She was tired of discussing, tired of listening, and she was going to put an end to the nonsense, whether Xaver was right or wrong. She wanted no more of the madness. Fists clenched, Aalexis spun around.

  An infuriating smile graced his full lips, one she desired to permanently remove. Her body coiled, preparing to strike; her arm pulled back, full of potential energy for knocking away the emotion he proudly displayed.

  Surely, Xaver knew what was coming, could identify the fury in her, yet he didn’t react.

  “But if you want to take the sibling angle, the most powerful in history and mythology were brothers and sisters. Kings and queens. But are we not more, sister? Are we not gods?”

  Flummoxed, Aalexis’ tightly wound body uncoiled like a stretched spring, her previously cocked fist dangling useless at her side. Fury fleeing, her tongue held no retort.

  Xaver had checkmated her.

  29

  The Great Plains held an unmistakable beauty. Big, puffy clouds floated lazily across the vast blue sky. Land met sky from horizon to horizon. Even now, as Ellyssa huddled around a warm campfire with Rein by her side, the Milky Way cut across the black veil of night, like a river made of stars. She’d never seen so many stars in her life. Chicago’s brightness had dimmed them from view and the Missouri trees had blocked them from view.

  The low flames ate hungrily from the breeze that blew into the canyon where Woody had directed them using the old map. Amarufoss was located about thirty-two kilometers north. The walk had increased the timetable by two days, putting them south of their intended target, but hopefully, the added precaution would prove beneficial. Besides, they couldn’t just go storming into the camp.

  “Any ideas on what we should do next?” Woody asked as he stood. Orange from the flames played along his face and reflected in his eyes. He pushed the mop of his hair back off his forehead.

  “I think we should consider sending two of us for reconnaissance like Dyllon suggested,” Ellyssa answered.

  “I think that might be a good idea.”

  Surprised, Ellyssa faced Rein. “Really?”

  Shrugging, Rein poked the dying fire with a stick. The flames crackled back to life. “Just because I don’t really care for the guy doesn’t mean he has nothing to contribute.”

  “We already discussed that. Any new ideas?”

  Ellyssa shook her head. Rein stared at the fire.

  “Let’s figure it out tomorrow,” Woody said as he stood up. He stretched his arms above his head and lengthened his body, yawning. “I’m bushed.”

  “Good night,” Ellyssa and Rein said simultaneously, then giggled.

  Rolling his eyes, Woody disappeared inside the mouth of a nearby cave where Trista and Dyllon had already settled in for the night.

  The cave wasn’t deep, more like an indentation in the side of the cliff at the bottom of the canyon, but it was wide enough to accommodate all three tents, blocking out the elements. A rocky overhang helped to hide the flames of the fire, which had been a great concern during their flight. Fortunately, and surprisingly, they’d only seen one plane, a faraway dot moving across the sky. That fact alone fed Ellyssa’s concern that camp personnel, and possibly the Gestapo, were lying in wait for them.

  When Woody left, Rein sat behind Ellyssa and leaned against the red wall. He wrapped his arms around her, pulling her against him. She rested against his chest, the beat of his heart whispering in her ear, and closed her eyes.

  The sounds of nature denoted a peaceful exquisiteness, wind whistling through the scraggly mesquite and dramatically twisted juniper trees, their branches and leaves rustling eerily in the darkness. A rabbit or deer crunched along in the brush. Somewhere far to the north, a coyot
e bayed at the moon.

  Yesterday, when they’d first approached the edge, which seemed so out of place amongst the flatness, Ellyssa’s breath had been captured by the view. Kilometer after kilometer of foreign terrain unfolded across the expanse. Years of evolution had painted the sides of the cliffs in a geological treasure of magnificent reds, yellows, browns and greys caused by millions of years of erosion; hoodoos rose in a forest of towers, and tufts of prairie grass and xeric shrubs poked through patches of diminishing snow. The descent into the desert-like valley had been just as magnificent.

  Early in the morning, Ellyssa had woken early to take in the sunrise. The experience had been stunning. A sea of yellows, oranges and majestic purples flowed across the azure sky, casting soft pink rays through the drifting clouds in a warm glow that defied the freezing cold. She’d already planned to enjoy the dawn the next morning, too. She sighed in pleasure. For the time being, everything was perfect.

  “Thinking good thoughts?” Rein murmured. His breath was warm against her skin.

  “We’ve been lucky.”

  There hadn’t been any more snowstorms since they’d left the van somewhere northeast of them in Kansas. No more patrols. Just the relentless cold and the sudden wind that had pushed and pulled them like marionettes. Ellyssa thought it ironic that Chicago had been dubbed the Windy City.

  “It’s peaceful here,” Rein said. “Almost as if our troubles stayed at the top of the cliffs.”

  Twisting around and placing her legs over Rein’s thigh, Ellyssa looked at him. His snowsuit was unzipped to his waist like hers, the heat of the fire comfortable. His dark hair lay flat atop his head, the strands too long to stand up, the ends curling lazily.

  Ellyssa reached up and touched the spot over his right ear where the bullet had skimmed him. Short hair scratched her fingertips where it had started to grow back. Not that anyone would’ve noticed the wound; his hair covered the scar. The scratches on his cheek had already healed. Things could have gone so much worse.

  Rein’s eyes watched her intently, as if reading her thoughts. Shadows from the fire danced across his face, waxing and waning. Orange flames danced within his green irises. He smiled.

  “Do you know what the date is today?” Ellyssa asked.

  “Um…the days have kind of blurred. Should I?”

  “December seventh.”

  “The day Japan bombed Pearl Harbor.”

  Her eyes widened. “You know about that?”

  “Of course. Pearl Harbor. The beginning of the end. We cave people know our history.” He chuckled.

  She loved the sound of his laugh, deep and throaty. “Nineteen years ago, I began on this date.”

  His eyes lit. “It’s your birthday.”

  Nodding, Ellyssa said, “Ironic, isn’t it? All of us were born on this date. Perhaps Father saw us as a different type of beginning to a different type of end.”

  Reaching out, Rein pushed strands of hair behind her ear. His fingers grazed her cheek. “Happy birthday,” he whispered. He leaned down and touched his lips against hers. The kiss was sweet, gentle, his breath warm.

  “No one has ever said those words to me,” Ellyssa said when he pulled away.

  Cupping her cheek, Rein didn’t reply. His eyes bored into hers; love burned within their depths. Love that she returned. He leaned forward again and pressed his lips against hers. Heat rose in waves across her skin, in her body. Her pulse quickened as did his breath. Rein’s hand slid behind her neck, where he held her firmly. The softness grew urgent as her lips parted, inviting him in to explore. His taste exploded in her mouth.

  Someone moaned. Rein pulled back. “That wasn’t you,” he said, his voice a whisper.

  Chest rising and falling raggedly, Ellyssa shook her head.

  “Give it a rest,” Woody said, his deep voice thick with the promise of sleep.

  A new warmth blushed Ellyssa’s face as she looked away, but not before she saw a hint of humor glinting in Rein’s eyes.

  “Sorry,” Rein said to Woody. He brought her hand up and kissed the tips of her fingers. “Later.”

  Ellyssa flipped back around and rested against his chest again. Rein’s arms circled her waist, and she ran her fingers along the back of his hand.

  The fire flickered lazily. A deep quiet settled as the night pressed forward.

  Closing her lids, she inhaled the scent of burning wood. She felt the rise and fall of Rein’s chest, the push of his breath against her hair.

  “Rein,” Ellyssa said.

  “Hmm.”

  “I know who you are. I know I love you. I know Jordan raised you. What I don’t know is anything about your past. You’ve never shared.”

  “There really isn’t anything to know.” He paused for a moment. “What would you like to know?”

  “When were you born? What happened to your parents?”

  “Don’t know,” Rein replied before kissing the top of her head. “A woman named Sybil—she died way before you came along—found me at the entrance of the cave. Bundled up in blankets and left in a carrier. No one knew who left me there, no one saw anything. It actually frightened them for someone to know the location of the cave, and they didn’t know who. For three months after my arrival, they patrolled the area, but no one found any clues. Anyway, Sybil took me to Jordan, and he kind of adopted me as his own, like he already had with Jeremy. There was about a ten-year gap between mine and Jeremy’s age.”

  “How old were you when they found you?”

  “Doc said I was around three months, give or take a few days. Jordan made my birthday February fourteenth.”

  “I know that date. Civilians celebrate it as Valentine’s Day?”

  “He used to tease me, saying I was his love child.”

  “I don’t understand.”

  “I didn’t, either. Jordan never married or, as far as I know, had been with any woman. Ever.” Rein moved as if shrugging. “When I was about nine or ten, Woody came along, and Jordan was blessed with the two of us.” Rein chuckled. She felt the rumble deep in his chest. “We were a handful.”

  Interest piqued, she said, “Like how?”

  “You know. The usual things boys do.”

  “No. I don’t know.”

  “I guess you wouldn’t.” He sighed. “We did stupid kid stuff. Like hiding snakes or spiders inside blankets.” He laughed lightly. “One time, Woody had the bright idea to help with cooking. We dumped a whole container of garlic inside a big pot of soup. Garlic was a priceless commodity we didn’t get often. Needless to say, people were not happy.”

  “You ruined dinner.”

  He nodded. “Yep.”

  “Was Bertha cooking?”

  “No. Another lady held the duty then. We ended up having powdered eggs that night. I think that was the maddest I had ever seen Jordan. For punishment, he made us organize and clean the storage room. Of course, we ended up having a water fight instead. Ruined two boxes of bandages. Woody’s fault entirely.”

  Thinking back to the day in the field when the toddler had held the bouquet of wildflowers, which tinged Ellyssa’s heart with pain, then to her own upbringing with her brothers and sister—backs straight, no talking, learning, and practice, practice, practice, Ellyssa found it hard to imagine children being mischievous.

  “Do all children act like that?”

  “We did. Woody was a bad influence.”

  “Lies” came from Woody’s tent.

  “You threw the water on me first.”

  “You have an amazing knack for selective memory.”

  “Whatever.”

  Smiling at their banter, Ellyssa asked, “What happened afterward?”

  He tightened his arms around her. “Jordan definitely didn’t punish us with chores anymore after that. He made us stay inside our holeys the whole day whenever we got in trouble. It was beyond torturous. The worst thing you could ever do to two little boys. When anything happened, Jordan always knew it was us.”

  “How?”


  “We hung around to watch how things played out.” Rein’s lips pressed against the top of her ear. “Criminals should never stay at the scene of the crime.”

  Still smiling, Ellyssa curled around in Rein’s lap and nuzzled against his chest. Warmth cradled her and the thump, thump of his heart mesmerized her. She yawned.

  “Since you had a bedtime story, are you ready for bed?”

  Ellyssa nodded.

  “Let’s go.”

  Cradling her in his arms, Rein stood. For someone not crafted together in a sterile lab, he was strong, amazingly so, his chest muscles bulging under her weight. She found it extremely tantalizing. A deep want stirred within her. He must have felt it too, his lips grazing her ear. Rein’s steps crunched along the loose gravel as he carried her to their tent.

  Woody’s voice followed them. “It’s about time.”

  30

  Ellyssa woke. Darkness clung to the tent, like a thick spider web.

  She listened. Rein’s breaths were deep and even. Leaves whispered in the wind. The dying embers of the fire crackled. An owl hooted in the distance.

  Farther off, faintly, a stick snapped. The tink of a pebble that had been kicked.

  Ellyssa stilled. Her training thundered forward.

  Blocking the dreams of her friends, she expanded her hearing, searching. In the distance, minds were awake, thinking, nervous.

  Five people, two females and three males, stole closer.

  Soft murmurs floated in the current of the breeze. Too soft for a normal person’s ears. Ellyssa could hear them, though. Her hand moved to wake Rein. Then Ellyssa stopped.

  Members of the Resistance?

  The strangers knew about them. Something about an intercepted message.

  Ellyssa had been right all along. Someone was trying to pull them into a trap.

  Since Ellyssa and the others had arrived in the canyon, the unknown Renegades had had them under surveillance. Too far away for Ellyssa to have sensed them, it seemed they had use of a telescope. They had been sent by someone named Loki—a doctor?—to bring them back.

  Quietly, she scooted to Rein’s side. “Rein,” she breathed.