Tainted (Netherworld Book II)

by Christie Rich

  When I glance at her, she, too, seems lost in troubling thoughts. It’s clear she does not wish to speak of this further, so I decide it’s time to get going.

  Amelia doesn’t hesitate to follow me up the staircase, although she stays a couple steps back, plastered against the wall. Her grip on the railing couldn’t be any tighter. I’d like to help her overcome her fear, but I do not wish to smother her, either.

  She remains in pensive silence until we reach her sleeping chamber. A visible shiver slithers over her frame as she steps toward the bed.

  Only now do I realize I should have had her change into gear, but I do not wish for her to be more uncomfortable. Hardly making a sound, she settles herself under the covers.

  Sitting beside her, I take her hand. “Close your eyes.”

  “You promise?”

  I give a sharp nod. “You shall awaken at headquarters.”

  My mind floats in a veil of darkness. Here, I can relax. I can find peace. When thoughts of waterfalls and the face of a dark-haired man float into existence, I push them away, seeking the darkness again.

  For a time I am nothing. The presence isn’t noticeable at first. It stays on the fringes of my consciousness like a wraith floating on the wind. It beacons me to follow it. I shouldn’t.

  It comes closer, showing me more beautiful darkness. It offers a place where no one can reach me, not even my father. Childhood images flitter and float into my consciousness, but the darkness keeps them away. Seth said he’d protect me, so I let him cover me in darkness and drift off to a place where thought no longer matters.

  The light burns my eyes.

  “Amelia?” Maybell says.

  I blink a few times, just to make sure she’s there. Her long, yellow fingers swallow up my hand as she pulls me to my feet.

  I stumble a bit. My head remains fuzzy while I try to make sense of my surroundings. A solid desk sits in front of me and monitors of all sizes line the entire wall. Surveillance footage continues to roll from one black frame to the next.

  Maybell takes the seat beside me. Before my gaze can meet hers, it lingers on the deep gauges carved into the dark wood by her arms. I follow the line of the chair, taking in the ripped fabric and stuffing protruding from a hole the size of my fist, just by her head.

  The wan smile she offers doesn’t reveal her teeth. Her eyes crease with a wary edge, which is only punctuated by her sharp tone. “I was beginning to think you weren’t going to show.”

  My brows shoot up, my pulse jumping. “What do you mean?”

  She frowns, more worried than she should have reason to be. “I’ve been waiting for you for a few hours. Seth had to leave for his nightly rounds. He told me your connection was weak, but that you should come soon. Where have you been?”

  I search my mind for answers, but nothing comes. “I don’t know. All I can remember is blackness.”

  Her wide mouth purses before she lifts herself off the chair to head to the windows. Her neon blue hair trails down her back, skimming her waist. She keeps herself a few feet away from the glass, probably so she can look out.

  Her shoulders are hunched but stiff, and her calf muscles show through her tight, leather gear.

  I’ve never seen her so tense. “What’s wrong, Maybell?”

  She doesn’t turn. Her normally pleasant voice comes out hard. “I prefer Bell.”

  “Okay,” I say. She’s right. I should have remembered. “Sorry.”

  The silence between us lengthens. Is she mad at me? Did I do something wrong?

  When she speaks again, her tone is clipped. “Peter is in the containment chamber. We need to get started on extracting the Eros from him.”

  I stand, trying not to take offense at her coldness. “Show me the way.”

  She turns her head slowly until our gazes meet. “Something is different about you, Amelia.”

  Me? Is she serious? I shake my head. “I’m fine.”

  She glances over me, taking her time, as if searching for a defect. “Do you know what I thought the first time I saw you?”

  I’d like to offer a joke to cut the tension, but I’m all out right now. “I’m sure I don’t.”

  “Finally.”

  She doesn’t say anything else, so I’m left wondering. “What?”

  Her casual shrug doesn’t match the tension in her tone. “We’ve waited so long for someone who can help us, someone with the power to make a real difference for our soldiers.”

  My eyes water. I blink a few times, sure I can’t be crying. “And now? What do you think of me now?”

  She sighs, trailing a long finger against the glass. Her words bring a cringe to my lips. “I think you’re too weak to help. I think if I take you to Peter, I’ll be putting you at risk.”

  I make my way to her side to gaze out over the city, so familiar and yet so strange. “I’m not going to lie to you, Bell. I’ve never felt like this before. Seth said it’s just the effects of the Eros wearing off, but I can’t be sure I’ll ever be the same girl I was before they tainted me.”

  Maybell’s sharp stare penetrates me. “What did you say?”

  I shrug. “I don’t feel like myself right now, so I don’t blame you for being hesitant. Maybe I shouldn’t try to help Peter.”

  Her cheeks turn bright blue. “No. You said you were tainted.”

  I frown. Why is she being so dramatic? “It’s just a word. You know . . . I feel off.”

  Standing this close to her, it’s hard to make out her expressions. My neck hurts from tipping it back so far. “Amelia, Eros influence is hard to shake, but it’s even harder to forget. Every one of us here has had countless run-ins with the Erobos; not many of us have ever had to face Eros.”

  Where is she going with this? Why is she so serious? “What are you saying? You had to face them, too.”

  She nods. “I did, but they never attached to me.”

  Something about her demeanor hits me wrong, making me bristle. “Look. If you don’t want me to help with Peter, it’s fine. I’m not too interested in being the bait for those things anyway. I just want to help somehow. Seth said you were supposed to train me more. Maybe we should do that instead?”

  She shakes her head. “I’m not trying to offend you, Amelia. I’m trying to protect you. Seth is taking too many risks.”

  Not able to stop myself, I frown, not liking the blame game she’s started. “It’s not like we have much of an option. If we don’t change something soon, the Erobos will win.”

  She laughs, the sound twisted. “It’s good to see you stick up for him, but since it’s your soul on the line, you might want to be a bit more cautious.”

  What is wrong with her? I’m no longer sure it’s a good idea for us to be alone. “How can I be cautious when those things are trying to get to Earth? They need to be stopped.”

  Maybell clasps my shoulder. She smiles, but it’s so fake it may as well have been colored by a kindergartener. “Speaking of stopping them, I’ve never seen something like what you did. I was going to ask you more about how you destroyed them.”

  Confusion clouds my mind. “I didn’t think they could be destroyed . . . exactly.”

  Her fingers glide along the glass again, as if she’s tracing the high-rise across the street. The soft tone she uses makes me strain to hear. “They have to be eradicated, Amelia.”

  The hate in her tone slams into me. I stammer with my words. “Have you — I mean, did you ever get . . . infected?”

  Her gaze lowers toward the carpet then shoots back up to mine. “Once.”

  Although I’m really sorry to hear it, I’m also grateful to be able to ask her questions. “Did they change you?”

  She gives a half shrug, her face relaxing until it finally resembles the woman I met before the Eros corrupted everything. “Experience is change. No memory can ever truly be suppressed. We can only ever evolve with our experiences.”

  A truer statement has never been said. “That’s pretty deep.”

&nbs
p; She pushes away from the windows and heads for the door. I follow, wondering if she will end up telling me to stay put.

  After a few moments of silence, she says, “If you’re asking me how to deal with Eros influence, I’m afraid I have no answer for you. Each day I battle to focus. Each day I fight to retain who I am, to not give in to the darkness. Every person I’ve ever loved fell because of them. My entire race was eradicated because, one by one, they cannibalized the other until none were left.”

  My stomach flips at the mention of cannibalism. Is she being literal? Somehow, I can’t bring myself to ask. “Has anyone ever gotten rid of their influence?”

  She remains stoic as we walk down the hall. Her gaze is fixed forward. She doesn’t even notice when a girl, who I’m not sure what she is, waves at her. The girl is short with spiky hair and long arms that reach above her cubicle when she waves. Brilliant golden eyes peek at us over the wall. I nod at her, and the girl blinks then disappears behind the barrier. “Not to my knowledge.”

  Comforting. “Do you think it’s possible?”

  Maybell stops and stares down at me. “For all our sakes, I sure hope so.”

  I can’t concentrate. Not with Amelia eating up my thoughts. I called her to me fifteen times before I had to leave. Something is amiss with her.

  She has much to worry over, but her focus has shifted. I do not sense darkness within her, but fear is the gate the enemy uses to enter a host, and fear has taken root in her mind.

  Richard pats my arm, pulling me out of the pit I’ve been brooding in.

  “What is it?” I ask, searching for threats immediately.

  He shoves a thumb over his shoulder. “Isn’t the portal back there?”

  I take in my surroundings for the first time in so many minutes. I’m an easy target right now, and I must focus. Thoughts of Amelia will have to wait. She is in the best of care. If something is truly wrong with her, Maybell will discover the source. I’ve already wasted too much energy worrying over something I can’t change at the moment.

  Richard is correct. We’ve passed the portal by two blocks. I give him a sidelong glance. “What took you so long to ask me about the portal?”

  He rubs his nose on his sleeve then shrugs. “Figured you had lots to think about, and right now there aren’t no threats.”

  A slight cringe settles on my face at his improper use of grammar. “Aren’t any threats, and I appreciate your consideration.” I bend closer to him, lowering my voice. “I might need your help to stay on task, lad. Are you up for such a responsibility?”

  His face brightens. “Of course, boss.” His dark head twists to the side as we pass an alley. I hide my smile when he looks at me again. “I’m ready for anythin’.”

  I clasp his shoulder. “Good.”

  Our target tonight is a rather low character who is trying to break the darkness cycle. He should be out of Erobos radar, but I can’t be too careful with Richard. It’s my fault he is in danger in the first place.

  With Daegan hunting Amelia, he should be preoccupied in developing a plan for converting her. My only concern is he will eventually trace Richard to Amelia then try to use him to accomplish the deed. Daegan no longer has a soul, I’m convinced, so it is imperative I keep Richard guarded.

  Even without Amelia involved, Richard’s talent could be fostered into greatness. I’m beginning to wonder if he doesn’t have some Sibylline in him.

  His insights are a little too spot on for a boy who should be obsessed with video games. At times, he reminds me of a young Ian.

  A sharp pang hits my heart at the thought of my brother. I had no idea how close to the darkness Ian has strayed. He is the freest of all remaining Oneiroi, pitiful as we are, but only because he’s never loved. He has no real attachment to humans, which has served him well until now. We never know who our mate will be or when the desire for one will come to us.

  I once thought Rhea was the woman who would free me from every restraint Oneiroi face, but she was nothing more than an elaborate illusion created by a master manipulator. Volos trained her how to seduce all of us, but Ian withstood her manipulations. For some reason, she never called to him.

  The fact that Amelia stirs feelings in him troubles me. With Rhea, I was consumed with my lust for her. Too late, I realized where those feeling originated. In my blindness, Peter was a necessary casualty for what I mistook for love. What I didn’t know was Rhea had us all on a tightly tethered leash. Those who were already mated fell, not out of succumbing to her charms, but by trying to protect the rest of us. She targeted them and used a different sort of manipulation to get them addicted to the darkness.

  She instilled doubt into their hearts about the one person they should have trusted always. Oneiroi do not dream in the usual sense. We live our dreams, but with Volos’ guidance, Rhea manipulated our very reality until none of us knew who we could trust.

  Those who were already mated accused those of us who weren’t of trying to steal their mates. Reason was not the order of the day, and chaos ensued.

  We stopped the hemorrhaging only after we lost the majority of Oneiroi. How long will it take before we all succumb?

  “Boss?” says Richard, tugging on my sleeve. “What you thinkin’ ‘bout?”

  My surroundings come into focus once more. We’ve jumped three worlds, and I haven’t even noticed? I gaze down at the boy and smile. “I’m sorry, Richard. Thank you for keeping me focused.”

  He gives me a fierce frown. “No . . . I want to know. Why are you so worried? I ain’t a kid. I can take it.”

  I pull him down an alleyway until we are concealed from interlopers. “Peter is in bad shape.”

  His big eyes narrow and the tips of his ears turn pink. “What’re we gonna do if we lose him?”

  Richard hasn’t been with me long, but he’s seen enough to know if Peter converts we will fall deeper into the pit of failure. I ruffle his hair until he shoves my hand away. I smile. “No point in thinking about what hasn’t happened yet, right?”

  His lips frown in a crusty scowl. “I’m all for thinkin’ on better things, but you got to do the same. I’m not good enough to look out for the both of us yet, and you’re somewhere else most of the time tonight.”

  “Quite right,” I say, folding my arms across my chest, assessing him. “Richard, you have my complete permission to skewer me if I stray again.”

  His brows raise a hair. “No foolin’?”

  “No foolin’,” I agree.

  His body stiffens with his stare. “I’ll do it.”

  Keeping as straight a face as I can, I say, “I should hope so.” As if in anticipation of the act, his fingers curl around the dark hilt tucked into his belt. The best way to make an Oneiroi concentrate is through injury. I laugh. “So eager to send me packing, huh?”

  He shrugs. “Don’t much care for how you’re actin’”

  I ruffle his hair again, and he spins out of my reach. “I don’t blame you. We have a lot to accomplish tonight.”

  “She’ll be fine,” he blurts. He fidgets with his hands waiting for a reply.

  “Amelia?”

  He nods. “She’s got to learn some stuff, but she’ll get it.”

  My eyes lock onto his. “What exactly do you mean?”

  “Just some dreams I been havin’.”

  Richard is under my care. “I haven’t sent you any dreams about Amelia.”

  He nods. “I know.”

  “Why haven’t you told me you’ve had dark dreams?”

  He cocks his head to the side. “Thing is, boss, they ain’t dark”

  If he’s meaning to reassure me, he’s failed completely. “When did this start happening?”

  He shoves his hands into his pockets and glances toward the roof of the building behind me. “When you disconnected from my world.”

  His dreams have to be coming from the Erobos, but Richard should know if they have a dark origin. “Once we are through tonight, I want you to have a talk with Maybell. Te
ll her to record the interview.”

  “Got it.”

  I give him a nod. “Ready to outwit some Erobos?”

  He rubs his hands together then blows on each curled fist. “Absolutely.”

  One day, Richard is going to be a menace.

  Peter hasn’t turned around once since we got here. Maybell’s been pressing buttons on a panel. Several lights — blue, green and red, have flashed then gone out.

  She turns to a monitor playing surveillance of Peter screaming. The sound penetrates everything inside me, making the tiny hairs on my body stand up before a shiver slithers down my back. The worst part about it is it’s not the scream of just one person. As if there’s no real source, it echoes everywhere.

  When I look at him again, Peter stares at me. His hazel eyes swirl with a pain I’m very familiar with. I’ve got to give him credit. He’s fighting the remaining Eros within him.

  A thin sheen of sweat covers his arms and face, and his clothes are soaked with the stuff. He walks to the bars to grasp one then another in near slow motion, as if it is a chore to move a centimeter. With a huff of breath, he leans forward. The shirt he’s wearing has been shredded, showing gaps all over, like he’s been stabbed hundreds of times, yet no visible marks show through the holes.

  Dark locks fall forward with the movement of his head. Muscles all the way up his arms bulge as he grips the bars just before another scream tears from his mouth. I cover my ears and hide my eyes, but nothing can keep the shudder from rippling through my body. When I’m sure I can’t take another second of the sound, he stops, panting as if he’s just crested King’s peak.

  On one hand, the need to help him surges up inside me, while on the other hand, fear holds me back. What if I go in there and they attach to me?

  I had them on me for only seconds, yet the agony will stay with me the rest of my life. I would do just about anything to keep from having to feel it again. Yet staring at Peter writhe in pain, I can’t stand here and do nothing.

  “Amelia?” Maybell calls.

  “Yeah?”

  Her voice sharpens with concern. “Step away from him.”