Entangled (Beauty Never Dies Chronicles Book 2)

by J. L. Weil

  He nodded, forking the eggs on his plate. “The day of the apocalypse, the stars and the moon aligned, but the universe had nothing to do with the end of the world. It was a man who destroyed earth and everything on it, altering the world in ways we could never imagine—including humans.”

  “I more or less got that part already. Those who didn’t make it fast enough inside the safe houses were affected by the mist. The longer the exposure, the greater the mutation.”

  “Yes,” he agreed.

  “I’ve seen Monroe, or I should say Ember. Her cells were altered like mine. What about you and Mom? Did either of you have symptoms?” I asked.

  He swallowed. “I’m glad you brought that up. I am very interested in what you can do. There were rumors about the girl Dash traveled with. Little did we know at the time that it was you. I’ve heard you have extraordinary gifts.”

  He’d completely dodged my question and circled the conversation back to me—not to mention, to a topic I wasn’t precisely comfortable talking to him about yet. Dash had warned me that the Institute would love to get their hands on me. Well, they had me now. What did that mean for my future?

  I shrugged. The less I revealed, the better, until I understood the full ramifications. “I don’t really know. I haven’t had the chance to learn how to control it. Obviously, my eyes have changed.”

  The lines on my father’s forehead relaxed. “They are very unique. Then again, unique is the new norm here in the Heights. And don’t worry, you’ll be able to discover how to harness your abilities here. It is part of what we do at the Institute. We have a division that helps the Gifted understand and maximize the changes in their genetic makeup.”

  He made it all sound so welcoming, like a community, but I couldn’t help having reservations. I wanted to see it for myself. And I got the chance to.

  After lunch, Dr. Winston and the two guards continued their tour of the facility.

  Floor four housed the medical and research divisions. White walls. Cabinets. Large glass windows. And more closed doors. We walked into one of the rooms without knocking.

  “This is the sector of the Institute that has been studying the altered DNA. Your mother oversees this division.”

  No surprise. My mom had been a geneticist before the mist. “Is she here?” No sooner had I asked the question, than a figure with red hair much like mine glided into the room. Strands of gold wove throughout it, but not an ounce of gray that I could see. The woman wore a familiar white lab coat that flowed with her movements, and when her vibrant blue eyes met mine, they went wide.

  I gasped. Tears gathered in the woman’s eyes as she caught sight of me standing just inside the room beside my father. “Mom?” I whispered.

  “Oh, Charlotte.” She engulfed me in a hug and kissed my temple, surrounding me in a sweet scent that defied description but I had always associated with her. “I can’t believe it. Both my girls found and safe.”

  My arms slowly came up to wrap around her. I didn’t know what my problem was. I should have been overjoyed. This was what I had wanted since I opened my eyes, and yet, I couldn’t muster up emotions of excitement or happiness. Really, I shouldn’t have to try. They should have been there… but they weren’t.

  She pulled back and framed my face with her cool hands. “Look at those eyes.”

  I blinked. “Wild, right?”

  She tucked my hair behind both my ears. “I think they are beautiful. They suit you.”

  “Thanks.”

  “I’m so sorry we weren’t there when you woke. I can’t imagine how terrified you must have been.”

  My lips lifted in a sheepish grin. “It’s okay, really. I got lucky. I had someone who helped.”

  Mom’s expression went flat. “Dash,” she supplied.

  Was he going to be a constant touchy subject around here? “He saved me.”

  A haunted look entered her eyes. “He violated protocol, Charlotte. If he had left you, we would have found you sooner. And you wouldn’t have had to survive in the Heights on your own.”

  There was that. The very last thing I wanted to do was argue with my mom, so I let it go, keeping silent.

  A man stepped into the room from somewhere behind my mother carrying a tray. My eyes went straight to the sharp-tipped needle he held.

  “This is Dr. Marks,” Mom introduced him.

  “Is everyone a doctor around here?”

  Mom let out a little chuckle. “I see she hasn’t lost her sarcasm.”

  Some things were innate, including my sudden intuition that this was more than just a family reunion. Dr. Marks wanted my blood. Why else would he have a syringe and a couple of vials on his tray?

  “Is this necessary?” I asked, retreating and suddenly thinking my prison on the seven floor wasn’t so bad.

  “I’m afraid so, Muffin. Everyone that steps foot into the Institute must go through the screening process. It’s no big deal. Standard procedure,” Dr. Winston assured me.

  I snorted. The large syringe sitting on the surgical tray said otherwise. I hated needles. “I’d rather not.”

  “You don’t have a choice. You were out there for weeks. This is for your own good,” my father said in a steady voice.

  “Don’t worry,” Mom added, patting my hand. “I’ll be with you the whole time. I haven’t forgotten how much needles upset you.”

  Upset? Upset put it mildly. I once puked my Happy Meal all over a nurse who had tried to give me a shot. “There is nothing wrong with me,” I insisted, tugging my hand from underneath hers. “And I refuse to be used as a lab rat.”

  Dr. Winston frowned. “You’re being difficult, Charlotte. There is no reason to make a scene.”

  Damn right I would make a scene. If it got me out of being poked or losing unnecessary blood, I was going to raise the roof in this place. I’d already been stuck with one of their needles. “How do I know you’re not going to inject me again with some kind of drug?”

  “I told you that was only to protect you. There is no danger inside the Institute. If you cooperate, there will be no need for other methods.”

  That did nothing to calm my anxiety. Not. At. All.

  The two guards came to stand on either side of me, each placing a hand on my arm. “Struggle,” Trist whispered in my ear, “I dare you.” Something in his voice told me he would like that … a little too much.

  I elbowed the asshole in the gut, my heart rate soaring.

  Shit went sideways at that point.

  Not that it mattered. I wouldn’t be able to overpower them, and yet, it didn’t stop me from trying. A pair of strong arms wrapped around me from behind like vise grips. The dark inky veins were a dead giveaway. Trist. I kicked and bucked, but it was wasted energy.

  “Let’s make this quick,” I heard my mother say.

  Pressure clamped down on my chest, signaling I stood on the brink of a panic attack. There was a quick sting in my shoulder. I jerked, letting out a squeal. I’d been jabbed with a needle, and the drugs they injected began to ribbon into my system. In less than a minute, the room spun, going dark, and then it was lights out for Charlotte.

  When I woke, I lay on a table, staring into a bright white light. My arm muscles were sore, and I rubbed at them, trying to chase away the pain. I’d gotten my exam after all. I just hadn’t been conscious, and honestly, that scared me more than the needles. Hindsight was a bitch.

  In a numb haze, I sat up. Talk about one hell of a screwed up reunion. Hi, honey, I know it’s been a hundred years and I missed you, but before we catch up, how about you give me a tube of blood?

  Did they have a therapist on staff? Because I needed a lifetime of sessions to get over the crap that was happening to me.

  And the worst part? It had only begun.

  Chapter Three

  “You’re awake and just fine. See, that wasn’t so bad, now was it?” Dr. Winston sat in a corner chair in my room, a binder of paperwork in his lap.

  My mouth dropped open, wide e
nough that a glassfly could have flown right in with no problem.

  Was he on crack? My father had definitely snorted something, and God only knew what kind of substances the world had now. “You lied to me,” I hurled at him.

  A pitiless and unrepentant look crossed his face. “If you hadn’t acted out, there would have been no need to sedate you.”

  “So it was my fault.” I sighed, giving up the argument. I would never win. I couldn’t do anything about it now. Whatever they had done was done. My eyes glanced to the binder of papers, and I squinted my eyes, trying to get a better look. I swear I read something that closely resembled my name.

  He gathered the paperwork together, shifting it so I couldn’t see what was on top. “Well, now that it is over, let’s get back to it, shall we?”

  I kept my lips sealed and hopped off the table. Until I gained control of the fury inside me, I would say nothing, because if I did, two things could happen. I might cry, or I might go off the deep end. Neither had a positive outcome.

  My two guards were posted outside my door as we stepped into the hall. Trist and… I didn’t know what the other man was called. My eyes slid to the nameless guard. Outwardly, he showed no signs of mutation. He stood taller than both my father and Trist. The Night’s Guard uniform brought out flecks of blue in his hazel eyes. There was a twinkle in them that led me to believe he found me amusing for reasons I couldn’t fathom.

  “Who are you?”

  “My name is Raze.” What a voice. It was smooth and sexy.

  “Raze?” I echoed. “Like maze with an R?”

  His lips twitched. “Hot, right?”

  A crazy, I’m-losing-it laugh bubbled up my throat, but I covered it with a cough. “If you think so.” I crossed my arms.

  The two guards and my father sent me a look.

  I took a deep breath, telling myself to get a grip. You need to keep your wits, Charlotte. That I did.

  Dr. Winston gave me a long, level stare, as if I was exhausting him. “We should have the blood tests back tomorrow, but overall, you’re as fit as a fiddle.”

  “Wonderful.”

  “There is one more thing I would like to show you. It will give you a chance to see what the Institute is really about.”

  We took the elevator to the ground floor, which opened to a lobby that split into two halls. The sheer mass of this place was impressive, but I was about to find out the size of the building wasn’t it’s only notable feature.

  Dr. Winston stopped at a large double door. To the right hung a control panel on the wall with a keypad and a series of lights. He punched in a combination that turned the lights all green before the doors made a clicking noise. “Welcome to the combat room.”

  My eyes went wide as I took in the sight before me. I’d had ideas of what the training facility might look like, but this exceeded even my wild imagination. There was so much to see that I couldn’t take it all in at once, my gaze ping-ponging over the room. It wasn’t how large the space was; it was huge, possibly bigger than a football field. It wasn’t how many people there were. It was what they were doing.

  Matters of light zoomed through the air like rainbow-colored shooting stars, all different shapes and colors. There were humans covered in animal hair—some all over their body, others just their hands or ears. A chorus of growls, squawking, fists hitting flesh, claws swiping in the air, and about a hundred other sounds I couldn’t identify filled the training room. My mouth gaped as a young boy disappeared only to materialize again on the other side of the room in the bat of an eye. Wonder after mind-boggling wonder occurred in front of me.

  “How many Gifted live here?” I muttered, managing to form coherent words through my shock.

  Dr. Winston blinked, pride flickering in his eyes. “At the moment, over four thousand. Then there are those of us who aren’t Gifted and those like you, who somehow slipped through our safeguard measures.”

  I pressed my palm into the wall, leaning my weight into it. Whoa. That was more than I’d anticipated. It seemed unlikely that they could keep that many people here against their wishes.

  “We give them a place to learn how to control and explore their newfound abilities without having to worry about hurting anyone in the process. The combat room is set up into sections, depending on the results of their blood work. We’ve been able to categorize people based off the mutated DNA cells, and narrow down where someone’s abilities might fall. For example, firebending: those who can summon, control, or manipulate fire. Your sister is a firebender.”

  Go Ember, I thought dryly but kept the comment to myself.

  As we walked down the length of the room, he listed off the classifications.

  Cryokinetic: creating frost, ice, snow, cold fronts.

  Poison generation: deadly saliva, disease, and a bunch of other horrifying traits.

  Aquatic adaptation: breathing underwater, creating hurricanes, and swimming like a fish.

  Enhanced abilities: strength, sight, hearing, endurance.

  War powers: ability to kill (like someone I knew), armor, weapons.

  Mind: telepathy, visions, teleportation, illusions.

  The list went on and on, until it came to the point that I would never remember them all. “I should have brought a pen and paper.”

  He laughed. “It is not necessary for you to memorize them all. There are many that can cross over into one or more categories, like a firebender who can also produce ice. The categories are guidelines but in no way limit a person. The possibilities we’ve found are endless. Like a fingerprint, no two gifts are identical. And quite often we are discovering new skills.”

  Wow. Someone’s geek juices were flowing. Both my parents had been on the lame side growing up. While I’d been dedicated to shaking my pom-poms at cheerleading, my parents had been dedicated to their boring jobs. I never understood how they could spend so much time in a lab. It was what had drawn them to each other in the first place.

  Normal families had dinner conversations about school, the family pet, or a book they’d read. Nah. Not at our table. The hot topics consisted of the periodic table, atomic mass, and chromosomes. Riveting. It was probably where my fast eating habits stemmed from—to get away from the dinner conversation as quickly as possible.

  Dad had been a chemist in his former life. The memory of it almost put me to sleep.

  I shook my head, trying to remember what he had last said. Right. Mutations. “You said there are two floors for training?”

  Dr. Winston nodded, pleased I’d been paying attention. “Yes, the second floor is for our younger Gifted—those under the age of ten. Our goal is to make the world safe again.”

  “And that’s it? You’re trying to make the world a better place, a safer place?” I didn’t buy it, not completely, but I couldn’t deny that I’d seen some incredible things.

  “Yes, the mission of the Institute, the reason we’ve worked so hard to build it was not only to adapt to this new world, but to flourish in it. Humans, like animals and plants, have the ability to acclimate. To do so, we need to study the habitat and the effects it had on not only humans, but on the environment.”

  “So you’re not building a supernatural army?”

  “God no,” he chuckled. “Do any of them look like they don’t want to be here?”

  I wasn’t sure. Other than the two guards shadowing me, I’d seen less than a handful of guards walking around, and I’d talked to even less people. Somehow I’d expected this place to be heavily armed and guarded. “Then why have the Night’s Guard?”

  “The Night’s Guard serves multiple purposes. They patrol the holding houses that we’ve been able to locate. They are trained to deal with the natural threats of the world now; the plants, the animals, and the land can all be deadly. Everyone at the Institute has a purpose, and working together is the only way we stand a chance.”

  He was making way too much sense, and it muddled my brain. “What about the ones you throw out? The ones who fail to be
special enough?”

  A dark tone crept into his voice, his eyes slanting and deepening. “There are rules and laws, just like any successful governing city. They must be obeyed and upheld, otherwise chaos ensues. The world had enough disorder during the years of the mist. It is our job to put it back together.”

  “And you want me to do this?” I said, sweeping my arms over the room. “To learn to fight and control this curse I’ve been burdened with?”

  Dr. Winston put his hand on my shoulder, standing beside me. “I want you to thrive in this new world. The only way to survive is to dominate the land. Do you understand?”

  I wasn’t entirely sure that I did, but if answering like I understood got me out of my locked room, it was a no-brainer. “Yes.”

  “Good.” He smiled and gave my shoulder a squeeze. “Your mother and I are happy to have you home. This is what we have been dreaming about: us being a family again.”

  “When can I see her?” It had been so short, and I’d been unconscious for most of it.

  “She is working at the moment. Now that you’re home, we have all the time in the world.” He straightened himself as if to leave.

  My own mother was too busy to spend time with her daughter? It had been a hundred years. I’d expected a little more enthusiasm. I didn’t need them to throw me a welcome home party or bomb me with confetti, streamers, and balloons, but the distance felt oddly cold. The memories I had of my parents were warm and loving. Would I ever feel that again?

  To my utter disappointment, I wasn’t given free rein to wander on my own as I so wanted to do. Trist and Raze escorted me back to floor seven, where the lock on my door quickly clicked into place the moment I stepped inside. Oh hell no. Not this again.

  “Wait!” My fist pounded on the door, but it was useless.

  Trist’s satanic laugh sounded from the other side.

  I was still a prisoner in the white city. It didn’t matter how plush the room was, or how decadent the food. I was as much trapped here as the criminals and thieves in the dungeon.