by JL Spelbring
Frustrated, Ellyssa shoved a package of bandages into the metal trunk and slammed the lid. She pushed the container to the doorway, where it would be taken to the evacuation cavern.
“Candy is doing much better today,” Woody said, apparently not wanting to talk about the meeting either. “She’s helping with kitchen chores.”
“I am glad,” said Ellyssa, shoving a six-pack of ointment into the last container.
“She wants to talk to you, but…it’s hard on her.”
“I understand.”
Woody nodded. “Jason’s trial will be tomorrow.”
At the mention of his name, fury blazed. Ellyssa glanced over her shoulder at the bloodstained ground, a constant reminder of what he had almost cost her. She shoved down an urge to finish him off, a lingering instinct from an old life. She wasn’t that person anymore.
Her eyes moved to the cot that Jason had occupied. A couple of days ago, before he had been relocated down the hall to a smaller room with a low ceiling, Jason had developed a low-grade fever. So far with the aid of cool baths and lots of liquids, Mathew had been able to control it, but the wound was not healing, and remained red and irritated.
Shaking her head, Ellyssa faced Woody. “Why hold the trial now? You and Rein will be gone,” she said, her tone harsh.
Woody’s grey eyes locked with hers, swirling clouds before the storm. He lifted his hand as if to touch her, but at the last second, he shifted and picked up a tube of ointment that had fallen to the ground.
“I know you’re angry, but I promise, he will be fine.” He handed her the medicine.
“I just do not understand why I cannot go. I am much better trained for such encounters.”
“There aren’t going to be any encounters. We’re going to grab the truck and fetch the supplies. We won’t make it without provisions.”
“I still should go.” Ellyssa slammed the lid of the remaining chest and flipped the latch.
“They need you here.”
She stood, dusting off her hands. “That is not true. You got along fine until I came.”
Woody followed suit. “No, we didn’t. We’ve already learned so much from you.”
“If not for me, you would all still be safe.”
“You don’t know that. With the resistance, our supply trips, every day is a risk. We had to evacuate once before, not long after I had come here.”
Ellyssa stared at him pointedly. Was that supposed to make her feel better? If she had known being part of the community meant she would have to do what the council decided, she would’ve thought better of it.
They’d all voted against her, despite her concerns. Majority rules.
“Listen.” Woody closed in on her, taking her wrist in his hand. “We can’t risk you being caught.”
“I could help.”
“You know that’s not the point.” He paused. “I promise to bring him back safe.”
“I want you safe, too,” Ellyssa remarked, realizing as she made the statement, how true it was. Woody had helped her through a very difficult time after Jordan had passed.
Woody let go of her wrist and brushed her cheek with the back of his hand. His touch was light and caring; and much to her surprise, she found it pleasant. He offered her a small smile before looking away, red flushing his face.
Confused by his actions, Ellyssa searched his expression. Unsure what he was thinking, she wanted to reach inside his head and pull out the answers. She didn’t. If she was going to live with these people, flourish in the community, she’d have to refrain from such behavior. She’d have to learn to read reactions on the surface. To trust. Still, she didn’t understand his blush or his touch.
Was it friendship? Did he want more? And most of all, why did she like it? Maybe it was just the closeness. After all, his touch didn’t send the sparks down her spine or accelerate the beat of her usual steady heart.
After a moment, when his face returned to its natural color, Woody looked back at her, his eyes still burning. “The other day, after Jordan…” His throat moved up and down as if a rock was lodged there. “You helped me realize.”
When he didn’t elaborate, Ellyssa said, “Realize what?”
Woody’s mouth opened but no words followed, and his face displayed an unreadable collage. Finally, he just placed his hand on her arm. “Rein’s lucky to have found you.”
“I am lucky to have found him.” She smiled, but Woody didn’t return the gesture.
Was he angry? He didn’t exhibit the usual signs of anger.
Sighing, Woody picked up a box and started for the door.
“Woody,” she said, stopping him. “I appreciate you being there that day. I was overwhelmed, and if not for you, I am not sure it would have gone as smoothly as it did. You helped with my…transformation, I guess you might say. Thank you.”
“My pleasure.”
Woody left Ellyssa standing alone, slightly bewildered. The simple sensations she’d masked for years were nothing compared to the complexity of living with normal people. Emotions were ever-more complex than she’d first thought. Her lessons about the Renegades being nothing more than simple animals, controlled by their feelings, kept breaking down and reshaping. They were complicated entities. Shaking her head, she resumed packing the supplies.
A set of footsteps she recognized caused her heart to slam against her chest. Still angry, she pushed down her initial reaction to run into Rein’s arms. After all, he had voted against her, too. Probably some male thing, thinking he was protecting her. They needed the protection she could offer.
Rein walked through the door, his backpack dangling from one shoulder and a rifle slung over the other. She acknowledged him with a simple nod as she latched the box. She stood and placed the last footlocker next to the door.
“These are ready to go,” she said.
He dropped his bag and balanced his gun on top. “Ellyssa, I know you’re angry with me.”
“I’m not angry,” she denied. Anger wasn’t the correct description. Hurt and afraid. Afraid for him.
Refusing to look at him, Ellyssa went to the locker and grabbed the last two boxes of dressings and a roll of tape. She shoved them into the deep pockets of her camo pants.
Rein approached from behind and wrapped his arms around her waist. “I’ll be leaving soon. I don’t want to leave things like this.” He kissed her earlobe softly.
She relaxed into him; she couldn’t help it. It was like his touch evaporated all of her self-control. She cherished the feel of him, afraid this would be the last time. A premonition almost, a deep foreboding.
“I should be going with you.”
“Why?”
She wheeled around. “You have no idea what you are up against.”
“Our whole existence is avoiding society. We’ve survived this long.”
“You haven’t had any of the police sniffing this close before.”
Rein’s lips pursed. “Maybe not, but I did have the benefit of learning from Jordan. We know what to do.”
“You don’t understand. The people closing in have had the benefit of The Center’s training programs.”
“Are they like you?”
“No, but…”
Rein pulled her against him, stroking her hair. “We really need you here. If something happens, you can protect the community. You can keep it going.”
Ellyssa started to protest, but he stopped the words with a kiss. Like the times before, at his touch a fire consumed her. She hungrily parted her lips, inviting him to explore, while she tasted him. Her hands ran across his back, examining the contours of his muscles. She moved up to his hair and tangled her fingers in the strands, trying to pull him closer, desperate to never let him go.
Rein’s mouth parted from hers, and soft traces of his kisses and tongue traveled down her jawline to the hollow of her neck. Her breath hitched, a strong current flowing through her body. Adrenaline and hormones flooded. Everything forgotten, lost to the moment.
/> As desire engulfed her, Ellyssa lost control. She pushed herself against Rein, wanting him closer, finding his mouth. She released his hair and dropped her hand to his chest. She could feel his heart slam like hers. Her fingers trailed down over the hardness of his stomach to his beltline. She froze, as reality slapped her in the face.
Ellyssa knew all about the mating process, but the books she’d read had all been technical and cold, nothing like Rein’s warmth and inviting touch. The texts had never described the fire, or the shivers, or the intensity of the emotional sensations blooming in her heart. Frustrated at her ignorance, she looped her arm around the small of his back.
“Ellyssa,” he whispered into her ear, his soft breath sending chills through her body, fanning the flames. “I love you.”
“I love you,” she replied, her breath short.
Rein took her hand in his and led her to a cot. Not knowing what to do, she let him ease her onto the canvas and settled above her, his dark hair messed into a new arrangement, his body hard against hers. In an instant, her misgivings evaporated. New instincts charged forward.
Ellyssa pulled him down where she could nibble at his throat and the curve of his collarbone. Soft moans escaping, Rein lowered his head and met her lips. Eagerly, her mouth moved with his, her tongue exploring, her hips pressing into his.
Rein ran his fingers between the contours of her breasts, down her stomach, stroking the inside of her thigh. Heart thudding uncontrollably, heat rose in her midsection and traveled down. Warmth blossomed. She reveled in the sensation, and feared it at the same time.
Suddenly aware of the primal need coursing through her body, Ellyssa faltered. She wanted him, but the thought both excited and terrified her. Confusion mounted, but before she could overanalyze everything, he settled off her, his breaths ragged.
“Do you want to be with me?” he asked, kissing the tip of her nose. Her chest heaving, she nodded. “Yes.”
“Forever?”
She reached up and ran her fingers behind his ear. “Yes.”
“Are you sure?”
Ellyssa frowned. “Of course.”
Rein smoothed away the lines with the tip of his finger, then leaned over to kiss her again, his tongue darting playfully. He pulled back. “I want to be with you, too. What I feel for you is as foreign to me as it is to you.” He gazed at her, his green eyes boring into her blue. “I love you, Ellyssa. I will always love you. I just want you to be sure it is me that you love. I know you’ve never…” He hesitated, picking his words. “You’ve never loved.”
Bewildered, Ellyssa studied Rein. Then she understood. Like her, he had misgivings, fear of putting himself out there. Trust was hard.
“It’s true, I have never loved,” she said. “With what limited emotions I have felt, I have nothing to compare the feeling to. But in the emotionless prison I grew up in, how did I know joy when I felt it, or pride? How did I know the feeling I had at Jordan’s death was loss?
“My sheltered life allowed complete oblivion against the wonderful things life has to offer: family and friends, a sense of truly belonging. I felt these reactions, and my body naturally responded. I’ve laughed. I’ve cried.” She brushed her lips against his. “Because of you, I love.”
Rein smiled, a beautiful smile that lit his face and reached his eyes.
The adrenaline, the hormones, the raging emotions slapping together like waves during a hurricane—she’d never felt so vulnerable. It was beyond petrifying, but she wanted to be with him.
Rein dropped his head and kissed her, his tongue teasing her lips, before darting into her mouth, rekindling the embers that responded in an instant blaze. Ellyssa dug her hands into his hair, pulling him closer.
Gasping, Rein pulled back. Shifting to his side, he lay next to her, their foreheads touching. “I want to stay,” he said, while playing with a strand of her hair. “Woody will come looking for me soon.”
“I know.”
“Are you still angry? You know…with the council and everything?”
Ellyssa caressed the side of his face, memorizing every detail. “I was never angry. I think I felt hurt. I’m also very worried.”
Rein kissed the tip of her nose. “Please don’t. Next time, we’ll stay together. No matter what. I promise.”
“I’m going to hold you to that,” Ellyssa said.
Rein pushed off the cot and grabbed her by the wrist, pulling her up with him. He hugged her and kissed the top of her head, the bottom of her earlobe, and each corner of her mouth before lingering on her lips.
Holding him tight as he kissed her, enjoying the feel of his body against hers, Ellyssa didn’t want to let him go, but the soft sound of footsteps—always the echo of footsteps—caused her to drop her arms and step away.
Mathew paused for a moment, his eyes darting between the two of them, a knowing smile playing across his face. “No longer angry?”
Ellyssa shook her head.
“Good.” Mathew looked lost for a moment, as if struggling to decide what to do. Finally, he said, “Um…Woody.”
“Yeah, I know. It’s getting late.”
Rein leaned over and gave her a quick peck on the mouth. She wished his lips would linger.
“Take care of her for me, Doc.”
“Of course. Plenty to keep us busy.”
“I’ll be back as soon as possible.” Rein said, as he gave her hand a gentle squeeze.
Mathew draped his arm over Ellyssa’s shoulders as she watched Rein disappear out the entryway. Her heart fluttered as love swept through her, taking the place of everything essential for life, like air or food. She held on to the feeling, ignoring the foreboding that nibbled at her.
Mathew patted her shoulder. “It’s going to be okay.”
Ellyssa wanted so much to believe him.
32
Dr. George Hirch stooped over the computer screen where he spliced the DNA extracted from Ahron’s, Xaver’s, and Aalexis’ somatic cells. After several hours of working in the lab, surrounded by bright lights reflecting off white walls, his neck and back throbbed, but the pain was worth the output.
He straightened and stretched. The process would take a couple of hours, as the DNA and the egg cell essentially adjusted to each other.
When Micah and Ellyssa returned, he’d splice all their genes together in the same fashion, only next time he’d stimulate cell division, then transplant the egg into a surrogate mother.
Clones would follow.
A whole army of them. Rows of perfect soldiers, blond and blue-eyed. Stepping together as they eradicated the imperfections.
And he would be worshiped as their creator.
Leland entered the lab, interrupting his daydream. “Here is another sample from Aalexis,” he said, brushing his powder-blue eyes over the doctor. They were drawn and rimmed in red, much like George expected his own appeared. It had been a long day.
George stood, stretching again. “How did the simulation go?”
“Their powers are developing beyond our predictions.” Leland handed George a chart. “As you can see, Xaver held his shield up for ten seconds longer. Ahron kept the same time on phasing, but he moved while he phased.”
George’s brow arched. “Moved?”
“Only a few centimeters, but still incredible. He was in one spot, and in the blink of an eye was in another.”
“And Aalexis?”
“Aalexis cooperated, but the assistants had to work with her. She’s becoming quite defiant.”
The angelic face of the young beauty was dangerous, her innocent look deceiving. Aalexis was the perfect predator.
If Ellyssa hadn’t escaped, his vision could already be underway.
Of course, growing his army without the mind reader could be done, but to know what your enemy was planning before execution was beneficial. Plus, his soldiers would need to be able to seek out hidden lairs. He needed all of his children’s gifts added into the final sequence.
George wished he�
�d sent Micah earlier. The oldest of his children had proved invaluable in the search for Ellyssa. Without him, Detective Petersen would never have located the storage facility. His child could have saved precious days better used by splicing the genetic makeup.
“She knows how powerful she is,” George said, eyes gleaming.
“Dr. Hirch, you don’t understand how difficult she’s becoming. Her sudden changes in attitude are unpredictable. The staff is growing wary of her.” Leland pulled his hand over his face. “They’re afraid.”
The news caused George’s smile to intensify.
“What if she hurts someone?”
George brushed off the notion with his hand. “Impossible. She has been educated on proper protocol. She will obey me.”
“Like Ellyssa?”
A tic worked at George’s jaw as anger responded. “The two are unrelated. Aalexis is just finding herself.”
“None of the other children have proven to be so difficult. Even without emotions, they knew what was expected. They all obeyed, like good soldiers, without question.” Leland pulled a stool over and sat down in front of the microscope. “What if she…becomes uncontrollable?”
“What are you suggesting?”
Glancing down at the Petri dish, Leland said, “It’s just—you have what you need from her. Maybe she should be…”
Leland didn’t finish the statement; he didn’t need to. Without giving control a thought, George advanced on the younger man, grabbing him by the lapels. He yanked the assistant to his feet. Nose to nose, he glared into the startled man’s eyes. He’d had enough of him.
“She is indispensible,” he seethed, “unlike you.”
Fear froze Leland’s face in a partial shout. Panicky breaths wheezed between his parted lips.
Finding his restraint, the doctor released his grip and smoothed out the crumpled fabric of the collar. “Your services are no longer needed.”
“Wh-what?”
His demeanor calmed, he stepped away. “Your judgment has become clouded. I will talk to career services. You will be placed in a more… appropriate job.”
The fear melted away as the tendons in Leland’s jerked. “You’re playing with something very dangerous.”
