“I told you this wasn’t gonna work,” Taberious’ deep voice warned as he turned to my supposed partner. “You better tell her.”
Blake nodded, frowning. “She’s right, boss. She’s getting it from both sides. Give her a break.”
“No. You know why I can’t do that,” Partner said.
“Either you show me the way out, or I get answers.”
He stepped to me, stopping when his toes met mine. His eyes were black discs with blue, silver and gold specks, just inches from mine. My heart raced, giving me sweaty palms. He sighed, lifting his hands to my face. “Don’t say I didn’t warn you.”
As soon as his warmth touched my skin, blackness took over. I was overtaken by a thick, heavy darkness that felt like I was in a vacuum and there wasn’t air to breathe.
EIGHTEEN
ALL AT ONCE, THE weight and darkness lifted. I sucked in a deep breath, sitting up in the cloudlike bed. Immediately, I found that abominable man staring out the window. I left the bed, fueled by anger.
I approached, stopping before I got too close to strangle him. “What the hell did you do to me?”
“What was necessary to keep you here . . . and safe.”
“According to who?” I snapped.
“The man that loves you and would turn this world upside down if it meant keeping you safe.” He sounded despondent, continuing to stare out the window.
“I’ve got news for himif he even existskeeping me prisoner and taking my memories from me isn’t love, it’s torture. If he really loved me, he’d be here and I would have answers. Besides, now I’m getting a headache.” A throb started at my left temple and pulsed through my head.
“He loves you more than he loves his own people. That’s why your father was angry. As soon as your relationship was discovered, he disowned you and refused to listen to any reason. Even when he was told the truth about you. You must have thought the man who loves you was worth it, at one point.”
“He—he’s Nepherium?”
“Yes,” he said, barely above a whisper.
“I guess that makes sense,” I said.
He turned to me with eyes wide, full of questions.
“My dad said I was mixing blood with them. He was in such a heated rage I barely understood what he said. But there’s more that I need to know.”
“What’s that?” he asked.
“Why would my lover want me to forget him?”
“He hoped that while you couldn’t remember, you’d stay alive. He could protect you and finish the mission.”
The way he looked at me, pulling me in, made me weak in the knees.
“And how would he feel about the way you’re looking at me?” I asked before I could stop the words.
He blinked away, turning his attention to the window before sighing and taking a seat in the shadowed chair.
I pushed further. “Or about knocking me out before bringing me here?”
He leaned forward on his knees, covering his face with his hands. “I’m . . . ”
I waited a few seconds for him to continue. When he didn’t, I wondered if I heard anything at all. “What?”
“You have to understand, for him, he’d move the moon and stars to keep you safe. He did the only thing he could to save your life.”
“And you? What is your place in all of this? Why did you give me a ring to cover up a strange tattoo? Why can’t I see him?”
“I’m your partner. It is my job to protect you. I can’t answer the last one.”
“Can’t or won’t?” I retorted.
“Pick one,” he snapped.
“You told me if I thought I could kill you, you’d let me, because you deserved it. What did you do that would warrant me killing you?”
“Please understand, this is more difficult than giving simple answers to your questions. It’s far more complicated.”
I smiled at him, because it was the only thing I could do with his ridiculous beating around the bush. He sat up, seemingly disarmed by my small action.
“That’s a bunch of crap and you know it. I need something to call you. I can’t just go around calling out ‘partner.’”
“No need. I won’t be leaving your side.”
“You just told me I’m involved with someone. Unless you’re him, you’re not taking baths with me or watching me dress. There are times that require privacy.”
“You’ve never taken a bath with him before,” he said lightly.
“How would you know?”
“I can sense what’s in your mind, remember? Besides, you tell me practically everything.”
“Then why are you so insistent on me telling you what I remember, if you can sense what’s in there?”
“It doesn’t work in the way that you’re thinking. Besides, it works both ways, you know.”
“What does?” Then it became clear. “Oh no, you are grossly mistaken, my friend. I’m not watching you undress or bathe either.”
“That’s not what I meant,” he said quickly, holding up his hands to ward off any oncoming assault.
“I just wish I had proof of the things you claim. I need proof.” My head pounded a little harder, but if I concentrated enough, I could still ignore it.
“That necklace you’re wearing . . . ”
“It’s just metal,” I said.
“The bracelets.”
“Charming little trinkets,” I said.
“The symbol on your finger,” he said, growing agitated.
“It’s a ring that you gave me,” I said. Another piece of my memory clicked into place. A form of dÉjÀ vu. The tension between us was familiar. As were the emotions churning inside me. As I took in my partner, I knew we had a similar discussion before.
“Not that. What’s hidden beneath it,” he clipped.
“How do I know that means anything to him at all?” I asked automatically, following the scene through. Hoping another memory would come to me. I was close.
“He has one as well. It’s certainly not something our kind gives freely and without care.”
“Jealous much?” I asked, purposefully provoking him. He talked down to me was as if I were a bothersome child. I hated that. That was something I definitely remembered. And the way our argument was going reminded me this wasn’t the first time he had done it.
“You’re impossible.”
“No, I’m the one who got mind fucked. You get to stand there and look pretty as my great and powerful, cryptic protector.”
He crossed the room in two, long strides, grabbed me by my shoulders, and gazed intently into my eyes. All thoughts and instincts to quickly break free of him were quelled by the emotions within his stare. We remained still and silent a few moments. He breathed hard, as though angered by my stubbornness, while I stared, disarmed, into his eyes. Waiting for him to kiss me. Wanting him to.
“You’re not ready to remember,” he muttered, then released me and stomped out of the room.
“Wait,” I called, chasing after him. “I still have one last question. A request, actually. I thought you said you wouldn’t leave my side?”
He stopped, turning slightly to face me. “You refuse to listen. I need to think.”
“Look, I’m just trying to find answers. You keep half answering them and it’s making my head hurt worse.”
“What do you want?”
“Besides pain killers?”
He nodded.
“I’ll show you mine if you show me yours?”
He raised his eyebrow at me, trying to hide the smile pulling his lips.
“Hey boss,” Blake called, popping his head up above the floor from the stairs. “We’ve got a problem.”
He faced me as the level of my headache increased another notch. I pressed fingers to my temple, where the pain radiated from. Bright swords of light pierced my vision. I fell into the wall. Partner ran to my side, wrapping his arms around my waist.
“What is it?” he said.
“We’ve got company.” It was
Taberious. “Is she okay?”
“Bear,” I whispered. “Noah?”
“What?” my partner whispered.
I blinked through the bright swords of painful light and shook my head. “I don’t know, just names that came to me.”
“We need to get her to the med ward and scan her. I think something is wrong.”
I tried to focus on his features. The world shifted as he picked me up. I wrapped my arms around his neck, deeply inhaling his scent. Eucalyptus and lavender. The bath salts in my bathroom.
“Don’t think you’ve been let off the hook,” I whispered. Talking louder made the pain worse.
“I wouldn’t dream of it,” he replied, jostling down the stairs to a dark room.
I was laid on a hard, metal surface. A voice floated to me from the distance. “Elsa, where does it hurt?”
I tried to point to my scar. My arms felt like lead. My whole body did.
Voices blurred, one into another, as beeps and chirps sounded off painful beats. A sharp pain entered my neck, making everything silent and still. Only the pain, though dulled significantly, remained.
NINETEEN
SLOWLY, THINGS CAME BACK. I still laid in a dark room on a hard, metal surface. I had a pillow under my head and a blanket over me. The pain was gone. Completely pain free for the first time since the accident. I remembered stuff that I couldn’t before. Everything made a little more sense. I still had huge pieces of memory missing. Large gaping holes. But there were less of them.
I heard a shift next to me. The silent hush of a page being turned. Slowly, I opened my eyes and a smile pulled my lips. Taberious sat in the corner of the room with a magazine in his lap, the chair dwarfed by the size of his frame.
“Hey, look who’s finally awake. I was ‘bout to call the boys home.”
“Hey, Teddy Bear,” I said softly, happy I recalled his nickname. I gave him the Teddy part. He’s big and cuddly. He earned Bear due to his massive size and intimidating looks.
“You remember? I thought you would’ve sooner when I kept using your nick name.”
I giggled softly. Ghost. Because of my uncanny ability to disappear on a whim, especially for being human. “I’m starting to. What happened?” I stretched then tried to sit, but something tugged on the side of my head. I looked at Bear questioningly, just as his hands placed gentle pressure on my shoulders, pushing me back down.
“I wouldn’t do that just yet. They hid a tracker under your skin. When you came under the veil, it couldn’t send out the signal, causing it to short out and zap your brain. That’s what gave you a pretty good headache.”
As his words sank in, I recognized where I was and remembered helping get the place set up. Avalon. The central headquarters for the Nepherium and Aurora Vanguard. The veil was a shield with a five mile radius, making us invisible to those unaware of our location. It also alerts us to unwanted guests.
Guilt replaced my recognition with a healthy dose of fear to go with it. I inadvertently led not only my team, but my friends, into a trap. “Where’s everyone else?”
“Runnin’ a perimeter around the veil. Our sensors picked up movement. Don’t worry, you’re safe.” He added the last in response to my eyes getting wider.
“I’m not worried about me.”
“He’s fine too . . . ”
I took in Bear’s posture. He wasn’t worried. And that meant I shouldn’t be either. I touched the contraption attached to me, feeling the tiny wires stuck under my skin and taped in place. “What is this thing?”
“That is sending soothing pulses to your nerves to help speed the healing process and repair the tissue damage.”
I nodded.
“How’s that doin’, by the way?”
“It’s good. I don’t have any pain at all.”
He repositioned himself against the counter next to my bed. “I hate to do this to ya, but I promised I’d ask.”
“How much do I remember?” I asked flatly.
His deep chuckle could raise the hairs on the back of anyone’s neck. And still did mine as the sound floated to me. “Yeah, that’s right.”
“Names, more things I just know without knowing how . . . more small, scattered pieces to the puzzle that fell into their rightful place. Things that make more sense than what Jenna and Alexander fed me. I don’t know Jenna, yet she seemed to know things about me.”
He moved to the side of my bed. Concern pinched the skin between his brows. “What kinds of things?”
“Where I lived, where I liked to eat. She even knew what happened to my record at the Academy.”
“What did she say happened to it?”
“It was erased when I got kicked out or something to that effect. That conversation wasn’t very clear.” I tried hard not to let my thoughts travel to the coffee spill that happened shortly afterward. “Honestly, it’s almost like she’s their puppet.”
“Their?” Bear asked curiously.
“Alexander and those who worship his every word.” I felt bile rise in my throat with his name. “Mr. Blahblahs.”
He chuckled. “It’s been too long since I heard you call him that.”
“It’s true.”
“That it is,” he agreed, walking to the doorway. He looked up and down the hall.
“Is something wrong?”
He returned his attention to me and said, “I figured they’d be back by now.” After a few seconds of thought he added, “Don’t you worry. They’ll be back soon. I’ll send your beau to watch over you once he gets in.”
I smiled. “That would be nice.” His face came to the front of my mind.
“Go on ahead, Ghost, get some sleep.” I nodded, letting my eyes close. Sleep sounded too good to ignore. But sleep never came. After several minutes of lying with my eyes closed, I tossed the blanket to the floor and opened my eyes.
Blake and Bear stood before me with solemn faces. I never heard them walk in. Had I slept after all?
“We’ve got some news, kid,” Blake said.
I sat up immediately then remembered the contraption, thinking it was going to pull, but it had been removed at some point, unbeknownst to me. I pushed that thought aside. “What’s wrong?”
“I’m afraid it’s bad news,” Blake added.
“What? What is it?” I asked, hopping down from the exam table.
“Justin and, well, your compar, were gone for too long. I just checked the perimeter. There’s no sign of them. We think Alexander took them.”
I raised my eyebrow, at first in regards to the Latin term for spouse, then the rest of his words sank in. “We need to go after him.”
Wrong thing to say. Justin was a friend as well.
“Them,” I added.
“We can’t do that. We told the boss if something happened, we’d tell you what you needed to know and complete the mission.”
I stared at him blankly. “I thought I lost him once. That was enough. I can’t lose him again, and I’m not leaving him to the fate Alexander will put him through.”
I may not have my memory back completely, but I remembered enough. I saw Alexander’s face, blurred and rippled, like seeing him from under water. He was there when the transporter went down. I don’t know how I lived through the crash, but I looked at him, just before my world went black.
“Ghost, c’mon, Alexander’s got half the world behind him thinking we, Nepherium, are responsible for human deaths.”
“Then at least we have a chance at convincing the other half of the world of our innocence.” I walked out of the room.
“It’s suicide,” Bear continued, following me as I headed toward the basement to the weapons and training rooms.
“I don’t care. I’ll die trying to save him. He risked everything by remaining close to me. I’m not going to let them die for me.”
“At least listen to reason, Elsa,” Blake said.
“Reason is left to logic, and I think we know how sound that is,” I argued.
“They could b
e dead already,” Bear said.
I stopped then and stared at the floor, waiting for my body’s initial reaction to quell. When my emotions settled, I faced them. “With you or alone, I’m going. You’re welcome to do what you must, but I’m not leaving this earth without them.”
Without waiting for further argument, I turned on my heels and took the stairs to the basement, scanning my wrist for clearance at the door. As soon as the green lights and chirps activated, I pulled on the door and grabbed the gear I needed. Movement shuffled and clanked behind me. I turned to see Blake and Bear had succumbed to my reasoning, joining me after all.
“Do you have their last known position?” I asked.
“A quarter mile east of here, just outside the veil,” Blake reported. “According to surveillance, they were chasing someone through the woods.” He shook his head. “They were moving pretty fast, to the north.”
I nodded. “That’ll have to do.”
“Are you absolutely sure about this?” Bear asked.
I looked into his blackened eyes with silver and gold specks. Symbolic of the Nepherium blood, it appears during heightened emotional stress, good and bad. I nodded firmly then turned around, exchanging the old clothes I had for the black uniform. Much like the old military uniforms from several hundred years ago—only straight black and a long sleeve, thermal-type shirt interlaced with special mesh that absorbed the impact of anything that hit us. I strapped on the weapon belts to my leg, waist, and a shoulder harness with two slots for plasma swords—my specialty.
“Do you remember how to use those?” Bear asked as I slipped two sheaths into place.
I looked at him blankly, continuing to load up with pistols and a grappling gun. Leaving the utility room, I stepped into the training room, pulled out a pistol and shot crippling beads of energy into the targets placed strategically throughout the room, then exchanged the pistol for the two plasma swords. Pressing the buttons on their handles to turn them on, I proceeded to smoothly slice the heads off the plastic practice dummies. After releasing the button and sliding the swords back into their sheaths, I faced Bear and Blake. Both had bulging eyes and gaping mouths.
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