Sweet Desire, Wicked Fate

by Wray Ardan

  The man stopped, looking at him in the dim light. “What the—?”

  Esere leaped up, embedded his claws in the intruder’s leg, and rammed his chin horn into his calf. The stunned man screamed. His tools crashed to the ground. Esere leaned back, ready to stab again, when someone called from the top of the stairs.

  “Carl, what’s goin’ on? You all right down there?”

  The poison pumping into the man slowed his pulse. He wobbled as he gulped for air. “Rick, help me,” he muttered. His body lurched like a boat in a storm.

  Esere sprang off him, feeling a confused mixture of excitement at assaulting a human, anger at being caught off guard, and sadness that his home no longer existed.

  The man tumbled down the remaining stairs, unconscious.

  Esere scrambled across the dank room and out the window. When he reached the safety of the cane field, he fell to the ground. He was certain that any punishment Datura inflicted on him for leaving the pack and letting himself be seen would not be as agonizing as the pain he felt at knowing Dekle was gone.

  CHAPTER 9

  “Jaden … Jaden. Say something. Jaden—” Violet continued calling out to her.

  Jaden wanted Violet to leave her alone. The more she was learning, the worse Jaden felt. Cerophagous Cautelosus. She could barely pronounce the words, but their meanings, flesh-eating, treacherous, cunning, were vibrating in her head. It was bad enough that this professor was related to her. But was she really any better? After all, she had released his twisted creations.

  The Bellibone inhaled Jaden’s guilt as if it were a cloud of spores floating through the room. Jaden doubted whether guilt had ever entered her grandfather’s conscience. At the same time, she knew that she had to get all the information she could while the Mal Rous weren’t around. Striving to calm down, she steadied her breathing and found her voice again.

  “So, what’s your scientific name?” She waited to hear some word she’d never be able to spell, a word that would mean she’d better run and hide before Violet revealed a set of fangs.

  “He just referred to me as a Bellibone.” Violet smiled at her, obviously relieved that Jaden had survived her mini-meltdown. “Jaden, Professor Thatcher wasn’t always a misguided man.”

  “Misguided! He was certifiable.”

  “Yes, yes, I know how this must sound to you, but when he first began developing us he was brilliant and kind. I understood why Elvina fell in love with him. Over time, his experiments had a negative effect on his health. It was Datura’s bite that caused him to change so drastically, physically, mentally … and emotionally.”

  “Why would Datura bite him?” Jaden asked.

  “The Professor was always experimenting on the Mal Rous. I like to believe that he was trying to discover a way to humanize them—”

  “Humanize? What’s the point? Have you read the news lately?” Seeing Violet’s bewildered expression, Jaden said, “Sorry, go on.”

  “One day the Professor came into the cellar with a special mushroom brew he’d had one of the triplets mix for him.”

  Triplets? Great. More bizarre DNA experiments gone bad? Jaden felt as if she were sinking further into a bottomless pit.

  “Prior to that, he had given the mixture to the Mal Rous in small doses. This time, before he could open the container, Datura went after him. She got hold of the bottle with her tentacles and broke it with her teeth. Her gums were bleeding, but she didn’t care. When the Professor tried to take it from her, she slashed her claws into his arm and sank her teeth into the open wound, sending her blood into his system, mixing with his blood. While Datura was latched onto the Professor, a sixth Mal Rou, by the name of Talis, consumed all of the elixir.

  “The Professor fell to the ground, convulsing, and became unconscious.” Violet’s voice quivered, “There was nothing I could do. The next day, when the Professor woke up, Talis was dead. While a mere teaspoon of this particular elixir invigorated them, apparently too much would cause their demise. The Professor had created the Mal Rous with a substantial amount of newt DNA, and thought them to be indestructible. It is my understanding that newts can regenerate their limbs, spinal cord, eyes, intestines—”

  Indestructible. The word sat on Jaden’s tongue like a fat maggot.

  “From that day on, the Professor changed. He enjoyed seeing how much suffering the Mal Rous could create. It was as if he had been taken over by a sinister force. By Datura.”

  “So you’re saying he became an indestructible super-human?” Jaden cringed, picturing him turning into Wolverine.

  “No, no, by no means. We are not magical super-beings. But the Professor acquired certain traits of Datura’s. He enjoyed coming into his lab in the cellar to eat raw meat with his ‘little darlings.’ I believe it was because he was unable to extract blood from animals or people, the way Datura can.”

  “She drains blood from people and drinks it?” Jaden gagged as if she’d swallowed the imaginary maggot. “Datura’s a miniature vampire? I’m so screwed.”

  “Oh no, she is not large enough to drink that much all at once. She pumps small amounts from her catch with her tentacles. Do you remember the way that some of them reached for you? She is part mosquito. It’s one of the reasons she dislikes me so; damselflies are mosquitoes’ natural predators. She uses some of her other tentacles for tracking her game. A few carry the toxic sap of the thornapple plant. Are you familiar with it?”

  Jaden shook her head.

  With just the toss of a stone, the worst thing in her world had changed from the habitual taunts of a mean sister to the life-sucking vengeance of Datura.

  “Do you think the Mal Rous know that I’m related to the Professor?” Jaden asked.

  The tilt of Violet’s head and her sad expression was answer enough.

  Jaden’s eyes widened. She raised her finger to her lips as she looked at the front door.

  “Did you hear that?” she whispered.

  Violet shook her head.

  Jaden tiptoed into the other room and peered out the window.

  If the Mal Rous were back, they were hiding. She stepped into the shadows and waited for the Mal Rous to storm the house and pummel her.

  After a few minutes her jumpy nerves settled. She went back into the kitchen.

  “It wasn’t the Mal Rous, Jaden. I will be able to smell them long before their arrival.” Violet exhaled, sending her floral essence wafting through the room. “We all have an excellent sense of smell, sight, and of course, hearing.”

  “Oh. Okay.” Jaden inhaled the fragrance. She rolled her shoulders and stretched her neck as if she were preparing for a boxing match.

  “Then what about Ivan?” Gesturing at her skin, Jaden continued, “I know he can spread poison ivy. Plus Tig said he has snake venom.”

  “Yes. You were paying attention the other day. Ivan also has the DNA of a coral snake. A bite from him can be lethal. The Professor taught him to inject only small amounts of venom, not quite enough to paralyze a person’s breathing muscles.”

  “What can Tig do?” Jaden asked dryly.

  “You experienced the spurges poison she injected into you with her tendrils. She also has black widow DNA. You were lucky that she did not bite you as well. That could have sent your body into shock.”

  “I’m never going to remember all of this. I need to wrap my mind around it.” Jaden shook her head as if trying to make room for all of the information. “Umm … Datura: part mosquito, uses her tentacles to drink people’s blood. Ivan: poison ivy toxins and coral snake. Has the ability to paralyze me.” Jaden looked over at Violet, who was nodding. “Tig: black widow poison plus spurges plant, which obviously causes mental illness,” Jaden said with sarcasm, gesturing to herself. “So that leaves Esere and Anders. What about them?”

  “Esere has scorpion DNA. The toxins are in his chin horn and can cause increased heart rate. He also has Calabar bean DNA, which can be fatal if he gets too carried away.” Tapping her own nose, Violet added, �
�Do you recall the shape of his nose? That comes from vulture DNA.”

  “What the blazes was wrong with my grandfather?”

  Violet reached her hand toward Jaden as if wanting to comfort her. When Jaden didn’t return the gesture, Violet pulled back. “With Anders, the Professor’s results exceeded his own expectations. He used the oleander plant—the toxins are in his fangs. Also centipede—the poisons are released from the tendrils on the sides of his skull. And DNA from a Komodo dragon. Did you notice the way that his head sways when he walks, and the size of his jaw? For being only seventeen inches tall he can cause quite a bit of damage.”

  “A Komodo dragon?”

  “I don’t believe it was difficult for Professor Thatcher to find a source of DNA for one. The scientific community was quite close. He had connections all over the world.”

  “So, if the Professor was so brilliant, and they have his DNA, why are they so … backwards? You seem intelligent.”

  “Well,” Violet beamed, “though I never knew Elvina, I have always assumed she had an inquisitive mind. I too have a passion for knowledge. You saw all the books she left in the house. I’ve had many years to read.” A frown passed over Violet’s face. “However barbaric the Mal Rous are, the Professor did his best to teach them. Still, he could never rein in their eagerness to cause havoc, nor their joy for tormenting humans. But don’t be fooled by Datura. She is extremely bright. She pretends to be a simpleton for the others. And though they are not intellectual, they are quite conniving, very quick to find a way to gain control of a situation.”

  “Anything else I should know?” Jaden spoke more urgently. Aware of how long they’d been talking, she worried that the Mal Rous might return.

  “Yes,” Violet answered quickly. “Datura’s thornapple sap produces delirium. Even hallucinations. An adequate dose will last for several days. The toxins can cause her quarry to forget how they came to be injured.”

  “So that means no one would know what made them sick. No one would have any memory of being attacked.” Jaden lowered her gaze to avoid making eye contact with the grim reaper that she imagined standing before her.

  “There may be one person who remembers. A little boy who lived in this house many years ago.” Violet shook her head sadly. “Regrettably, he saw the Mal Rous and experienced all their effects. Datura boasted that she chose not to give him any thornapple. If he is alive, he may remember them. He may be willing to help.”

  “Were any other townspeople changed?” Jaden asked, thinking of Officer Duncan.

  “Besides the Professor, I do not know of the Mal Rous DNA ever mixing their blood with anyone else’s—only their poisons, which made people ill or delirious. The effects would normally pass in a few days, though there may have been lasting maladies such as skin disorders and learning disabilities. I recall the Professor saying they’d made one person insane. That was very upsetting to him. However, that was before Datura bit him.”

  “I don’t get it. Why did he want them to hurt people?”

  “I believe at first he found their actions unsettling. Over time, he grew accepting of it. His need to observe the Mal Rous attacking people developed after Datura’s blood merged with his, and her desires became his.”

  An acidic taste filled Jaden’s mouth. “What am I going to do?”

  “I am very sorry that I cannot be of more help.”

  “Well, like it or not, I’m helping you.” Finding a sturdy tree limb on the back porch, Jaden ignored Violet’s plea to let her be. Prying apart the two branches that trapped the Bellibone, Jaden wedged a hunk of wood no bigger than a large pack of chewing gum between them, leaving enough space for Violet to maneuver her leg free, if she chose.

  Violet eased into a more comfortable position.

  “The Mal Rous shouldn’t even notice.” Jaden arranged the leaves so they hung down, concealing the gap. “Besides, they’re going to come after me whether I help you or not.” Sitting back down, Jaden considered all the stories she’d read, movies she’d seen that taught good wins over bad, right is might.

  All lies. In this scenario, she would never be the victor.

  “The Professor did keep records of his research.” Violet gave a strained smile, as if attempting to express encouragement. “They may be in his main laboratory. Or your Grandmother Elvina may have taken them with her. Or perhaps Dr. Whiting has them. After your grandmother left, he would visit the house and sit in her room. He missed her terribly.”

  “Maybe they’re hidden somewhere in the house.” Jaden leaned back, and her palms landed in thick globs of sap that stuck to her like glue. “Oh yuck, this isn’t Ivan’s slobber, is it?” She rubbed her hands together, trying to ball it up, but that only made it worse, blending with the pink goop from around her wrists and making a sticky mess that seeped into her skin.

  “May I see?” Violet asked, trying to look at Jaden’s hands. “You shouldn’t go to the estate. The Mal Rous will be there.”

  “What?” Jaden jumped up. “My mom and sister are there. I’ve got to go.”

  “Jaden, please, let me see your palms. If it is Datura’s—”

  “I have to hurry!” Tossing her bottle of water into her pack, Jaden ignored Violet’s plea.

  CHAPTER 10

  The neurons in Jaden’s brain were tingling. Her thoughts were whirling faster than her bicycle pedals as she rode to the mansion. She didn’t care what Violet had been trying to say about her hands when she’d rushed out of the shack. Her only concern was getting to the Mal Rous before they could hurt anyone. She skidded onto the estate’s driveway, then paused. Everything appeared charged with energy. The colors were glowing and vibrant. Grinning, she listened to the magnolia blossoms singing, and let out a belly laugh at such a crazy idea.

  Her palms were stuck to her handlebars. Shaking them free, she dropped her bike to the ground and barreled into the kitchen. Carl was sitting on a chair surrounded by his four crewmen, her mother, and Ava. Brooke looked up. The set of her jaw made it clear that she was not pleased to see Jaden.

  Jaden didn’t say anything. She turned away, trying to hide her toothy grin.

  They were all listening to Carl, who was covered in perspiration and gesturing at his leg. His speech slurred as he complained of chest pains and insisted that a two-legged rat wearing clothes had attacked him.

  Rick said he hadn’t seen any rodents in the cellar. Everyone’s faces held lines of tension. They thought Carl must have had a stroke—until he showed them where the animal had gouged him in the calf.

  Mal Rou. He lost them when he said it was wearing clothes. Jaden glanced around looking for signs of the wicked thing.

  “My vision is messed up,” Carl said, blotting the moisture from his face with his handkerchief. “Maybe that there critter didn’t have on clothes.” He looked at Jaden and rubbed his eyes.

  “Your eyes are just fine, Carl. I really am covered in pink slime.” Jaden giggled. “I probably look like I’ve stepped out of a Salvador Dali painting.”

  She was still laughing as Ava spun her around.

  “Are you drunk?” Ava scrutinized Jaden’s dilated pupils. “Drugs! You’re on drugs.”

  Brooke stepped closer. Jaden could tell her mom was ready to lose it. Stress was scribbled over her face like a splotchy red tattoo. She was obviously concerned about Carl’s health and probably worried that he might sue her. Jaden wondered if her mom could hear the fans clinking and clanking in every room of the house, nattering on about Jaden riding her bike all the way here, Jaden possibly drunk—or worse, Jaden being on drugs.

  Ava pushed Jaden aside. She was in drill sergeant mode. “Carl, you have to go to the hospital.”

  “Y-yeah, yeah,” Carl said meekly.

  “Rick, you take him.” Ava snapped her fingers inches from Rick’s face. Then she barked at the rest of the crew, “Get back to work.”

  How perfect. Jaden stood staring at her sister, watching her profile go in and out of focus. Ava loves bossing peopl
e around. She just doesn’t help anyone unless she can benefit from it.

  Ava seized their mother’s arm and hauled her toward the back door. She called over her shoulder, “Jaden, put your bike in the back of the car.”

  “Sure,” Jaden said, doing her best to walk like a sober person.

  Moments later, Ava was driving the three of them to their small rental house. Pressing her fingers against her eyes to stop the rush of colors whizzing by, Jaden smelled Datura’s sap on her palms. She smeared the noxious secretions onto her shorts. Violet’s words of concern sank in. Jaden tried to remember the Mal Rous’ various vile abilities. She couldn’t think straight. Which poison is this? Thornapple?

  Ava turned up the volume on the radio, sending Jaden’s loopy brain reeling. She knew Ava hated the quiet. It was as if the noise filled up the holes in her sister’s heart and stopped unwanted memories from taking hold. Or maybe her head is empty and the noise just rattles around, making her feel like she actually has something up there.

  The car pulled into the driveway, and Jaden watched her sister jump out and dash to the front door. Ava snatched a note from the doorjamb and smiled as though she’d won the lottery.

  “Mom,” Jaden scooted forward. “I know you’re not in a good mood, but now do you believe me about the Mal Rous?”

  “You’re right,” her mom said, turning toward the backseat. “I’m not in the mood. One more word about Mule Rules—”

  “Mal Rous, Mom. Mal, as in bad and evil!”

  “I mean it, Jaden, stop it.” The sealed car was turning into a steam room on wheels. “You’re not going to read any more horror books. They’re spinning your imagination out of control.”

  “Hah! I couldn’t make this up if I wanted to.”

  “What’s wrong with you lately?” Brooke demanded, practically jumping over the seat. “Is Ava right? Have you been drinking? Taking drugs? Is this all because of that boy?”