by C. R. Pugh
Ravyn was TS1.
Test Subject One?
“I can see that you’ve figured things out,” Ravyn said, picking up on my stillness. She covered her neck with her hand, hiding the tattoo in shame. “They put me to sleep so I couldn’t stop them from marking me.”
“Are those things filled with your blood?” I pulled a vial from the bag and inspected it again.
“No,” she answered. “It is a serum that’s supposed to replicate how fast I heal. It is more than just blood. The General’s scientists had been working on it for over a year before I was able to escape.”
I recalled another strange bit of information. The same day Ravyn and I met outside the village, I remembered being shocked when she had cut the throat of that soldier. They can never be too dead to suit me, she had said. Could it be possible?
“Why did you cut the throat of that soldier that day? I believe I know the reason, but I want you to say it.” My jaw was clenched and my hands tightened into fists again.
With a shaky voice, Ravyn answered, “He wants his mind-slaves to be invincible. That’s how he sees me.”
“So the soldiers are all like you?”
“No, not all of them,” Ravyn said, relief evident in her voice. “When the General’s scientists first started their experiments, they just injected my blood straight into the bodies of the soldiers. Many of them had terrible reactions; some even died; something about our blood not being able to mix together in its purest form, or something. I was mostly drugged when they would talk around me so I didn’t hear everything.”
“But some of them were fine? Their blood was able to mix with yours?”
“Yes, but the bad news is, I don’t know which ones. He’s had so many men and women join since my own recruiting class that there’s no way to know who can heal and who can’t. I just make sure that they are so dead that they can’t come back. Bullets to the head, bleeding out completely, burning the bodies, beheading. Those are the surest ways.”
I now understood why Ravyn could not let herself fall back into General Wolfe’s hands. With her blood and his technology and team of scientists, he could bring devastation to all of our clans. Not to mention that Ravyn would suffer for the rest of her life.
“The good news is, I believe those that have taken my blood eventually go back to normal,” she added.
“It would not be a permanent change?”
“Their bodies can’t produce my blood, so …”
“So, the General needs you as their personal blood donor?”
She nodded.
Leaning in close, I brushed my lips over her cheek, then the tattoo on her neck, and finally the smooth skin of her bare left shoulder where her wound had disappeared completely.
“I promise you, little warrior,” I murmured into her ear, “I will keep you safe.”
Ravyn turned to face me, fighting to keep her blanket over her body. Her struggle to maintain her modesty was amusing to watch. I had to pinch my lips together to keep from laughing at her predicament.
“You keep making promises that I’m afraid you won’t be able to keep.”
“There may be a way to keep you safe and hidden from the General without anyone knowing about your gift.”
Ravyn blinked in confusion. “I’m listening.”
“I want your word that you will not interrupt or argue with me until I have said what I need to say.” When she nodded her assent, I continued, “Gunter and I discussed you coming home with us to Peton, but there may be some … opposition to you staying since you are an outsider.”
“But you take outsiders in as captives all the time,” she pointed out.
“They are captives, and there are certain rules that go along with their station in Peton for a while after they join us. I was under the impression that you did not want that title.”
“Of course not,” she agreed.
“There is an old tradition in Peton; one that Gunter reminded me of two days ago.”
“Two days ago?” she interrupted. “We hadn’t even met yet!”
I pressed a finger to her lips, halting her arguments. “You promised.”
She narrowed her eyes, but merely pinched her lips together when I removed my finger.
“I was not certain of you,” I reassured her. “Gunter mentioned it because … well … all he can think about is women most of the time. If I claimed you as my own woman, no one would argue, and you would have as many rights as I chose for you.”
Ravyn was frowning, her eyes wide at my pathetic explanation. I was positive that I was making a mess of my words, but I carried on, hoping she would hear every bit.
“I have never claimed anyone before. Essentially, claiming another, in everyone’s eyes, would make you my … others would think …” I stammered like an idiot.
“Thorne, just spit it out.”
I nodded and choked out, “These couples tend to become life-mates.”
“Your life-mate?” she said, gaping at me. “As in … your wife?”
“It would be at our own discretion,” I added hesitantly. “Ravyn, you would be safe behind our walls. My home lies up in the mountains, isolated and far from the village. The only person in Peton you would answer to is me. No one else would have that right. You would have freedom there, to run, to hunt, to train. You would have every provision you needed. It is only a stone’s throw from the Fairuza Sea as well.”
“You live next to the sea?” she whispered.
I shrugged, but I knew she had always longed to see it. “I realize this sounds crazy. You are young and we have not known each other that long. And you have loved another. Perhaps you even still love him. I accept that. The claiming is merely a formality. It might be the best way to get you into Peton without question.”
Ravyn glanced away, but I could see her working things through in her mind.
“Do not answer tonight,” I told her. “Think on it. We should get some sleep in the meantime. We will make our way back to Brock in a couple of hours.”
We shifted to lie down, side by side, cocooned in our blankets. Ravyn’s back was to me so I could not see her expression. Her silence was worrisome. I hoped against hope that she would accept my offer. The thought of her wandering the Valley forever, or dying alone, was unacceptable to me.
29
Ravyn
My eyes were open. I could see, hear, and feel everything. My body was paralyzed. I couldn’t even blink. There was nothing I could do but stare at the blank wall to my right.
I was in one of the scientists’ testing rooms. Of that much, I was sure. The room was stark white and the fluorescent lights were blinding. The table I was strapped down on was a slick, silver metal. It was cold against my skin through the thin paper gown I was dressed in.
As the door opened, I felt a cold wave of air brush across my body. My neck tingled, sending a feeling of pure terror through my soul. It must have been General Wolfe coming to boast of his power over me.
As always, I willed my body to move, but it was hopeless. Whatever was in the gas that they used, it disconnected my brain from my muscle-movements. I could only lie here, listening to his footsteps getting closer and closer.
The General leaned down so that I could see only his face staring back at me. His gray eyes were gleaming with the evil he had in store for me today.
“Hello again, my dear,” he sneered.
Instinctively, I wanted to respond with an insolent remark, but my tongue was frozen in my mouth. He deliberately taunted me, because he knew that it was not in my nature to be brought low by anyone. He would always take pleasure in knowing how powerless I was in this state. He could do whatever he wanted, and I could not do anything about it.
“You know, I do this for the good of all,” General Wolfe said. “You of all people should understand, having been tossed out of your own clan. Even that decision was for your puny village’s own good.”
How did he know about that?
“Yes, I know all ab
out your miserable past. Your Elders and I had an agreement that I would take you off their hands as soon as you turned nine, but in your rebelliousness, you ran away before they could deliver you to me.”
What was he talking about? He knew the Elders? Had he spoken to my family?
“They were instructed to watch you and your pretty sister very closely when you were born to see which of you was going to have a special ability. I’ve been collecting them for a long time, trying to find the ones that can benefit the cause.”
Collected people with special abilities? I strained my mind against the drugs that were paralyzing me, but my body remained motionless. I was just a slab of meat for the General to cut to pieces on this table.
“You are my prize,” he gloated, still just inches from my face.
He tilted his head this way and that, using my glassy eyes like a mirror. He ran his fingers through his salt and pepper hair, making sure it was all laying perfectly in place. “And now, my dear, it is time to get on with it.”
He moved out of my line of sight and I was stunned by what I saw behind him. It was the most wonderful sight I had ever seen. But he should not be here. Thorne should not be standing here in this room. His blonde hair was almost as light as the walls behind him and as messy as ever. He was dressed in his usual black sleeveless shirt and black pants that tucked into his boots. He looked every bit the commander that he was. His usual icy blue eyes were filled with a deep sadness. Why did I feel as if I’d somehow put it there?
“Thorne,” I tried to utter, but the room remained silent around me.
“I am here for you Ravyn.” I heard his deep, gruff voice, but his mouth never moved.
My unmoving eyes filled with tears. They dripped down the bridge of my nose and onto the table beneath me. “Thorne, help me!” I tried to speak again, but I could only hear the words in my mind.
Thorne tilted his head to one side. Again, his mouth was motionless, though I heard his voice clearly. “I want to save you, little warrior. That is what I offered you.”
He could hear me! But he made no move to kill the General. He didn’t cut me free. “Thorne, I need you! Please!” More tears fell down the side of my face.
“I know that you need me.”
“I’ll never be free from this if you don’t save me!” I silently screamed.
“You have to choose, Ravyn. What is more important? Being with me, loving me, or living out in the forest alone with your freedom?”
Why didn’t he do anything?
“I care for you, little warrior. Do you trust me?”
“I don’t know,” I admitted. “I want to.”
Thorne’s figure began to fade away and I could only lie here in agony as he left me to the General’s tortures. “Don’t leave me, Thorne! I don’t want to be alone!”
“You must decide.”
Thorne’s arrogant figure disappeared completely from my sight, leaving me alone with General Wolfe. My tears continued to drip onto the table from my ever-open eyes.
Suddenly, General Wolfe was back in my line of sight.
“Awww. Is someone scared?” He mocked my helplessness again. Chuckling cruelly, he raised a scalpel, one of his many tools of torture, and inspected the blade with his finger. “There is no one here to save you, my dear. No one.”
***
Warm, gentle hands stroking my bare back roused me. My eyes were still closed from my restless slumber and I could feel wetness on my eyelashes and cheeks. When I opened my eyes, Thorne’s face was barely an inch from mine and he was watching me warily. The same sadness I saw in my dream was still there in his eyes. We were squeezed together, skin to skin, except for the blanket wrapped around his lower extremities. Thorne’s muscled arms were wrapped around me protectively, and somehow my blanket had shifted to cover us both. My face heated again at our position but I was thankful I wasn’t waking up alone.
“Another nightmare?” Thorne asked softly in the dark.
I bit my lip to keep from breaking out in fresh sobs and nodded my head. The dream was still fresh in my mind. I vaguely recalled General Wolfe boasting of his knowledge of my past. The drugs he used on me must have made my memories foggy after I woke from being paralyzed. It had surprised me that he would reveal those secrets to me. He must have been very confident that I would never break free from his clutches. This was one of the many reasons he wanted me back so desperately.
“Do you want to talk about it?”
I started to say no, but I hesitated. This dream was different from the others. Usually the events of my nightmares were identical to what had actually happened in reality, but not this time.
“It started the same way they always do,” I whispered. Thorne’s body immediately relaxed against mine, as if he was preparing for my rejection again. “Some event from my past comes back to haunt me whenever I shut my eyes. But this time you were there, in my dream, talking to me. I’m not sure what to make of it. My dreams have never deviated from reality before.”
“Maybe it was because you sensed me near you,” he suggested.
“It could be.” But I felt like it could be more.
Only a few minutes had passed since I’d awoken and I wasn’t sure what to say to Thorne about his offer. I was ashamed that I hadn’t said anything to him before we’d lain down to sleep.
Placing my palm flat on his chest, I said, “Thorne, I … I’m sorry. I …”
Thorne brought his calloused fingertips to my lips once again. “There is nothing to forgive. It is difficult for you to trust people. The soldiers promised you sanctuary and instead you lived in hell. I did not expect you to jump for joy at joining me behind a new set of walls.”
He ran his fingers idly over my face and hair, memorizing my every feature. Warmth spread through me again at his touch.
“So … why are we wrapped up in our blankets like this?” I muttered, very aware of my nakedness.
“When you began tossing and turning, I did not want you to roll into the fire.” He winked and grinned at my obvious embarrassment.
“I hate that you have seen me at my weakest,” I grumbled.
“Every person has a weakness,” he stated. “Just as every person has fears.”
“Really?” I said sarcastically. “And what is your weakness, warrior?”
Thorne leaned in and gave me a feather-light kiss on the end of my nose. “You are, little warrior. It does not seem to matter how far you run. I will come for you. I will be here for you.”
Thorne’s words from my dream came back to me all at once. “I have been trying to save you. You have to choose.”
In my heart, I knew he was right. As much as I had cherished my life since I’d been free of Terran and General Wolfe, it would all be for nothing if I didn’t have anyone to share it with. I could not go on like this, running around like a wild thing in the Valley with the soldiers on my heels at every turn. Didn’t I tell myself a few days ago that my luck would eventually run out?
From what Thorne had told me of Peton, it sounded like I could not do better. Joining any clan would come with a set of rules that the people lived by. I would be naïve to believe otherwise.
“Tell me more about what this ‘claiming’ means, then.”
Thorne gave me a squeeze of approval. “First, it is not a way to turn you into a captive. Captives work at any number of jobs within the city, depending on what is needed and what skills the captives have. There are Warriors assigned to oversee their work.”
“Am I going to have a job?” The thought of maybe helping to train Warriors put a smile on my face. That was the only true skill I’d ever enjoyed.
“Maybe.” He grinned at my enthusiasm. “I will be honest. Most claimed women are taken for one purpose only.”
“One purpose?” He raised his eyebrow at me and waited. “Oh, I see,” I realized, blushing and painfully aware that we were still naked and pressed against each other.
“You must live with me in my home,” he said. Then
he added, “How our relationship develops … I will leave that up to you. I promised you before that I would not touch you without invitation. I would, of course, hold to that.”
“Thank you,” I whispered. My cheeks were still hot with color.
Thorne chuckled and ran a finger down the side of my face making my skin tingle and my stomach flip over again. “Most importantly, as I said before, the claiming is merely a formality.”
“What does that mean?”
“Well, with most, a claimed woman is under the authority of the man who claimed her. He is her only master, taking only his orders. Captives brought to Peton take orders from any number of Warriors or Elders. I do not want things to be this way between us. I have no need for another person to order about. I have two women assigned to my household to do chores and the like.”
“You have two women living with you already?” I asked, disgruntled to hear this.
“They are exiles rescued from the Valley. They requested to stay in my home because they enjoyed working away from the village,” he explained. “Also, they are at least twice our age. More like mothers. They tend to boss me around more than anything.”
I giggled at this image. “I can’t imagine anyone trying to boss you around!”
Giving me a lopsided grin, he said, “For us, I would like things to remain the same, as they have been out here.”
“You mean as equals?”
“Yes.” But then his brows furrowed. “The Elders would not accept this type of relationship between us at first, thus the need for claiming. It is for appearance’s sake. Do you understand?”
“I think so,” I replied.
“We can go on as we have when we are in private. My family would accept you as my equal. The Elders … well …”
“Yes, Elders always seem to think they know what’s best for everyone, don’t they?” I said without thinking and then gasped at my foolishness. “Forgive me! I meant no disrespect to your father. I’m always saying things like that … it gets me into trouble.”
