by Elle Grace
“Then, what is the test for?” I asked. Lance leaned back in his leather chair, smug. It creaked at holding his ego.
“That’s need to know.” He smirked. Clearly, he was on the need to know list and I was not. He held it over me, it had always been the same.
“You had better start telling me then, because I just kidnapped the mult, so I think that puts me on the need to know list, don’t you?” I was forceful. Lance was small and weak; I knew how to use my size to look intimidating. I could kill him in a single move and the only thing that stopped me was that I would not long enough to even leave the main building, thanks to his authority and the guards.
“Director Dubois wouldn’t like you knowing.” He said explaining but it felt like an excuse I was getting sick of not being told everything but expected to follow ridiculous orders.
“Do I look like I care about what he would like right now?” I snapped; I could feel the heat in my face.
“No.” He opened the manila folder and skim read down the page to the important part. Teasing me. It was like some strange foreplay for him. I wanted to smack him so badly, he deserved it and worse.
“So, what is going on?” I was impatient, he smirked enjoying his form of torture, time was not on my side.
“She is being tested to not only check she is a half breed but also to see how viable she is for joining the newest pass out recruits.” He informed me. I could not even understand what he had said for a minute. The pass out recruits had been training with us for months and they were only just about ready for their trials. Even then they all could have trained for much longer to be truly ready. The trials were scheduled for Wednesday and there was no way she would be ready by then.
“Are you messing with me?” I was in shock.
“No, Colt this was a board decision, apparently.” He read from the file. Of course, it was, I thought. He glanced at the door.
“Have you seen her? She has never thrown a punch in her life. She is nowhere near strong enough to deal with this.” Even though she had managed to scratch me she was not strong enough to deal with the trial or even training.
“It doesn’t matter, it is what the board wants.” Lance dismissed me but I remained where I stood. What the board wants must happen, I thought, or else God help us all.
“Those oxygen thieves don’t have a clue. We are the ones that have to train her and have to deal with her being a weak inferior recruit.” I was getting angry. I was not about to take somebody into the field that could not protect themselves. I was not a babysitter, I thought to myself.
“I’m sure we can find some uses for her.” Lance sneered and I shot him a look. He was a piece of work. The laundry list of complaints and his inappropriate behaviour towards the women at the Inperium was well known. Whispered in rumours from corner to corner of the headquarters. In fact, it was ridiculous to call them rumours, when they were the actual truth.
“You are a vile creature.” I spat, disgusted at his comments.
“You are right, I wouldn’t want to mess with her and her tainted blood.” He smiled.
“Just talk to the Director okay?” I asked.
“No can-do Colt.” He replied.
“Well I’m not training her! She would be a massive waste of time. I bet she dies in her trial.” The comment was a little harsh and I instantly regretted it, but I had seen half breeds that had trained and excelled in training, fail, and die in their trial.
“If she does so be it.” He was cold. It was what he wanted.
“Lance, I need the files you have on the Hart girl now.” William barked as he opened the door and strode in. “Oh, hello Colt. I did not expect you to be here.” He was genuinely surprised to see me.
“Director Dubois.” I nodded.
“He’s asking about the tests.” Lance snitched at once, being the pathetic little weasel, he was. William tried to hide the anger that made the vein on his neck twinge. He did not like being questioned.
“This isn’t right, the girl shouldn’t be joining the others.” I began to plead my case.
“Let him test her.” Lance said, enjoying every moment.
“There is nothing you can say that will change my mind, Colt. The board has ordered it. Who am I to go against their decisions?” William threatened. This was about more than just Viola.
5
Colt
11am 5th September 2025
She sat in the interrogation room, looking terrified. All the bravado she had before was beginning to fade. Mults never looked scared, I thought, maybe they were right to test her. They were often hard faced. At least that was what we had always been told at the Inperium. In the last few months, I had seen that was untrue from the recruits I had been training and how limited they were. It all seemed like a lie.
The room she was placed it was set up a bit like a police interrogation room with a two-way mirror. The walls were lined with a grey pitted tile. Cold and Callous. There was not a metal table bolted to the floor like all the procedural police TV shows had, it was empty. There were however a few iron loops bolted into the floor to hold any captives down with chains. From the way she refused to look at the mirror she was aware she was being watched. Maybe I was misjudging her. I was still surprised she did not know who she really was. It was so unusual for a Mult to have no knowledge of any of the kingdoms or the Inperium, it was something that they were born with.
The Director walked into the actual room with Tristan and Lance behind him. Tristan looked guilty and Lance looked menacing. Well, as menacing as his lanky self could. The Director shot a look at me through the glass as if he could see exactly where I was. Lance walked with a purpose that met the Director’s, but he did not have the stature or over inflated ego to carry it off.
“I just want to go home.” Viola said defeated, tucking her hair behind her left ear. There was a slight weariness in her voice. She had a rough night, her dress barely holding on to her body, her feet filthy from the walk across the gravel with the guards. She was weary.
“And I would love to get rid of you, but here we are.” William looked agitated. She looked puzzled at his statement and I was a little puzzled too. Clearly the Board’s wishes did not reflect what William wanted. I suppose I could not blame him; we all knew about the old family ties and feud behind the Dubois family and the Lane family. Lane was Viola’s real and proper surname before the adoption. I suppose that was a truth she was yet to know about. Their feud went back centuries, since the Inperium was founded. It was so well known, Inperium families taught their children the history as if it was part of normal schooling.
“What are you going to do to me?” She asked.
“Just some routine tests. We need to check you are who we think you are.” William smirked at her. He was enjoying playing with her. We could all see it.
“You kidnapped me, and you aren’t sure I am even the right person? That is insane!” She snapped and she was right. We knew who she was. We had even confirmed it in the night club just to be sure and even that was overkill. William just liked to torture hybrids; it was as simple as that. This was the only way he could torture Viola and get away with it when he had to explain himself to the Board.
“Director Dubois with all due respect this is unnecessary, she has the mark.” I spoke through the intercom and she perked up at my voice. If she was not aware about the mirror she certainly was now. I knew I had to say it. Not for her but just so he knew what he was doing was wrong. The Director just ignored me. He was good at that. Viola looked to the mirror for the first time and straight at me as if she could see me as well. I was beginning to question if it was an actual window instead of a mirror. The kiss we had shared hours before flooded my head and I forced myself to forget it. It was nothing special, I told myself, except that it was. I had felt the connection that I knew I was not allowed to feel.
William walked forward holding a small purple crystal.
“This is the Partenth stone, Miss Hart.” He explained. “We u
se this to test you. It is a very ancient and special tradition for us here at in the Inperium.” He held the stone above his head whispered a few words in what sounded like a different language, an ancient dialect from the same kingdom the stone was from.
“You are kidding right? A stone?” She was astounded and she had a point it must have seemed a little silly. It was not exactly menacing to look at. Lance grinned; he knew what was coming. “Surely a simple blood test or a genetic test from my saliva or something would be more accurate.” She was right, we tested the human recruits by their blood, it was just the Dubois excuse to hurt hybrids.
“Sadly, not Miss Hart, what we are testing really cannot be perceived that way, not easily.” He informed her, lying. It was easy. He walked forward until he loomed over her.
The stone was then placed on the bare skin at the top of her chest. She looked at him her eyes wide, she was going through a gradual build-up of burning and stinging pain throughout her entire body. It quickly got to an unbearable level of pain and she screamed in agony. She was writhing on the floor. William’s face was one of determination as he kept pressing the stone against her. She was cursing and shouting out all sorts of profanities as the pain surged even worse. She struggled to try and get away from the stone as the longer it pressed against the skin the more the pain escalated. Time had stopped. I was holding my breath for her. She was at the tipping point of consciousness as the pain had grew to a point where she would not even be able to breathe. Her eyes lit up and begun to glow a brilliant green, she was certainly a Mult.
“Stop this! Can’t you see you are killing her? The stone has changed colour!” Tristan exclaimed, but it was too late. William and the stone were blasted backwards by an invisible force and hit the concrete walls with a dull sickening thud. The once purple crystal now glowed deep red and rolled out of his hand. Viola slumped over on the ground.
I watched as her glowing eyes closed and she passed out. She was powerful.
6
Colt
6pm 5th September 2025
It was my job to inform Viola of what was going to happen next. William had shut himself in his office, sulking about how the tests had not gone his way. The Board had called an emergency meeting after they had heard about Viola’s arrival, I imagined he was practising his grand speech to them about why he felt the need to test her. T was becoming clear that the test was not the Board’s wishes. He had a lot of explaining to do. The Partenth stone was still blood red in colour, they had asked another hybrid to try it, but he said that he felt nothing. She had broken the stone.
I opened the door to the interrogation room and she just sat staring at me. I felt bad for her; it must have been a shock for her to suddenly find herself in some weird place being tortured. Nobody deserved that. A soldier ran in and placed a chair down for me. She was still chained to the floor. I did not care about removing the chains. Hybrids could be dangerous. The chains made it a little safer for me. Especially after what had happened the last time, I trusted a hybrid and the show I had just seen with the stone.
“What the hell do you want?” She snapped. She was mad, I could not blame her.
“Don’t you dare speak to me like that!” I demanded. I sat down in the chair looking down at her. Trying to assert authority into the situation.
“Why not?” She rolled her eyes.
“I’m your commanding officer.” I stated as calmly as I could.
“Do you kiss all your recruits?” I hated the fact she had mentioned it, because it was something I was struggling to stop thinking about. I had to keep telling myself it was nothing more than a job.
“Only the ones I have to mark. Otherwise I would never come near you.” I retorted and instantly regretted it when I saw the flash of sadness across her face.
Silence fell between us. I had not meant to be so callous. I mean she was a beautiful looking girl and I had just basically told her otherwise. That must have hurt a little bit. I was overzealous, and overcompensating.
“Are… are they going to hurt me again?” She asked, her eyes glassy. She was frightened. Her strength was an act.
“Not today.” I confirmed coldly. She tucked her hair behind her ear as best she could with her hands still chained, a small act that I watched intensely.
She wiped the tears from her cheeks. She was beginning to realise she was never going home. She was lost in thought for a few moments, staring at the ground. Eventually she raised her face to look at me.
“I can’t do this.” She said softly. Something made me want to sooth her. I could not. I pushed the feeling down.
“Well you have to.” I shook my head.
“Just let me go!” She pleaded.
“You begin training tomorrow. Tristan and I will be doing some special catch up training with you, so you are ready to join the others.” I ignored her.
“Others?” She asked.
“Yeah, it has been decided that you will join our ‘up and coming’ pass out recruits who are going to trial on Wednesday.” I informed her. “I cannot really explain more than that right now. That is Tristan’s job.”
“What? Why will no-one give me any straight answers? You all just keep moving on like I should know all this stuff and I don’t know anything. I can’t deal with this…” She replied frustrated.
“You should know all of this stuff, the fact you don’t is not my problem. I am here to do my job and nothing more.” I cut her off and shut her up. It was the truth, no one could fathom how she did not know. All hybrids were born with what we called the ‘instinct’ it was an ancient ability that meant they knew what they were and about how to open the gates. They often also knew that in order to unlock that power they had to take a trial. The fact we trained the Mults before they took their trials was more out of common courtesy and because we wanted them to have our backs when we had missions to do. It was strange she did not know the most basic of things. It meant one of two things. Either she did and she was a liar as well as a half breed, or she had repressed that part of herself after what happened when she was an infant. Either way it was bizarre.
“Why do you all keep calling me a half breed?” She asked calmly.
“Because that is what you are, you are only half human.” I replied matter of fact. “Well maybe even less as all the creatures are technically humanoid and you could be any combination.”
“You people are insane. I am human. What kind of weird cult is this?” She snapped.
“We aren’t a cult and I suggest you start trying to remember who you really are. The sooner you do the better. I am beginning to suspect your ignorance is all an act.” I eyed her and there was a moment of silence, she did not confirm or deny anything.
“I just want to go home.” She was almost whining.
“I don’t care.” I sighed.
“Of course, you don’t. You are an asshole.” She snarled. Her eyes wild and a captivating emerald green.
“I suggest you learn some respect before tomorrow.” I was going to have to break her.
“I suggest you get over yourself.” She retorted as I slammed the door, leaving her in the dark to cool down.
7
Viola
6am 6th September 2025
Tristan had come to fetch me from the room I was chained in. It had been hours. I was cold, hungry and my head was pounding. He never really said anything about it, but I could tell from his expression he was apologetic. I felt exhausted. I had spent most of the time in that room laying on the cold concrete floor wide awake, wondering how I was going to get out of there and away from the crazy organisation that had kidnapped me.
He had brought me some trainers, which I was incredibly grateful for as my feet were filthy and cut up from the night I had. It seems that any other clothing had slipped his mind and from the way he looked at me, it was clear he was regretting not bringing something else for me to wear.
He walked me over to the main building, which I recognised from earlier when I was pulled
out of the van and met the leader of the cult who kidnapped me. We walked up the stone steps into the building. I stopped inside the main entrance and pondered the décor. Although ornate and meticulously decorated, it had a dark and musty feel. Mahogany had clearly been in fashion when the building was erected. Tristan led up me a grand staircase.
“This building is like the pride and joy of this place.” He explained, he clearly did not feel the same. “They hold all the principal functions in here. This is where all the offices are for the Directors and the Board.” He continued as he saw me looking around at all the oil paintings of men and woman on the wall, they all wore the same symbol emblazoned on their chest. I looked at Tristan and realised he had it embroidered on his shirt too.
“The symbol?” I questioned. “What is that?”
“It’s the mark of the Inperium.” He said. I looked at it and recognised it. Not like distantly from the past but that I had seen it around recently before arriving at the Inperium. I just could not place where.
I followed Tristan down a couple of corridors. Until we came to a stop at about the thirtieth old fashioned oak door I had seen. I was beginning to realise that the old mansion building was a bit of a maze and I was not sure I would ever be able to find my own way around it. I hoped I was not going to be staying long enough to have to.
“Everyone should be in here.” He stated as he opened the door. “It is a little unusual to hold a meeting here.” He added. A low buzzing emitted from the room as we stepped inside, everyone seated around the large wooden table were whispering and gossiping. Around them wood panelling lined the walls up to the ornate crown mouldings all over the ceiling. The vast sized room was a colour combination of rich deep oak on top of rich deep oak. It felt like a struggling attempt at perceived grandeur. It looked like a conference room, but it smelt like my Grandma’s house when it was left empty for months after she passed away. As we stepped inside everybody fell silent as soon as they saw us. I hoped it was the presence of the Director who walked in behind us that had hushed them and not my presence.
