by Jenn Vakey
My body completely shut down after that. I just collapsed to the ground, a deep sob moving through me. I had lost them. Both of them. Rhydian might be alive, but there was no fixing what I had done. And Lillith… I didn’t even know where to start.
I wasn’t sure how much time passed before I felt a hand on my arm. I never even considered trying to defend myself. Either it was Rhydian or another threat. At that point, I wasn’t even sure that I cared if I died. It had to be better than the pain and heartbreak I was feeling.
“We need to go,” Rhydian said hoarsely, trying to pull me up.
I pushed him away and shook my head. “Just leave me.”
He didn’t listen to me. I felt his arms move under me as he lifted me up. “Please don’t take me back,” I cried, but I didn’t have the energy to do anything more than drop my head down against his chest. “I need to find her. I have to save my sister.”
And that was the last thing I remembered before everything faded away.
When I opened my eyes again, the darkness had been replaced by the warm sunlight. It was coming in through the window in one of the clinic rooms. The same one I had woken up in that first day in Alkwin. In the chair in the corner was Rhydian, sound asleep.
I had to fight back tears as I looked at him. There were deep bruises on his throat. Not unlike the ones that I’d had after that horrible Sentry in the woods. But he was okay. Well, he was alive.
The pain in my chest was so intense. It twisted within, threatening to swallow me whole. I needed to get out of there. Out of Alkwin. I couldn’t face him. Couldn’t see that hurt in his eyes again.
I pushed up as quietly as I could on the bed, but even the faint squeak it gave was enough to wake him. He blinked a few times to shake off the sleep, then just stared at me. I didn’t even think it was possible, but somehow the vacant, emotionless expression on his face was even harder to deal with then the pain had been. Like he had completely shut down again.
Holding his gaze was too hard. I looked down at my hands on my lap as I swung my legs over the edge of the bed. “You shouldn’t have brought me back here,” I said, wishing I was anywhere else.
“You triggered your abilities last night,” he said dryly.
My brow dropped as I tried to remember. I had been so confused, so overcome by grief that I hadn’t even really thought about what had happened to Adler. Hadn’t tried to understand it. I had killed him.
“W–what did I do to him?”
“Succubus,” he answered. “You drained his energy. Look at your side.”
My side? I looked down at my shirt, but saw no sign of the injury that I remembered. I had just thought it had been some horrible dream that had mixed with the events of what actually happened. But… this wasn’t the shirt I had been wearing. When I lifted the edge up, I could see that there really was an injury. Or there had been. It was almost completely healed.
There wasn’t any tech we had that would make something heal that quickly. Not even the skin gel.
“And siren,” he added. “I had suspected, but seeing you pick up Adler’s lies even when you weren’t looking at him last night confirmed it.”
My mind reeled with what he was saying, not wanting to accept it. It had been hard enough to wrap my head around the idea that I was Tainted now. Now he was telling me that I had been all along. For as long as I could remember. I wanted to balk, but my thoughts were too numb.
“We have a meeting in ten minutes,” Rhydian said, his eyes on his watch as he pushed himself up from the chair. “Our leader is back. Do not speak until you’re spoken to. I mean it, Leeya.”
I looked back down at my hands on my lap, so scared about whatever was coming. I knew I had to tell them all what I had done. I had to admit to betraying them, betraying him. I had to watch the same hurt that Rhydian had in the faces of everyone who had trusted me. Then I had to wait and find out what they were going to do with me.
He should have just left me out there. Let me go back to Eden and look for my sister.
Rhydian walked over to the door and held it open, but he stared down at the floor while he waited for me to get down and walk out with him. He was so cold and stiff, tension radiating from him to the point that it made my stomach turn. As much as I hated it, I deserved far worse.
We walked out of the clinic and into one of the buildings that I hadn’t been in before. It looked like a gathering hall of some kind. In it, there were already close to twenty people seated in the rows of chairs that faced ahead. Most I knew. Faida was there, so were Noella and Jaron. Auggie.
Rhydian stayed by my side, walking with me toward the front of the room. Then he pointed to a chair off to the side. I walked over to it without waiting for him to actually have to use words.
I couldn’t really look at anyone else. They were all chatting so casually, which meant that they didn’t know yet. No one even noticed that I was there at all.
Then the room went silent for a moment before people started to greet someone new. I looked back and saw that a man I had never seen had walked in. He was around Dallin’s age. Slender and toned, with black hair and a short beard. He was talking to Faida, greeting her with a warm smile. The relaxed expression did nothing to hide the aura of power that surrounded him.
The leader. It had to be.
That only made me more nervous. He didn’t look my way, though. He just walked down the aisle toward where Rhydian was standing at the front of the room. Only feet from where I sat.
“Well, my boy,” he said, slapping a hand to his arm. I could see his focus shift to the bruises on his neck, but he didn’t acknowledge them. “Let’s hear what information you learned that actually warranted the risk of a Haller call.”
He didn’t look like he was chastising him. More like teasing him. Maybe intrigued. All I could do was sink down further in my chair, waiting for Rhydian to tell them all about the spy in their camp.
“We were out for a walk last night when we were attacked,” Rhydian said. My eyes shot quickly to him, sure that I was hearing him wrong. He didn’t look at me though, not even out to the other people in the room when the echo of gasps swept through it. His attention was on the leader. “We came to in the woods with Adler. He told us that the Tainted that have been captured are alive. They’ve been using them for something. We need to come up with a plan for getting them out of Eden.”
The room was silent. Like me, everyone seemed to just be staring at Rhydian. Almost like they expected him to tell them it had all been an ill-humored joke.
It was Faida who finally broke the silence. “Where’s Adler now? How did you get away?”
“Dead,” he said, shifting his attention toward her. “Her abilities triggered. No one else was there, which isn’t really surprising. He would have sent the Sentry who grabbed us away before he tried to kill me.”
“How can we know he was telling the truth?” the leader asked. “Not just goading you.”
“He was,” I interjected, not taking my eyes off of Rhydian. Why wasn’t he telling them the truth? It didn’t make sense. He still wasn’t looking at me, just staring down at the ground now. I didn’t understand. “I can tell when people are lying. Rhydian said it’s siren based. Adler was telling the truth.”
The room erupted into noise, everyone talking at once about what this all meant. Ideas already flying around about what steps should be taken. Ways to try to rescue them.
From the corner of my eye, I could see the leader turn his attention to me. It was only then that I could make myself look away from Rhydian. When I met the leader’s gaze, though, I was met by a look of confusion. One that I didn’t understand.
“You…” he said, and I felt my panic building again. Did he know? Rhydian might not have told everyone what had really happened, but was he about to? About to declare whatever punishment he thought appropriate? His eyes weren’t on me long, though. They started moving around the room, searching. When he didn’t find what he was looking for, he turned back to
me. “Where’s the other one?”
It was only then that Rhydian looked at me. He was confused too, trying to understand what this man was talking about.
When I didn’t give him an answer, the leader took a step toward me. I pushed back further in my seat, unsure about what he intended to do. All I knew was that the intensity of his gaze was scaring me.
Rhydian watched my reaction, then grabbed the man by the arm. Stopping him from getting any closer. “What’s going on?” he asked tightly.
It wasn’t until I heard the faint echo his voice caused that I realized that the entire room had fallen silent again, everyone watching the exchange. Waiting for an explanation.
“She told me there were two,” the man said, something between frustration and desperation in his voice. “Where’s the other one?”
Two? He was looking at me, so I assumed I was one. The other one? Was he talking about Lillith? The people in the city had told them that we were coming here together, but I couldn’t understand why he would be acting like this. Unless he also had some strange interest in how being twins affected things. That thought didn’t leave me feeling very safe.
“What are you talking about?” Rhydian asked, still holding the man’s arm. Added to the list of everything else, his actions made no sense. Why was he acting at all protective when he saw that I was frightened? Could it mean things weren’t as bad as I thought? No, that couldn’t be it.
“Marla,” the man said, snapping all other thoughts from my head. “She told me there were two.”
It felt like my heart stopped in my chest, like I forgot how to breathe until my lungs actually started burning and forced me into it. No, that wasn’t possible.
“How do you know that name?” I asked, fearing what he was going to say. No one here should know about her. She didn’t have anything to do with this.
Rhydian didn’t wait for him to answer before responding to what he had also figured out the question had meant. “Her sister was taken when they were leaving Eden. Adler confirmed that she’s still alive. With the others.”
A flash of rage hit the man’s eyes and he took another step toward me, almost pulling out of Rhydian’s grip. “And you killed him?”
“After he shot her and wrapped his hands around my throat,” Rhydian said, pushing him back and placing himself in his path. “He wanted to take her too. He wanted twins to experiment on. Wanted her to watch as he killed Lillith in front of her. He was going to torture her to death.”
All I could do was sit there, eyes locked with the man staring back at me. My throat felt dry, my vision clouding with tears. But I had to ask. I had to know.
“How do you know Marla?”
“Maybe I should introduce myself, since no one seems to have done it yet,” he said tersely. “I’m Orson Blaker.”
It felt like I had been punched in the chest. The room seemed to be growing smaller, making it impossible to breathe. I had to get out of there. Get away from this man. I had to run.
So I did.
No one stopped me as I stood and fled the room. I could hear confused murmurs, but nothing sank in. Nothing made sense. I just knew I had to get away from him. I had to think. Had to try to make sense of this.
I didn’t stop until I reached the fallen tree in the woods. As soon as I did, whatever strength that had been propelling me and keeping me together evaporated. I dropped down to the ground, my chest heaving as tears soaked my face.
Footsteps moved in moments later, and Rhydian sat down next to me.
“Leeya, what’s going on?” he asked, placing his hand down on my back.
“Stop being so nice to me!” I cried, frantically shaking my head. “I don’t deserve it. Not after what I did to you.”
He grabbed me and pulled me onto his lap, wrapping his arms around me as I cried into him. I hated it so much. This pain in my chest. The way my insides felt like they were melting away, unable to ever really feel comfortable or normal again.
Rhydian sighed, his voice still so low as he spoke. “I’m not saying that I forgive you, because I honestly don’t even know if that’s possible, but I can’t say I really blame you for what you did. He was promising something you couldn’t pass on. There isn’t anything we wouldn’t risk or do for family. Hell, I faced down my father and admitted what I was just so he would let me take my sister. I was certain he was going to have me arrested right then and there. Killed to hide his shame.”
I shook my head. “That’s not the same.”
“Leeya, you jumped in front of me when he fired. You didn’t know I could stop the bullets. You didn’t tell him about Myrah being alive, when I could tell you knew. Then you killed him even though it meant losing a lead in finding your sister,” he stated. “Yeah, you fucked up. You lied, you betrayed me, you pretended to…” He sighed, his chest vibrating against my head. “But you tried to fix it. I’m just going to need time to work through that.”
“I don’t want you to forgive me,” I told him, sliding off of his lap and turning to face him. “I’m only saying the rest of this to set the record straight, and because I don’t want you to hurt more than what I’ve already caused you. Not to defend my actions. Yes, I betrayed you. But I never lied, I never pretended anything. Only that there wasn’t a homicidal future king trying to get me to take you to him. That doesn’t make any of this okay, though. You should have told them the truth.”
Rhydian stared at me for several long moments after that, like he wasn’t quite understanding what he was hearing. Then, without uttering a word, he leaned forward and kissed me.
The move startled me, but I couldn’t stop myself from kissing him back. I knew it didn’t mean anything. Not like the others had. That was gone, and it wasn’t coming back. This was just one last kiss.
He sighed when he sat back, then pulled his knees up and rested his arms on them. He looked uncomfortable, like he regretted what he had just done. It made it hurt even more, which I didn’t think was possible. “Now I need you to tell me what’s going on with Orson.”
I nodded, wiping the tears free from my face. I was still afraid to admit out loud what I had come to realize, but I wasn’t in a position to deny his request. “Harkins,” I said, looking out into the trees around us. My tongue felt numb as I spoke. I had to practically force the words out. “Dallin gave it to me. My birth name is Leeya Blaker.”
Rhydian made a startled sound, but I couldn’t look at him. I still wanted to deny it, to be told that it was impossible. Nothing more than a coincidence. Seeing it on his face would only make it true.
Orson was my father.
* * *
Dear Reader,
First of all, I’d like to thank you for taking a chance on Tainted Plans. The Tainted World Series holds a very large piece of my heart, and I truly appreciate you joining me in their world.
If you enjoyed the book, I would be very grateful if you could write a review on Amazon. Every review makes a difference and helps other readers discover the book.
As for the Leeya and Rhydian, I am proud to say that their adventures aren’t complete yet. Book two in the six book series, Tainted Rescue, is currently available for pre-order. If you would like updates on when the following books in the series will be available, check me out on Facebook here.
Pre-order your copy of Tainted Rescue today!
If you’re in the US, click here.
If you’re in the UK, click here.
For any other country, click here.
Love,
Jenn
P.S. I’d love to hear from you! Come say hi on Facebook. I do my best to respond to everyone :)
P.P.S. Need something to read in the meantime? Check out the first chapters of Loving Danger with the added bonus chapters. Just keep turning…
Other Books by Jenn Vakey
Rilynne Evans Mysteries
Delusions with Murder
Deception with Murder
Betrayal with Murder
Suspicions with
Murder
Wanted with Murder
Found with Murder
Revenge with Murder
Obsession with Murder
Addicted with Murder
Greed with Murder
Diary of the Pirate Killer
Hidden Adventures: Rilynne Evans Short Stories
Mistaken Reality Series
Mistaken Reality
Desperation
Infiltration
Creatures of the Underworld Series
Forbidden Nights
Loving Danger Series
Loving Danger
When Everything Changed: Loving Danger Short Stories
Secrets Revealed (Coming Spring 2019)
Tainted World Series
Tainted Plans
Tainted Rescue (Coming April 2019)
Bonus Chapters
Loving Danger
Chapter One
There are times, moments that can be looked back upon, that change the entire course of your life. Whether it be a decision you make or a situation you find yourself in, nothing’s ever the same again. As Bailey Mills walked home from the diner she worked at, she never imagined this would be one of those times.
The chill in the October air left her holding her charcoal grey coat tightly around herself as she passed through the entryway of the park. It was a quiet night, with almost no one crossing her path. She didn’t mind. In fact, there was something almost comforting in being surrounded with only the sounds of nature. It reminded her of home. It wouldn’t last.
Men were talking ahead, but she paid no attention to them. The park was heavily frequented, so it wasn’t uncommon for her to see people as she passed through. It wasn’t until one raised his voice that she thought anything of it. A grip of panic held onto her, but she pushed through and continued further. She was only ten minutes from home. Blocking the sounds of the men from her mind, she started moving faster down the path.
