Chapter 30 #2
My eyes track up to a pile of ash that looks slightly larger than all the rest, where the rocking chair used to be.
My head cocks to the side in wonder, my somber feeling turning over to curiosity.
“No need. I believe I know exactly who is responsible.” I turn, facing the crowd that’s accumulated by the doorway, letting devastation and sadness bleed over my features.
“Clear the wing. I would like to be alone.” Tears stream down the strangers’ somber faces, everyone sniffling or choking out sobs.
I wait a few moments, hand covering my face as my eyes turn down, acting as though I’m taking in the room for what it is.
I begin my inspection slowly, in case there’s a straggler hiding in the shadows.
I peek in the closet, rummage through the trashed furniture, and finally poke my head out from the door frame and watch as the last person disappears down the stairs.
Once I’m sure there isn’t a chance of prying eyes, I head straight for the large pile of ash. Dropping to my knees, I take one last look over my shoulder before using my forearm to wipe away the ash, swiping back and forth until the floorboards are revealed.
Just as I thought.
Staring at me is the board I insisted creaked—the one I was certain needed to be repaired.
Elizabeth always told me she never noticed anything, and that if I did, I should enjoy it because it added character to this castle built on perfection.
It lays off center, only by a hair. To anyone else, it would look like just another piece disheveled from the mayhem.
I peel the board back, but when I do, it’s not the only one that comes up. A square of the floor rises, and it’s then I know my suspicion to be true.
Oh, Elizabeth, you can’t escape that easily.
Lost in thought, I don’t hear the door open or even know anyone is in here until someone clears their throat behind me.
Startled, I suck the air from their lungs, and they hit the floor with a bang.
Standing up, I whip around and immediately return the air to his lungs.
“Remy, what have I told you about sneaking up on me?” He coughs, sputtering, trying to regain his composure, but the entire time he just looks wretched.
Bracing himself on the arm of the chair, he hauls himself up, and I cross my arms over my chest, growing impatient.
“My apologies,” he manages to squeak out. “I was just coming to grab you to look at the improvements.”
That piques my interest. “Does this have to do with the guest of honor?”
He nods nervously. I raise an eyebrow, eyeing him curiously. “Why does it seem like it isn’t good news?”
“I would rather you come and see for yourself.” His eyes bounce around the room nervously.
My jaw ticks once. Twice. “You better not be wasting my time.” Not waiting for him, I exit the office and go down the white hallway.
He scurries behind me as I swiftly move down to the basement.
My steps don’t falter until I reach the door next to the lab.
Scanning my finger, I grab the handle and look down at Remy.
“I haven’t had the most pleasant few days.
So tell me, will I be disappointed when I walk through this door? ”
“No, sir,” he says definitively.
“For your sake, I hope you’re right.” Pulling the door open, the chill of the room immediately hits me. Keeping the room at a lower temperature is a crucial part in the transition process, which was something else we learned in the beginning stages.
Harrison lays on the silver table in the center of the room, hooked up to machines with charts and documents laying around on the surrounding counters.
His wrists and ankles are still bound, which shouldn’t be the case if I was to not be disappointed.
However, before I can berate the little rat behind me, Harrison lifts his head up.
“Nice of you to join us,” he says, his voice hoarse.
“Nice to see you haven’t changed much,” I retort, anger quickly approaching. Remy quickly steps up to the table.
“I know it doesn’t look like much, but—”
I cut him off. “It doesn’t look like much of anything.” He wears a look of defeat but still continues on to show me whatever it is that is so important. Remy reaches for Harrison’s pant leg, and immediately, he thrashes, kicking Remy out of the way, clearly not wanting me to see what’s underneath.
Suddenly, my interest piques all over again. “Sedate him,” I demand.
“No need,” 452 says, coming around the corner and looking up from a clipboard.
Clearing his throat, he holds the paper against the front of his body, looking the epitome of calm and collected.
“Paralyze.” He says it like an instruction, and before my eyes, Harrison’s limbs lock up, straightening out against his will as he lies there unable to fight.
“Brilliant,” I say, shocked, a smile reaching my eyes. Remy rolls up his pants to show me his leg, and I’m stunned at what lies beneath. “Scales,” I voice, not believing what my eyes are seeing.
“The start of them, yes. It was a surprise to us as well,” 452 says. “I would like to keep him under observation, since this is only the second case we’ve seen since—”
“Since subject 1,” I finish for him. It’s true. We thought 1 to be an anomaly, a fluke in the system. Because since the accident, we’ve never come across something so out of the ordinary. And she was too much of a risk to keep in the institute. She had to be taken care of.
“Precisely. I want to run more tests, compare them to 1’s, and see what the commonality is,” he suggests.
“Do you have any theories?”
“Of course, but I don’t want to say anything yet.
It would be unfortunate to get your hopes up.
But with there only being two charts for me to go over, the likelihood of me finding something useful and not just a coincidence is highly unlikely,” he states.
“They’re unique in some way, but our labs and the magic we’ve been able to source is a lot more complex than when 1 was in our care. But I’m hopeful.”
“Do whatever it is you need.” Because if this is something, this would open up so many more possibilities—they’re endless.
My mind races with the future, with what this could mean.
If there’s something concrete here, something we can create on our own, duplicate into another treatment, then my plans open up to whole new prospects.
Truthfully, this wasn’t something I’d thought of. I’m not sure how, especially when it was staring at me so blankly in the face in the past. We could expand beyond the land of Siderium. Creatures that haven’t been seen in centuries coming to fruition and at my disposal.
If this works… If this is what I think it is…it’s monumental. Sirens will lead the charge, being my eyes and ears across the ocean floor.