Chapter Twenty-Three
I PLAYED BY LUCIEN’S RULES and pretended to be weak and miserable.
I slumped in the chair, didn’t react when one of the guards ran his hand up my leg as he fastened the cuff around my ankle, and did my best to stop the ice from taking over and protecting me.
I would follow Lucien’s lead, but I couldn’t guarantee I’d be able to stop myself if they tried to bleed us again. It wasn’t the thought of being harvested again that repulsed me—it was the blunt reminder of what flowed in our veins.
I had a feeling the ice kept forsaking me because it knew I wasn’t strong enough to wield it anymore. It knew that each time we ‘healed’ in that dreamscape, we were only killing ourselves faster because we were harnessing power that would ultimately be our undoing.
Roy Swift appeared in the doorway, looking no worse for wear from last night.
Pity.
“Ah.” He clapped his hands as if meeting us for a leisurely breakfast. “You’re already here...
perfect.” Narrowing his eyes on Lucien, he glided over the thick carpet.
“I heard you didn’t eat anything.” Clucking his tongue, he came toward me.
“How can you stay strong if you don’t eat?
” Patting my head like I was a labrador, he added, “You mean so much to me, and I intend to look after you well. So...if you refuse to eat again, I’ll just have to make you. ”
“Get your motherfucking hands off her,” Lucien growled.
Removing his hand from my hair, Roy backed away. “Seeing as we’ll be living together for a while, Lucien, you really need to work on your temper.”
“Fuck you.”
“My, my, you really are a grouch. I’m guessing you’re just hungry. Don’t worry, the moment we’ve finished here, I’ll hook you up to a nice drip full of delicious vitamins and minerals. Can’t have you sick for surgery.”
Lucien laughed coldly. “So your promise of no vitalsync core is just as worthless as you.”
“Yes well, that’s your fault.” Roy sniffed. “You killed my daughter. I can’t exactly have you killing anyone else now, can I?”
“I’ll kill all of you before I’m through.” Lucien smiled, never looking away. The temperature in the room went dangerously hot.
Don’t give yourself away. Wasn’t that your plan? I raised an eyebrow.
His jaw worked as he reined in the fire and the air cooled back to normal.
Roy held Lucien’s stare for a moment before striding to the wall. He smiled politely as the five other men from last night filed into the room. A few still looked a little green but all of them were standing.
Yet another pity.
Crossing his arms and leaning against the wall, Roy waited until the men had found a spot.
“You brought us back here, Swift. What now?” a youngish looking guy muttered. “If you think I’m drinking their rotten blood again, you’re having a laugh.”
An older guy with a pot belly scowled. “What the hell did you do to it?” Glowering at Lucien, he added, “First you destroy your own company and now you’ve destroyed your own blood. If I didn’t know any better, I’d say you were suicidal.”
“Better than letting you leeches drink it.” Lucien grinned.
“Can’t we just kill him?” the younger guy said. “I had a quick chat with one of the scientists on the way in. He said the initial tests overnight are incredibly disappointing. Why are we bothering to keep him alive if his blood is tainted?”
“I’m aware you’re the youngest of us and have more time on your side, Colin,” Roy snapped.
“But forgive me if we’re reluctant to give up the strength, gifts, and longevity just because of a little blip.
” He rolled his shoulders back as if doing his best to hold onto his temper.
“I’m sure this is just a misunderstanding.
With a few more tests, we’ll figure it out and adapt accordingly. ”
“What’s wrong with you?” a tall man in a navy pin-stripe suit poked Lucien’s shoulder. “Did you catch a disease? Why is it black?”
Lucien just smirked and said nothing.
The air grew warm again, making my skin prickle.
A soft squeak of wheels cut through the tension. Roy pushed off the wall as the two scientists from last night wheeled in their massive trolleys. “Great. You’re here.” Turning to face Lucien, he added, “The sooner we’ve gotten a few more samples from you, the sooner we can all go back to normal.”
Lucien still didn’t speak again—his silence somehow more terrifying than a threat.
Goosebumps shot down my arms as the two scientists parked themselves on either side of us. They pulled out surgical tools, scalpels, syringes, and other terrifying things, lining them up neatly on stainless steel trays.
How long are we going to pretend for? I flicked a look in Lucien’s direction.
Not much longer.
“It seems as though your blood not only made us suffer fevers, rashes, and nausea, but also killed two dogs, four guinea pigs, and a handful of rats when we tested it in the lab.” Roy sighed sadly. “Such a shame.”
My heart clenched with guilt.
Yet more creatures had suffered because of this damn R gene.
The scientist dealing with me shoved up my dirty sleeve and tapped the vein in my elbow. Swiping an alcohol wipe over my skin, he secured a rubber band around my bicep.
Now? I asked silently. Now can we kill them and get out of here?
“Since your blood might have turned poisonous, we’re pivoting.” Swift announced, his voice sending icicles through my insides. “Of course, we’ll take your blood again, but what I’m really interested in is bone-marrow aspiration.”
“Bone marrow aspiration?” My pulse raced. “What’s that supposed to mean?”
“Exactly what you think it means.” His gaze hardened. “We’re going to test everything. And I do mean everything. Doctors, if you please.”
The two scientists held up a horrifyingly long and terrifyingly thick needle attached to a glass syringe.
“After careful discussion last night, we believe your stem cells might contain the original code for your R gene abilities. If we can culture them, we can bypass your blood entirely and replicate the power that way.”
My heart pounded. Eh, Lucien?
“Once your blood and bone marrow have been collected, we will perform a series of punch biopsies.”
Lucien’s disgust rippled hotly down the bond.
Anytime now would be great. I shifted in my binds. This asshole is freaking me out.
Swift stepped closer, his gaze sliding over me with something far darker than scientific curiosity.
“We’ll also collect reproductive samples.
” His lips curled into a sinister smirk.
“We already know that Lucien’s sperm refuses to impregnate test tube eggs, so...
we’ll see if your eggs can be fertilised by each member of the Brimstone board. ”
A flash of Lucien’s fire scorched me.
A few of the men snickered by the wall. “It will be an honour, girl,” the eldest man with a thick moustache said.
“I’ve agreed to jerk off into a petri dish to see if we can mass-produce little Requiem carriers.
However, in return...” He winked. “Roy has assured me that we’ll each get a chance to personally see if we can get you pregnant. ”
Another bolt of pure fury pulsed from Lucien.
My ice answered, clawing and scratching at my insides. My fingertips ached with tiny shards as my nails turned into wintery talons.
“So let me get this straight,” Lucien purred, his voice smoky and soft. “Every single one of you plans to fuck her?” His gaze dragged slowly across the six board members. “Is that the plan? Harvest us then take turns raping the woman I love?”
The men went still; Roy Swift’s smile faltered.
Lucien tilted his head, looking like the devil. “Tell me, Roy. There were twenty-four board members when Marcus stole my company. I’ve killed quite a few, so please remind me. How many of you are planning on touching Rook?”
The eldest board member—the one with the thick moustache—let out a smug chuckle.
“Don’t worry. Our little family might have shrunk in the past few weeks, but we plan on finding worthy replacements.
Who knows...maybe the new recruits will be allowed a turn...
once they’ve proven loyal.” He stepped forward, too caught up in his own importance to notice he’d just dug a grave.
“We’ll even let you watch. You can sit there while we all try our luck... as many times as it takes.”
Lucien just nodded.
My heart skipped a beat as the coldest, most beautiful, terrifying smile stretched his lips.
“How generous of you,” he murmured. “So kind of you to steal pieces of us. To drink us. Breed us. Hurt us.” His eyes flickered to each man, his pupils catching fire with that scarlet ring.
“You’ve graciously fed me, housed me, and tortured me for two decades.
And now you’re talking of hurting the one person who saved me.
” Flames suddenly devoured the straps on his wrists and ankles, dissolving them into ash.
“I think the time has come that I repaid you for your kindness.”
“Ah shit.” Roy fumbled for the frequency emitter, but...it was too late.
Fire detonated from Lucien like a nuclear bomb.
Flames smashed against the walls, melting the artwork into rivers of colour. The carpet caught fire. The ceiling dripped with overheated varnish.
The entire dining room became an inferno.
The board members screeched and lunged for the door—
And died where they stood as Lucien’s fire went completely feral.
Their screams turned wet as fire melted through skin and muscle, peeling flesh from bone.
Roy’s face liquefied, his eyes bursting like microwaved eggs as flames poured into his open mouth. Another man’s synthetic suit melted over his body, while the youngest screeched as fire harpooned through his ribcage and barbequed his heart.
The scientists fared no better.
The stench of seared meat, burning hair, and melted plastic filled the room. The fire roared louder, ecstatic at being free, feeding on Lucien’s rage and pain as it consumed everything.
No matter how hot the room burned, it never hurt me.