Untamed

Chapter 47

chapter

forty-seven

Haven

Iwake to white.

White walls. White lights. White dressing gown.

I’m in an examination chamber. A camera is fixed in the corner, its dark lens watching me. I’m strapped to a narrow bed, my wrists and ankles bound in thick leather cuffs. Panic slides down my spine as I test them, but they don’t give an inch.

They know what I am. The Supreme Director knows about my power and my allegiances. Ender knows too, but somehow he kept it a secret. He protected me.

My chest warms at the thought. Nobody has ever looked after me before. Not until I met him.

Every injury, every wound, every misstep, Ender was always there to keep me safe. He never left my side. And I can’t help but worry that something terrible befell him because of it.

It explains why he was so distant before the test. He must have known.

Time passes in a blur. Nobody comes to check on me, and the silence is deafening.

I try not to think about everyone I lost. I’ve learned by now that grief is like a sea, and if you allow it to, it will sweep you away into the dark.

And I have to focus on my escape. I will mourn my friends once I am out of here.

The one thing I can’t shake is my worry for my sister. He has Mercy. He admitted as much. I need to stay strong so I can free her. My choices lead us here.

I fight the restraints every few minutes, but my efforts are futile. My powers are of no use unless someone comes close enough for me to stop time while I rustle through their pockets for the keys. I’m trapped.

When the door finally opens, dread fills me. Until I see Ender.

He’s immaculate in his uniform, dark hair combed neatly back, posture rigid. His hands are folded behind him. His beautiful face is set like stone.

“Hello, Haven,” he says.

“Vale,” I say, relief fills me when he approaches me. “Vale, you’re safe. That’s good.”

He stares at me, or rather, he stares through me. Like I am covered by a veil, and the fabric is too thick for him to see past.

“You are charged with conspiring against the regime, falsifying your testing records, deception, and espionage. How do you plead?”

The questions are unnecessary, not when he knows the truth.

“You already know my answer,” I say softly. “Why the performance?”

“Routine,” he says offhandedly. “How do you plead?”

“We can leave,” I whisper. “I have friends. We don’t have to live like this—under him. You know what your father is. He is a monster, Vale. And he will ruin you the longer you remain by his side.”

His eyes glance at the camera.

“It is a crime to speak ill of the Supreme Director,” he says. “That will be added to your charges.”

It hits me then that this is a performance. Someone is watching, so he wants to make this scene feel real.

“I understand,” I murmur.

He has a plan. He has to have one. He is the most clever person I know. Ender will fix this.

“The Director is willing to show you leniency despite your list of crimes,” Ender continues. “You will receive your Bind and serve loyally in exchange for your life.”

The door opens again. Two medical staff file in. A metal tray rolls between them, and my breath stutters when I see the silver implant twitching beneath the light like a ghost trapped in a haunted house. The Bind. All these years of running from it, and finally it has caught up to me.

Dread pools in my stomach.

“No.” I gasp, thrashing against the cuffs. “I don’t want that.”

“I’m afraid it’s the implant or a bullet between the eyes,” Ender says evenly. “The choice is yours.”

“Vale, I don’t want it!” I say. “Make them stop.”

The leather bites into my skin as I struggle. I flinch at the pain that cuts through my wrists. Ender watches my distress without reaction. His winter-blue eyes are hard and piercing.

Something is wrong.

Ender never ignores my pain. He is always the first to check on me after missions and brutal training sessions. He can’t bear the sight of me hurt. Yet his eyes are empty now, flat in a way that concerns me.

“What did he do to you?” I whisper.

“He fixed me,” Ender replies. “Soon you’ll feel the same, and service won’t hurt anymore. It will feel as natural as breathing.”

Rage surges through me. My mother was right. The Bind isn’t protection, it’s control. They implemented the upgrade that she always feared. And the Director tested it on his own son.

“Ender,” I say softly. Pleading with my eyes. “Come here.”

“No,” Ender replies. “I won’t fall for your manipulation.”

“Please,” I plead. “Just let me touch you. It will make sense when you are near.”

I will stop time so I can explain everything, without all the prying eyes. I’ll tell him all about my mother’s research and the rebels. And why I took a stand against the system his ancestors built. Once I rip the curtains away, he will see his father’s tyranny. He will make the right choice.

“Our engagement has been terminated,” he says. “I do not wish to touch you.”

“I don’t care about the engagement,” I choke. “I care about you. I can protect you, but I need you to trust me. Just come to me, Ender. Please.”

My heart cracks when he looks at me like I am a disgraceful creature, unworthy of his attention. His eyes are as cold as diamonds.

“You mean nothing to me,” Ender spits.

The door slides open, and Clover steps inside. Fury is etched into her face. She must have been listening the whole time. And from the looks of it, she did not appreciate my attempts to sway him.

“That’s enough,” Clover snaps. “Your manipulations won’t work anymore. He’s stronger now.”

“This is your fault!” I say. “You betrayed him.”

“I saved him,” Clover retorts. “You poisoned him against his family, against the Continent. He knew what had to be done when he learned the truth about you, but he chose to hide it instead. You made him commit treason.”

She takes Ender’s hand. A jewel glints on her finger, and it takes me a second to realize that it is my ring. The one I saw in Ender’s study. Green and delicate and made for me.

My heart cracks at the sight. Clover follows my gaze, and her mouth curls in a satisfied smile.

“The Director agrees I’m the better match for him,” Clover adds smugly. “Our papers will be signed by the end of the week, and the wedding will be soon after.”

I look at Ender, silently begging him to see the truth, to pull away from her. How can he avoid my touch and welcome hers?

“You gave her my ring,” I whisper.

Ender is silent.

Something inside me fractures at his dismissal. I thrash against the restraints, struggling to rip them off.

He turns to the technicians.

“Call me when she’s fixed.”

He walks out without sparing me a second glance.

Clover smiles as the door seals shut. She remains in the room, prepared to watch it happen.

The technicians close in, their voices fading into static.

All I can see is Ender’s back disappearing from view.

Nothing will ever hurt as much as this moment and the realization that he gave her everything.

He erased me from his life without a care in the world.

I stare at the space Ender occupied until my vision blurs.

My chest feels hollowed out like someone dug a fist inside and ripped out my heart.

The technicians move closer, their footsteps soft and orderly. I don’t even have the strength to fight; it is no use. There are no keys on them; stopping time would do nothing but delay the inevitable.

One of them adjusts the tray. The sound of metal clinking makes me quiver.

“Hold her steady,” a voice says.

I squeeze my eyes shut.

This is it.

This is how they destroy me.

Cold, meticulous fingers brush my neck, searching for the right placement.

“Lower,” another voice murmurs.

That voice is familiar.

My eyes snap open.

The woman standing over me keeps her head bowed; her thick hair is tucked beneath a sterile cap. A mask hides the lower half of her face, but her green eyes are unmistakable.

Mercy.

My breath catches painfully in my throat. Her gaze flicks to the camera in the corner, then back to me. She shakes her head once; the message is clear: don’t speak. My heart slams against my ribs. My sister is here. Mercy came to save me.

The second technician steps closer, taller, broader, blond-haired. He pretends to check the restraints. When he leans in, his shoulder blocks the camera’s view for half a second.

Gray.

His mouth curves beneath the mask.

Relief hits me so hard I almost sob.

“Vitals?” Mercy asks, loud enough for Clover and the camera to hear.

“Stable,” Gray replies evenly. Then, under his breath, he whispers. “We’ve got you, Vee.”

I bite the inside of my cheek to keep from crying. They came for me. I don’t know how, but my sister and Gray are here. And nobody is sticking that thing in my neck. I can’t even imagine what they would make me do. They would turn me against my friends and family. Just like they did to Ender.

Mercy reaches for the implant, lifts it from the tray, and then deliberately fumbles it.

It clatters to the floor, rolling for a few seconds before it hits the wall.

“Damn it,” she mutters. “I’ll need a replacement.”

She straightens and moves to where Clover stands.

“Can you get the third technician?” she asks. “Tell her we need a new implant.”

“We’ll look after the girl,” Grayson echoes.

Clover sighs deeply before she slips out the door. The second she’s gone, Gray is back at my side. His fingers fly to the cuffs, releasing them with practiced ease. My wrists burn from the chaffing and the sudden circulation, and I rub them to bring back sensation.

Mercy is already at my side, pulling me upright.

“Can you walk?” she whispers.

I nod. Barely. I’m still sore from the fight.

Gray hands me a lab coat and a mask.

“Put these on.”

I shrug into the coat with shaking hands, buttoning it hastily. Mercy rubs my shoulder. The relief in her eyes is unmistakable.

“Let’s go,” Gray directs.

Mercy grips my arm.

“Keep your head down,” she says. “And don’t look at anyone.”

Gray opens the door. We trickle out into the corridor. If Ender is watching, which I suspect he is, it won’t be long before the alarms ring, and soldiers fill the area. Our pace quickens as we make our way to the staircase.

Thundering footsteps sound in the distance, and the screeching sound of an alarm goes off.

They are coming after us.

“Run,” Gray calls.

We break off into a sprint.

“Haven!” Ender roars. “Stop.”

I risk a glance back, unable to resist his voice.

He rarely calls me Haven. I’m Warrick to him, first and foremost, but my surname is probably familiar to him, and Ender doesn’t want to be reminded of me.

I wonder how it works, if it erases all our memories, or if it remains, but they just hold no meaning to him.

It hurts to leave him behind. I want nothing more than to return to him and beg him to remember me. But I know it won’t change anything. He didn’t care in that room. He was going to watch them stick the Bind in me against my will.

The Supreme Director won. He took Ender away from me just when I wanted to make him switch sides.

“I’ll come back for you,” I say.

Even though my words don’t carry in the chaos, I know he reads my lips. At least, this way, he knows that I will fix whatever they broke in him. I owe him that much.

Ender freezes for a split second before he joins the foray.

“Haven,” he calls. “Don’t leave!”

“I’m sorry,” I whisper. Even though he can’t hear me.

I grab Mercy and Gray’s hands and pause time. It buys us a head start to escape our captors.

Gray opens an exit door, and we tumble into the garage. There are a few vehicles parked. Gray runs to a metallic truck and dashes into the driver’s seat. Mercy and I slide into the back. Tires screech as we race out of the Forge.

Gray swipes the badge he stole to raise the gates.

Time resumes, and the echo of shouting voices reaches us, but we are long gone when they spill into the garage.

Ender stands near the gate. His face is a mask of fury.

I press my hand to the glass, as if I can reach for him, but Ender, my Ender, is gone.

He is nothing more than a weapon.

One made to destroy me.