A low murmur echoed through my mind.
At first, I assumed the guards were on their way to my cell, but the walls were thin enough that I could hear their footsteps when they came to get me. When I focused on the sound, I recognized it as the same voice that had been buzzing in the peripheral of my head for the last several days of my captivity.
Somehow, my captors had figured out I wasn’t a normal person, kidnapped me right off the street, and brought me here, wherever here was.
Before then, I hadn’t realized chimeras existed. Not saying I didn’t know about my abilities because I definitely did. Just not that they made me a chimera. The only other person who knew what I could do was my brother, and I trusted him with my life.
So, however these people had discovered my abilities, it hadn’t been his fault.
Finally, unable to ignore the persistent buzzing, I mentally called out, Is someone there?
I sent a thread of power out, searching for a response. I wanted some sign I wasn’t the only captive. Not that I wished this place on my worst enemy, but sanity kept slipping through my fingers at the thought of being alone. It had been a long time since they brought another chimera into my cell, and I was starting to think I was the last one left in the Institute.
Artificial lights bounced off the white walls, pressing in all around me as only silence responded to my query. Just that never-ending quiet I’d become so familiar with over the last…
God only knew how long I’d been held here.
The days blurred together, and while I’d been kept in what was essentially a dog kennel when I first arrived, my numerous attempts at escape made them put me in an empty white room I couldn’t see out of.
Then a pathway was somehow forged, and the silence vanished.
I didn’t know the logistics of my power. Usually, if I didn’t know the person well, I needed permission before I could see past the surface of their mind. But anything they actively thought about was fair game. This time, though, I slipped into someone’s head who I didn’t know. And it was dark.
Seconds passed slowly, then a voice spoke, Who’s there?
The faint echo to the masculine voice told me he spoke aloud. Shh! Do you want the guards to come investigate? If you want to talk to me, just think about what you want to say.
This is so weird. How do I know this isn’t a trick?
He had a valid concern. The room he was in echoed around him, and I could feel his worry for someone who wasn’t there. I know it’s asking a lot, but you’ll have to trust me when I say I’m as much a prisoner as you.
I could open my mind to him, to show him the endless sessions I’d been through in the holding tank, but he was a stranger. I didn’t want to rehash that part of my life unless I had to.
Thoughts tumbled around inside his mind before he cautiously asked, And if I were to ask who you are?
I stayed silent for a moment. I shouldn’t want to divulge this information, but loneliness and boredom made me take risks. If he told my captors, it wasn’t like they’d do something to me they hadn’t done before.
My name is Embry. I’m a telepath. I cringed as soon as I thought the last words. Obviously, I was a telepath. Idiot.
Silence stretched on so long I would have been afraid I scared him off if I couldn’t still hear the faint echo of his thoughts.
Finally, he spoke again. Donovan.
Tell me something interesting about yourself, Donovan. As far as conversation starters went, it wasn’t much, but at the same time, I didn’t want him to leave me.
Not much to tell. What do you want to know? His voice was growly and sort of hesitant, like he wasn’t comfortable carrying on a conversation in his head.
We’ll start easy. What’s your best physical feature? Admittedly, I wanted to learn everything I could about him, but I was curious about his looks.
He gave a soft snort, and I heard the echo of it in his head. Does a six-pack count?
Sure, it counts. I glanced down at my own stomach, tensing to see slight definition. I wasn’t in horrible shape, either. Those in charge made sure of that.
How old are you?
His question surprised me. Did the answer really matter?
Deciding to humor him, I replied, Sixteen. You?
Same.
Footsteps echoed through the hall, drawing my gaze, and I scowled at the solid walls surrounding me. Doctor Matthias was convinced my power only worked if I could see my target, which wasn’t true. I only needed to hear their thoughts to make a connection.
But I didn’t want him to know that.
My door unlocked, and I wrapped my arms around my knees. Infusing my thoughts with bravery I didn’t feel, I sent a last message to Donovan. If I don’t respond, it’s not because I’m ignoring you. Just think my name, and I’ll hear you.
I didn’t want to lose the only person I’d been able to actually talk to. It didn’t matter what part of the facility they took me to; I’d forged a pathway to his mind. Distance limited how far my mind could travel, though. I’d been unable to contact my brother since I woke up here.
You sound like you’re going somewhere. Donovan’s voice jolted me out of my own thoughts, bringing me into the here and now.
I blew out a breath but didn’t bother to reply as a guard in full gear stepped into the room, a large needle in his hand. “The good doctor has requested your presence.”
Time lost meaning in the holding tank. The room was as sterile as an operating room, which was good since they’d sliced me open in here before. The scars on my stomach and sides were a testament to their persistence. The room was solid white, with nothing more than a cold, metal table in the center. On the same wall as the heavy, metal door was also a large mirror. It was supposed to be one-way glass, but I could still see the shadows of people looking in from the other side. Aside from that, a black-rimmed clock sat on the wall across from the window, its endless ticking sending irritation through me as my brain chose that sound to focus on.
My lungs burned as I attempted to draw oxygen past the fire igniting in my chest, and I gritted my teeth through the pain. I had no fucking clue what they’d injected me with. Or why it only affected my chest.
I bit my lip hard enough to draw blood. No matter how bad the pain, I refused to scream. I wouldn’t give them that satisfaction. But, God, what the hell did they hope to achieve with this?
My back bowed, and I grunted, my vision wavering as black dots danced before me.
God, why couldn’t I pass out? I whimpered. Fucking shit, this hurt!
Embry? My name floated through my head so softly that, at first, I thought I imagined it. Then I heard it again. Embry?
Donovan? I couldn’t keep the pain from my mind, although I tried to hide it from him.
Where are you? What’s going on? His words were no longer hesitant and unsure as he demanded answers.
Holding tank. I nearly bit through my tongue as I whimpered again. The holding tank made it sound like something in a fucking aquarium, but it was what they called their experimentation room. No one wanted to get called to the holding tank.
Unfortunately, I was called regularly as they tried to figure out how my power worked.
Silence filled my mind. Had I scared him off? Did he even know what the holding tank was? Or what they did here?
Ignoring the restraints, my hands fisted against the sensation of being burned alive.
A door opened, and a voice above me snapped, “What do you want, Micah?”
“We have a situation…” The newcomer’s voice drifted off.
“What sort of situation?” Impatience filled the voice above me.
“Boss said you needed to finish with her. Cell 529 is going ballistic.”
With a curse, the one who’d been a constant source of pain since I arrived here turned back to me.
I closed my eyes, expecting more pain.
Instead, beeps from a machine echoed through the room, and something sharp pricked my arm. Fire raced through my veins, then I was floating.
As I was carried back down the halls, sweat coated my skin, chilling me as the air conditioner kicked on.
Instead of my usual room, I was carried down a series of narrow, dim hallways I’d never been to before and up a gloomy set of stairs. It would be the perfect setting for a horror film. After pushing through a set of gray double-doors, we made our way down a pathway between several rows of cages. It was like being at a dog pound, pretty much an exact replica of where I’d been housed before the empty white room.
One guard opened the door to one of the cages, and the one carrying me dropped me inside. As he backed out of my cage, I forced myself up on my elbows and took in my surroundings.
A bed, more like a cot, sat low to the ground in one corner of my cage, a small blanket and pillow on top of it. On the opposite side of the cage from me, windows lined the top of one wall, high enough that I’d need a decent sized ladder to reach the bottom ledge.
The guard locked my cage and glanced across the walkway. “Happy? Now, give me that fucking thing before you poke an eye out.”
I swayed as I made it to my feet.
A large guy stood in the cage opposite me, an intense look in his dark eyes as he stared at the guard, grudgingly slapping some sort of stick in the other man’s hand. Short, dark hair stuck up in all directions, and he was missing a shirt. Scars covered his torso in all shapes and sizes, making me curious. My eyes continued their downward trek to pants so shredded they barely hid anything.
He turned that intense stare on me, scanning my entire body. “Embry?”
His voice sounded hoarse, as if he’d been shouting.
At my hesitant nod, he sank to the ground. “Thank, God.”
“You’re the one he was shouting about?” another voice demanded from the cage next to me.
I whipped around, then bit my lip against a curse as my head swam.
When the world settled, I discovered the voice belonged to a guy with white hair that hung over half his face, leaving one glacial eye visible. His breath frosted on the air. Even in my thin shirt and booty shorts, it wasn’t that cold in here.
Feeling colder just looking at him, I wrapped my arms around my stomach and shivered.
Another guy sat on a cot in the same cage as Frosty. His gray eyes focused on me. “He did put on a good show, though.”
Frosty grinned, nodding. “He did, didn’t he?”
“Both of you, knock it the fuck off and leave the poor girl in peace.”
How many people were in this room? Now that he’d spoken, I could make out a body across the walkway from Frosty and his cellmate, but not what the guy looked like.
It had been a long time since I’d been around people who weren’t my captors, and I had no idea what to say or do.
Frosty stood, the smile still in place despite the rebuke. “When Galen gets back, he can heal you.”
“Do I need healing?” I questioned, mentally taking inventory of myself.
The mysterious voice spoke again. “If he comes back, you mean.”
Frosty stepped closer to the fence surrounding him. “Why wouldn’t he?”
Gray eyes got to his feet, pacing. “They never put two people in the same cage, and she took his.”
Frosty scowled.
I felt lost. What was I even doing here?
I studied Frosty and his cellmate and felt the need to point out, “They put you two in the same cage.”
“Fuck a duck, she’s adorable.” Frosty sounded surprised as he spoke out loud.
“I agree. Can we keep her?” This came from the guy with gray eyes, who seemed slightly more serious than his cellmate.
The wall of muscle across from me frowned. “She’s not a puppy.”
Frosty glanced at the cage on the other side of him. “Neo, Donny’s being a killjoy, again.”
“For God’s sake, shut up.” Silence filled the room for a moment before the mysterious man added, “And no, you can’t keep her. She’s probably scared shitless, and you’re just making it worse.”
Frosty sighed. “I’m not scaring you, am I, kid?”
With a frown, I shook my head. “I’m not a kid.”
As gray eyes snorted in disbelief, the muscled wall spoke up. “She said she was sixteen.”
I didn’t want to make assumptions, but based on the sound of his voice and the very prominent six-pack, I was fairly certain he was Donovan.
The sound of the heavy doors opening made everyone stop talking.
Several men wearing the solid black of the guards marched down the row of cages, dragging a young man between them, his shaggy blond curls flopping over his eyes. They opened my cage door and tossed the guy into the cell.
He groaned out a curse, forcing himself to his feet. This must be the mysterious Galen the others referred to earlier. Looked like he returned.
With a frown, he blinked several times while staring at me. “Fuck, what sort of drugs did they put me on this time?”
“Are you okay?” I kept my voice soft and put my hands behind my back to keep from touching him. If he was like me, he wouldn’t want anything to do with people after disappearing with the guards.
He rubbed his eyes. “Shit. You guys see this, right? I mean, I’m not just hallucinating?”
Why would he think that?
“I’m real,” I answered before the others responded.
Without answering, he began to pace.
Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Frosty and his friend fist bump. “Dude, I think this is the first time we’ve ever seen him lose his shit!”
I sat on the floor, back straight, as Galen walked back and forth through the cage.
“What changed?” It was almost as if he talked to himself.
Donovan copied me, sitting stiffly on the floor of his own cage. “What do you mean?”
Galen frowned, his fingers brushing through the stubble along his jawline. “I want to know what the purpose is of putting another person in here.”
Frosty and his cage-mate smirked at each other before Frosty spoke up, “Donovan was losing his shit in here. I’m pretty sure the walls surrounding him now hold half his power, if not more.”
Gray eyes deadpanned, “I wouldn’t be surprised if he’s too weak to lift his pillow.”
Donovan scowled, his dark eyes glittering dangerously. “Fuck off. If there weren’t walls between us, I’d show you how much power I still have.”
Rolling my eyes, I sighed. “Is this what you two do for fun? Bait the others?”
Both looked mildly offended while the guy across from Frosty and gray eyes growled out, “Yes. It’s all they ever do.”
I turned my attention back to Galen as he quit pacing.
He threw himself to sit on the bed and ran one hand over his face while he gestured at me with the other one. “Name?”
My answer came automatically to his demand. “Embry.”
Plopping back on his pillow, he groaned. “Dammit, what sort of mind games are they playing now?”
“Pardon?”
He blinked once, then eyed me blearily. “If Donovan were really irritating them, they could have given him a tranq. They did it to someone else last week.” His fingers went to his hair, and he gave it a gentle tug. “Shit, I need sleep before I try to figure out what the fuck those morons are thinking.”
I scooted a little closer and brushed my fingers against the arm he’d left dangling off the mattress. Sparks lit my fingertips as goose bumps rose on his skin.
He nearly jumped off the bed, and I pulled back, holding my hand against my chest.
“Sorry. I didn’t even think— I mean, I should have asked—” I was babbling, but I couldn’t seem to stop.
He rose to his feet, and I cringed, scrambling away from him. My heart hammered, afraid he’d hit me, and I braced for impact as I squeezed my eyes shut.
When nothing happened, I cracked one eye open to find him staring at me, his brow furrowed. I realized he didn’t plan on retaliating and let out a sigh of relief, unclenching my stomach muscles.
His gaze narrowed at me. “You thought I was going to hit you. Why?”
“I didn’t mean to make your powers go off. I know better than to touch others in the program before knowing what they can do—”
He silenced me by raising his hand, palm out. “That wasn’t my power.” A frown pulled at his lips, and he shook his head. “At least, I don’t think it was. Are you resistant to being healed?”
I lifted a shoulder. “I’ve never been healed before, so I wouldn’t know.”
Nodding slowly, he said, “I take it your ability isn’t shocking people, either?”
“Um… no? I mean, I wouldn’t call my ability to shock people a power, per se. More just…a happy coincidence.” I cringed as I realized I was babbling, again, and felt a small measure of relief when he only raised a brow at me and huffed out a laugh.
Donovan stood, drawing my attention. “What’s going on?”
“Nothing, Van. We’re good.” Although Galen wasn’t speaking to me, his silver eyes never left mine.
I flushed. “So, back to the puzzle of why I’m here…?”
It was something I wanted to know the answer to.
Before he could respond, more footsteps echoed down the hall.
I swallowed hard. Now what?
I stood close to the bars, but far enough away I wouldn’t accidentally brush against them. I wasn’t sure what it was about the chain-link, but Frosty had said they sapped our power and weakened us. No way in hell I wanted to risk that.
Two guards stopped at Donovan’s door. “You going to give us any trouble?”
Donovan’s gaze jumped to Frosty and his buddy, then to me and Galen. With a resigned sigh, he shook his head, and my heart caught in my throat at the dejected look on his face.
Taking a step back, my mind reached for his. I’m still here.
He turned his head to look at me, nearly tripping in the process. While he didn’t speak to me, I rode his brainwaves as the guards led him to the holding tank.
I shuddered, refusing to leave him alone. No one should go through this shit by themselves.
Through Donovan’s eyes, I watched as Doctor Asshole strapped him to the table, a gleeful grin on his wrinkled face. “Subject three. Let’s see how your body reacts to this cocktail.”
I didn’t feel the prick of the needle, but moments later, Donovan’s body jerked against his restraints. I could tell because I was familiar with the sound of chains pulling tight against the metal of the table.
Donovan? Are you okay? My voice sounded panicked, but I couldn’t help it. If that was the same concoction they injected me with, it hurt like a son of a bitch.
He jerked again, and suddenly, I could no longer feel him around me.