Total pages in book: 110
Estimated words: 107720 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 539(@200wpm)___ 431(@250wpm)___ 359(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 107720 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 539(@200wpm)___ 431(@250wpm)___ 359(@300wpm)
A bitter ashy taste coated my tongue as something else broke inside me.
A high-pitched ringing made me shake my head and shove aside the ever-growing weakness.
I’m running out of time. I looked pointedly at Rook. I’m going to need you soon if you want me to stay breathing.
Reaching under the table, her fingers found mine. Five more minutes. Then you can have me flat on my back. Or any other position you fancy.
A much-needed chuckle escaped me. Deal.
Shutting down my pain the best I could, I focused on Frank as he used a pipette to drop blood onto glass slides.
Five more minutes.
Five minutes and then I’d pull her into the dreamscape and do whatever it took to keep both of us alive.
Chapter Twenty-Eight
FRANK LEANED OVER THE MICROSCOPE as he locked the slides into place. An image bloomed on the screen above him, letting us all see what he saw.
No one spoke as he studied the oily, tarry droplets, magnified thousands of times and looking absolutely rancid.
Rook stopped breathing, her energy reaching for mine.
I thought it was because she was afraid of how terrible our blood looked but she suddenly blurted, “So I was right all along...my parents really did this to Lucien, just like they did it to me.”
Frank whirled upright to face us. He opened his mouth as if to argue that fact then just dropped his head in defeat. “Your father, Kristófer, was friendly with Lucien’s father, Jin. After all, they were both owners of the two largest energy suppliers in the world. And when his son was born with only months to live thanks to his damaged heart...he was willing to give him a slim chance instead of no chance.”
I laughed cynically. “I suppose you’re going to tell me that keeping me alive had absolutely nothing to do with the fact that my bloodline is needed to run the reactors.”
“I don’t know anything about that,” Frank said, his gaze catching mine. “All I know is...if Rook’s parents hadn’t accepted you into the trial, you would’ve died almost thirty years ago.” He sighed and raked a hand through his hair. “Look, I’m not saying it was right, nor am I excusing what they did, but...if you want to take a page out of Dillon’s book, then I think it was meant to happen. You two have been fated ever since the first time you met. And that would never have happened if you hadn’t been sent to us.”
Rook stiffened. “Is this the part where you tell me about that file? About how I met Lucien before I was even born?”
Wincing a little, he grabbed the bench behind him as if he needed support. “I can...if you want me to.”
“I want you to.”
“Okay. Fine.” Sucking in a breath, he started with a caveat. “Your parents did love you, Rook, but...everything you’re probably thinking is right. Your conception was purely selfish on their part.”
Sweat broke out over my skin as Rook’s pain blended with mine, making my vision grey.
Whisper grunted and came to my side, nudging me.
“What do you mean?” she asked warily. “Selfish?”
“I mean they were so obsessed about lasting forever they didn’t stop to think about those they hurt in the process.” Anger sparked in Frank’s eyes. “So many test subjects died. So many trials failed. Instead of giving up, they convinced themselves they needed an organic base already programmed with their DNA to test on—because if anyone was worthy of being immortal...it was them.”
The nausea grew worse as Rook gasped beside me.
Frank swallowed hard. “They, eh...regularly used their own embryos to test batches of immortality. Most shrivelled and decayed but...there was one.” He never looked away from Rook. “A single one that was on a tray with other fertilised eggs being carried to cryogenics. The technician claims he didn’t trip, but somehow your vial fell into Lucien’s crib as he was being wheeled the other way—to a fire-retardant room to die. He didn’t last long after the R gene infusion. He burned up almost instantly. However, the moment his little hand locked around your vial, he calmed.”
I couldn’t fucking breathe.
“It gave us just enough time to grab one of the frequency collars we used on the larger mammals and block the powers running through him. We let him keep your vial for a few days and...his heart actually repaired itself. He was the very first to heal—after so much failure. I petitioned his parents to let us keep him. We explained that a phenomenon had occurred and he needed to stay. But Marcus came and took him away.”
His gaze flicked to mine. “We tried to keep you, Lucien. We knew we’d seen something miraculous between you and Rook, but...we didn’t have a choice. He took you and we never heard a word about you again—apart from when he asked for a pet, of course.