Eve of Man (The Harvest Book 2) (19 page)

***

Inside the bunker’s infirmary Zack stood over a
bruised and unconscious Madison. Behind him Luke and Ed wore expressions that
said everything about what they were thinking and feeling. In the corner Jenny
watched, quiet and unnoticed.

“Why don’t you do something?” Luke demanded.

Zack didn’t respond. He stared at Madison’s still
body, her face, once beautiful, now a swollen purple and red mess. Zack reached
out pushing aside her hair.

“Zack,” Luke called to him. “Zack man, don’t just
stand there.”

Zack slammed his fist into his palm and turned. “What do
you want me to do, damn it? What? I’m no fucking doctor. I had one year in
medical school. One fucking year.”

“Well you can’t let her die,” Luke insisted.

“Take it easy Luke,” Ed said.

“Take it easy? Are you fucking kidding me? She’s going
to die because ya’ll wanted to go Christmas shopping. Fucking Christmas
shopping.”

The door to the infirmary opened, hitting Luke’s
pressure release at the precise moment before an emotional explosion erupted.
Austin rushed in followed by Roxanne. The sight of Madison stopped him in his
tracks. “How bad is it Zack?”

Zack lowered his head and covered his face with his
hands. He shook his head back and forth. “I think it’s really bad. I don’t know
for sure, but I think there’s internal bleeding. I have nothing. I can’t fix
this. I’m not a goddamn surgeon.”

 The weight of the world landed on Austin’s shoulders.
In fear and anger he turned on Roxanne. “You heal her,” he demanded.

“It’s not that simple,” she replied.

“It is that simple. Just do it.”

“You don’t know what you are asking?”

“I do, damn it,” Austin insisted. “You did it for me,
for Ed’s wife, why not Madison?”

“You and Jenny were not damaged internally. It is as I
explained to you before. To do this would mean changing her into something
other than human.”

“What did she do for Jenny?” Ed interrupted, but was
ignored.

Austin walked up to Roxanne and grabbed her by the
shoulders. “You have to do something. I know you don’t care about them, but if
you ever cared about me, then do this for me. Heal her. I’m begging you.”

Roxanne stared up into Austin’s eyes. If ever she
wanted to understand a human’s emotions it would have been right at that
moment. His thoughts swirled in a rapid chaotic manner that were difficult to
follow. She sensed guilt, anguish and love. The latter annoyed her at some level,
but she didn’t understand why. Eve looked away towards Madison. She was going
to die and soon. Only a few minutes remained before the blood would fill her
lungs. Roxanne removed Austin’s hands from her shoulders and walked over to
Madison, stepping out of Roxanne and becoming Eve as she did so. She laid a
hand on Madison’s mid-section.

Turning to Zack, she said, “I can’t save her as she
is, as a human, but I can save the baby.”

Zack’s face rushed through a gamut of expressions; everything
he’d witnessed over the past year threatened to rush forth and derail his
sanity. “What baby? She’s not pregnant. We only, it’s only been...” He glanced
at his watch. “Are you sure.”

“I am sure,” Eve replied. “The baby can be saved, but a
host is needed.”

“Host? What do you mean?” Zack pulled on his hair,
turning back and forth between Madison and Eve.

“A womb to carry the baby.”

“A womb? Where the fuck do I get one of those? Oh wait
I have a spare in the back room. Are you fucking kidding me?”

From the corner of the room Jenny spoke, “I’ll do it.”
She walked up to Zack. “I’ll do it, if you want me to.”

Zack stared at Jenny, speechless, unable to make sense
of what was happening, of what they were asking him to decide. Madison wasn’t
pregnant. What an absurd notion.

“Jenny you can’t,” Ed protested.

Eve turned to Ed. “Yes she can. She is in optimal shape
for reproduction. Her body is healthy and free of disease. She would serve well
as the baby’s carrier,” Eve replied, turning back to Zack. “Her time is running
out.”   

Eve knew the decision Zack would arrive at, but she
could not wait for him to get there. If Madison died before she removed the
baby, the baby would also die. She gestured for Jenny to come stand next to
her. Eve laid one hand on Madison’s stomach and the other on Jenny’s. From all
around she pulled forth energy, using her newly discovered powers to control
the force. The life energy flowed from her fingertips into Madison first and from
her into Jenny’s body, glowing brighter as each second ticked by. A sphere of
brilliant light surrounded the trio. The room came alive, the walls expanded
outward allowing space for the immense amount of energy being generated.

Jenny screamed from inside the sphere. Ed tried to
reach her, but the force drove him backward. She screamed again, a tortuous
scream that shattered a glass sitting on a nearby table and brought Ed to his
knees covering his ears.

Inside the sphere, Eve’s entire body glowed. From her
hands flowed a life giving source older than time itself. She transferred the
baby from Madison’s womb to Jenny’s and in the process improved the baby’s
genetic code sequence. There would be consequences for breaking the laws of the
Adita, but for that instant she didn’t care.  Eve withdrew her hands in a slow
and precise manner. As she moved away from them, the light dimmed until it went
out. Ed rushed to Jenny, catching her before she collapsed to the ground.

Eve staggered and almost lost her balance. Saving the
baby required more strength than she’d anticipated, and proved much more taxing
than Jenny’s transformation had been. Exhausted, Eve fell to the floor.

Austin rushed to Eve’s side. “Are you ok?”

Eve knelt, head bent, motionless. From behind them Zack
moaned and Austin left Eve to go to him, to Madison. Eve felt Austin’s pain and
something akin to rejection pierced her heart. She sank further to the floor,
too exhausted to protect against the rise of human like emotions threatening to
overcome her.

Jenny stared up at the ceiling before rolling dazed
eyes over in Ed’s direction. Something was wrong with her tongue. It felt too
big, too heavy. “Am I ok?” This came out slurred.

“Yes. You’re fine.”

“Don’t...lie,” she replied using great effort to form
these words. She tried to frown, but her facial muscles refused to move. She
tried to move her hands, her legs, but nothing responded. A panicked look
filled her eyes. “Wrong...what’s...can’t move.” Her eyes darted around the room.

From the corner Eve spoke, her voice weak. “Tell her
to be calm. She will regain control in a few hours.”

  Ed repeated this, ensuring Jenny she was going to be
ok and to trust him. He held and stroked her hand. Jenny tried to reply, but her
lips felt sloppy on her face. Using what little control she had she squeezed
Ed’s hand. Behind him, Austin and Zack stood on opposite sides of each other
looking down at Madison’s lifeless body. She was no longer bruised, as Eve was at
the least able to heal her exterior wounds.

“I can’t believe this is happening,” Zack said, quiet
and more to himself than anyone else in the room.

Luke came to stand next Zack. 

“Hey man, is she ok?” Ed tapped Austin’s shoulder,
pointing to Eve who was crumpled over.

Austin went to her and knelt down. “Are you ok?”

Eve pushed herself into a sitting position. “I need
blood,” she whispered before falling over into Austin’s arms.

Austin picked her up and carried her into the adjacent
room, closing the door behind him. He lay her on the examination table. From
his side pocket he pulled out a small knife and sliced open the palm of his
hand. He didn’t feel the pain as he held his hand over Eve’s mouth, allowing
his blood to drip onto her lips. It only took a few drops before Eve’s eyes
snapped open. She grabbed hold of his hand, bringing it to her lips, but she
didn’t sink her teeth into the open cut. As quickly as she grabbed him, she
shoved him away from her. The desire to take more was almost too much, the
consequences too great.

“I could have killed you,” she said.

“I knew you wouldn’t.”

Eve swung her legs over the side of the table and slid
to the floor. Her instincts were on edge, awareness aroused to its peak.
Something had changed in her, an energy existed that she’d only before
experienced through the feelings of another, but was now feeling first hand.
Eve resisted the urge to circle Austin as the female Svan would do to her
chosen mate. Now was not the time for such pursuits.

Austin also felt the charge between them, but was too
wrapped in grief to take much notice or make sense of what it meant.

“You loved the woman?”

“Madison? Yes, I loved her.”

“But not the same as Zack. How you loved her was
different.”

“She was... she was like family to me. We went through
a lot together.”

“And different than your feelings for Roxanne.”

Austin paused at the mention of Roxanne. Hearing Eve
say her name, in a voice that had been Roxanne’s once upon a time, created a
painful longing in his heart and soul.

“I loved Roxanne, she was my life, but she wasn’t Roxanne,
she was you. And you have been in my life always, you’re a part of who I am.” He
looked up at her. A sudden desire to be near her, to hold her close, surprised
him. That he had these thoughts brought guilt and shame. How could he be
thinking such things when Madison was lying dead in the other room? While his
friends grieved and needed him, he was thinking about Eve and how much he
wanted her.  

“What you feel for me is not love, but something more pure.”

Austin didn’t care what she called it. He grabbed her
arm and pulled her to him, knowing she wouldn’t resist. He kissed her hard on
the lips, holding her thin frame against his unconcerned if he hurt her,
knowing it wasn’t possible. He kissed her on the mouth and neck, his touch far
from tender.

Eve welcomed his touch, experiencing it for the first
time and feeling somewhat surprised by the intensity. During the time she’d been
Roxanne, Austin was never rough. He’d treated his wife like a delicate flower,
always using great tenderness, always holding back for fear he might hurt her. No
such restraints held him now. Eve felt her body responding to his demands.

Eve pushed away from him. “Caleb is coming.”

No sooner had the words left her mouth when their son
burst into the room. “Mother!” He stopped short, noticing his father’s expression,
sensing his mother’s energy.

“What is it Caleb?” Eve asked, distracting the child
from thinking too deeply about them.

“Nothing.”

“What do you mean nothing? I don’t have time for your
games.”

“I can’t hear grandfather anymore.

“What do you mean?” Eve demanded.

“I can always hear him, even when I’m not listening,
but I can’t anymore. Do you think he’s alright?”

“If you can’t hear him it’s because he doesn’t want
you to. I’ve told you about eavesdropping Caleb. Not only is it against the
Adita law, but if your grandfather ever caught you he would be beyond angry.”

“Yes mother I know. He would terminate me.”

“He would what?” Austin asked.

“Nothing,” Eve snapped.

“Nothing?” Austin looked from one to the other.

“Agra threatens many things, but terminating Caleb is
not one he will ever carry out.” She knelt in front of Caleb. “Grandfather is
fine. I would know if something was wrong, so stop worrying.”

“But mother.”

“This conversation is over.” She stood and turned to
Austin. “I must go to Russia.”

“I’ll go with you,” Austin said, stepping toward her. “I
want to go with you.”

“It’s easier if I go alone. Besides you need to keep
your son out of trouble.”

“And what about you?”

“I can take care of myself and will do much better not
having to worry about you or Caleb. Your friends need you here and I’ll only be
gone a few days.” Eve would have preferred having him with her, but she had no
idea what to expect. Agra’s intentions were constantly shifting and she
couldn’t get a clear handle on them. Caleb’s announcement bothered her more
than she let on. She knew Caleb was aware of her concerns and was relieved he
didn’t press the issue in front of Austin

“What’s in Russia?” Austin asked.

“I don’t know, but before coming back to Earth, I saw
an image in Agra’s mind. His thoughts were on returning to Russia. There was
more, but not within my reach.” Eve moved towards the door. “It is urgent that
I leave immediately.”

“What did you see?” Austin walked over to her.

“Many things. Agra traveling to Russia alone. Which I
can’t imagine why he’d risk such a thing with his fear of disease. I saw Agra
traveling with the Elders, which makes less sense. He wouldn’t leave the safety
of Paru before the harvest.”