MAXIM: A New Type of Human (Oddily Series #2) (18 page)

Where is this damn party?!

No father, don’t come here.

It’s too late son. I tracked your location and am already outside the house.

Maxim turned around and stared at the front door until sure enough, a few minutes later, Nero entered the house. His tall stature couldn’t be camouflaged, but with the dim lights and a hat pulled down over his bald head, he fit in fairly well with the rest of the kids. Nexa however, with her angelic beauty, had entered after him and all eyes turned to her.

“Nexa, you’re here!” Oddily’s face lit up as she broke free from Maxim and hurried over to greet her. “Where were you? I missed you today.”

“Thanks, I was busy.” Nexa was touched by Oddily’s sentiment.

Oddily glanced at Nexa’s companion and recognized him from the rope bridge ordeal. “You’re…”

“…Nero!” He reintroduced himself while he took note of Oddily’s appearance. The delicate paleness of Oddily’s skin was typical for a redhead. However, her hair appeared to be a few centimeters longer then when he had last seen her, and then there was the unnatural growth of her fingernails.

Maxim studied his father’s reaction to Oddily’s appearance from afar and cringed from what he had witnessed. Nero wasn’t happy.

What is it, father? Is she okay?

Nero’s head snapped in his direction and he glowered at his son.
This primitive girl has recently traveled by an unnatural method of teleportation! Are you aware of this?

Oddily told me about the incident last night. Zaylyn had transported her from a shopping mall in the next town to a nearby cemetery. I didn’t know that was possible.

Yes, and there can be side affects, but I don’t know if this accounts for some of the changes going on in Oddily’s body.

Maxim watched Nero glance over at Paul, and blinked hard when Paul gave his father a slight nod of his head. Did they know each other?

Maxim was going to question his father about Paul, but was distracted when commotion broke out in the room. From out of nowhere, Starla tried to approach Oddily, but Nexa had become a human shield and blocked her attempt.

“Stay away from her!” Nexa ducked when Starla swung her fist.

Oddily heard raised voices, but she wasn’t paying attention to what was said. For her, her world consisted only of Starla who had tried to hit Nexa. She became furious and charged forward grabbing hold of Starla’s dress, tearing the tulle from her skirt.

“Leave her alone!” Oddily shouted over the commotion.

Maxim grabbed hold of Oddily, pried her hands off Starla, and then hustled her outside to set her firmly on the hood of his car. She moved to be free but he held on relentlessly. She shrieked and struggled beneath his hold, but Maxim was too strong.

“Let me go! I need to help Nexa.”

“Will you stop fighting me and take a look! Maxim turned Oddily’s head so she could see Nero and Nexa heading towards them.”

“I…I’m sorry!” Oddily was so pissed off she could hardly speak. ”I don’t know why I’m acting this way.”

“Don’t be sorry. You’re beginning to feel emotions that you have kept buried for years. Please believe me when I say that your anger with Starla is justified! However, the growth of your fingernails worries me. Nero is a doctor of sorts. He wants to examine you, but we need to get you home first.”

“No!” Oddily began to struggle again.

“Oddily, why are you afraid?” Maxim saw the trace of fear enter her eyes. “Did something happen while I was away?”

“It’s Willa and Tinley. They are creepy to be around!”

Maxim’s heart sank. This was the first sign that Oddily was rejecting his world.

19

Back at the house, Oddily gawked at Nero while he drew blood from her vein. The bluish hue of his skin was unusual, reminding her of the “Aladdin’s Lamp” story. Nero looked like the genie that had popped out of the lamp.

“Take off your clothes.” Nero gave an order to Oddily. “These rags will hinder my examination of your body.”

Stop it, father!
Maxim’s rebuke made Nero reconsider.

“Excuse me. I want you to search your body for any signs of growth that is hidden from my sight.”

Oddily’s questioning eyes looked for reassurance from Maxim. “Do you mind if I go to the upstairs bedroom?”

“No, go ahead. Do what makes you feel comfortable.”

What do you think father?
Maxim questioned Nero as soon as Oddily had left the room.

When Nero opened a niche on the wall and retrieved a strange looking microscope,

Maxim was stunned.
I didn’t know there was a compartment there!

Nero ignored him and began to make clicking noises with his tongue while he stared into the lens of the microscope at a sample of Oddily’s blood.

Father, what is it? What do you see?

This is interesting! I have detected an unidentified substance running through Oddily’s bloodstream.

What is it?

I’m not sure, but her body seems to be adapting to the foreign matter.

Will Oddily be okay?

Until I find out what’s going on inside her, it is too early to make an accurate prognosis.

All of a sudden, both Maxim and Nero overheard a squeal coming from upstairs.

It sounds as though Oddily is pleased.

I’ll go and check on her.

Maxim left the kitchen and began to jog up the stairs.
“What did you find, Oddily?”

“Come here…hurry!”

Maxim stepped into the room as Oddily rushed up to him and whispered, “I found some more areas of growth, but don’t tell Nero!”

“Will you tell me?”

Oddily pointed to her chest and grinned, “I got boobs!”

Maxim smiled and kissed her. “You leave Nero to me.”

Maxim and Oddily met up with Nexa during their return to the kitchen.

“Thanks for driving Oddily’s car home sis.”

“You’re welcome. What have I missed?”

I can’t talk in front of Oddily, so don’t believe what I’m going to say aloud.
“Nero drew her blood and it shows up normal. She’s fine.”

Okay, now what is the real story?

Nero found foreign matter in Oddily’s blood sample and wants to watch her closely.

Nexa turned to Nero.
What happens now?

I know what happens.
Maxim spoke up.
I must find Zaylyn! This has to be the situation she warned me about right before she left!
She said I would hunt her down and do anything she wanted after I found out what she had done; and, she is right. I can’t have her messing with Oddily anymore!

Calm down son. We need to think this through.

That reminds me father,
it was Nexa’s turn to speak.
You said that Zaylyn was part of an experiment. Please, tell us what you know so Maxim and I will understand what we are dealing with?

Part of the experiment by the High Council was to tamper with hormonal growth. This new procedure caused Zaylyn’s body to advance to full adulthood by the age of five. At the same time, she acquired the powers of a grown-up while her maturity level remained as a five year old. Unfortunately, her living in this altered state has turned her into a very dangerous breed.

“You’re bleeding!” Maxim interrupted Nero when he caught Oddily wiping away a trickle of blood from her neck.

“I know. There’s something on the back of my head, and it hurts.”

“Let me see!” Maxim turned Oddily around and found a puncture wound.

“Move out of the way son!” Nero examined the mark hidden beneath Oddily’s hair and began to curse profanities.

“What is it?” Oddily looked worried.

“It’s just a small spider bite. It’s nothing to be concerned about.”

Nexa quickly moved to Oddily’s side.
What is it, father
?

Maxim was also staring at Nero while waiting for his reply
.

It’s an injection mark! Now we have a clue as to what is happening with Oddily.

Zaylyn did this to her!

Yes, I believe you’re right.
Nero’s voice trailed off.

Nexa sidestepped over to Nero.
I’m worried father.

You should be because, now that I think about it, I suspect that Oddily was injected with the same experimental growth hormone that was used on Zaylyn.

Tears began to glisten in Maxim’s eyes as he grabbed Oddily up in his arms and held her close, burying his face in her neck.

Nexa’s beautiful cherub lips twisted into a frown as she watched Nero reach over to Maxim and place his hand on his son’s shoulder.
We will work this out…I promise!

Maxim grabbed hold of his father’s hand and squeezed it for a moment before Nero took Oddily’s blood sample and left.

It wasn’t until Nexa left the room that Maxim started to smother Oddily with kisses, but Oddily stopped him because something that Nero had said was still bothering her.

“Why did Nero call you his son?”

Whether his answer came from a place of love, or fear, it didn’t matter. Maxim released Oddily and spoke the truth. “Nero is my father.”

At first, Oddily acted stunned by Maxim’s confession, but then her face lit up…a girlish, irresistible smile broke through her worried face like a gleam of sunlight. The vague fear was gone from her eyes as she burst into a fit of giggles.

Oddily’s silly response caught Maxim off guard. “I’m serious, Oddily.”

“Sure you are!” She laughed even harder.

Maxim caved in to Oddily’s playful spirit. It was a nice, but temporary, break from his concern.

20

The next morning, Oddily woke with a start when she heard Nero’s laughter. The young man with bluish skin, who had intrigued her since their first meeting, was downstairs. She could also hear Maxim moving around in the shower room, so she decided to slip out of bed and go spy on the being who Maxim claimed was his father.