Myopia (Young Adult Zombie Paranormal Romance) (Wisteria Series) (36 page)

“Alba, you left your own people to die because you were coming back to him?” Wisteria realized. “You were the ones who sent those things, those jumper-biters, into the lab.”

“Jumper-biters?” He laughed. “I love the way you try to define the world with your limited words. They are actually draug. The draug were the gift I promised. Technically, you were not supposed to be there. Just Oriol and the empirics. I was not even planning on killing Bach, but I was glad he was there. Because when he was killed, the empirics would leave you alone.”

At his implication about Bach’s death, her heart thudded wildly in her chest. “But if you killed the empirics, why would that matter? I’d be safe. You’re doing this because you hate him.”

“There are other empirics.”

“What difference will it make by killing these ones?”

“Aside from the fact that Didan hates Terrans; he helped me find what I was looking for on Smythe. He might figure it out and come after me.” Felip chuckled. “And I wanted to test out the draug.”

“Alba, why would you do this? I thought you loved Bach?” Wisteria asked Alba.

“Why is the vermin talking to me?” the Famila girl seethed as she looked over Wisteria’s head.

“Do not say that. I am part Terran as well.” He shoved the girl away.

“You are not like the rest, you are better. You are different.” The girl almost seemed like she’d been renewed.

“Different?” Wisteria scoffed, knowing how much Bach hated the word. She hoped it’d get a rise out of Felip. “A freak.”

“Shut up, you Terran
jaga
.” Alba slapped Wisteria, sending her careening across the room.

“
D’cara
.” Felip shoved Alba aside. “You need to learn control, Alba.”

Wisteria groaned, straining to make her battered body get up.

“Move, Terran.” A man nudged her with his feet. “How did you escape from Bridewell?” The man was middle-aged, dressed in a dark suit, and had the Family’s green eyes. The man’s mouth dropped open as he gazed around the room full of books as if it was the most amazing thing he’d ever seen. “How did you get in here? Did Hemlock send you?”

“Maybe?” Wisteria hoped that was the right answer.

“Papa,” Alba ran toward the man. “I found the Terran. She escaped.”

Wisteria scrambled away from him. “Wait, I don’t belong here. It was Felip. He tricked me and brought me here.”

“She is working with him to destroy us,” Alba warned, advancing toward her father.

“Felip’s here.” Wisteria pointed in the boy’s direction, but he was gone. “He’s with Alba.”

“Liar,” Alba protested.

“Actually, it explains a lot.” The man’s hands glowed. “Like how he was able to journey from the home realm through Jarthan.”

“You cannot believe her, Papa. She is a lying Terran.”

“Perhaps.” Alba’s father studied Wisteria curiously. “You are certain that Hemlock Zey did not send you?”

“No, Lord Rafel, she is my guest.” Stepping out of the shadows, Felip clasped Alba’s neck.

“Vappa,” Alba’s father swore in shock.

“Before you call the sentinels…” Felip took out a saw-toothed dagger with a blue blade. “Think about how important your daughter is to you.”

“You dare come back here?” Rafel fumed.

“Ahh,” Alba whimpered.

“Amazing, is it not?” Felip said in disbelief. “That a Terran could open the Room of Ages, after you have been trying for years. Even the great Coia could not get in here. It took me only a few months to figure it out, because I studied the writings, you idiot.”

“Do not hurt her,” the older man pleaded. “I will let you and your Terran go.”

“You will let me go? How generous of you, old fool. You think I am here asking for permission from you?” Violently, he pushed Alba toward her father and the girl tumbled into her father’s arms. “I am in total control.”

“You are a monster. The Elders should have drowned you the day you were—” Lord Rafel groaned and looked down at Alba. “Why?”

She stared at her father, and smiled as she stepped back. “You should not speak to him like that.”

The handle of a dagger stuck out of Lord Rafel’s chest.

“Alba… “Her father gazed at the weapon, confused. He tried to remove the blade from his chest. “Why?”

“Alba, do not let him regenerate,” Felip told her.

“You can’t do that to your own father!” Wisteria gasped as the Famila girl pulsed the older man with a blue light.

“Ah!” Lord Rafel screamed, falling to his knees.

“Do it raw,” Felip ordered.

“Do not worry; this will kill him eventually,” Alba replied, as the streaks of light penetrated the injured man.

“I do not have time for you to torture him, as much as I would love that.” Impatiently, Felip pushed her aside and grabbed Rafel’s head. A blue flame engulfed it.

The man opened his mouth to scream, but no words came out.

“Father.” Alba walked over slowly and knelt down beside the man.

The doors to the library opened and Wisteria saw Enric and another man enter. Green-eyed and serious, they were dressed in black militaristic uniforms.

“Father!” Enric ran to Lord Rafel’s lifeless body. “Mongrel,” he shouted at Felip. “What did you do?”

In response, Felip flamed the uniformed guys, knocking them and Enric down.

At first Wisteria, thought they were dead, but she heard them groaning.

“Enric was not supposed to see that,” Alba stammered. “Thank you for not killing him.”

“Yet,” Felip remarked.

“You’re out of your head, Alba. You just let Felip—” Wisteria seethed.

“Quiet the animal.” Alba marched toward Wisteria, but was held back by two more soldiers. “Let go of me. Felip, stop them.”

But he was gone.

“She killed my father, the Lord of Jarthan,” Alba screamed.

“No, she did,” Wisteria protested vehemently.

“Alba,” Enric groaned. “I saw you.”

Wisteria felt a large pair of hands clamp down on her shoulders and she was taken out of the Room of Ages.

Without a word from anyone, they dumped Wisteria off in a cold, dark cell.

“Please, let me out!” She banged on the door, but no one came. “Help me!” After what felt like hours of screaming, her voice was gone and she backed away from the door and sat on the gravel. Looking around the dimly lit room, she saw there was no bed, no toilet, not even a window. The only light came through the feeding slot on the door.

She tried to piece together what was going on. Perhaps she was on the Family’s home realm, but Bach told her no free humans could survive the journey. Wherever she was, the Family could do whatever they wanted.

Was Jason in a similar situation?
Perhap, he escaped somehow
.

Eventually, the door opened and a woman, possibly a teenager, came in carrying a large bowl. This girl was also dressed in blue and in a similar style to Wisteria’s dress. The girl’s long dark brown hair was tied in a bun. Oddly, this girl had brown eyes and not green like the rest. “My liege asked me to bring you some food.” She stepped forward, with a slight limp, and placed the bowl at Wisteria’s feet.

“I’m not hungry.”

“You should eat or my liege will be angry with me,” the girl replied.

“What is a liege? Your master or something? You’re a Thayn?”

“Yes.” The girl blushed as she knelt down in front of Wisteria. “Just eat. It is bread and fish soup. It is human food, so you won’t get sick or anything.”

“Where am I?” Wisteria rubbed her eyes. “Please tell me.”

The Thayn paused as if deciding whether to risk answering the question. “You’re in Jarthan, the realm between worlds.”

“Not the Family’s home?”

“No, some of the Family lives here, but not many.”

“Are they going to kill me?”

“I don’t know.”

“Thanks for the food.” Wisteria uncovered the bowl and examined the dish. Her tears splashed onto the food. “Please don’t tell them I cried.”

“Just eat and rest.” The Thayn backed away from Wisteria and returned to the door. “You could try denying how you feel about the Sen-Son. My liege said that way they’d only renew you and not kill you.”

“Okay.” Although the girl didn’t know it wouldn’t help, because Wisteria couldn’t be renewed.

“But you have to let him renew you because of the Mosroc. That way, he won’t lose his mind,” the Thayn elaborated.

She was right and Wisteria remembered that fact. She could willingly let a member of the Family take over her mind. That way, he wouldn’t go crazy the way Benet had. The problem was that Wisteria didn’t know how to be willing to let a member of the Family renew her and even if she did, there was no way she was going to let anyone do that to her.

“No matter what, never let anyone know you’re bonded to him. They will kill you for that. They don’t understand.”

“And you do?”

“I’m a Thayn. I want nothing more than bonding deeply with my liege,” she admitted.

“Get out of there.” A guard banged on the door.

“What’s your name?” Wisteria asked.

“Nular. Just try and take my advice. If I say anymore, I’ll be punished too.” The Thayn gave her a small vial. “Rub this on your skin to make your spots fade. If they don’t see the shana, they might simply believe you tricked him, and you’ll just be renewed and flogged.”

The doors to the cell opened and a Famila man walked in.

He was dressed in a uniform like Enric’s. Wisteria guessed he was a soldier or police agent, or something else brutal. Walking over to the Thayn girl, he grabbed her shoulder. “You were not supposed to talk to it. Just bring the food and leave.”

“Sorry.” Nular knelt.

“Stop, it’s my fault. I was the one who was talking to her.”

The man practically threw Nular out of the room, before advancing toward Wisteria, throwing her food aside and trampling on it. “Never speak unless spoken to.”

After he left, Wisteria examined the vial the Thayn had given her. Rolling up her long sleeves, she dabbed a little on one of the spots on her forearm and in ten minutes, the spot fade a little. It didn’t vanish completely, but from far away she was sure no one could tell. Not having anything to lose, she took off her dress and rubbed the contents on her neck and back as best she could.

She’d just finished getting dressed when the doors opened and three Famila soldiers stomped in. Sprinting to the door, she knew this might be her last chance at freedom. She was knocked down with a single punch.

“Ahh,” she wailed, and tried to rise.

“
Jaga
.” The man who hit her grabbed her hair.

“Do not hit her again. Didan wants to be able to recognize her.” Another soldier shackled on her wrists.

Like a donkey, she was dragged out of the cell into the dark corridor. “Please, I just need time. Where are you taking me?” She tried to fight, but they were too strong and she was tired, of everything. The last few days had been just an endless series of battles and defeats.