Across The Divide (6 page)

“I need you to do something for me.” I lowered my voice even more. “I want you to check out the access to the vents, and find out if there are any alarms or triggers on this level.”

He nodded with eagerness.

“But only go as far as you feel comfortable. If you feel or see anything wrong, come back. Okay? Your safety is priority to me.”

He saluted me and leaped to the top of a cupboard. Not wanting to focus on him in case we were being watched, I paced and fiddled around the room, watching him through my lashes. He pushed at a ceiling panel, lifting it enough to slip through.

I waited. My nerves were so severely strung I could only inhale the smallest bit of air. Every creak or sound I heard caused me to jump, dampening the back of my neck with sweat.

Trying to act “natural” when you wanted to lose your shit was a feat in itself. My hands fidgeted and twisted around each other. The hum of the fluorescent lights grew louder, ticking like a clock as time passed, filled the strained silence.

“Hell,” I mumbled to myself. Something was wrong. I could feel the panicked scream building in my chest. 
What if he got caught or hurt?
Why did I put this on him? What did I make him do?

A thump sounded above me. I jumped, covering my mouth to stop the cry waiting to escape.

Sprig crawled out, leaping on the cupboard.

“Oh, thank god.” My words rushed out, allowing me to take the first real breath.

Sprig climbed down. “First, there are rats up there. Big ones.” He crinkled his nose. “I think they thought I was fast-food delivery... or they were trying to mate with me.”

Knowing Sprig was safe and no one had broken down the door to take either one of us away, I let myself laugh.

“I tell you,
Bhean
. It’s always sex or food.” He sat back on his hind legs by his cage. “Hey, you and rats have something in common. Speaking of—”

“Sprig,” I interrupted. “What did you see?”

“The vents are clear if you stay on this level. When I tried to climb up, like we did last time, I saw sensory triggers and everything has now been bolted down with goblin metal.”

Rapava was not lying. He did block the exits to leave, but moving around internally was feasible.

“How far did you go?”

“All the way to the end of this floor. They don’t seem to care if we crawl around the vents like rats in a maze. But the maze is of their making. We can’t get anywhere good... oh, unless there’s a cafeteria on this floor?”

“Let’s try finding Sera first, before we venture out.”

“Eye-Matty.” He saluted me.

I fell back on my bed with an amused groan.

Now all we had to do was wait till lights out.

Metal rubbed against the fabric of my pants, sending electric shocks into my knees and shins as I slid slowly through the vent. The space was smaller and thinner than the one I escaped through last time, and my weight created an unnerving pinging sound through the flue. It was a succession of moving through a series of mazes and climbing over ceiling beams like a gymnast.

Sprig was not wrong about the rats. Several of them scurried over my hands as I blindly made my way through. Rats didn’t bother me normally, but the feel of their fur and claws scraping over my skin created chills down my arms, causing me to shake them off in disgust. I had to rely on my memory to get to where I thought Sera’s room was located. Sprig’s sharp night vision helped steer me. After a while, my sight adjusted and my senses heightened. But my stomach was still tense with fear.

I was putting us in an insane amount of danger. But I would not be a victim. If fighting meant playing their game while secretly obtaining information to take them down, that’s what I’d do.

Sprig yelped. A rat squeaked.

“Stop, fooling around up there. Leave the rats alone,” I whispered.

“Le-leave the rats alone?” he exclaimed in a hoarse whisper. “Tell them to leave me alone. Beady-eyed bastards.”

“If you stopped flirting with them,” I whispered as we came to another vent exit.

“Flirting?” He scoffed. “They want to
eat
me, 
Bhean
... and yes, in that way too.”

“Okay, didn’t need that visual.” I unhooked the vent door, crawling down to check if this was Sera’s room. The last four rooms had been empty.

My fingernails dug into the plaster around the vent, and I lifted the panel. The soft beeps of a heart monitor and the rhythmic pumping of air wafted up. My heart jumped into my throat. 
I think I found her
. I leaned over, poking my head down the hole. One dim light was turned on Sera’s motionless body in the deep shadows. From this distance I couldn’t see her breathing, but the machines reassured me she was still alive. If only barely.

“Is it her?” Sprig climbed on my back, trying to peer with me.

“Yeah.” I pushed myself back up. This was harder than I thought, being alone with her. What would I say? 
Sorry you’re dying?
 
Or, there is a chance I could cure you, but I don’t want Rapava to know the truth about how I got Ryker’s powers…my bad
.

“Hello? You go on holiday?” A tiny finger tapped against my head. “You going down there or did we simply sneak over here for the rush? I could see this is all getting boring. No hot Viking to pummel all night.”

“Sprig!” Heat crawled up my cheeks. His jab hit a little too close to home. One of several dreams I had lately flashed through my mind. Ryker’s lips skating up my inner thigh, his hands...

Zoey, stop!
I rubbed my face fiercely.

“What?”

“Shut up,” I hissed.

“Not getting any is making someone grumpy.”

“Like you and food.”

“Exactly. Ryker is your honey stick.” His face scrunched up.

“Ugh.” I shook my head. “Let’s not ever use that reference again.”

“I think I might even have ruined honey for me with that comparison.”

I raised a dubious eyebrow at him.

“Yeah, you’re right.” Sprig grabbed his stomach, laughing. “That could
ne-ver
happen.”

I shook my head, a smile curling on my face. No matter what, Sprig could make me laugh, even in difficult times.

“You know, all this talk of honey—”

“If they ever allow me beyond my room, I will try and find you some.”

“This is why we should never part ways.”

“Because I supply your addiction?”

“Pretty much.” He nodded.

“That’s what I thought.” I sighed. “My role in life.” I stared back down the gap in the ceiling. “Okay, let’s do this.”

“Great!” Sprig bobbed on my shoulder then stopped. “What are we doing again?”

I reached over and grabbed Sprig. “This.” I lowered myself into the opening and held him over the bed. “Jump.”

He easily leaped on the bed as I turned myself around in the vent and slid through the opening feet first. I dropped to the ground, my knees bending with the impact. I barely made a noise. I was exceptional at several things and being stealthy was one. Robbing homes, starting at the age of nine, taught me early how to move so I could break into places undetected.

I crept over to Sera’s bed, her frail form disappearing in the mattress. My gaze roamed over her face and hair. We didn’t come from the same parental DNA, but we came from the same formula Dr. Holt designed. I guess I still hoped to find something visual connecting us—a trait, a birthmark, something tangible. But we were only related on the inside. A unique coding in our DNA linked us.

Without realizing it, I reached for her hand. It was small and cold in mine. Sweat beaded at her hairline and a shadow of blood crusted the base of her nose.

“I’m sorry,” I whispered, my voice startling me. Emotion struck my heart. “I am so, so sorry.”

Sera’s lids quivered and slowly they lifted. Adrenaline sent spikes of energy through my limbs. What if I read her wrong earlier? What if she cried out for help or hit a button to get the nurses in here. All my work to obtain Rapava’s trust would be down the drain.

I stiffened and glanced nervously at Sprig. He had moved to the opposite nightstand as me, hiding behind a jug of water.

Sera’s head bowed toward me, her gaze taking me in. I was half expecting anger or even fear to flash in her eyes, but instead liquid filled them as she squeezed my hand.

Air I didn’t even know I was holding slipped over my tongue.

Sera took back her hand and tried to push herself up.

“Here.” I adjusted the pillows so she could sit up. She struggled to move, and after repositioning a little she laid back on the pillows, her eyes closing with fatigue.

I felt helpless and guilty. My conscience kept stabbing me. 
What kind of person are you? You could save her. Do something.
And the shame only thickened with the knowledge I wouldn’t; I was going to let her die.

She licked her lips as she opened her eyes. “You. Came.” Her voice was soft and every syllable struggled to come out.

“Sera, I—” She grabbed my hand, halting my words.

“I should have believed you.” She huffed slowly, sucking in deep gulps. The tube in her nose wheezing with strain. “I’m sorry.”

“I don’t think I would have believed me either.”

“Dr. Ra—Rapa—va.” Sera coughed.

“I know. I know what he’s done to us, what he wants to do.” I tried to fill in for her. She continued to choke and gasp for air. My gut somersaulted when I saw fresh blood dripping from her nose and pooling in her hand.

Was this how I would have met my end? How my death would have played out if it weren’t for Ryker? Only an outlandish coincidence had kept me from dying here alongside Sera.

Fury twisted my insides, stirring my wrath against Rapava and even Dr. Holt. What gave them the right to play God with us? To not care about the consequences of their creations? How could they not consider we were
real
people with feelings, hopes, dreams, not merely cells from a petri dish?

As I watched Sera spit more blood into her hand, I knew I would do whatever it took to end Rapava. To destroy DMG for good.

Sprig nudged a box of Kleenex on the side of the table, still staying out of sight. I didn’t know how she would respond to Sprig. Even if she hated DMG, it didn’t mean her prejudices against the fae had changed. It was better if he stayed hidden.

I tugged the tissue out of the box and wiped the blood from Sera’s face and hands. She grabbed for my wrist, her eyes wide, her breath growing choppy and irregular.

“I must. Tell. You.” She panted, agitation tugging at her voice.

“Sera, you need to rest.”

“No.” Her grip on my arm tightened. “He’s already…” She coughed even more violently, her withered frame convulsing.

“What?” I leaned in closer to understand her.

“Star-ted.” Like someone poked a deep hole in a water balloon, blood trailed from her nose and the corners of her eyes. “Stop. Him.”

“Oh god, Sera.” I clutched the back of her head as she fell back.

“Zoey…” she muttered my name, her lips covered in blood.

“Shhhhh.” I crawled on the bed, holding her. “It’s okay, I’m here.” 
So you won’t have to die alone
.

“Save them.” Her body jerked, and she moaned in pain. “Rescue her.”

I couldn’t stop the whimper from pushing past my lips, and I gripped her closer to me, trying to hold her frame in place. Red liquid soaked my shirt.

She smacked her lips, trying to talk again. “I’m. Sorry.”

“Sorry for what? Rescue who?” I rocked her back and forth, not relenting on my firm hold.

“I knew...” With another fit of violent tremors, more blood poured from her nose and eyes. “Shhiisss—heeerrreee.” Her words trailed off in a hiss. She jerked again, gave a terrible series of gasps, and then went still. Both ice and fire cascaded over me. I shook my head back and forth, trying to stifle a cry.

“Nooooo.” I continued to sway her, but Sera’s body remained still in my arms. “No. Sera…”

She was dead.

Sharp cuts of sadness slashed at my heart, coiling me forward over her body in pain, echoing out in a sob. Grief I had held back from losing Lexie and Daniel swamped my chest, unfolding with even more density. I pulled her body firmer against mine, shaking.

“
Bhean
. Are you okay?” Sprig jumped off the side table, his little voice unsure. But I could not answer him. Her death hit me harder than I thought it would. Maybe because with Lexie and Daniel I never had time to fully mourn their loss. Or because theirs had hurt so deeply I wouldn’t let myself feel it. Sera’s had opened the barrier I put up, letting the utter agony of all the people I lost crash in. Hot tears slid down my face, choking my throat with cries.

An irritating sound came from the background, but I felt numb to sensations. The only thing I experienced was pain, loss, and being left alone.

“
Bhean?
” A tiny hand rubbed my leg. Through my blurry vision I saw Sprig beside me on the bed. “I hate to do this, but we got to go.”

The here and now came back in an instant. The annoying noise in the background was Sera’s heart monitor, letting everyone know she was no longer with us. Voices and movement coming from the hall pierced my ear.

The commotion moved toward the room.

Hell.

“Now,
Bhean
!” Sprig jumped off the bed.

It tore at my heart, but I moved away from her, letting her go. I knew Sera would not want me to get caught now. She wanted me to stop Rapava and have her death stand for something. I would not let her die being another unknown victim of DMG’s.

Sera, Daniel, and Lexie were my crusade. My reason to get up in the morning and keep fighting.

“Bhean!”
Sprig screeched, jumping up and down underneath the open panel where we came down. The commotion was moving closer. We only had seconds.

Giving Sera’s hand one last squeeze, I dashed for the rolling table. It wasn’t sturdy, but it would have to do. I rolled it to the opening and climbed on. Sprig bounded up my back and through the hole.

Footsteps pounded outside the doorway. Nerves cringed my stomach. I only had one shot. Adrenaline hammered through me and with a grunt I sprang into the gap, pushing the table back toward the bed with my feet. My ribs cracked against the metal partition as I landed. I scrambled to inch farther up. Sprig uselessly tugged at my shirt, trying to help. People bounded in the room, my legs still exposed, partially dangling from the ceiling vent.

Fuck.

I held my breath, waiting to be discovered.

It sounded like three women’s voices as they moved around the bed. I stayed frozen for one more moment, confirming they hadn’t noticed me.