Her Cyborg (16 page)

Shade didn't move, but he felt his body tense. He looked at Phoebe. There were traces of tears in her eyes. She wasn't crying now, but the thought that someone had hurt her during his absence triggered his anger further. He felt like a ticking time bomb, ready to go off at any second if the Fighters tried anything with her.

Then he thought about their bond. He knew that he would do anything for her. He felt his love for her linger inside of his body as if it were his life force. She was his breath, she was his life, his everything ... and he would die for her.

He turned to Nightmare. “Let them go, and I will do what you want.”

A shock went through Phoebe when she heard Shade's words. “No! I won't let you.” She grabbed his arm in a desperate attempt to make him see reason.

He looked at her. There was so much love in his beautiful, shiny eyes that it almost tore her apart. He didn't want to do it. He didn't want to break their bond, but what choice did he have? They were surrounded by cyborgs. Getting out of here in one piece seemed almost like an impossible task.

“I don't want to lose you.” Her chin trembled.

“You really do love him, don't you?” Nightmare asked.

Phoebe turned an angry glare at him. “Yes, and I'd bet you have no idea what love is. You are nothing but a monster.”

Nightmare gaze darkened. “Do you think I'm doing this to hurt you or Shade? I have been working on this for years, and I can assure you it will be painless for him.”

“If it works,” she said.

Nightmare remained silent for a while. “It will work.”

“And then what?”

“And then, he will be the first cyborg free to follow what his heart tells him without MedAct's interference.” He threw out his arms. “Look at us. We all have been marked from losing the ones we were bound to. Shade will not experience that. He will be free. If he still wants to be with you once the bond is gone, then so be it. I'm not an impossible cyborg. All I want is to find a way out of the bond. Then, I will be able to free all cyborgs from the lie that the bond is.”

“What about those cyborgs who don't want to be free from the bond? Have you thought about that, or are you going to force them like you are forcing Shade now?”

“The bond is not real!” Nightmare roared, making Phoebe jump back. She instantly felt Shade's arm around her.

“It is real to me,” Wind said with a cold voice. “I will kill you if you try to remove my bond to my bound one.”

Nightmare snorted. “Once Shade is free, it will be your turn whether you like it or not. If it works for him, it will work for an older cyborg, but I will not try to set an older cyborg free before I'm sure it works with a newborn. Everything is new to Shade and so is the bond. Your bond is set like a rock inside of you.”

“Do you honestly think that my bond isn't set just because I'm newborn?” Disbelief filled Shade's voice.

“I know it's not. Like I said, I've spent years studying this. I know what I'm doing. Besides, you all walked in here freely, so don't blame me for being in this situation.”

“We would not have been in this situation if you hadn't taken Phoebe.”

Nightmare shrugged. “I wasn't able to snatch you from MedAct, so I had to make sure that you would come to me, and since you are a cyborg, I knew it wouldn't take long for you to figure out where I was ... if I stayed in sight.” Nightmare shifted his weight to his other foot. “But I'm still curious as to how you found that signal.” He looked them over. “You taught me something important today. I never believed the signal could be used for tracking. If MedAct knew about this ...” He shook his head and took a deep breath. “But I guess it's just a matter of time before they find out.”

“It's done,” Edge said and straightened his back, looking at Nightmare.

Nightmare nodded and turned his gaze to Shade. “So how will it be?”

Phoebe put her arms around Shade, holding him hard to try to stop him. It felt like her heart was being ripped apart. She was losing him. It made her want to scream with despair.

“Like I said, let them go and I will do it.”

Nightmare shrugged. “Deal.”

“Please, don't do it. Stay with me. I love you,” she whispered with an unstable voice.

Shade grabbed her face between his strong hands and made her look up. It was almost impossible to hold back her tears as she watched his handsome but determined face. He was her everything. Her reason for living. She would not be able to go on without him. It would destroy her.

“You will never lose me, no matter what happens. I promise you that.”

He pressed his lips to hers and Phoebe instantly felt his heat and desire surround her. She gave in to his demanding kiss, giving him access to her mouth. He made promises with his tongue as he swept it against hers. It told her that he would never abandon her, that his heart would always belong to her. Out of the corner of her eye, Phoebe saw Hunter approach the cage. He put the key in the lock and opened the door.

“Hurry up,” Nightmare said to Shade with no respect whatsoever for her situation. It was all about him and his Fighters, and his quest to end the bond.

Shade pressed her against him in a strong embrace. “I love you,” he whispered in her ear. “Don't ever question that.”

“I won't,” she sobbed, finally unable to stop the tears from coming. She let them run down her cheeks. It didn't take long before her eyes became warm and sensitive from the swelling that followed. Whatever happened now, she knew she would fight for him. She would never abandon him. He was her life and she needed him. She needed him more than the air she breathed. She wouldn't let Nightmare destroy them. She was sure Shade's love for her was real. It wasn't just the bond, it was a lot more. They already had a history together, and that meant something too. Shade would remember that, she told herself. He would remember and he would come back to her. He would remember her love for him.

She could do nothing but watch as he stepped out from the cage. Cyborgs approached him with determination in their eyes. Phoebe knew that one hasty move from Shade and they would jump him.

Silver grinned. “I must admit you are a brave one. I would have resisted until my last breath.”

There was no amusement in Shade's face. “That is why you are the stupid one.”

Silver winced. “What the heck do you mean by that?”

“Do you really think that I will risk Phoebe's life or my friends lives? I'm fully aware of what will happen if I don't agree to this.”

Phoebe noticed Faye approaching the open cage door, but she didn't care why. Her emotions were all over the place and she was unable to pull herself together. Wind stood behind her with his hands on her shoulders. She knew he was trying to give her support, but it didn't help much.

Nightmare stopped in front of Shade. “Defending your bound one, aren't you?” He snorted. “I wouldn't put too much faith into her love. After all, she didn't stop me from being intimate with her. It was way too easy.”

Phoebe felt like she had been splashed with ice cold water when she heard Nightmare's words. Because of all the tears and the stress in this painful situation, she had completely forgotten about Nightmare's embrace. It hadn't bothered her much and it hadn't scared her when he had done it. It had only made her feel uncomfortable and unsure. Besides, trying to get free from him had been impossible. He was twice her size and she was no match for his strength.

It was as if the air in the house suddenly turned to a wall when she saw Shade tense. The rage in his eyes sent another feeling of ice cold water being splashed all over her. Her heart raced as her palms became warm from perspiration. She had to explain to Shade that nothing had happened, that Nightmare hadn't given her a choice. Shade needed to know the truth. It was obvious that Nightmare said it only to needle Shade.

She grabbed the bars, her heart pounding. “No, it's ...”

Shade clenched his knuckles. His own words were forgotten as he struck Nightmare in the face. The Fighter jerked sideways from the blow. He groaned, pain contorting his features. Shade roared and prepared another strike, but Edge, Hunter, and a third unknown cyborg jumped him.

Phoebe screamed. Fear shook the deepest parts of her soul as she watched the cyborgs force Shade down to the floor. He fought them, struggling against their grip. He managed to hit Edge in the face but got hit back. He groaned. The cyborg groaned. Someone cursed and Shade roared again as other hands made sure he stayed put. His anger was evident. His rage just as powerful.

“Stop it!” Phoebe yelled and lunged for the cage's exit, but was stopped by hands that grabbed her from behind. She turned around and saw Wind holding her. His gaze was serious and determined.

“Don't,” he said, pulling her back. “They will hurt you.”

She tried to get free, but his grip was like solid rock. “Let go of me! I have to help him.”

Wind didn't obey. Instead, he pulled her even closer to him and away from the exit to the cage where Faye stood as if paralyzed. Her eyes were filled with terror as she watched the scene in front of her.

Phoebe watched Nightmare straighten himself after the blow to his face. He massaged his cheek. “Sedate him,” he growled.

Phoebe struggled in Wind's arms. “Don't touch him, you monsters!”

The cyborgs didn't listen. They didn't care. To them, she was invisible.

Silver moved closer to the cage's exit with his gaze set on Shade who wrestled with Edge and Hunter on the floor. In his hand, he held a syringe. Where he had gotten it from, Phoebe didn't know. Probably, he had already had it on him, but she didn't care. She wouldn't let him get near Shade with that thing.

“I swear to God that if you touch him with the syringe, I will poke it in your eye!”

Silver turned around, placing himself just a few feet away from Faye, but he looked straight at Phoebe with rage in his shining eyes. “That is a brave threat, woman.”

Phoebe glared at him with a hatred she had never felt in her entire life. She would make them all pay for treating her, Shade, and her friends like this. They would regret it. Somehow, she would make sure of it.

She opened her mouth to make sure Silver understood that, but before a single word had the chance to leave her mouth, Faye lunged at Silver. Phoebe watched his eyes grow big with surprise as Faye grabbed his face between her hands and pressed her lips against his. He jerked, tried to pull away ... and then he became still.

Everyone turned their gazes to Silver and Faye.

The syringe fell to the floor.

Silence filled the room.

CHAPTER 25

It was as if time itself had stopped, as if the air had left the room, turning every face pale. The silence was so deafening it almost hurt, and it seemed to last forever. Every cyborg stood still as if they had become rooted to the floor. Some had their mouths opened as disbelief flashed in their shining eyes. Phoebe didn't feel much different. Emotions suffocated her, making it difficult to breathe as the emotions got stuck in her throat. Her eyes saw what Faye was doing, but she had a hard time believing it. Hadn't Faye heard her say what would happen if she touched one of the cyborgs in an intimate way?

For a split second, she had seen fear in Silver's eyes. She had seen that he had known what was coming as Faye pressed her lips against his. Everything about him had screamed 'no'. He had struggled, tried to get away, but it had only lasted a few seconds. Now he stood like a statue, arms at his sides, trance-like and not moving. His eyes stared into the blue. Then a flash came from them. It had been a strong flash, almost as if someone had turned on a flashlight in his eyes for a split second. Phoebe wrinkled her forehead. She had no idea what that meant.

“Fuck!” yelled Heaven who stood near Silver. “His eyes flashed!”

That got every cyborg moving, only confusing Phoebe more. What was so special about Silver's eyes flashing? Shade still remained on the floor, held down by Edge and Hunter.

“Get her away from him!” Nightmare roared.

He was unable to reach Silver. Shade and the cyborgs on the floor were in the way, but other cyborgs stood near Silver. They reacted and lunged for Faye. She still had her lips pressed against Silver's when a dark-haired cyborg grabbed her by the waist and pulled her away. He pushed her back into the cage and closed the door. Silver stood emotionless, his empty gaze looking far into the distance.

Nightmare stepped around Shade, Hunter, and Edge. “Get him on the gurney,” he told Hunter and Edge.

Edge reacted with a speed that made Phoebe gasp. Before she got the chance to react, Edge had picked up the syringe that Silver had dropped. He removed the plastic safety from the needle and stuck it into Shade's arm. Her throat tightened even more from the sight, suffocating her scream.

Nightmare turned Silver toward him. He examined him before he turned to Heaven. “How many times did his eyes flash?”

“Only once,” Heaven answered.

Nightmare took a deep breath and exhaled. His facial expression became calm but his eyes hardened when he looked at Faye.

“Congratulations,” he told her with a toxic voice. “You have just bound a cyborg to yourself.”

Faye didn't look amused. “At least, I got you to stop beating up on Shade.”

“Is that why you did it? Have you lost your mind?”

“It was worth it.”

Nightmare snorted. “We will see if you still believe that in a few minutes.”

Phoebe had a hard time focusing on what Nightmare and Faye were talking about. She watched Shade who lay motionless on the floor. His eyes were closed. Her body trembled. Her knees felt weak and tears ran down her cheeks as Hunter and Edge lifted him up and placed him onto the gurney.

“Take him to the car and tie him down,” Nightmare told two cyborgs she didn't know the names of and pointed at Silver. “Make sure he won't be able to get free.”

The two cyborgs grabbed Silver by the arms and led him out of the house. He still seemed far away and didn't protest. Instead, he went with them.

Nightmare approached the gurney where Shade lay. He grabbed the straps and tied them around Shade's wrists and legs. He did everything quickly and with determination.

“Please, don't do it,” Phoebe begged. “Don't take him away from me.”

Nightmare ignored her. Instead, he grabbed the cords that were attached to the machine and placed them on Shade's forehead and temples. He then opened Shade's shirt and placed the last two cords on his chest. The machine buzzed quietly, freaking Phoebe out more than ever with all of its blinking lights and computer-like sounds. It beeped from time to time. Sometimes, it was just one beep, another time it was a whole sequence of beeps as if it was repeating some kind of pattern.

Nightmare looked Shade over. Then he looked at the machine before his gaze turned to Edge who stood by the machine again.

“Ready?” Nightmare asked.

The cyborg nodded.

Nightmare finally turned to Phoebe. “We are making history, Phoebe. You should be proud. Yours and Shade's sacrifice will save the entire race of cyborgs.”

Phoebe was unable to answer. Her jaw trembled too much, and the tears almost blinded her.

“You will regret this,” she heard Wind growl.

“What I will regret is not trying.” Nightmare turned to Edge again. “Turn it on.”

Edge pressed a button.

Shade's reaction was instant. Even if he was unconscious, his body tensed as he threw back his head. He clenched his fists and jerked his eyes open. A scream left his mouth.

Nightmare watched the screen on the machine intently. Phoebe had no idea what he saw on it because it was turned away from her, but she tried to judge how things went based on Nightmare's facial expression. He appeared determined, serious, and frightening in a scary kind of way. She spotted a flash of desperation, bordering on obsession and madness, a desire so strong with intent that it scared her. She realized now that he had meant what he had said. He had really spent years working on solving this. It wouldn't surprise her if he had spent all of his time on this. That meant around forty years.

Forty years to solve the riddle of the bond.

Something told her that this was his first attempt, and chance, to remove it.

She hoped that he would fail.