CHAPTER 8
“How are you feeling?” Diane asked Wind when they’d reseated themselves. She held his hand in hers as if she was trying to comfort him, but he didn’t seem to notice.
Exhaustion shone in his shining eyes. “Like I’ve been hit by a truck.” His usually gentle gaze shot to Jade and darkened. “You should’ve told me about the pain. I have the right to choose my own fate.”
“Yes, you do, and you chose Celise,” Jade answered. “What you felt now was nothing compared to what you would’ve felt if you’d survived Diane’s death without being bound to Celise.”
“You can’t know for sure it would’ve affected my decision,” he growled.
“All cyborgs who’ve been told have chosen death.”
Wind didn’t seem happy, and Celise didn’t blame him. She was angry as well, but Diane seemed mostly happy that Wind had survived.
“Can you tell us what you felt?” Celise asked.
Wind turned his gaze at her, and she winced when his anger didn’t subside. She couldn’t help but wonder if it was directed at her now. After all, it was her fault he’d experienced pain. She was the cause of it.
“Nothing new. The bond protested, but I’ve never felt it fight the way it did. The moment I said I accept you as my bound one, it went completely crazy.”
“But you feel no pain now when you said you accept me, right?”
Realization seemed to hit him. “No, I didn’t.” He exhaled. “Thank God.” His last words were merely a whisper.
“You won’t experience that again,” Jade said. “Your bond hasn’t accepted Celise yet, so this is far from over, but the pain you felt a few minutes ago will never go through your system again. That you survived proves your bond is willing to make the transfer. You have to work together to make it happen. All three of you.”
“What do you mean?” Diane asked.
“Throwing Wind at Celise won’t work. The bond must choose her willingly. You must give it a reason to want her.”
Wind frowned. “You mean, show the bond that Celise is better than Diane?”
Jade nodded. “Exactly.”
He reared back against the fabric of the couch. “But, she isn’t.”
Agony surged through Celise. She lowered her gaze and tried not to show how much it hurt.
“Oh, my God,” Wind said with horror in his eyes. “I didn’t mean it like that, Celise.”
“Don’t worry about it.” She avoided looking at him as the tension in the room grew.
Jade stood. “Well, as you see, you still have a lot to work with. Just like with the Fighters, Wind’s eyes have to flash three times. It’ll be difficult to get the first flash, but once it happens, it’ll be easier to get the second and the third.”
Celise dared to look at him. His gaze was set on her, and the underlying seriousness there made her hold her breath. He truly regretted what he’d said. He hadn’t meant it. It was written all over his face, and it eased her tension.
“And how do we achieve that?” Diane asked.
“There are several ways, but what’s most important is that you and Wind stop touching each other. If you do, it’ll become easier for his bond to make the transfer.”
Agony hit Celise in the chest again, and she bit her lower lip to stop herself from bursting into tears. She could almost feel Diane’s pain as her own when she saw the shock in her tired eyes. “Diane, I …”
Diane wiped away a tear and gave her a trembling but reassuring smile before turning to Jade. Resignation lingered in her expression. “I understand.”
“One way to get that first flash is to fool the bond,” Jade said.
“How?” Celise regretted not studying the bond. It would’ve helped them a lot if she’d known how to proceed without having to ask Jade every question.
“Make the bond think it touches Diane. You can do that by playing a kissing game.”
Wind jerked into a sitting position. He seemed to feel better, which Celise was thankful for, but the look on his face said he wasn’t interested in any kissing games.
“What kind of kissing game?” Diane asked.
“Tie a cloth around Wind’s eyes, and then take turns kissing him. That way, the bond can’t determine who’s kissing him. Once he’s aroused enough, you remove the cloth, and the bond should be more willing to comply. It might work the first time, it might work on the tenth time. It’s different for every cyborg. Remember that.”
Heat rushed to Celise’s face. The thought of kissing him, to actually do it without it being wrong made her hope the kissing game would take place.
Even if Wind didn’t seem thrilled, Diane was more difficult to read. She wasn’t crying anymore, her expression was calm, but Celise still had a hard time to determine what Diane thought about the doctor’s words.
“Listen,” Jade said. “I understand what this sounds like, but you all must do everything in your power. You must work together, and that means trying every single thing you can come up with.”
Celise gulped. “You mean—”
Jade nodded. “Yes. A threesome is one of the things on the list. When I said you must do everything in your power, I meant everything. Literally. Do you understand?” Her eyes rested on each of them with a serious gaze.
Celise exchanged surprised glances with Diane and Wind. She’d expected this process to be difficult, but she’d never thought they’d have to take things that far. Hopefully, they wouldn’t have to.
“This is all about intimacy,” the doctor went on. “Wind must get used to your touch, Celise. His bond must accept your touch. Once it does, you should be able to sleep with him to make the first flash happen.”
She’d barely dared to imagine what it’d be like to have sex with Wind, and now, she’d soon be able to experience it for real. The thought of it made her body heat rise.
“Remember, this is a matter of life or death. You’ve no idea how much time you have to make the transfer. If you’re lucky, it will only take a few days, but we’ve had couples where it took months, so don’t waste your time. If the bond isn’t fully transferred, and Diane dies, Wind might die as well. You need those three flashes. Two are not enough, and one will take you nowhere.”
Jade’s voice was firm and her words hard to listen to, but she was right. Wind and Diane seemed to agree, even if discomfort lingered in their eyes.
“Celise, you’ll also move in with Diane and Wind today, or they move in with you.”
She winced and stared at the doctor. Celise opened her mouth, but no words came.
Jade turned to Diane and Wind. “You two, from now on, you only touch if it’s really necessary.”
Their expressions were tense, and Diane, who still held Wind’s hand in hers, slowly pulled away. Her fingers trembled. The pain written all over her face was unmistakable.
“One last thing,” Jade said, as if unaffected by Diane’s sorrow, and locked her gaze at Wind. “You might end up in a transition phase once your eyes flash for the first time. It doesn’t happen to all cyborgs who go through this, but some end up being bound to both women until the last flash happens.”
His eyes widened, and his jaw dropped. “How’s that even possible?”
“It’s possible because your bond to Diane won’t disappear until your bond to Celise is fully in place.”
He frowned. “Won’t that make it more difficult to become bound to Celise?”
“It will, so let’s hope your bond to Diane disappears with the first flash, but I’m telling you all, just in case. A comfort is, it’s rare, but it does happen.”
Wind sighed and nodded. “I understand. What will happen when my bond to Diane is gone? Will I forget her?”
“No. Your feelings for Diane will always be there. They are real. When Diane dies, you’ll feel the same pain everyone feels when they lose a loved one, but you won’t die with her.” She picked up her tablet and pushed on the digital buttons a few times. “The contract is now sealed. Wind, you’re now officially bound to Celise.”
He clenched his fists. “What if we don’t succeed?”
Jade’s hand froze over the device. Her expression expressionless. “Then you’ll die.”