Kesari

 

We were slinking along a dark hall, Enele and Kai up front. Isla was gripping my hand and Dez was frowning as he stood across from us. Rurik was sniffing the air and nervously huffing.

There was a lab up ahead and we slipped in.

"We have to get back up," Kai said immediately. "I counted at least forty boots on the ground, not even including Frost and company."

“What about the inanis?” Isla whispered and his face became pained.

“Too risky,” Enele said. “We can’t guarantee we could save him.”

“We have to figure out what they’re planning with those cities, guys!” I whispered. “This could be our only chance.”

“No, we need to get out of here,” Enele said in a tone that brooked no arguments.

“Kes, come look at this,” Dez said, standing in front of a whiteboard and frowning.

With a gasp, I darted forward and fumbled for my glasses, but I couldn’t find them. Perhaps I’d left in them in the Cantina. Dez already had his phone out and was taking pictures.

Frost was attempting to accelerate the hybridization process. She’d also developed something named a stabilizer, which seemed to ensure the hybrid didn’t succumb too fast. By upping the white blood cell count. The inflamed leukocytes, of course! Looking through the stabilizer, I recognized several other key components and so did Dez.

“This is your work,” he said. “The Kazan cure.”

“Ours, really,” I replied, frowning. “With some tweaks, it could maybe reverse the hybridization. Look,” I said. “There’s a timeframe! A window! We could, in a week, save–”

Someone is coming! Rurik said. In here!

I pointed at the back door anxiously and everyone fled, Dez pausing to take one last picture.

Just as we were at the door, the other opened and both of us crouched low, hiding under a table in the back. There was a click of heels followed by boots.

“Shifters of Anubis is swarming the mountains, but as of yet, none of them are anywhere near the east exit,” said a low, cold voice that crept over my skin like a snake.

Parasite.

“What about the west?” asked a clipped female voice.

And Frost.

Anger burned in my stomach and I clenched my hands.

“Ras and Altair will take care of it,” Parasite answered. “Lilian, we need to leave. It’s time.”

“I thought the plan was for tomorrow,” she said pettishly.

“I understand your devotion to your mother’s work and the first home of the TLO,” Parasite said indulgently. “But we have a better home now. And soon we will have no reason to hide in deep, dark mountains. The foundry has become nothing but a mausoleum.”

“You just don’t like the cold,” Frost said with a laugh.

"I don't like indulging ghosts," Parasite responded. "You and I have too much work to do. We've lingered too long."

“It was fun to toy with those Shifters of Anubis agents, though. Infuriating that blond Weslark.” Frost laughed. “Oh, I can’t wait to kill his new little girlfriend. The good Dr. Iyer.”

I bit my fist to keep myself still and Dez laid a hand on my back.

There was a commotion in the hall and someone clomped in. “We’ve been compromised.”

“Darling, it’s time to go," Parasite said.

“I’ll be right there,” Frost replied. “Leave me.” Boots clomped out and she sighed. “Ingrates. You were right, mother. Hire a man and he tries to take over. But he is useful.”

Glancing up, I saw the door and then I saw a row of syringes on the nearby counter. Q was scrawled on each bottle. Q-cocktails. That potent mess of drugs the TLO used to knock people out.

“Goodbye, mother. I’m sorry I couldn’t keep this place intact for you. I tried, but Piper Weslark couldn’t leave it well enough alone,” Frost sounded angry. “She’ll get hers though.”

With that, I heard Frost leave and her heels click away, followed by the closing door. Dez leaped to his feet and dragged me with him. He was out the door in a flash, Rurik behind me as I stopped to grab a Q-cocktail syringe, stashing it in my pocket.

Suddenly, I heard the door open again. All of the air left my body as I turned around.

Frost was looking down and then she started, glancing up. We stared at each other for several breaths, her eyes filled with astonishment and her ice-blonde head tipping sideways.

Then a smile split her face and I shuddered. “Hello, Dr. Iyer. I was wondering when you’d find this place.” Her eyelids lowered. “Too bad it’s too late.”

Rurik was at my side and I glanced down at him, and he went still. A thousand things came to mind as I stared at her, fury and pity warring in my chest. I kept seeing that scared little girl in that photograph and the excerpts from her mother's scientific log book.

She’d been treated as a defect as an inanis.

“I can help you,” I heard myself say.

Frost went white and clenched her hands. “Excuse me?” She sounded taken aback, insulted.

“I mean I can reverse what happened to you,” I said, nodding at the board. “You were the first hybrid, weren’t you? Your mother tried so hard to make you a shifter, but she couldn’t. And you followed in her footsteps.” My throat ached. “All those tests and the shifters you created – that was really for you, wasn’t it? You were still trying to find a way. Even the Capitis Leonis was a possibility. Anything to be a shifter. But there’s nothing wrong with being an inanis. You’re brilliant! You’re…”

Frost licked her lips, staring at me. “You’ve been reading my mother’s work, haven’t you? I went in there just now and noticed it looked like someone cleaned up. I blamed Johnny, but it was you. And now poor Johnny is dead.”

I took a deep breath as Frost’s eyes went opalescent. “Did you read about the day my mother finally got my eyes to turn? That’s why she named this organization the TLO. Renamed it. It used to be something Latin, I forget what. Doesn’t matter, she’s dead. Long dead.”

As I looked at Frost, I realized there was dried blood under her fingernails and I slowly reached a hand into my pocket. Fingers closing around the syringe, I watched her watch me.

“You’re smart,” Frost commented. “My mother would have loved to have a Lynx shifter in the family. In a way, she tried to collect shifters. That’s what she did.” Frost smile became lopsided. “I prefer to make them. And sometimes I like to put them together in ways that defy logic. Like me. I shouldn’t exist and yet here I am. An aberration of nature, my mother said.”

I backed up, my hips hitting the counter. Frost was starting to turn into her hybrid form. Eyes glowing and bones cracking, fingers becoming claws and fangs growing.

“Please, Frost – let me help you,” I begged, sick at heart.

“Don’t insult me, Dr. Iyer,” Frost spat. “I am a miracle – I’ve managed to thwart the ways nature tries to undo me. I’m a stable hybrid and so is Ras. Hunter was weak, that’s why he came running to you, weeping and begging for help.” She grinned at me. “Did you find him in the woods? I left him there as a present.” I gasped and she kicked a chair out of the way. “Now you understand.”

Only a table was between us and I shouted at Rurik go, run, but he wasn’t moving.

Suddenly the door banged open and a chair sailed through, hitting Frost. She snarled and hit the floor, then leaped up, her form becoming completely feral. A man was standing in the doorway, trying to backpedal and she was on top of him.

“Dez!” I shouted as she scratched at his chest. Running forward, I grabbed at the syringe and yanked it out, Rurik on my heels.

Abruptly she became human again and reached into her own pocket, yanking out a syringe. For a second, my heart stopped, thinking it was the Q-cocktail, but then I saw the flash of gold.

Dez let out a cry of pain as it hit his arm. Suddenly, Frost was reaching into his pocket, pulling out the Capitis Leonis, swiping it across his arm. A roar tore out of Dez and I stared, dazed and horrified. What have I done?

Frost turned around and knocked me down, pinning me to the ground. Her snarling fangs were inches away and then Rurik had his maw fastened around her arm, dragging it back. I snatched at the syringe as she swiped at him, drawing blood.

Reaching up blindly, I shoved the needle into her neck and she froze, looking at me.

For a moment, I held my breath, thinking it didn’t work and then her eyes rolled up as she collapsed. Shoving her off of me, I checked on Rurik who gave a satisfied snort and licked my face. Then I crawled to Dez, tears in my eyes and let out a gasp as he sat up.

His arm was bleeding, the gold mixing with red blood and I touched it with shaking fingers.

"I feel fine," he said, sounding surprised. "I mean, it hurts, but nothing else."

“Come on,” I said, pulling him to his feet. “We need to get out of here and get you looked at. Find the others! I hope they’ve made it out by now.” I’d glanced out the hallway long enough to see Enele, Kai and Isla were long gone. They must have thought we were right on their heels. Dammit!

“Brilliant work on Frost by the way,” Dez said, waking me up. “Now check her pockets.”

Hesitating only a second, I ran back and rolled her over. Digging into her pockets, I found a phone and a small black zipped case, along with a small notebook, a bottle of pills and the empty syringe. I shoved it all in my pockets.

As I got to my feet, there were noises from outside and we slipped out the back. Behind us, people crashed into the room and then someone let out a roar of fury. It shook the room, down through the hallway and both of us began to run faster.

This way! Rurik yelped, rushing forward.

At that moment, the entire earth seemed to shake and we both fell to our knees. Rurik let out a surprised whimper and I gripped my head until it passed. At the same time, cries erupted around us as people emerged and began running. They didn’t spare Dez and I second glance.

Racing after Rurik, I followed him as smoke began to pour from the stairwell.

“Dez, we can’t go this way,” I said, turning.

Dez was gone.

“Dez!” I screamed.

“Get her, you idiots! That’s Kesari Iyer!” I heard a man yell, pointing down the hallway. The Parasite had Frost’s limp body over one shoulder. “You little bitch, what did you do?”

Gasping, I turned and ran as feet pounded after me. Rurik was my lifeline, guiding me as I ran, feet slipping and lungs bursting.

I tried to shift, but I couldn’t. My heart pulsed in my ears.

It wasn’t working and I didn’t have time to figure out why.

Eventually, the pounding feet grew quieter, but another, more distant explosion rocked the place and the ceiling caved into the room we were standing next to. Rurik was shaking all over, sniffing and trying to figure out a way out, before darting right.

Now we were running through what seemed to be a huge observation room, with a thick glass wall at one end. There were no other doors except for one directly across the one we’d entered. As we went running through, I saw movement and stopped.

So did the figure on the other side of the wall.

Racing over, banging into things, I stopped and stared up at Roy. Roy.

His shirt was torn and bloody, his knuckles bruised, but the look in his eyes was one of shattered devastation. I watched as he called my name, incredulous.

Then his fists slammed into the glass.

It barely produced a tremor and I shook my head.

“Stop,” I cried out, even though I knew he couldn’t hear me. Rurik was tugging on my coat and I was trying to breathe. “Don’t… Roy, go, run. Please!” Tears were in my eyes.

This is not the last time I will see you. It can’t be. Please, that would be too cruel…

I’m sorry, Roy mouthed, placing a hand flat on the glass and never looking away from me.

“It’s okay,” I said, placing my hand over his, “I’m not mad. I-I… I’ll see you outside!”

He pointed up, then at me and him. Get out, he was saying. Now!

Nodding, I walked back as he looked around, clearly trying to figure out a way in. Then another explosion rocked the place and I shook my head, pointing up.

“No! Run!” I screamed, as he again hit the glass. “Go!”

With one last, wrenching look at Roy, I ran after Rurik. I could sense him watching me and I stopped at the door, looking back. He placed a hand over his heart and pointed at me. I nodded and did the same, then I blew him a kiss.

We’re both getting out of here, I said to myself as I ran, choking on the smoke. We’re both getting out of here and I’m going to tell you how I feel about you.

I’m going to kiss you.

Everything and everyone will be okay.