Across The Divide (29 page)

Rapava did not request my return when Liam came back for me, and I was all for returning to my room. Seeing Ryker in his weakened state generated an ugliness in me. Instead of wanting to be near him, I wanted to be the farthest away from him I could. Loving him only compelled me to hate myself more.

“Liam,” a woman called from behind us as we strolled down the hallway. We both glanced back. Delaney jogged up, her pink shoes flashing brightly against the stark white tile and the blue scrubs she wore. “I think I heard Peter was looking for you, something about training, and finding you a new partner.”

Liam’s expression darkened before he cleared it away. New partner? No matter how much I hated Liam, losing Sera had to be hard on him.

“Do you know where he is?” Liam asked.

“Uh…I think…the training room.” She shrugged. “Sorry, I heard it from Kate.”

My head jerked up hearing her name.

“Ah.” Liam nodded in understanding. “Okay, I’ll find him after I return her.”

“I can do it,” Delaney volunteered. “I was heading to check on PE-One anyway.”

“Cool. Thanks.” Liam stepped away from us, probably happy to get away from babysitting me. Delaney and I watched him disappear around the corner.

The moment he disappeared, her mood shifted. She grabbed my arm, her body curving closer.

“In case anyone is watching, keep your head straight and do not react.”

Adrenaline filled my veins, like an IV drip. My mouth dropped open to speak, but I quickly snapped it shut.

“Good thing Kate is known to be flaky and scattered. Liam will never question it when he finds Peter was never looking for him.”

A new player in the game just stepped on board.

“Are you—?”

“Shut up, Zoey.” Delaney’s nails dug into my arm. “Wait till we are back in the room.” We walked stoically back to my room. She unlocked the door, walking me in, and shut it behind her.

“Wha—?”

“I’m with Kate,” Delaney interrupted, answering the question on my tongue.

Trust was still a dicey thing for me. My face must have given away my doubt because Delaney dug in her pocket and pulled out a piece of paper. “She told me you wouldn’t believe me unless I showed you this.” She held out her hand.

I stepped hesitantly forward, snatching the bit of paper, my gaze staying on her till I had the document in my hand. My eyes drifted from left to right. On the paper was written: 54267790149.

“Memorize it.” She shifted on her feet nervously. “I will be destroying it before I leave here.”

“Is this…?”

“The code to get into the room downstairs? Yes. The number backwards gets you into the inner room.”

A mix of hope, joy, and fear danced a jig on my chest. 
Kate did it. She got the code for me.

My happiness was crushed by paralyzing terror. We’d eliminated one hurdle, but many huge ones still lay before me.

“I’ve been with Kate since the beginning. I may not care for fae, but I do not believe in the practices Dr. Rapava is carrying out. The treatment of Sera, of you…” Delaney folded her arms over her chest. “Even of that one.” She nodded toward the cage on the table. “I gave him an injection to flush out the toxins. He should be better.”

“Sprig?” I turned and rushed to the cage and lifted the top. I sucked in my breath, fearful of what I might find.

He sat in the same corner, but his eyes were open. He hugged his tail like he used to do with Pam, when he needed comfort. I didn’t check my reaction, only scooped him up, and held him next to my heart.

“Sprig…” I cuddled him, kissing the top of his head. “You scared me.”

He nuzzled into me, rubbing his head against my top. Plastic crinkled and he stopped, pulling away. His finger poked at the top of my sports bra. “Honey tits?”

I burst out laughing. “What did I tell you?”

“Sorry. Is honey melons any better?”

“No.” I shook my head.

“Nectar juice boxes.”

“Stop.”

“Sugar suckies.”

“You’re feeling better, huh?”

“I will.” He stabbed at the hidden packages again, his eyebrow lifting.

I tugged them out, setting him back on the table and opening one for him. He snatched it from my hand and curled around it, sucking the honey out of the top.

I spun back around. Delaney’s nose was wrinkled, her face repulsed by what she saw. She noticed me staring at her.

“I’m sorry.” She cleared her face. “I’m not used to seeing
us
interact with 
them
like this.”

“I am one of them.”

“You know what I mean.” She watched Sprig lick the honey out of the container. “I hate what Rapava is doing, but I still don’t feel comfortable around fae.”

I could understand the notion, or at least I could remember the feeling. Once upon a time. I couldn’t believe I had ever felt strange around Sprig. He was home to me. My world could not exist without him.

“I understand, but against whatever DMG tries to shove down our throats, fae have feelings. They have families, they love, laugh, get hungry, and have addictions.” I motioned back to Sprig. He was trying to tear open a new honey packet, his tongue between his teeth, struggling. I knew honey would end up on the ceiling and all over him. I walked backward to the table, my attention still on Delaney, as I took the item from him, ripped it open, and set it back in his hands. “Just like us.”

A smile hinted on her lips. She tugged at the badge holder around her neck, pulling it out from underneath her top. Her tag and a key card were clipped onto it.

“Give this to your friend.” She handed me the card. “I think he was trying to get it from me earlier today.”

I pinched my lips together and tried not to smile as I took it. Croygen failed to seduce and steal it from her? The infamous ladies’ man and legendary thief? 
Oh, I will never let him live this down
.

“Kate told me to be watchful of him. He was a devious one.”

“You could say that.”

She glanced at her watch. “I better go. I’ll need the paper back. I need to know it’s destroyed.” She held out her hand.

I repeated the number over and over in my head, locking it in my memory, and handed it back to her.

She crinkled the paper in her fist. “Kate wanted me to tell you good luck. She wished she could do more.”

“She’s done a lot. Thank her for me.” I paused. “If I need to contact her again?”

“She’ll find you.” Delaney turned for the exit. Kate knew more about the fae world than anyone, but I still didn’t like leaving without knowing how to communicate with her later if I needed.

“Oh, I forgot.” She dug into her pocket, pulling her hand out. “Here.” I opened my palm as she dropped a couple of pills into my hand. “They are the highest potency you can get. You should not take more than a half…or a person can lose all bodily control.” Her eyes were set with underlying meaning.

“I understand.” I rolled my fingers around them and shoved them into my sports bra.

She curved back for the door. “Be careful.”

“I will,” I replied. “And thank you, Delaney.”

She looked back at me, gave me a nod, and walked out. Her footsteps moved away from my room. She never relocked the door.

“Are there more?” Sprig licked at his fingers, the empty packages strewn around him.

“No. Sorry.” I went over to him, rubbing his head. The dose of sugar didn’t drive him into a tailspin sugar rush, which worried me. He still didn’t look well. His eyes lacked spark, and his skin was still warm under my touch. But it was better than before; I would take it.

“I’d feel loads better if I had about ten more of those and Izel’s pancakes.” He blinked, staring at me with hope.

“Sure, I’ll be right back.”

“You’re intercoursing with me again, aren’t you?”

When the lights went out for the night, I put Sprig on my shoulder and went for the panel in the ceiling. Croygen’s room was closer to where we needed to go.

The eerie dark coated us, tensing my muscles as I slipped silently through the vents, Sprig holding tight to my neck. He was still not himself, staying quiet and holding on to his tail for security. I needed to get him away from the testing and injections. His little body couldn’t handle the constant examination and doses of goblin metal.

If anything happens to him
. I shook my head, not letting myself think past that.

“Feels strange tonight,” he mumbled next to my ear.

I bit my lip. He was right, the space held a density, a peculiar vibration in the air, like it knew something was going to happen tonight. My nerves rubbed against my skin, feeling raw and exposed.

We both stayed silent after that, scooting in and out of vents, making our way to Croygen’s room. I opened the last vent, letting my legs shimmy down from the opening, touching a ceiling rafter.

The moment I dropped from the flue, I sensed a figure behind me. A gasp burst from my lungs as a large hand went over my mouth, clogging the cry in my throat. A body pressed into mine, an arm slipped around my stomach, pulling me in. My heart slammed in my chest as hot breath went down my neck.

“Rendezvous in the rafters. Kinky. I like it.”

My elbow went back into Croygen’s stomach. He stepped back with a heavy exhale, his arms dropping from me. “Figures you like it violent.”

I whirred around, whispering hoarsely. “You scared the crap out of me.”

“Now that is a level of kinky I never got into.”

“Croygen,” I sighed.

“Guess we should have set which room we were going to meet in.” Croygen straightened, still rubbing the spot where I hit him. “Need to work on our organization skills.”

“So, we probably shouldn’t open a party planning service together yet.”

Croygen snorted. “There are a lot of things we should never open together.”

I could feel the underlying meaning soak his words.

“How did getting the card key go for you?” I lifted my eyebrows. “How fast did you seduce the nurse? Minutes? Seconds?”

Croygen folded his arms, his chin dipping to the side. “Uh, let’s say her hatred of fae made it a tiny bit harder than I thought.”

“You didn’t get it?”

“Not exactly.”

“It’s a yes or no.”

“Then…no.”

“I know.” I smirked, digging into my waistband.

“You know?” A shocked look of fear flickered over his face. He was probably worried I had found out he wasn’t the stud he praised himself to be.

I tugged out the two cards from my pants, holding them up. “It seems I did better getting them from her than you.”

“Oh, I get it. She
likes
you.” He nodded as if it confirmed why he lost.

“No.” I shook my head and smiled smugly. “I’m simply better.”

His lids narrowed, snatching the card I held out to him. “I had a lot going against me.”

“Sure.” I winked.

Croygen huffed, irritation shifting his feet on the beam. “Where’s the hamster? You leave his ass behind?”

“Screw you, ass bandit,” Sprig mumbled from under my hair.

I automatically reached up, stroking his fur soothingly.

“He’s not doing well. Unusually quiet. It’s another reason I have to get all of us out of here.”

“You mean there’s a volume switch on him?”

I almost wanted to laugh. Croygen sounded so much like Ryker then. Of course, the thought of the man downstairs only inflicted sadness that weighed my limbs down.

“What happened there?” Croygen’s voice was low, pointing at my face.

“Nothing. Let’s get our plan set and go. We have no time to waste.”

“Okay, boss, what’s the plan?”

“First we go get my sister.” I placed my hands on my hips. “She’s near where Sera was.” Croygen didn’t know where that was, but I was saying the plan out loud more for me than anyone. “There are a couple of fae security scanning machines to watch for.”

“When they were bringing me down here, we went through a huge one at the top level.” Croygen nodded. “To stop it from going off, they punched in a number before I went through and after. Turning it back on.”

Frustration gurgled from my throat. “We have no way around it. Our only exit is up the elevators and out the main doors.”

Croygen rubbed his face.

“We go out together. Let it go off.” I shrugged.

“I’ll go with you to get your sister,” Croygen said. “You guys go up and hide. I will go get Ryker and bring him back. Then we run.”

“Sounds so easy.”

“Not even close.”

“I feel I should go with you to get Ryker. I know the code to get into the room.”

“Then tell me, because you aren’t getting anywhere near him. He wants to kill you.”

“There are times Ryker, my
Ryker, was present.”

“I am not taking the chance.”

Finally I consented. “Fine, but Sprig will go with you.”

“What?” Both boys responded.

“Sprig, Croygen needs eyes and ears getting Ryker out.” I grabbed at his tail, petting it. “Don’t you want to help Ryker?”

Sprig sighed, laying his head on my neck. “Okay, only so I can annoy the Viking again. I miss that.”

“If you help Croygen, and we get out of here, I am sure he will let you annoy him anytime you want.”

“But he can’t like it.” Sprig sat back on his heels. “That will take all the fun out of it.”

“I have confidence you will be sure he doesn’t,” Croygen said snidely.

“The buttaneer will be leaving us soon, right?”

“Why?” A grin hinted on Croygen’s mouth. “When I bring you so much happiness.”

“Happiness?” Sprig sputtered.

“Oh right, that’s mine.” Croygen winked. “Your irritation is my joy.”

“All right.” I twisted on the flashlight beam, heading for the venting system, which would lead us to Lexie. “Let’s go.”

Croygen followed, lifting me to climb into the duct.

“Whatever’s ahead of us? Thank you.” I looked back at him. “For being here. For saving my life.”

“I haven’t saved it.”

“Yes, you did.” I glanced between him and Sprig. “Both of you did.”

The unknown before us was staggering, as was the amount of danger we were stepping blindly into. The peril gripped me, almost forcing me immobile. But the strength of the two next to me and the love for the others kept me moving and led me down this road of jeopardy.

I now understood what it felt like to have family. To truly love. People you would fight and die for no matter the outcome.

Croygen let go and I dropped to the ground, Sprig’s tail wrapped around my neck. The nightlight in the corner flushed the room with distinct silhouettes.

“Lexie?” I whispered her name as I walked to the bed. A sick feeling formed in my stomach as I replayed how I had walked to Sera’s bed in the same fashion. Lexie’s thin frame was lost under the covers in the same way. She lay on her back, stone still. The only indication she was still alive was the slight rise and fall of her chest under the blankets.

Croygen’s weight landed in the spot I just vacated.

“Lexie?” I called softly again, my hand urging her awake. She didn’t move. The dread in my gut only amplified. I shook her a little harder. “Wake up.”

Lexie had never been a heavy sleeper. I learned that from the many times I snuck back into our room late. She was a pain to get out of bed, but she usually woke easily, then would grumble and turn away from me.

I jiggled her more forcefully. “Lexie, get up.” Her lids didn’t even flutter.

My gaze shot nervously over my shoulder to Croygen. He stepped to the bed, taking over trying to stir her.

Nothing.

“What is wrong? Why won’t she wake up?” My heart thumped loudly in my ears.

Sprig leaped down beside her, poking at her cheek. His nose tipped up and wiggled, like he smelled something.

“Calm down.” Croygen moved me out of the way, inspecting Lexie closer. He prodded her lid open, looking at her eyes. Sprig leaned over waving his arms in front of her eyeball. “She’s severely drugged.” Croygen clicked his tongue. “I mean elephant tranquilizer drugged. The kind you find yourself naked and tied to an anchor.”

I didn’t want to know.

“Why?” I asked out loud, but it was more my brain trying to understand. Was this something they did only tonight or something they did every night?

“What do you want to do?” Croygen turned to me.

“What do you mean? We’re not leaving her.” My voice rose an octave.

“I wasn’t saying that.” He placed his hand on my arm. “I was thinking you can’t carry her, unconscious.”

Lexie’s comatose body hindered our plan. She was thin but taller than me. I knew I wouldn’t be able to get her out on my own and if anything happened, we’d be doomed.

“You take her. I will get Ryker.”

Croygen moved his head back and forth. “No way.”

“It’s the only way.”

“The man wants to kill you, Zoey.”

“I’ll simply have to make sure he doesn’t.” I touched Lexie’s hand, her skin clammy. “The real Ryker is in there. I’ve seen it, and I know the setup.”

“Zoey, you’re being stupid.”

“What do you suggest?” I hissed. “We don’t have another choice. You get Lexie out of here, no matter what. She is my priority. I will deal with Ryker.” Croygen opened his mouth, but my expression clamped it shut.

“Wow, he can be trained not to speak.” Sprig crawled back up my arm, sitting on my shoulder.

“Like you should talk. You’re like the Energizer Bunny with a mouth.”

I shot daggers at both, silencing them. “The plan is still the same, except it’s me getting Ryker.” I tapped Sprig’s tail. “Sprig will be my lookout. You use the key card and get Lexie as far as you can. Get her to the upmost level next to the security alarm. But if you hear anything, or sense anything, you take her and run.”

“I’m not leaving you.”

“You. Take. Her. And. Run. You got that?” I practically growled.

He exhaled through his nose with irritation but nodded.

I turned back to Lexie and pulled the blankets off her body, preparing to let Croygen pick her up.

I ceased breathing.

“Holy shit.” Croygen jerked back, and Sprig emitted a high squeak.

Horror curdled in my stomach, screams stacked on my tongue. My eyes did not want to believe what they were seeing.

From the knees up, she was the girl I loved and raised. Wild curly thick hair, dark creamy skin. She always looked like an angel. When she slept. Awake was a whole other story. The girl had a mouth and personality on her that was vibrant and unfiltered.

Now everything below was not the same girl. Where her crippled, twisted legs used to be were now someone else’s. The legs were pasty white and more muscular than Lexie’s twelve-year-old frame. They started just below her kneecaps. The deep caramel tint of her skin opposed the pale color of the foreign legs.