MAXIM: A New Type of Human (Oddily Series #2) (8 page)

“No...have you?”

“Yes, it’s a weird sensation. You don’t think the ropes will be sturdy enough to hold your weight, but they’re stronger than they look.”

Oddily followed his gaze and caught sight of a bridge suspended between two trees on opposite sides of a crevice. “Are you serious?”

“Yes, and we don’t have much time to waste.”

“But it’s so narrow,” Oddily’s green eyes widened with renewed fear as she followed Maxim to one end of the bridge. “Are you sure about this?”

After Maxim grabbed one side of the rope and shook it, the bridge swung but remained firm. “It will be okay. Hurry…we must cross over now!”

After tentatively gripping the ropes on both sides, Oddily stepped onto the swaying bridge. She felt Maxim step on behind her, and then glanced down at the one hundred foot drop below, eyeing all the jagged rocks jutting out.

Maxim noticed Oddily stiffen and grow pale, so he calmly began to give her instructions. “Oddily, lift your head and look straight ahead. I’m right here, and I won’t let anything happen to you.”

Oddily had absolutely no intentions of looking down a second time, or of looking anywhere else except for the end of the bridge where she could step on firm ground. Moving on such an unsteady surface made her sick to her stomach; but once they made it halfway across, she began to relax. Then it happened. The ropes at the far end of the bridge began to unravel.

Maxim let out a shout as he spun Oddily around and circled her arms around his waist. “Hang on to me, and no matter what happens…don’t let go!”

The ropes snapped and the next thing Oddily knew, they were falling. Holding onto Maxim with all her strength, all she could think of was that they were going to die. But they never hit bottom. Maxim’s arms were clinging to the heavy rope that blocked their fall while his powerful legs kept them from smashing into the rock walls. They ended up dangling high above the ground.

Oddily felt a tug on the rope and glanced up to see a bald headed male hoisting them up. Whoever it was had to be incredibly strong to lift two dead weight bodies, not to mention the heaviness of the rope; and then she spotted Nexa peering over the ledge.

After the rescue, Maxim collapsed in a heap, his arms bloody and raw from rope burns.

“You’re hurt!” Oddily crawled over to his side and placed her delicate fingers on his cheek.

Maxim took her hand in his and squeezed it. “I’ll be fine…I promise.”

“But your arms…!” Tears began to sting her eyes.

So this is Oddily,
Nero stared at the redhead with keen interest, watching her fuss over his son.

Father, how did you know Maxim was in danger?
Nero’s nonchalant attitude began to annoy her.
And why would your android be on a mission to hurt Oddily?

Nero’s head snapped in Nexa’s direction
. I have already defused the situation concerning Tinley. From now on, anyone who tampers with his data will be in for a surprise.

Nexa gave Maxim a sideways glance.
Will you at least tell us what would happen if we did?

No. I have warned you. That is enough.

Oddily finally looked up at the formidable presence who had pulled them to safety and shuddered. He was so tall and charismatic, and he was curiously staring at her.

“Allow me to introduce myself,” a smile suddenly lit up his handsome face. “I am Nero, the bloodline of Maxim and Nexa.”

From the moment Oddily heard his deep melodic voice, she became mesmerized by him. ”Hi, I’m Oddily.”

“Your eyes…they are a rare shade of hazel. Beautiful!”

“Thank you.” Oddily lowered her lashes and began to blush under his intense scrutiny. “We should get out of here before the ferocious bear finds us.”

Nero gave Maxim a quick look before he spoke. ”We sure wouldn’t want that to happen, would we Maxim?”

Maxim quickly got to his feet bringing Oddily with him. He was annoyed by Nero’s amusement, and didn’t trust what he would do next. “I’m taking Oddily home. Are you coming, sis?”

Nexa walked over to Maxim and turned to her father.
Will you join us?

No, but you know where I am if you need me.

But father, someone is watching us and…
Nexa’s voice trailed off when the air began to change around them and Nero’s body started to deconstruct right in front of Oddily. Nexa jumped in front of her to block the view just as Maxim spun Oddily around, and pressed his forehead to hers.

“What are you doing?” Oddily’s eyes searched his.

“This.” Maxim kissed the tip of her nose.

Is that the best you can do?

Be quiet, sis. Is Nero gone?

Yes, and now…so am I.

Maxim didn’t see the two curious eyes gazing at him with yearning and infatuation blazing in their depths—the one who tampered with the ropes

9

The sore and dirty couple had finally arrived home, entering Maxim’s bedroom.

“You go ahead and bathe,” Maxim volunteered. “I’ll take my shower after you’re done.”

“I…I’m not really all that dirty.” Oddily was ill at ease with showering first. The very idea of her undressing with Maxim waiting in the next room was too awkward to consider. Suppose he accidentally saw her naked!

“I’ve got a better idea,” he said after reading her mind. “I’ll have you shower in Nexa’s room while I get cleaned up here. Does that sound better?”

A rush of air escaped Oddily’s lungs before she nodded with relief. ”I’ll get a change of clothes.”

Maxim tried to contact his sister to let her know that Oddily was going to be using her shower, but Nexa deliberately wouldn’t respond to him. Hoping she wouldn’t mind, Maxim went ahead as planned.

After Maxim left, Oddily was alone inside Nexa’s bedroom and she had to do a double take at her surroundings. Just like Maxim’s room, there was nothing but a simplistic bed in the middle of the floor. Geeez, did they have something against decorating?

It wasn’t until Oddily had undressed and stepped into the shower that she noticed her reflection in the mirror covering one wall. A few bruises where beginning to show up after the near fatal fall, and she was still shaken by the whole experience. Other than that, she appeared to be in good shape. Then she checked out her boobs. She stared at them for a long moment, and then said, “Come on you two…grow!”

“Are you all right?” Maxim’s voice echoed from down the hall.

“I’m fine! Please don’t come in here!” Oddily became frantic, barely allowing the time it took to dry off and get dressed. She feared that Maxim would show up anyway.

But he didn’t, so she lifted her shirt to take another peek at her chest. Maybe she had missed something. Nope. They looked the same as two minutes ago.

All of a sudden, the bathroom went dark. So dark Oddily feared to move. She stretched out her hands until she felt the wall, and followed it to the opening of Nexa’s bedroom that was also pitch black. “Maxim?”

Oddily overheard a sudden movement, and then the room brightened with Nexa standing by her bed. She was holding a weird looking remote control in her hand.

“What are you doing in here?” Nexa sounded startled.

“Umm…Maxim said it would be okay if I showered in your room, but then it got so dark! How could that happen when it’s still daylight?”

Nexa paused before holding up the electronic device to Oddily. “This room is set up to project images onto the surrounding walls, Oddily. I needed to rest after today’s ordeal, so I replicated nighttime.”

Oddily glanced outside the window that overlooked the forest. “Even the windows?”

“Yes. I would explain how it’s done, but the technology would be too confusing for you to grasp.”

“Is Maxim’s room the same way?”

“All the rooms have this feature.”

“Wow!”

“What’s going on in here?” Maxim joined them, glancing first at Oddily, and then to Nexa.

“Oddily has had a surprising glimpse at what our home can do.” Nexa showed Maxim the remote control.

Maxim smiled with his mouth only.
What did she see, sis?

I had the remote set on nighttime,
Nexa smiled back in the same way.
She saw nothing but darkness.

“You guys are so weird.” Oddily had stepped between them. “Why do you both constantly stare at each other without saying anything?”

Oddily’s comment stunned both Maxim and Nexa. It had never occurred to them how strange their telepathic connection appeared to an outsider. Maxim was the first to bust out in laugher—followed by Nexa.

“What’s so funny?” Oddily glanced from one to the other.

“Go ahead, brother. She’s all yours!”

“Maxim?” Oddily walked over to him and stared up into his face. “What is she talking about?”

Maxim became serious. “Have you ever heard of telepathy before?”

“Umm, I watched a science fiction movie once that showcased people who could talk to each other without words. Actually, it was kind of weird and creepy.”

Nexa raised her eyebrows at her brother and grinned.
Now what are you going to say, genius?

Maxim ignored her and focused on Oddily. “Being twins, we have our own way of communicating. I guess you could call it a sixth sense that we share with one another.”

Oddily desperately wanted to show Maxim that she was smart enough to understand what he was saying. “So you guys know what the other is thinking without speaking.”

“Yes, something to that effect. We…!”

“Goodnight!” Suddenly, Nexa’s room returned to darkness. That was Maxim’s cue to take Oddily and leave so his sister wouldn’t have to listen to his explanation.

Back at Maxim’s room, Oddily climbed onto the bed and collapsed against the pillows. “What else can you do with this room besides making it dark?”

Maxim retrieved the remote control from a compartment built into the bed frame and sat down next to her. “What would you like to view?”

“I don’t know—how about you surprise me?”

When Oddily found herself surrounded by the desert filled with pyramids, she scampered off the bed and ran over to the wall for a closer look. Then she began to walk the perimeter of the room. “This is fantastic, Maxim. It looks so real!”

All of a sudden, the walls changed to snow-drifted mountains.

“Wow,” Oddily’s eyes widened in surprise. “I’m actually starting to feel cold just by looking at this winter wonderland!”

“Then allow me to warm you up,” Maxim decided to enhance Oddily’s imagination. A breathtaking beach scene appeared, showing a vast ocean with seagulls flying across the ceiling.

Maxim watched Oddily’s movements, and listened to every sound that escaped her lips while his body responded. He was pleased with her reaction towards the hologram, so he decided to take it a step further by introducing sound effects.