Page 137 of Remnants
Aiden keeps calling my name, and my chest tightens. I don’t want to make him or the others worry again. Pounding steps join Aiden, and I can hear Kellan and Dane looking for me now, too. Fuck. “Hurry up.”
“Royce and Charles made me program a machine that can synthesize Dane’s blood with material objects and into serums without me. And before you say anything, I didn’t have a choice. He’s already had me make thousands of these things over the years, but with this machine, they’ll be able to mass produce them at a crazy rate. Without me. I won’t be able to stop it or slow it down.”
“Why do you care? I thought this was what you wanted.”
“Because of what it means for my brother!” she snaps. “The weekly blood draws had been enough to sustain what Charles wanted for the last five years. I thought—when they got him back—he’d just have to go through weekly draws again. But with this machine and what I’ve seen them starting to do…” She fists her hands. “The amount of blood that’s going to be needed to keep up with that machine…he’ll be tied to it for the rest of his life. They’d drain him and have to pump him with more blood, waiting for his cells to take over, and then drain him again on an endless cycle.”
My blood chills, and a heavy weight sinks into the pit of my stomach.
No.I won’t let that happen to him.
Vera’s face looks pained as she grips at her chest. “When I was ordered to make that machine, I started getting nervous about what they were doing. I tried to stall for time, but Roycemademe do it. I was afraid for Dane and got Tinsley to help be my alibi so I could make something for him.”
“In exchange for her protection of the other captured Guild members,” Tinsley adds with a smile.
Vera continues, “I wasn’t able to test it, and I have no idea if it works, but if it does, it’ll block Royce’s gift from him.”
“That thing you stuck him with?” I clarify, and she nods.
“It was hard enough getting what I needed for one with Tinsley’s help, so there won’t be another.” She takes a shuddering breath, her eyes closing to compose herself for whatever she’s planning to say next. “After Dane protected me from those knives—when I thought he’d already abandoned me like Charles said—and seeing what they’re doing with that new machine, I started to questioneverything. I found his notebook and finally read it. I know…”
She swallows, slowing her words. “I know I messed up on the island. I didn’t think Dane was in any danger. Gordon…he promised me he would be fine and I believed him. I loved him. I just wanted to impress him. I’d recently figured out how to synthesize gifts into objects, and he’d been sohappywith me. I didn’t want to disappoint him.”
My stomach churns at the familiar words. Making him happy. Not disappointing him. Fuck…how long had he manipulated her? How young had she been when it started?
Softer, she continues, “I never fit in with you guys, you know? I wanted to. You and Dane wanted me to, but it just…it didn’t work. I wanted to fit in somewhere. To have friends so close you called them family like Dane did. And I thought…I thought Gordon and GE were giving me that. They made me feel special, as if I was one of a kind. Theyneededme to better the world. Yes, some people got hurt along the way but it was for the greater good of our kind. But now I know they were just using me.”
Vera pins me with her amber stare, her voice hardening. “They’ve been making more than collars and bands, Rae. They’re weaponizing Dane’s gift and others’ gifts. They’ll be able to overpower every gifted person in the world within a matter of months if you don’t stop them.”
“Why me?”
“Because I’ve spent the last couple of weeks studying your gift, and I know what it can do. Tinsley and I destroyed what we could find of your blood before GE fed it into my machine, but not before I analyzed it.”
Tinsley chimes in, “I helped get rid of as many blood samples as I could before they locked away the rest.”
Banging hits the panel. “Raegan?” Jack. He found me, which means we’re out of time.
“I’m okay!” I yell so they don’t panic.
“I don’t want to hurt Dane anymore. I need to end this before they force me to build any more of those machines or weapons. I needyouto do it,” Vera urges.
I step back. “What? Is this some sick ruse to try and make Dane hate me? I’m not killing you again. I won’t do that to him.”
“You’ve done it before to protect him, and I know you can do it again. Kill Royce, and I’ll finally be free of this miserable half-life I’ve been living. You’re going to do it anyway. I’m just telling you that it has to be you.”
“But you gave Dane that serum against Royce.”
She nods. “Dane’s the only one who can stop him, but I know he won’t deal the final blow. He’ll hesitate. Now that I know hestill cares about me, I’m sure of it. There’s no way he’ll finish him. You have to. The second Dane gives you that opening, take it before Royce escapes.”
A blade stabs through the center of the panel, then morphs into a grappling hook and slams back. The wood snaps and splinters as it breaks in half.
Vera grabs my arm to regain my attention. “The Guild is under attack. Royce is calling me there. Don’t fuck this up.” She turns to Tinsley. “Get me past them to the portal outside. Our deal’s over after that.”
Tinsley nods, offering her back for Vera to climb on.
“Raegan!” Kellan booms, bursting through the broken wood to make more room. As soon as he passes through and leaves a large enough hole, Tinsley and Vera speed off. Kell whips around when he sees it.
“Let them go,” I say before he or the others try to chase after them.
