ﮩ٨ـﮩﮩ٨ـ Tethered ﮩ٨ـﮩﮩ٨ـ

Chapter 6

━━─── • ───━━━

• Luna •

Luna locked her gaze on Amir's cousin, with whom she had grown close in recent months. He mirrored her gaze, his chest rising and falling. She had often wondered what had happened to him, and she now knew. A heartbeat passed, she whispered Faisal's name again, and then it hit her with startling clarity. He had the same vast emptiness as the other Defectives when she fought them during the ambush.

Her heart dropped. She doubted she could do anything to remind him of her.

Not only that, but she had an epiphany. She once envisioned a future without Faisal, but she had no idea he'd go out like this.

The organization was determined that only one of them would leave this room alive and that someone was her. They'd planned for this battle so that if she killed him, it would tear her and Amir apart.

She and Amir were in an . . . emotional prison.

Luna stepped forward and watched. Faisal remained expressionless and never took his eyes away from her. The intercom buzzed again, and Major Thibeau's voice came through. "I believe you are acquainted with Faisal?"

Her head whipped around, and she glared at the glass wall. "You know damn well we know each other."

"Yes, we do," he confirmed. "Faisal will assist in the first round of testing."

Her heart raced. "You turned him into a Defective?"

"Actually, he was already damaged before we did anything."

She scowled. "No. He is related to Amir. He can't be a default. He . . . he can't—"

"I'm sorry, but he is."

The major's words hit her, and she wanted to run as fast as she could, but she was rooted to the floor. "I don't understand how he is damaged."

"We were able to retrieve Faisal immediately after General Davenport informed us where he'd left him," Major Thibeau explained. "We started testing him right away and discovered that he is one of the world's damaged souls. The ones we're eliminating."

"Faisal has become a weapon."

"Yes," he said. "That's because he could be controlled."

"By you," Luna snarled back at him.

Faisal remained still, his eyes focused on hers as if waiting for instructions.

"So you want us to fight our way out of here?"

The major nodded. "I'd like to see how well you handle a Defective on your own. It'll be like fighting Lily."

Luna's stomach squeezed. "You want to see if I self-destruct like she did." She took a step back when he didn't confirm or deny it. A whole new horror surfaced. "What will happen if I do? I mean, I know what happens to me, but what about my partner?"

"Amir?" he questioned, and she nodded. "You don't need to be concerned about that right now. Just concentrate on getting out of there alive so you can be with him."

She glared at the wall, fuming. "What will happen to us?"

"We know that when two Tethered Souls combine their bloodlines, they are biologically joined if their link is never severed. We don't understand it, but we're researching it." He paused, clearing his throat. "However, the connection is broken for those who self-destruct or become voided out. Even after merging your genetics, you'll lose your abilities and ties to each other."

"We'd lose our abilities, too?"

He nodded. "You'll be completely torn apart. But as I said before, we are researching everything we can."

Her lips trembled as she dreaded this test. She didn't want to fight Faisal, but she was being forced to. He could kill her, but she could kill him, and she'd be separated from Amir for the rest of her life, even if they were genetically and lawfully linked. That didn't matter because she could kill his cousin, someone he loved and would never forgive her for.

She snarled as she turned back to the major. "You're literally throwing me to the wolves."

"Well, we need to put you to the test. And this would be a good test for Faisal as well."

"Excuse me?" she uttered, raising her hands.
Greer took a step forward, but she ignored him. "For whatever reason, you want to tear us apart. Is it because I'm an Origin paired with a Pure Soul?"

The major's surprise faded, replaced by a cool expression. "Now is not the time to get into specifics."

Luna stood firm, her fists curled. "I can't think of a better time."

"Mrs. Khan . . ." Greer's soft warning was ignored, and he moved closer to the door.

"No. I think I have every right to know what has been done to Faisal and what you intend to do to me and Amir. I'd also like to know how long you think you can keep us here." There was no turning back once the lid came off her mouth. "What about my daughter? Our family and friends?" Her stomach churned at the thought of Cami and Amir's family being concerned about them. "You've stolen people's lives, developed new life forms in the name of science, and started a war. A war that no one wanted in the first place. And you believe I should keep quiet? You can kiss my ass."

Whatever warmth there had been in the major's expression had slipped away. He stared at her sternly, and she realized she should've kept her mouth shut. She needed to say those words, but the hard stare he gave her was disturbing.

"I don't tolerate vulgarity. And I don't put up with smart-mouthed women who don't comprehend what's going on. We have tried to reason with you, but we all have limits, Luna. You are not going to question me or any of my associates. We will notify you of things only when we think it is appropriate. And you'll only see Amir when we say it's okay. Do you understand?"

She could feel every breath Greer took, and it seemed like he stopped moving, waiting for her. "Yes," she replied. "I understand."

Greer looked away and took a breath.

"Good," said the major. "Now that that's settled, let's move on."

Faisal flung his hand out, and electricity crackled over his knuckles before she could even gulp. Shock kept her defenseless until the very last second. She veered to the left, but the whitish light tinged with red smacked into her shoulder. The pain exploded and ran down her arm. The impact tossed her sideways, and she barely kept her balance. He was powerful and quick.

Luna clutched her shoulder in confusion, not surprised to find the material burned. "What the hell?" she exclaimed. "How did Faisal get his electric powers?"

"We gave him an enhancer to boost his abilities. It wouldn't be fair if you only had something that could bring him down. Don't you agree, Mrs. Khan?"

She wanted to smack the ever-loving crap out of the major, but her attention was drawn to the Defective, someone she'd never anticipated fighting.

Another blast threw her to her knees as it flew by right where she was standing. It fizzled out when it hit the wall behind her. Faisal appeared in front of her in the blink of an eye, grabbing her neck. She rose to her feet, but his knee caught her in the chin and snapped her head back. She was blinded as starbursts weakened her.

Faisal didn't recognize her; his eyes were empty.

He reached down and grabbed her ponytail, seamlessly lifting her to her feet. His fist swung out, catching her just below the eye. That intense pain made her ears ring, but it also did something else.

It jolted her out of her trance.

"Faisal," she choked. "It's me. It's Luna. You're my . . . brother. Amir's cousin."

He growled, staring her down.

Suddenly, she realized what was going on, and it infuriated and disgusted her. She had to believe that the organization knew she wasn't in shape to fight him after fighting Sam. Faisal had been drugged for some time, and this fight had not only caught her by surprise, but it had also confirmed the futility of fighting BARDA.

They wanted her to fight with her abilities so that they could use her in combat. Even if she didn't want to, they were going to put her in the middle of the war above ground. There may be no way out of their stronghold.

Luna was struck in the eye again. Faisal threw a lot of power behind it. As she summoned her source of energy, a metallic tang sprung out of her lips, exactly as the staff had ordered.

But Faisal . . . he was much faster and better than her.

She clung to the sliver of faith she had as the adrenaline rush of a lifetime amplified: Amir was not subjected to this.

• • •

Luna forced her eyes open to see what she had always seen after being dragged out of the rooms and deposited—mostly unconscious—in her cell. The white ceiling with black nozzles—a hisyl and chemical mixture. Even stinging stones when ejected at someone.

Those nozzles angered her to no end.

She took a deep breath and cried out, then regretted it. A Faisal-sized kick sent a sharp pain across her ribs. Her entire body ached. No part of her wasn't swollen and sore.

Her attention was drawn to the movement in the farthest corner of her cell, near the door. She slowly and painfully turned her head.

Greer stood there, a cloth bundled in his hand. "I was beginning to worry about you."

She cleared her throat before wincingly opening her jaw. "For what?"

He stepped forward, his eyes hidden by his beret. "You were unconscious for a long time."

She shifted her eyes back to the ceiling. She had no idea he was keeping track of her beatings. He hadn't been there before when she woke up. Sam hadn't either. She hadn't seen her douche of an ex in a long time, and she wasn't sure he was still living.

Luna took a larger, deeper breath. As sad as it was, she missed the moments of unconsciousness when she was awake. It wasn't always vast darkness. When she was awake, she clung to the faint images of her life with her family that seemed to blur and fade the moment she opened her eyes.

Greer sat on the edge of the bed, her gut wrenching. Her aching muscles tensed. Despite the fact that he turned out to be not so bad, she trusted nobody.

He held the bundle. "It's only ice. It appears that you could make use of it."

She looked at him with skepticism. "I . . . I haven't had the courage to look in the mirror."

"You want to know how your beating looks?" He asked, palming the bag. "It's really bad."

It didn't feel good. Trying to pull her arm out from under the blanket, she ignored the throbbing in her shoulder. "I'll hold it."

"Mrs. Khan, you're bruised. Just lie down and try not to talk."

She wasn't sure if she should be offended by the no-talking part, but then Greer pressed the icy bundle against her face, causing her to suck in a sharp breath.

"They could have given you medicine to heal you, but you're refusing to give them what they want, and it's not going to make things any easier for you." He pressed the ice bag against her cut, and she flinched. "Keep that in mind, because you have several more fights ahead of you."

It hurt her to scowl. "I didn't ask for this."

He let out a breath. "I never said you did, Luna."

"It was so wrong to fight my brother," she said after a few seconds. "I mean, Faisal isn't my biological brother, but he's . . . you know." She sniffed. "I'm on the verge of losing it, Greer. Creating Defectives and Trojans and forcing them to do these things is inhumane. I—"

"I understand." He took a deep breath. "They've got an army."

"I won't—"

"You will," Greer immediately replied. "You're a lot like them."

"Like them." She tried to sit up, but he pinned her with a look that compelled her to lie down. "Faisal had no idea who he was fighting. And the Defectives at Dr. Kim's were vicious. They were like Terminators. They were on a killing spree and wouldn't stop until they'd completed their mission."

"Most Defectives are trained."

"T-trained?" She stuttered as he moved the cloth to the other side of her. "They've been brainwashed and don't know—"

"That is not the organization's goal. Refusing to fight will only make matters worse. You're a punching bag for them, and that includes Faisal. You can be killed if you don't keep an eye on yourself." He lowered his voice so low that she wondered if the monitors could even pick it up. "And what about your husband, Luna? Amir would feel your death as if he were there to witness it."

Pressure clamped inside her chest, causing a new type of pain to arise. She saw Amir in her head at once—that ever-present, beautiful grin on his handsome face as a burning climbed up her spine. As a hole opened up in her chest, her hands curled under the blanket.

Then her mind drifted to Sarah and how much she missed her. She hoped her daughter was safe and that the rest of their family was hiding somewhere.

She lay there, staring at Greer's brown-and-white camouflaged shoulder, for several minutes in silence, struggling for something to say, anything to drive the void out of her, and she finally came up with something.

"Can I ask you a question?"

"I think you should take advantage of this time to rest." He moved the ice bag to his other hand.

She ignored that because she was afraid of going insane if she stayed quiet. "Are they . . . are they preparing me for a war?"

He didn't say anything.

She let out a tired sigh, closing her eyes. "Is that what they're doing?"

Another second had passed. "The fact that you're even asking these questions is the best answer."

Was it?

"Are you wondering why they want you fighting for them, Luna?"

She found it strange how he talked about the organization. He was accustomed to their techniques. "Yes. I'm really interested."

"But, if you know the answer, will you give Major Thibeau what he wants?"

It didn't hurt as much when the icy bundle landed on her kneecap. "Probably not."

"That's exactly what I'm getting at. Whether or not you know what they have in store for you, it will not affect how you proceed from here. And do you honestly believe the major will let you go so easily?" he asked quietly, and she stayed still. "Think again, because you're one of the millions to whom he's done this to. You are not, however, the weakest. Not at all."

"The . . . the weakest?"

He nodded slightly. "You're a fighter. Major Thibeau has seen proof of it, especially after escaping St. Matthew's. The only problem is that he can't break you. You've put your heart on the line, and he can't touch it."

"Good," she said.

Greer shifted the ice bag to her hip this time. "Just because he can't break you doesn't mean he won't try. You and Amir can't be together until you give the man what he wants. Is it worth it to endure this separation?"

Greer had a point, but she couldn't simply give in and do what the major demanded. That would derail her escape plan if she had one.

"Yes," she said quietly, but she was lying. Her mind, body, and soul yearned to be with her husband again, but it was out of their hands.

"Can I ask you a question, Luna?"

She transitioned the bag to her ankle while looking up at him. "All right."

"What did you ever see in Sam?"

Her lips tipped up, even though she wanted to laugh. She couldn't laugh because her chest hurt like a ton of thorns had been smashed into it. "I'm not sure. To be honest, I believe it was his charm. Back then, we were kids, and we did stupid things."

"That doesn't include Sarah, right?" Greer's face lit up with joy, and Luna began to see something more human in him. It was as if he truly understood her feelings about having her daughter. She was curious if he was a parent himself.

"My daughter changed me. I matured quickly and completed high school before she was six months old. Then I took up photography." She wasn't sure why she was telling him everything, but it could be because she couldn't talk to the one person she really wanted to see. "Life would be different if I never had her. That I will tell you."

He adjusted his position and nodded. "At least you have Sarah and Amir. Family is important in times like these."

• • •

Luna's legs trembled as she limped alongside Greer to the training room. Who would she fight today? The lunch lady? The guy with the Dreads? Or would it be the girl with the glistening red hair? It didn't make a difference. She'd get her butt kicked. The only thing she knew was that none of the other Defectives would be allowed near her. The staff wanted her to square off with Faisal.

The guard slowed his pace, allowing her to make her way up to him. He hadn't said anything since he left her cell with the ice bag yesterday, but she was used to it. But she couldn't figure him out. He didn't seem to agree with anything, but he never stated it explicitly. Perhaps it was just a task to him. Or they're watching him so closely that he can't reveal himself as an ally . . . if he was one.

Both of them came to a stop in front of the doors she'd grown to resent. She took a deep breath and stepped through when they parted. There was no point in prolonging the inevitable. It was another fight day.

Major Thibeau sat inside, dressed in the same uniform he'd worn since the first time she saw him, and she wondered if he had an infinite supply of them. If not, he had to be wearing the same one, which was revolting.

These were the stupid thoughts she had before being beaten into hell and back.

Thibeau examined her. She knew she looked like a dumpster fire from the brief glimpse she caught in the foggy bathroom mirror earlier. Her cheek and eye on the right side of her face were a hideous shade of red and puffy. Her lower lip was torn. The rest of her body was a cornucopia of bruises.

He moved aside to allow Dr. Reynolds to examine her. The doctor took her blood pressure, listened to her heartbeat, and then looked her in the eyes with a light.

"Luna has definitely taken a beating," he said, tucking his stethoscope into the pocket of his lab coat. "But she's a competitor. She can walk."

"It would be better if she put in the effort," grumbled one of the guys at the control panels. "And not just stand there. This is Week Two."

Two weeks of not seeing Amir?

She shot him a glare, but before she could say anything, Alisha Bankole entered the room. "Today will be different," she speculated.

Luna folded her arms and fixed her stare on Alisha. "Nope. I'm not going to do what you want me to do."

Major Thibeau raised his chin. "Perhaps we introduced you to the training methods incorrectly."

"Wow," she said, privately smiling at the way his brows furrowed. "Did somebody get their warm milk today?"

The major's eyes narrowed. "Mrs. Khan, you're not being thrown in there just to fight. We want to see if you can be activated after killing. When you escaped from St. Matthew's, you didn't have the Omega serum in your system. As a result, this test is necessary."

"And we can see that maybe fighting Faisal is the wrong strategy," Alisha added. "You want him alive."

Of course, I do.

A sliver of hope ignited inside Luna, like a fragile seedling poking through the soil. Maybe taking a stand and getting all these bruises meant something. It was a bold step, but it meant everything to her.

"But we still need to see what happens after you've taken a life." The major motioned to the guys at the panels, and her hopes of stopping the fight were crushed. The door slid open. "I believe you will be more accepting of this battle."

She didn't want to walk through those doors, but she put one foot in front of the other, refusing to show any emotion.

The door shut behind her, and she turned to face the other way,