Monarch huffs an exhausted breath at Aiden. “You never give up.” He unlocks the chains and directs Aiden to the back room, disappointed he volunteered again, but proud that I let him.
Proud my feelings didn’t get in the way.
***
My body is heavy, lifeless, drained of too much blood. My head hangs and my arms and legs are tied to a chair. Blood streams down my neck and tubes embed my skin.
My eyelids flutter open. Lights blink above me and blood pools the floor. I know this place. It’s the room behind the red door, the one where I slaughtered the girl and infected Gabrielle. Only the red door is now just a hole in the wall that leads to the glass cages.
I squirm to free my wrists, but the tubes feed me silver poison that burns in my veins. I tip the chair forward and put my weight on my legs. Taking small steps, I make my way across the room, heading for the hole. I inch closer, forcing my legs to stay firm as I drag the machines attacked to the tubes. Each step is agonizing, but I finally make it there.
Spotlights click on and I blink against the brightness.
“Your tolerance is truly amazing.” A familiar voice like ice slithers up my back. “I honestly didn’t realize how well I did.”
I refuse to turn around and face the man who I once considered my father.
“Kayla, there’s no reason to be afraid of me,” Monarch says in an unemotional tone.
“I’m not afraid of you.” I turn awkwardly to face him. “The only thing I feel for you is hatred. Not fear.”
He stands in front of a door, wearing a white robe, just like the other Highers. His hair is pale and feathery, and his once grey eyes are as white as snow. There is no Monarch inside him, except for the same shape of facial features. But even those have smoothed out.
“Hatred is good,” Monarch says with vacant eyes.
The chair digs into my back and my knees begin to buckle. I lower the chair in front of the hole in the wall and sit down. The machines beep loudly as the silver swims up the tubes and into my blood.
“Where’s Sylas?” I ask. “Did he…did he change?”
Monarch shakes his head. “You know it was the one thing that I could never take away from you. And I tried to take it away multiple times. I don’t know why you just can’t understand that love makes you weak.”
“Did he change?” I repeat. “Or did you kill him?”
He doesn’t answer. I try to reach through the numbness and see what’s hiding inside him. But he’s hollow.
“Why did you do it?” I ask. “Why did you turn into one of them?”
He adjusts a knob on the machine. “I was always supposed to be one, but my transformation got put on hold due to kinks in the Higher strand.”
I droop forward, my head bobbing. “The one that started with me.”
“And the one that will end with you.” He steps away from the machine and tucks the tail of his robe behind him. “I never told them that you were the only test subject the strand worked correctly on. I was too arrogant and determined that I couldn’t fail. I got one right, so that meant it worked. I somehow managed to ignore the other multiple failures… and the results were anything but perfect.”
“Like the vampires? And those creepy things Dominic turned into?”
“Dominic deserved what he got,” Monarch says coldly. “Just like I did. I thought I could withstand the virus.” He glances down at his pale skin. “But I’ve learned that you can’t control everything unless you are in higher authority.”
“Why haven’t you killed me yet?” I ask. “You know as well as I do that I can save the world. And considering your current condition, I’m sure you don’t want that.”
“No, we definitely don’t want that.” He twists the machine around and punches a large amount of buttons. “But we can’t kill you. Not until you save our breed.”
My eyebrows furrow as the door clicks open. Gabrielle enters, wearing a clean white robe. His injured hands are wrapped up and his eyes burn with vengeance.
“Make sure not to kill her,” Monarch tells him. “We need her alive.”
Gabrielle nods with a wicked glint in his expression. Before Monarch steps out, he lets me know with a simple feeling that Sylas isn’t dead yet. I wonder if somewhere deep inside the old Monarch still exists.
He locks the door behind him and Gabrielle crosses the room in three long strides. He pops his injured knuckles and lets his fangs descend. There’s no warning as his fist slams into my cheek. My jaw crunches like crumpled metal. Invigoration takes him over as he strives to get his control back and show himself that he has more power.
I spit blood on the floor. “You know it doesn’t really count if I’m tied up.”
His fist jabs my chin. It happens over and over again until I’m covered in blood and bruises. But I refuse to scream because that’s what he wants. When he finally backs away, his robe is soaked with my blood. He feels better about himself and lets two Watchers into the room.
“Take her to her cell,” he orders.
They untie me and rip the tubes from my skin. My feet stumble across the floor as they haul me to a glass cell. They toss me in and the door slams shut. I roll onto my hands and knees and kneel up in front of the glass. Blood trickles from my hair and my hands. Gabrielle watches from the other side, curious to know what I’ll do next.
I hold his gaze, showing no signs of the pain I feel. “Do whatever you want with me,” I say, letting my bloody hand press against the glass. “Torture me. Hurt me. Dope me up with whatever you want. See how far you can break me.” I pause, letting my bloody hand streak the glass. “But just remember, I’m the one who can hurt you. And I have.”
Gabrielle remains like a statue on the other side, feigning a smile. “You don’t scare me little girl.”
I plaster a smile on my face, sensing his fear, and I drink it whole. “Now you and I both know that’s a lie.” Then I fall to the concrete, blood dripping from almost every part of my body as I wait for the right moment to save the world.
With or without Monarch’s help.