Opheliac (15 page)

Frowning, Tait started to lead the group through the tunnel. Standing in front of the door and chatting probably wasn't the best of ideas. “Yeah, I'm not sure how to go about it.”

“That will be the least of our worries. While I want those teenagers on our team just as much as the Doctor wants them on his, it isn't a priority.”

“Breaking free from him is,” Payton said quietly.

She nodded. “So is restoring you both to your original condition.”

“I'm not sure I understand.” Payton scowled.

“We'll discuss it at another time.” Alona shifted her gaze to Tait. “Let's make a brief trip to the mall for some girl talk.”

Girl talk. That implied so many things. Tait wasn't sure what to think. She noticed her brother's shoulders slouch. He was jealous. Tait knew all of his mannerisms, probably even better than he knew himself.

Not taking her eyes off of Payton, Tait offered a smile. “Sure, we can do that. But it does have to be brief. I'm hoping to go out tonight on a date.”

“A date?” Payton raised both of his eyebrows.

“Yes, I'm working on a few things with Orly, if you must to know,” she said.

He folded his arms in front of him. “When it comes to you, yeah, I do.”

“Relax.”

“If tonight is a bad night, we can plan for tomorrow,” Alona interjected quickly.

Tait shook her head. “You said it wouldn't take long. That still gives me time to do something else. I just can't stand him up again or he'll never forgive me. Having hours together is probably hoping for too much with him in the first place. We have a lot of making up to do.”

“Just be careful,” Payton stressed. “Not just to protect you, but him also.”

“I'll be fine,” she mumbled.

He laughed. “I'm more worried about him.”

“Some brother you are!”

Alona stepped in again. “So long as you're sure.”

“I'm positive,” Tait said. “This is important, right?”

“Very much so.”

“Then let's go to the mall.”

****

For wanting to talk so badly, Alona was being awfully quiet, and Tait wasn't sure what to make of it. They had been at the mall for ten minutes, wandering aimlessly outside the stores. Unable to stand the silence between them anymore, Tait tried to think of a casual way to approach the subject.

“So what's up?” she asked. That seemed like as good of a place to begin as any.

Alona stopped to admire a dress in a store window. “You mentioned having holes in your memory. I didn't want to concern you too much at the time, but I wanted you to know that I haven't forgotten about you and your predicament either. Both you and your brother have been compromised somehow. The red tribe knows who you are, where you live, and what you are doing to help my people.”

Nodding, Tait's gaze went to her hands in front of her. Even if it wasn't her fault, she still felt awful for that. “Yeah, and I don't want to think about what kind of information they were able to pull out of my brain.”

“According to Drone, not as much as they would have liked. They want to take you again, and we are going to let them.”

“What?” Tait seethed. She ground her teeth together and clenched her fists. “Why would you let them take me? Am I no longer useful to you? Do you just want to trade us all out for new charges?”

Laughing and shaking her head, Alona resumed their walk. “Most definitely not. I would not trade you for anything. You and your brother are precious to me, and not because of your abilities. Let's be honest, your brother is far from impressive in that department. But there is something about you that I enjoy. You're like my family. We've talked about this.”

“Right, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have lashed out. The Doctor…he…”

“Did he trouble you? Don't worry, he will get what's coming to him.” Alona smirked, running her fingers over her lips. “Back to the topic at hand. Part of the reason I haven't acted too concerned over your predicament is because we have a simple backup plan in place. Drone is going to be a part of the team to kidnap you. He has something that will stop you from being put unconscious, and through his help we'll not only get back what memories were stolen from you, but hopefully get our hands on the Ilotus itself.”

Tait furrowed her brow. “And you're sure you trust him with this?”

“Not as much as I should for such an important task, but I'm not left with much choice. The worst-case scenario is he betrays me and they take more of your memories. I would be sad to lose you, but I would find a way to make things right again. You would be avenged.”

“Why tell me about this alone? Payton was taken too.”

Sighing, Alona put her hands into her pants pockets. “Because I don't think he would be able to pretend he doesn't know he is safe. If Drone's cover is blown, then I could lose more than you and Payton.”

“Even more than if he was a traitor?”

“No, but at least this way if he's not I know our secret is safe. The whole thing is risky. I do not like it at all, but we are left with no other options. No matter what, they will come for you. There is nothing I can do to protect you from them so long as you are required to stay with your parents.” She gave Tait a weak smile. “And I would not ask you to leave your home and go into hiding. Many complications would arise from such an arrangement.”

She was right. If Tait disappeared, her parents would call the police. Her picture would be plastered all over social media. Everything would be a mess. Which was worse? Being in hiding for the rest of her life, or having her memories completely wiped clean? Both options were a lie.

Alona's confident smirk returned. “It's a good thing I am good at protecting those I care about most. I will fight for you if it comes down to it. They will not get away with defiling your brain for their own sick purposes.”

“Thanks.”

“Call your love. I will not keep you any longer,” Alona said softly.

The sadness in her tone made Tait hesitate to text Orlando. If she rejected him again, he would never forgive her. There was so much loneliness in Alona's gaze, however, it almost made it all worth the risk. He'd understand if she explained how badly her friend needed her. There wasn't much Alona liked to share about her past, especially her relationship with her ex-fiancé. Tait knew her leader, her sister, suffered from a broken heart. And as much as Alona tried to deny it, she was indeed still in love with the guy.

Tait gazed down at her phone, torn. “We don't have to call it a night just yet.”

“I have other things to do. I'm fine. Please don't worry about me. I want you to see him. One, you said he might prove to be a potential candidate for our cause. Two, I don't want you to miss out on something good if you don't have to. You still have a chance. Don't waste it.”

Nodding, Tait sent her text.
“Wanna hang out at the mall?”

She and Orlando had their first unofficial date there. Even though he'd never admit it, he'd appreciate the nostalgia.

Cadence closed her eyes and just held the papers in front of her. Most of them didn't make much sense. They were all written in the Doctor's nearly illegible handwriting. Closing her eyes helped her to focus her energy, to give her brain a moment to process what she did know and understand. There had to be some kind of special order to the ingredients that went into the drug. Every time she'd tried to replicate it, she'd come up with something she couldn't use. Either something was missing, or she did it wrong because she didn't understand. For someone who was supposed to know everything, she knew next to nothing. She hated not understanding.

“What am I missing?” she asked out loud.

A male voice laughed from behind her. “Do you want me to just tell you, or would that ruin all the fun?”

Cadence hadn't been expecting a reply, least of all a stranger. When she faced the voice, she found a teenage boy standing in the doorway. His dark hair was shaggy and fell over his dark eyes. “Who are you?”

“Dallas. I'm staying here, remember?”

“Oh, yeah.” She'd completely forgotten. The whole point to the group not meeting at the Apartment was because of him. Of course he was going to hear her making noise down in the laboratory and come investigating. She would.

He didn't move from the doorway, keeping his distance. “Didn't mean to scare you.”

“It's fine. My own dumb fault. Do you actually know the answer?” she asked quietly.

“Nah, I was just messing with you.” The subtle smirk he wore on his lips suggested otherwise, however. “I came down to see who was here. Thought it might have been Orly coming over to practice. I'll leave you alone, though.”

Shrugging, she returned her attention the stack of papers in front of her. “You don't have to if you're lonely or bored. Sometimes a little distraction or someone to bounce ideas off helps.”

“You trust me enough to brainstorm?” he inquired, raising an eyebrow.

“Orlando trusts you with everything inside him. That's not something he does easily.”

Dallas moved into the room, taking a seat in the desk chair near the computer. “No, it's not. I'll try not to disappoint. Science was never one of my best subjects, so I make no promises.”

“Like I said, distractions are welcome too.”

“So long as they don't come from aliens.”

She scowled. “And how do you know about all that?”

“I know all and see all.”

“I thought you just stalked Orlando when you were in the ghostly realm.”

He laughed. “I followed you once or twice just to get a feel for who he was hanging around with. Gotta look after him.”

What did he see? What did he
know
?
How
did he know? It was one thing for him to follow her around and see what she did all day, and another entirely to get inside of her head.

“Psychic.” He cleared his throat. “Again, don't mean to bother you. Just thought I'd give you an explanation so you don't have to sit and wonder if you're doing something wrong. Because it's not obvious that they make you uncomfortable, the aliens, I mean.”

Relief washed over her. She would hate for Jaes or Alan to think she didn't want to be around them, Alan especially. Her gaze narrowed on Dallas. “For the record, you being in my head makes me uncomfortable.”

“I've heard that before a few times.”

“Learn to control it.”

He dropped his gaze to his feet. “Working on it.”

She didn't believe him, and made sure to mask that thought as best as she could so he didn't pick up on it. If he knew what she thought of him, he wasn't reacting in any way. He made no attempts to defend his actions or his mindset. Orlando may have trusted him, but if Dallas enjoyed being a psychic know-it-all, then she couldn't extend her trust to the same lengths. Reading her mind was like reading her diary. Only the lowest of the low stooped to that level and felt no remorse.

To make matters worse, Jaes popped into the room. Couldn't she be left alone in peace when she worked? The sight of his hazel eyes all lit up with excitement, however, lessened her irritation. Hopefully it meant he had good news.

“I made a breakthrough,” he said. Then he noticed Dallas sitting at the computer and frowned. “Am I interrupting something?”

“No,” Cadence said, folding her arms in front of her chest.

Jaes gave Dallas a weak smile. “Good, I would hate to be imposing myself on either of you.”

“You weren't interrupting anything,” she said, making sure her words were clear.
Is he jealous? He's acting weird again, just like he did when he popped in on JD and me.
She'd always wondered with the way Jaes constantly watched her. Perhaps on Altura the people were more attentive to their company. Alan behaved in a similar manner. There was something subtle in how both young men gave her attention, however. She couldn't put her finger on it, but that small something made her wonder if perhaps there was more going on in regards to both of them.

Dallas was smirking, nodding in her direction, like it was his sly way of hinting she was on the right track.

It's just because I'm good-looking,
she decided. Once puberty hit her a long time ago, guys tended to “fall in love” with her easily based only on her hourglass curves, smooth dark skin, and luscious dark hair. She was also taller than most girls, giving her the appearance of a model. Despite all of the male attention, she'd never given them much thought. That wasn't going to change just because the men who wanted her to notice them were older and more mature.
Too bad for them
.

“So, you had a breakthrough?” Cadence said, trying to get things back on track.

Jaes moved closer, reaching into his vest as if to grab something from inside. He glanced back at Dallas and stopped. “Yes, I had a significant breakthrough in the lab on my ship.”

Stretching and yawning, Dallas stood from his chair. “I'll let you talk business. Cadence, if you feel like talking anytime, just come on by.”

“Sure,” she mumbled and waited for him to leave. When she was sure he was gone, she spoke in a rather low voice. “I don't think he's anything to worry about, but try not to get too excited, if you know what I mean.”

“Of course,” Jaes said, also keeping his voice low. “I suppose I should have waited to contact you. Before coming here, I'd tried your house. When I saw you weren't there, I hoped you'd come here to work. Impulsive of me, I know. You were the first person I wanted to talk to. I'm glad you were here and not somewhere else. Saturday is a popular night to go out and do things, or so I've heard.”

She nodded. “Typically, most teens are hanging out. I'm not most teens.”

“No, you are not.” He licked his lips. Again, he reached into his vest, and this time he pulled out a small vile of black liquid. “I replicated the drug.”

“You…replicated it? That's not one of the samples?” She reached for the vile, grateful he let her take it from his hands. Slowly, she shifted the contents inside, examining the slow speed in which they moved. “It's thicker than some of the samples were.”

Jaes still beamed all the same. “But it didn't combust and it has all of the ingredients in it. This is a huge step. Before, I could only get a few of them to cooperate before dissolving, exploding, or turning into something equally useless. Major progress. I'm sure I don't have the proportions just right, but I wanted to share the order, the way to mix them all together, that sort of thing. And perhaps you have found more information on how to make it more cohesive?”

“I've been, admittedly, distracted,” she muttered.

“If this is too much for you to take on at once, I can continue to work on my own on the side,” he said softly.

She shook her head. “No, I need this. It clears my head. There's just—”

“A lot going on, I'm aware. I've been tasked with a lot of the same assignments Alan has right now, and I know they are dangerous and time-consuming. Though I'm sure he hasn't given you those details as of yet, you're intelligent enough to figure out your next mission will be a doozy.” He raked his lower lip between his teeth. “And I know you have classes, and your mother. Not to mention all of your other…relationships.”

How much had he been spying on her? Or was Alan talking a lot more than he should have about her personal life? “It's not anything I can't handle.”

“From what I know about you, I'm confident you will be able to. And from personal experience, all I can suggest is to not be too hard on yourself if you don't move on with your life after one day. It doesn't make you less of a person. If anything, you're more thorough when dealing with your own wellbeing. So many people downplay the importance of mental health,” he said.

Cadence absorbed his wisdom, meditating on every word. “I feel so stupid. Not just for caring so much, but for letting it all happen in the first place. That's the hardest part for me to get past. I was stupid. It's still part of who I will always be—the stupid girl.” Rather than jump to argue with her, Jaes leaned back against the wall and nodded without a word. Tears welled up in her eyes and she had to look away from him. “I thought I was done with all of this. With knowledge there is supposed to be more confidence, right? Isn't it supposed to be some kind of increase in personal power, or whatever?”

“The thing I've noticed about having more intelligence is that there is a lot more room to doubt. Logic creates the opportunity for questions. If you want self-confidence, you need to start applying more faith into your life. Faith in yourself, so you can act on blind instinct. You won't always have the time to analyze everything, and not everything is meant to be analyzed to begin with.” He laughed. “Honestly, is there anything logical about love? I certainly don't think there is.”

“You're assuming my issue is with love,” she said flatly.

He cracked a small smile. “What is it you say here? My bad? If nothing else, just remember that you don't need to do everything with your brain. You have a heart too.”

A heart that was busted up pretty badly, but she didn't want to get into those details with him. Though she was curious about what his personal experience with relationships was. Jaes was so strong and solid, so independent. It wouldn't have surprised her in the slightest if he had been single all of his life up until that point.

“I think these are the numbers for the proportions,” Cadence said, pointing at a set of four different measuring units written on a piece of paper. “On the files I was able to swipe from the computer, they're listed again in a recipe for salad dressing. The Doctor was clearly paranoid about someone stealing his work.”

“And rightfully so, since you succeeded in doing it,” Jaes pointed out.

She shrugged, smirking a little. “He should have been more careful, though I'm sure the computer down in the tunnels didn't have records of everything he's ever done. It wouldn't surprise me if he had another machine he used to keep backups of every piece of data on.”

“A master hard drive of sorts.”

“Yup!”

“That would be useful. It would help us understand the drug more. Though, now that I know how to make the drug, we can deconstruct the last sample we have and get the exact measurements of the components. This is an incredible development. We can do so much with this. Think about all of the people we can help.” Jaes bounced on his heels, his positive energy was so vibrant and exciting, it was contagious.

She couldn't help but smile. “A counter-formula to return the taker to normal would be awesome.”

“What? Why?” He frowned.

She did as well. “These kids were assaulted and forced into having superpowers. That's not a normal thing for people here on Earth, if you hadn't noticed. You talk about rehabilitating teenagers to put them back in the state they were in before. Not having abilities would fit into this goal.”

“I confess, I wasn't thinking about the things it could do on your planet,” Jaes mumbled.

No, I suppose he wouldn't think about that.
She pursed her lips, refusing to show her displeasure in any other way. Of course his priorities would be his home and the war. Did any of the Alturans truly care about what happened on Earth? The aliens had already fought on another planet and from what she understood, the outcome had not gone well for that world. Yet the Alturans moved on to another planet anyway.

Jaes picked up a piece of paper, reading over the notes on it. “Would you want to go back to normal?”

“Yes,” she said, no hesitation present. “I'm one of those people who wants to be rehabilitated.”

“I understand, though I do think it's a shame. Your gift is something you've always had inside of you. To me, it's like denying a piece of who you are if you were to get rid of it completely. You won't be whole.” He squinted at the paper for a moment. “Do you think any of this is important?”

Sighing, she took the page from him, smirking at how he gasped. “Yes, I do think it is. If it wasn't, the Doctor wouldn't have bothered keeping it around. I've learned every phrase is an observation of the drug's side effects. It's the numbers I'm trying to figure out. When it comes to the side effects, those aren't written down in any of the files I got from the computer. I'm not sure why he wanted to keep them separated. My guess is, the files were put together for someone else to use. Which is why the formula itself is coded as a food recipe, and the main focus is his personal log. Kind of like...”

“Kind of like?” he asked softly.

“Like he's gathering up notes for writing up a proposal. The computer files were so neatly organized on the laptop I hacked. Not like I expect him to be disorderly necessarily, but I know my computer isn't exactly the neatest when I'm busy doing a lot of stuff on it at once.” She went over to the desk so she could look at the electronic files she had stolen off the Doctor's computer months ago. Files that seemed to be a whole lot of rambling about his personal thoughts on what was going on, but didn't provide any
new
information—or so she had originally thought. “I think those pages you're sitting on are his way of brainstorming. He thinks better with pen and paper, but it doesn't make much sense. Then he comes over to the computer and types it up. Only, he didn't put everything on the laptop we found. Because it wasn't his laptop. It wasn't even his backup machine for traveling. He was going to give it to someone else.”