Entanglement (YA Dystopian Romance) - By Dan Rix Page 0,86
temple. Dominic flew backwards and landed in a heap. Casler pulled the knife from his neck and dropped it on the floor, and blood dribbled into his collar. But it must have missed his jugular.
Dominic was crawling away, choking for air. Casler followed him and stepped on his back, flattened him. He held out his hand. “Rope, please.”
Clive brought him the rope coiled on the floor next to the machine. Dr. Selavio knelt and unwound it, tied Dominic’s hands behind his back, then tied his ankles—and Aaron could tell the father’s knots were much stronger than the son’s.
“Clive,” said Casler softly. “Get Amber.”
“But Father, you promised we wouldn’t,” said Clive, close to tears now.
“And you promised she’d obey you,” said Dr. Selavio. “Look what happened on your honeymoon.”
“I said I’d deal with her,” said Clive.
“Yeah? Do you think the rest of us want to see bruises on her face?” said Casler.
“I don’t care what the rest of you think,” he said. “She’s my half!”
Casler yanked him forward by the sleeve. “Then keep the part I take out in a vial. Wear it around your neck if you want.”
“Father, that’s not the same—”
“This is because you and that brat stood up the potentate,” Casler spat. “Now go get her.”
“Soon, I’ll be potentate,” Clive muttered, lowering his head.
“Yes, you will. But until then—” Casler unclasped his fingers from Clive’s sleeve and touched Clive’s cheek, brushing his fingers along his jawline and lifting his chin so he could look him in the eye, “you’re still my son. Now bring me your half.”
Aaron saw Clive’s neck muscles tense up as he swallowed. “As you wish, Father.” Then he headed for the stairs.
Casler swung Dominic over his shoulder and followed his son up the stairs. Then the dungeon was empty.
Now it was just Aaron. He was the only one left standing between Amber and the machine—and he wasn’t standing. In fact, his three minutes were almost up.
He had barely managed to prop himself up on his elbow when Casler returned and leaned over him.
“How you doing, kiddo?”
Aaron strained to speak. “You piece of shit.”
Casler brushed Aaron’s cheek with the back of his hand. “I’m sorry I lied to you,” he said. “But you were supposed to die on the delivery table. I’m afraid Amber belongs to the heir of the Brotherhood now, my son. As long as you’re alive, Aaron, you’re a threat to their future. I’m sorry.”
Aaron stared at him, dumbfounded. Casler had completely lost it. “Just . . . just let her be.”
“I have to fix her first,” said Casler.
“She’s perfect.”
“She disobeyed. They were supposed to spend their honeymoon at the potentate’s palace, but then—you heard what happened.”
“I heard . . . Clive . . . cold feet.”
“Aaron, it was her fault,” said Casler.
Aaron’s lungs rose and fell, still hollow. “It was my fault. I made her come back.”
Casler lowered his eyes. “Unfortunately, she makes her own choices.” He laughed quietly. “And she doesn’t realize that Clive will do anything for her.”
“Except stop you,” Aaron wheezed. Then his arm buckled and his shoulder crunched into the floor.
Casler leaned closer, his eyes full of concern. He glanced at his watch. “You’re running out of time.
“Still all here,” said Aaron, fighting the weight of his eyelids.
“You know, Amber’s truly lucky her channel can heal itself, because that’s what makes this operation possible. For anybody else, once we drilled that hole it would be a one way road.”
“What about mine?” said Aaron. “Why isn’t mine healing?”
“Oh, it is,” he said, “but it’s not instantaneous like it was during birth. Like all organs in the body, the channel needs time to heal—a few days or so. Unfortunately, you won’t have anything left by then.”
“What about Amber?”
Casler smiled. “We’ll drill a nice small hole so just the right amount of clairvoyance leaks out by the time her channel heals—I’m aiming for about two-thirds. It’s a slow leak, so naturally, she’ll still be herself at first. I wish you could see what she’s like after the operation, when she’s flawless—ah, here she is now.” He stood up, and his eyes beamed with pride. “Isn’t she stunning?”
***
“Amber, don’t come down here!” Aaron tried to shout, but she didn’t hear.
She bounded down the stairs in front of Clive, streaked across the dungeon, and knelt in front of him. Her golden hair shimmered under the lights.
“Aaron, he didn’t, did he?”
“He’s doing . . . the operation on you,” said Aaron, struggling to push himself off the floor. “Get out of here.”