Chapter 5

Kiara sat quietly as the nurses and doctors helped her change out of the bloody hospital gown. She took whatever medication they handed to her, let them take blood samples, and didn't make a sound when they carried Dr. Verma's body out of the room.

After several hours, Bram came back into the room and stood by the door. He held the remote firmly in his hand as the nurse adjusted Kiara's pillow.

"Just so you know," Bram said once the woman left the room. "There are two remotes."

Kiara didn't reply. She sat motionless with her hand over her belly. Her heart was too scared to beat and her eyes were too dry to cry.

"Your baby is okay," Bram announced. "Don't pull something like that again."

Once again Kiara said nothing. She had the urge to pull the blanket up and cover herself. She knew it would do nothing. But she couldn't stand the way her skin crawled whenever any of them looked at her belly.

Their eyes were like hungry wolves. They stared at her belly as if she was carrying a prize. A prize they wanted to win at all cost.

Every time Kiara thought about where she was and how alone she was, her chest would tighten and her stomach would turn. She ached to be back with her family. To be in the comfort of her own bed. She wanted her mother's soup. But most importantly, she wanted Killian to hold her.

She wanted him so bad that it hurt her heart every time she thought of him. Kiara would give anything to have him walk through the door and take her away. Just thinking about him made her throat feel as if she had needled running up and down the insides.

"We're going to move you," Bram continued, his cold voice breaking through Kiara's thoughts. "To a different room."

"Why..." Kiara was surprised she was able to find her voice.

"It's time to go to work," Bram smiled. "We need to see what you can do."

Kiara's heart started to hammer in her chest. She felt cold anxiety run over her bones as sweat broke out on her forehead. Her throat was so dry. But she couldn't even think about drinking anything.

Bram didn't wait around. He opened the door and a male nurse in the same ugly green scrub came in with a wheelchair. Kiara gripped the sheets as the man walked up to her and lifted the blankets off her legs.

"Kiara," Bram stepped forward. "Do not be stupid."

Kiara turned to look at the man with her tired and sorrow filled eyes. The nurse hesitated for a second before he lowered himself and unlocked the chains that were around Kiara's ankles.

Slowly, with extreme caution, Kiara sat up. Her eyes flickered to Bram and that remote every other second as the nurse lifted her up and placed her on the wheelchair.

All the wires that were connected to her body tangled. The nurse struggled for a few seconds before Bram stepped forward and held them all up. He clicked his tongue impatiently as if he was on a tight schedule and Kiara was being inconvenient.

"Take her to the lower lab," Bram said to the nurse.

"Alone?"

"Yes," Bram snapped. "She won't do anything."

"Are you sure about that?"

"Kiara," Bram turned the wheelchair. He held up his hand and Kiara's eyes moved with the remote. "You're going to be nice to George, correct?"

Kiara didn't reply. She stared at the man with a blank expression on her face.

"Kiara?" Bram's finger moved closer to the small red button.

"You realize my child is your only leverage over me, correct?" Kiara raised a brow. "You keep threatening me....but have you thought about what I will do to you if anything did happen to my baby?"

A taunting smile flashed across Bram's face. He lowered himself and placed a hand on one of the wheels.

"See, I don't really need to think about that," he said, his voice low enough for only Kiara to hear. "Because I know you won't take any chances."

"Don't be so sure."

"I am very sure," Bram said. "You're not heartless like your predecessor."

"How would you know?" Kiara looked into the man's hooded eyes.

"Earlier," Bram began. "When you thought your baby was in danger...you stopped."

Kiara raised a brow.

"You picked the option to have us save your baby and stay here, rather than to let your baby die and get out."

Bram's words pierced Kiara's heart. She barely had a second to think about her child, yet she was ready to do anything for the little soul. He was insane if he thought she would pick herself over her child.

"We got very lucky with you," Bram scanned Kiara's face. "You're willing to do anything for your child."

Kiara slowly filled her lungs with air that burned the whole way down. Her hands shook slightly on her lap as she lifted her gaze to the man.

"Someday you will stand before me as you take your last breath," she said, holding his gaze.

"I don't plan on dying that way," Bram smiled.

"Then I pity you," Kiara said. "Because if it's not me, then it will be Killian. And trust me, he will drag it out."

The smile on Bram's face did not waver. He stared into Kiara's eyes as if he was speaking to a child. He almost looked amused.

"And after that..." Kiara's eyes hardened. "You will have to meet my father."

"Oh," Bram laughed. "What an adventure it will be to die."

His words made Kiara's skin crawl with disgust. She moved away as George, the nurse, began to wheel her out of the room. Bram's footsteps followed them out into the hall and stayed behind like a shadow.

Kiara kept her eyes wide open the whole way. She needed to memorize every turn, every step, every door. Ares always told them their best chance at surviving was always to know their surroundings.

Plan with what you have, the god would say. Use your surrounding to your advantage.

Kiara stared ahead and took notice of all the bright lights. Every door had a keypad. The halls were long but they divided at the center. From what Kiara could see the floor was divided into four sections. All four halls met in the middle and split up according to the cardinal directions.

One to the north, one to the south, one to the east, one to the west...

George wheeled Kiara from the south to the east. He didn't stop anywhere or speak to any of the other people in the halls, not that there were any. Kiara could feel eyes following her around, but she didn't see a single soul.

After a few minutes, a set of double doors opened with a beep to reveal another long hallway. Bram walked on ahead and punched in a four digit code before a door opened and he stepped aside for George to wheel in Kiara.

"Dr. Abara," Bram greeted someone.

Kiara looked up to find a man with chocolate skin and coiled white hair. The man wore glasses and a neat little bowtie that was slightly cricket. As she stared, the man pushed his glasses up his nose and looked at Bram.

"Where do you want me to put her?" George asked.

"Over there is find," Dr. Abara said, pointing to the center of the room. He turned to Bram and cleared his throat. "Did you tell her what we have to do?"

"No," Bram shook his head. "I thought you might be better at explaining this."

Dr. Abara nodded. He took a long stride toward Kiara and clasped his hands together. He hesitated slightly as he once again fiddled with his glasses and cleared his throat.

His ticks were beginning to remind Kiara of Killian. She couldn't understand for the life in her why the man's nervousness was funny to her. She felt the need to giggle as she stared at him, waiting for him to say something.

"Hello, Kiara," Dr. Abara cleared his throat yet again.

Kiara couldn't help the smile that formed on her lips. She tilted her head slightly to the side, "Hello."

"My name is Dr. Abara."

"I know," Kiara laughed.

Dr. Abara looked at Commander Bram, who in return looked at Kiara and raised a brow.

"We.....we brought you here today," Abara fixed his glasses yet again. "Because we want to see what happens in your brain when you..."

"When I kill people?" Kiara leaned forward and whispered.

Abara paused again. Kiara could feel Bram's eyes on her. But she suddenly couldn't care less...

It was all very strange.

One second Kiara was sitting in her chair scared for the child's life and then in the very next second she felt thirty feet tall. It was as if someone had pushed her to the back of her head and decided they were going to take charge.

"We have someone here..." Abara looked over their shoulder.

Kiara followed his eyes and found a young man in his early twenties walking into the room. He was dressed in regular clothes. His black hair was cut short, his shirt was tucked into his jeans and his shoes had a bit of mud. Kiara's eyes narrowed as she began to pick up the scent of the sea in the air as the man walked in.

"You want me to kill him?" She raised a brow.

"Yes," Dr. Abara said. "We will monitor your brain waves through the whole process."

Kiara felt the strange and unfamiliar strength in her waver slightly. She looked back at the man and frowned.

"Do you even want to die?" she asked.

"He's a hybrid," Bram said. "A product of Project Skyfall."

"Doesn't make his life's value any less than yours."

"He won't be missed," Bram said. "We'll be able to make ten of him by the end of the year."

Kiara didn't reply. She continued to stare at the man as he stood by the wall with his empty eyes glued to the wall in front of him. She wanted him to look at her, but it was as if the man had an iron will.

Lost in her thoughts, Kiara almost missed out on Bram and Dr. Abara bickering in hushed tones. She couldn't hear what they were saying as George began to wire up her head. He placed a metal band around her forehead as wires from it reached into the ceiling. Using small clips, George secured the band to Kiara's head before walking around her to make sure all the wires were in the correct place.

But just as the man was about to step aside to go stand behind Kiara, his foot caught in the wires that were attached to Kiara's belly. Without realizing it, George took a step forward. The strength of his stride ripped off the three patches on Kiara's skin.

George froze as Kiara looked up.

The three wires dropped to the floor. Kiara's skin burned as if someone had waxed the small tiny hairs on her back. George gasped as his eyes filled with fear.

Before anyone could react, Kiara jumped up from the chair. Bram and Dr. Abara turned and their eyes widened. The hybrid in the room took a step forward, his eyes jumping between Kiara and Bram.

"Kiara..." Bram held up his remote. "Sit down."

"No," Kiara tilted her head. "No, I don't think I will."

Anger poured into Bram's eyes. His hand moved to the red button and he wasted no time in applying an aggressive amount of pressure.

Kiara held her breath and braced herself for the worst. Just in case she had miscalculated everything and had yet again put her baby in danger.

A long agonizing second passed.

Bram's eyes narrowed as he stared at Kiara. He pressed the button once more but nothing happened. Slowly, his eyes began to lower.

"Shit," the man's face paled as he noticed the three wires on the floor.

Kiara had the sudden urge to laugh as Bram's head snapped up and he looked at the hybrid.

"What are you doing?" he shouted. "Get her!"
But before the hybrid could move, Kiara focused on his chest and imagined his heart ripping from his arteries. From the corner of her eyes she saw Bram take a step forward, thinking she was distracted.

Kiara turned towards him and tilted her head slightly to the side, silently asking him if he really thought he was going to get away.

The hybrid's heart exploded out of his chest. Bram fell to the floor, George joined him, and Dr. Abara flew into the walls.

Everything was happening so fast yet to Kiara it was all in slow motion. She could hear nothing else other than her own breathing and a very very very faint heartbeat. With a long deep breath, Kiara pulled off the metal band around her forehead and tossed it aside. She stepped around the wires and avoided the spilled blood in the room as she placed a hand over her belly and began to hum.

Everything else in the world disappeared.

Kiara felt her skin heat up as her heart grew lighter. Her own signing filled her ears as she felt unknown memories in her mind come to the forefront.

Bram struggled to breathe as Kiara stood over him. She watched as he tried to reach for something in his pocket. His fingers wrapped around the handle of his gun and he yanked it out of his belt loop. With shaky hands he aimed at Kiara's belly and fired a shot.

Kiara frowned. Her hand did not move from her stomach.

The energy around the bullet pushed it towards the left and it flew into the wall. Bram groaned as he fired another shot. To his disappointment, the bullet lodged into the wall beside the first one.

Kiara began to hum louder as she kneeled beside Bram and yanked the gun out of his hand. She gripped the handle with both her hands and aimed for the spot right between the man's brows.

For a few seconds, Kiara thought she heard him tell her to stop. Something about her never being able to make it off the island...

Kiara couldn't hear him over the humming.

She emptied all the bullets into Bram's face. Blood flew up and soaked her dark curls and the front of her gown.

When the gun was empty and she began to fire blanks, Kiara flipped it around and swung the handle across Bram's massacred skull.

Oh, the feeling of the metal colliding with his skull....heavenly.

Kiara swung again and again and again.

She felt scolding hot tears roll down her cheeks as her arms grew tired. She wanted to keep going but there was nothing left of the man's face.

By the time Kiara dropped the gun and rose to her feet, George and Dr. Abara was already dead. The hybrids's heart laid on the floor beside his dead body as his blood ran out like a flood.

Kiara stood in the middle and looked around at the mess. She stepped over Bram's body and headed for the door, returning her protective hand over her belly. She didn't stop for anyone in the halls as they all dropped like flies at her feet. Their blood stained her legs and her arms as she held herself together and slowly climbed down the steps.

When she arrived at the first floor, she paused at the cross road and turned to the left. Her eyes landed on two uniformed officers as they stood guard by the heavy double doors.

"Excuse me," Kiara called to them in her calmest voice.

The men turned and froze. Their eyes moved over her blood stained body as she walked towards them, leaving bloody footprints all over the floor.

"Which way is the exit?" Kiara asked.

The assault rifles the men carried clicked. They began to raise them before Kiara sighed and a deep frown formed on her lips. She took a step back and shielded her belly as the lights over head exploded and a piece of the heavy metal vent dropped onto the guards' heads.

Kiara watched blood pour out of their eyes and mouths before she walked around the fallen vent and headed towards the doors. She paused slightly to look over her shoulder before pushing down on the push bar and swinging the door open.

Bright, dominating sunlight greeted her along with the scent of the sea and metal. Kiara squinted and threw a hand up to shield her eyes as she took a step outside. The hard floors vanished from beneath her feet and were soon replaced with cold mud. She felt the ground seep into the small spaced between her toes as she took another step outside.

"What the fuck?" someone said.

Kiara lowered her hand and looked at the man that had noticed her walking out of the building. She held his gaze for a long time before slowly looking over his shoulder.

Military tents.

For miles...as far as the eyes could see...

Large naval ships were docked a few miles off the coast. The beach was covered with tanks, jeeps, cannons, rockets...and manpower.

Hundreds and hundreds of men and women.

One by one, hybrids and soldiers began to step out of their tents or peek out of their posts. Their eyes landed on Kiara as she stood in her bloodied hospital gown. They looked at each other and then back at her. For a few seconds, no one knew what to say.

But just then, Kiara's hand slowly moved to her belly. Her head tilted slightly to one side and she started to hum a lullaby for her baby.

________________________

"Any day now," Hayden said as he watched Nora hesitate at the edge of the portal.

Her large brown eyes turned towards him, silently begging for him to leave her behind and go on ahead without her.

"I've never done this before," she said.

"You just walk through," Hayden said impatiently. "Like jumping into a pool or something."

"I need a second."

"They're all waiting for us."

"Then go on without me."

"I want to," Hayden shook his head. "Trust me. I really want to."

Nora didn't reply. She stared at the portal with it's black shimmering screen that rippled like water.

"So like....how do I land on the other side?" She asked. "Will it be upside down?"

"What?" Hayden raised a brow. "No. It's like a doorway."

"Okay...." Nora nodded slowly.

Hayden watched as she took a small step forward only to jump back and shake her head.

"Oh for god's sake," he muttered.

"What's your problem?" Nora snapped. "No one is stopping you or keeping you. You can leave if you want. I'll eventually catch up."

"You're my problem!"

"What did I ever do to you, you douchebag?"

Hayden froze.

When was the last time anyone had called him a douchebag? And why was he so amused by it?

"You can't talk to me like that," he said. "I'm your boss."

"Kiss my ass!" Nora took a step away from the portal. "You have been nothing but horrible to me ever since I started working. You do not value my inputs, you undermine me every chance that you get, you treat me as if I'm some stupid girl with nothing better to do, you never say thank you, you made me go out in the middle of the night to buy baklava for your sister when she doesn't even like baklava!"

Hayden's eyes narrowed.

"You might be my boss but that does not mean you get to treat me as if I am not a person too!" Nora stomped her feet. "I get it, I'm human! I'm not stuffed with warm and gooey magical powers. But damn it, I can do other things!"

Hayden opened his mouth to speak but Nora wouldn't let him.

"Is that it?" she asked. "Is that why you treat me as if I have some kind of a deadly disease? Because I'm human?"

Hayden shut his mouth. She wasn't entirely wrong. He had been a very nasty douchebag to her. But it wasn't because of what she assumed. Yes, she was human. But that didn't make Hayden think she was any less then he was. It made him envious of her...

Here was this girl. This smart, intelligent, and normal girl who could do anything she wanted in life. Nora didn't have to worry about waking up in the middle of the night to make sure she didn't accidentally kill her family. She didn't constantly feel the heat of her blood running through her veins, poisoning everything in its path.

She would never have to worry about falling in love or starting a family. There was no clock ticking over her head. Her loved ones didn't look at her from the corner of their eyes, waiting for the moment she snapped. Holding their breath for the day her mind would lose its battle.

She was free. Free to live a normal ordinary life without magic or any other supernatural chaos messing it up. Why was she trying to get involved with his world? Couldn't this smart, intelligent girl see what darkness she was walking into if she stayed with him or Clare?

"Are you done?" Hayden asked, feeling his chest tighten as he watched the heartbreak and anger in Nora's eyes. He was such a dick.

"Completely," Nora said. She began to take off her bulletproof vest, "I quit. Consider this my two week's notice."

Okay, this was good. She would return to the palace or find a different job. Her life would stay normal. No chaos....That was a good thing, right? A really good thing.

But then why did Hayden feel as if someone had punched him in the guts?

He knew he should have been nicer to her. She had done nothing wrong, absolutely nothing. Nora completed each and every task he had ever given her. She was witty and creative. She cared about people and had really strong morals. She was a good person...a really good person. Was that why Hayden felt like he had just committed a crime by tearing down her ambition to stay on campus and work alongside Clare and him?

Say something, Hayden scolded himself. You got what you had been hoping for. At least now make it better.

"How do you take this thing off?" Nora groaned as she struggled with the vest.

"Stop," Hayden's hand shot out.

Nora jumped back. She pushed his hand away and turned her back towards him.

"Nora," Hayden frowned.

"Fuck off."

God, what was wrong with him? Did he actually like the way she snapped at him without ever hesitating?

It was as if she never thought three steps ahead before ever speaking what was on her mind. How would people perceive it? What would they say? What would they not say?

Hayden couldn't stop himself as he took a step forward and undid the last clip of the vest at the back. Nora's head snapped up as the thing loosened and she was finally able to pull it over her head.

"Here," she said, turning around and holding the vest out for Hayden. "And I would like my clothes back please. All of if."

"You're really quitting?" Hayden didn't know why he asked that question.

"Don't worry, I'll send in my official written resignation tomorrow morning with the palace's official stamp on it."

Before Hayden could say anything else, Clare walked through the portal. Her gray eyes narrowed and her lips pressed into a thin line.

"What are you two doing?" she demanded to know. "We need you on the other side."

"Professor, I can't -" Nora started to speak but when Clare turned her angry eyes towards her, she shut her mouth.

"Nora," Clare spoke clearly and slowly. "You're here because I have very high hopes for you. You've proven yourself earlier today but your work is not done. We still need you. Kiara is still missing and she might be pregnant. Do you understand the situation we are in?"

Hayden rolled his eyes at Clare's tactics. He knew she was fully aware of how much Nora worshiped her. She was emotionally blackmailing the poor girl into staying. What was she up to? Did she not see the way Nora's eyes watered slightly from her words? She was placing too much pressure on the girl's shoulders.

Clare, Hayden was unable to hold himself back. Back off. She's not one of us. She is not responsible in any way for the things we have to deal with.

She has a purpose, Clare said as she held Nora's gaze.

"Hayden," Clare spoke aloud. "Ares is waiting for you. Go help him with Killian."

"With Killian?" Hayden raised a brow. "What's wrong with Killian?"

Clare didn't answer him.

"Nora," she said, taking the vest from Hayden. "Put this on."

Nora's eyes flickered to Hayden. He didn't know why but suddenly he had the urge to give her a small nod. She didn't need his permission. God forbid he ever made the mistake of thinking she did. But she needed something at that moment. What was it?

Hayden couldn't look away from Nora's round brown eyes as Clare strapped her back into her bulletproof vest. With each click of the vest her fate sealed in one disaster after another. Hayden hoped to god Clare knew what she was doing by dragging this poor girl into the darkness.

"Ready?" Clare asked, pushing Nora's hair over her shoulder.

Nora nodded.

Hayden felt a ping of annoyance rise up in him as he watched his cousin turn on her heels and walk through the portal without Nora. He knew Clare felt Nora's hesitation and his frustration. That woman could be so difficult.

Without thinking too much, Hayden took Nora's hand and pulled her towards him. She gasped when they collided and he walked her into the portal. Hayden looked down at her and found the corner of his mouth curve up as she screwed her eyes shut and her nose scrunched up.

Within seconds they walked out into the humid Florida air. Hayden let go of Nora and took a step to the side.

"Was that so bad?" he asked, finding her expression hysterical.

"That felt like the first drop on a roller coaster," Nora shook her head. "I hate roller coasters."

"We'll send you back on a plane," Hayden said. "Business class."

"You don't have a private jet?" Nora raised a brow. "Bummer."

Just then, Ares walked out of the small shop they were standing in front of and held the door open for the pair.

"Get in, you two," he said. His hazel eyes scanned the empty lot around them as the pavements danced with heat waves.

Nora began to follow Hayden as he walked into the small shop. She was surprised to discover it wasn't a shot at all. Two small desks were pushed to the corners of the room. The walls were covered with posters of fast cars and bikini clad women. A ceiling fan rotated overhead as an old air conditioner cooled down the room. Red ribbons were tied to the vents of the air conditioner to remind the residence to turn the thing off when they left the room.

Hayden slightly paused at the entrance and looked at Ares. Nora couldn't see what was in the room as the god let out a deep sigh and shook his head.

"Just come on in," he said.

Hayden walked in and paused once more. Nora began to grow impatient as she heard grunting coming from somewhere in the room. She looked around Hayden and stilled immediately.

A bald man with a black beard laid on the ground as Killian used his knee to keep the man's chest pinned. The sound of chains rattled throughout the room as Killian restrained his hands. Clare stood by and watched without a word.

"Hybrid," Ares said, filling Nora and Hayden in. "We tracked this place down from the plates Nora found. And this guy matches the description of one of the men seen when Kiara was taken."

"Does he know where she is?" Nora asked.

"He hasn't spoken a word since we got here."

Killian rose from the ground and hurled the man to his feet. Clare took a step back as the prisoner was forced into a chair. She watched Killian take a seat in front of the man and lean forward to rest his elbows on his knees.

"I'm going to ask you once more," he said, his voice so calm it made Nora nervous. "Where did they take her?"

The man remained silent. Killian's blue eyes turned ice cold. The muscles in his jaw jumped as his hand balled into a fist.

"Where is she?" he asked once again.

The hybrid remained unmoved. He held Killian's gaze as his nostrils flared in anger.

"Where is she?" Killian enunciated each word.

Nora held her breath. She watched as Killian slowly rose from his seat and ran a hand through his hair. He paused and placed his hands on his hips and looked at the man, giving him one last chance.

Just when Nora began to think Killian was going to back away, the boy swung his fist and sucker punched the hybrid in the jaw. She gasped and threw her hand over her mouth as blood poured out of the man's mouth and nose. She looked at Clare but found the woman standing as still as a statue.

"Where is she?" Killian asked again, pushing the guy's head back so he could look at his eyes.

"I don't know," the man said through his teeth.

"You were there, weren't you?" Killian gripped the man's hair. "You were on the video. Carrying her into the car....what happened next?"

"We handed her over."

"To who?" Killian asked.

The man glared, but did not answer.

"Who did you hand her over to?"

Nora jumped as Killian smacked the man. Her hands began to shake as she took a step closer to Hayden and Ares.

"I don't know!" The hybrid groaned in pain. "They gave us money. Took the girl. That's it."

"What did they look like?" Clare asked.

"I don't know," the man shook his head again. "We never saw them. They told us to leave her at the docks. The next day money was transferred into our bank accounts."

Nora's eyes snapped open. She stepped around Hayden and looked at the man's bloody face.

"Money was transferred into your account?" she asked.

"Yeah, that's what I just said."

"What's your name?" Nora asked. "I need your full name and bank information."

Killian looked over his shoulder at the girl as she grabbed a note pad off one of the desks. Nora began to scribble down the information before looking up and meeting his gaze.

"I can track where the money came from," she said.   

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