Chaos Theory (39 page)

She had yet to learn what had happened to them in full, but
she knew Rikard was lost to them.

“
Creighton is on the floor below us with the Host,” Igor
replied. “He won’t leave.”

She was afraid to ask anymore. “What’s he doing in
there?”

The Hybrid hesitated, not wanting to upset her.

Zeke cleared his throat. “We chained the Host up. He asked for
a pulse rifle and to be left alone. We thought he would be quick,
but he’s been in there for some time talking. We thought … we
didn’t want to rush him.”

Her eyes filled. “I see.”

There was a horrible silence as Kali processed that her father
would execute the love of his life. She clutched her chest and
breathed deep, muscling her way through the emotion blocking her
airway. She shuddered as a sob tore free and scrunched her eyes
closed, fisting a hand in the bedding as her grief threatened to
rob her of control.

Madeleine wiggled off Caesar and crawled onto Kali’s lap. She
nuzzled her face into her neck.

“
Don’t cry,” she said sweetly around her damp thumb.

Her small hand softly patted Kali’s wet cheek.

“
That’s the first time I’ve heard her speak,” Valiant
whispered. “She refused when Creighton tried to coax her into
talking at the encampment.”

“
Stellar,” Kenshin enthused. “It means she’s healing. I had
concerns.”

Kali rocked the little girl on her lap and cried into her
curly hair. Nobody had a perfect life, but hers had come close
enough. She had loved her parents fiercely and never imagined a
future where both of them wouldn’t be there to hold her hand and
support her with their unconditional love.

A fundamental part of her had been ripped away.

The void left behind ached.

If this was how she felt, she couldn’t begin to imagine what
her father was going through.

“
He shouldn’t be the one to do it,” she said, and turned to
look directly at Valiant. “You’re closest to him?”

Scratching his cheek, Valiant shrugged. “I guess.”

“
Will you help him? Just take him away from there? I’ll be up
in a day or so, but I want to be there to comfort him when it
happens. Please?”

With a brief nod, Valiant swatted Zeke on the arm, and they
dashed from the room before Creighton did what he’d been struggling
all day to do.

“
Are you hungry?” Kenshin asked, packing away his
things.

Kali grimaced. The idea of putting anything in her mouth and
swallowing after thinking of what her father was going through made
her want to vomit. She had to eat to regain her strength. Creighton
would need her help to get past his grief, and she would be no good
to her parent half dead.

“
I’ll clear the room and get you a dumpling.” Kenshin patted
her hand. “It’ll all get better, you’ll see.”

Igor left with a respectful bob of the head.

Caesar jumped off the bed and scooped up Madeleine. With a
curt command, he ordered the FetchMes out – including Howl. The
wolf nipped Kali’s bare toes and bounded out of the room, once
again his energetic self now his real mistress was safe.

Push was left staring.

The exotic Hybrid shuffled to the door, stared for a
nanosecond longer then left.

Alone in the bedroom, Kali slipped out of bed. Her bare feet
jumped off the cold stone floor, but she set them down resolutely
and wiggled her toes to warm them. She had been ordered bed rest,
but she knew something funny was going on. Everyone stared at her
like they wanted to ask questions about her appearance, but had
been forbidden from doing so. Kali was annoyed. She was not made
from glass. Kenshin and Blue were watching her closely for signs of
mental instability, and were keeping away things they thought too
much for her to handle.

She should have been told about her father before
then.

Defiant, Kali wobbled over to the wash unit at the other end
of Blue’s room, her steps becoming more solid as she went. Reaching
the VidSee, she was emotionally prepared for whatever her
reflection would show.

The fluorescent lights flickered on.

It was still a shock.

Blinking rapidly, she leaned over the sink and peered closer.
Kali rubbed fingers over her hairline that was now sliver-white.
Her eyebrows and eyelashes were bleached of colour towards the base
of the follicles. Kali focused on her eyes, and was startled
despite catching glimpses of them.

A small sob eased from her lips, and she began to shake.
Breathing deeply, controlling the fear rearing inside, she bit her
bottom lip hard.

The vibrant hazel her irises used to be was gone. They were
colourless; a shade darker than her corneas, and gleamed like
crystal. Her pupils were sharply defined black holes in the centre.
The effect was peculiar, manifestly alien. Her skin was dull. The
golden hue had been sucked right out until it was a flat block of
gloomy colour. Rehydration would remedy that, but she resigned
herself to having cooler undertones to her skin.

Kali pulled her hair back as if doing a ponytail and wanted to
cry again. Her face scrunched in an ugly way as she fought the
tears. Without the waves of her hair to soften the cut of her jaw,
she looked even more creature-like. Her cheekbones were never that
sharp, her stare never that piercing.

Coldness had been frozen into her features, her face
sandblasted into greater relief.

The changes were not skin deep. Inside had been nicked too.
Her temperament was sliced into cleaner lines with greater
definition and prickly edges. Her emotional responses were distant,
and lacked softness.

Kali stripped and stepped into the slender CleanMe cubicle.
She felt no sense of being trapped in the small space, and sighed
with relief when she remained calm as the water rained.

32.

Kali tripped over in her rush to lie on the bed when the door
slid open. Adjusting the blankets innocently, she smiled when Blue
entered with a loaded tray. Happy to see him, she leaned her elbows
on her knees and watched his approach.

Her body was annoyingly weak after a week in what she thought
of as the tank, but Blue called the crystal pod. It wasn’t muscle
atrophy, but more to do with what was done to her whilst she was
trapped.

It changed her, or rather, triggered something.

“
We discussed this,” Blue murmured. He set the tray down and
moved to her side, pushing firmly on her shoulder. “You’re not
leaving my bed until I’m satisfied.” His eyes flickered when he
noticed her damp hair. “Not that you have any intention of
listening to me.”

Fighting his will was pointless, and she had to conserve
energy for what she had planned next. She let herself flop back.
“You need rest too. I saw the burn on your thigh earlier.” Kali
tucked her hair behind her ears. She’d never liked it loose, but
needed a while longer to get used to the new balance of her face
before she started pulling it back again. “Where’s Max?”

“
Sleeping,” Blue replied smoothly with a shake of his head for
her not to press the issue. “He snores.”

Kali worried her bottom lip. “You should try camping with him.
He’s all elbows and knees.”

The actuality Max was avoiding her remained unsaid between
them.

She scooted into the cooler side of the bed until there was a
fair bit of warm, unused space. Blue tugged off his top, threw it
in the corner, and climbed onto the bed. It dipped under his weight
and rolled Kali over, perfect, since it meant he could gather her
to his chest. Placing one hand on the nape of her neck, he let the
other stroke her face before lowering to brush her arm, dipped his
fingers with the curve of her waist, and enjoyed the journey’s
destination; softly rubbing her hip.

The constant need for closeness was something he had not
expected. After everything, the idea of not holding her, being near
her was excruciating. He wished he’d never hesitated in the past to
touch her.

“
I want to beg for forgiveness,” he muttered. “Every apology
sounds pathetic.”

Kali didn’t want to hear it. “It never crossed my mind that
you were responsible for anything. You saved me, Blue. I admit I
wasn’t always strong enough to hold to the conviction you would.”
She swallowed convulsively. “You were so taken with the replica,
but you heard me when you needed to most. That’s what
counts.”

“
The moment you showed me where you really were, when you
pulled me into your body, I’d never known I could feel such
terror.” His voice cracked. “Only then did I see how badly I’d
failed you.”

Kali knew he’d feel guilty. There wasn’t anything she could do
about that. They had to move forward, and that meant dealing with a
lot of awkward, painful stuff that she had no desire to broach, but
felt a sick kind of fascination to run head first into. “Did you
and she–”

“
She wasn’t you.” He immediately knew what she was asking. “I
felt nothing, but a lingering sense of loyalty. The need to be
close to you disappeared so suddenly. I couldn’t work out why.” He
rubbed her neck. “There were nanosecs I’d look into her eyes, and
there you were, but I … couldn’t.” He used his grip on her neck to
pull her head back and lift her face. “I never touched her. She
wasn’t you.”

“
You didn’t prefer her?”

“
Your eyes are not that closely set and were a prettier hazel.
Your hair has golden highlights, and your skin tone is softer than
what you made it. Your aura is magnificent. Mostly a bold red,
mixed with deep purples, and fierce blues. In comparison, hers was
dimmer and pinker.” He thought hard. “Your voice isn’t as high as
you think it is. You have a huskier tone that is lovely to hear.
Your body is curvier, and your mind is incredible. She didn’t have
your spark, ingenuity, your passion.”

“
Yet you mistook her for me? Either you’re lying, or your
powers of observation are painfully lacking.”

“
I could not see past what was put in front of me.” His thumb
caressed her jaw. “Such a strange vision of yourself you
have.”

“
Lara called the replica weak and whiny. I’m undecided if I’m
taking that as a compliment or an insult.”

Blue cringed. “I wouldn’t go that far. You are more …
vivid.”

Satisfied he didn’t prefer the replica, she asked the other
thing she had been burning to know. “Did you dream of me?” Her eyes
sparkled as she danced her fingers across his chest.

“
That was you?” he said slowly.

“
You think your imagination managed that?” She snorted.
“Someone has delusions of grandeur.”

“
I am the most powerful Hybrid on earth.”

“
The most powerful?” she mused. “Sure that is
accurate?”

Blue stared at her. “I forgot. Do you know what they modified?
Kenshin will want to take a deeper BioScan, and blood for
analysis.”

She blanched at the thought of more needles. “I know my eyes
have changed, and I’m seeing white hair. I have no trouble
breathing, Ken was concerned since I don’t seem to have your teeth
which would suggest the need to replenish, but more testing is
necessary.” She flapped her hands. “I’ll get over it then Ken can
prod around to see exactly what’s changed. We have to have a
serious talk with the others before all that. There are things they
should know.”

“
Kali
.”

A secret smile passed her lips. “I’m not telling until I’m
ready, so before you start with the empty threats, know that I am
not just your equal in power,” she went nose to nose with him, “I’m
stronger. Zeta is way above your rank, Omicron.” She spoke his
title softly, as a caress with affection. “And right now we have
something much more important to be concerning ourselves with,
leading the resistance to the alien invasion
notwithstanding.”

Tickled by the astonished look on his face, Kali tilted her
mouth for a kiss. When he didn’t oblige, she cracked an eyelid and
glared. “I will not go through this awkward moment again,” she
warned and tugged on his ear. “I’m experiencing a surge of emotion
I’m struggling to categorize. Perhaps you can provide a suitable
conclusion to this perplexing conundrum.”

Blue swallowed hard, not sure what to expect next.
“Oh?”

She tapped her lips in sets of three, and he wanted to kiss
her for that alone.

“
A Delphi Hybrid female is experiencing an increased
appreciation for the form of a MainLander Hybrid,” she said
grinning. “After hearing delightful anecdotes of his exploits to
rescue her she has a greater awareness of his Alpha male persona.
This has resulted in a heightened sense of sexual
attraction.”

“
Be warned this behaviour coupled with emotion suggests a
developing attachment.”

Laughing, she rubbed his shoulders. “We’re on the same
page.”

“
We are?” Blue asked in an unsteady voice. His heart
somersaulted and his fingertips tingled. “Are you sure?”

“
What are you feeling?” She studied him. “Don’t you feel this
connection between us is cosmic?”