Eve of Man (The Harvest Book 2) (23 page)

Eve paused to listen, waiting for Agra to reach out
for her but he didn’t. Relief was not to be hers, for it was better to know
when your enemy was coming then to sit and wait for his attack. This was not
the first time she’d thought of her father as her opponent.

“The Adita attempted to reconvert those who had
changed back, but it was too late. The transformation seems to only take place
once. Those that did not agree to the Adita’s terms were controlled through other
methods.”

“The Svan,” Austin said. “The Adita evolved or
transformed from the Svan?”

“That is correct.”

“It was human blood that turned those savages into
advanced beings?” Austin asked, stunned at this newest revelation.

“Certain human blood, not all. A particular strand of
DNA was the missing link. Once that was added, the Adita came to be. And what
you consider savages are still far more advanced than your species. The
language the Svan speak is older than this Earth. Their DNA the most complex
and highly developed in multiple universes, second only to the Adita.”

“Ok.” Austin’s mind was reeling. The discovery of
wormholes and Paru and alien beings had been mind boggling in itself. He’d
barely given those much thought other than accepting they existed, but now he
was confronted with tales even more astounding.

“It is much to take in, even for you.”

“What does that mean? Even for me? What makes me
special?”

“Your blood is pure. The first pure sample found since
the plague. The rarest in existence. From you Agra felt we could evolve to an
even higher level.”

“And that’s why we had Caleb?”

“Yes. I thought he was to be the first of a superior
race of beings,” Eve said, hesitating to say what she really thought.

“But?”

“I don’t know. Agra is hiding something from me. He
seems displeased with the results.”

“Is Caleb’s life in danger?”

“Maybe, but I won’t allow him to be harmed.” She
paused. “Agra is waiting for something, but I don’t know what.”

“You haven’t explained the harvest.”

Eve hesitated. Thus far she’d kept to the simple
facts, avoiding any detailed accounts of how the Adita used humans to survive. However,
knowing Austin wouldn’t like hearing the truth didn’t weigh in on her decision
to divulge the family secrets. He wanted to know so she would tell him.

“The harvest takes place every ninth moon or ninety-nine
years in Earth time. The coming year is the ninety ninth. Prior to the moon rising
the Svan will give birth. Of the offspring the fittest will be chosen for
transformation. In times past, humans were harvested in advance of the birthing
in order for their blood to be purified and ready for the transformation.
Although the blood type was rare, having shortages wasn’t a concern. One human could
provide enough blood to transform seven hundred Svan. Each ninth moon, less and
less were transformed due to the blood shortage. The Svan’s numbers continued
to grow, while the Adita, who were forbidden to reproduce, their numbers dwindled.
The Elders fear the Svan will rise up against them. I believe Agra used this
fear to convince them to permit our union and ultimately Caleb.”

“But if Agra wanted a superior race why not just use
me to produce more. Why not just come and get me? Why the big charade? Why
Roxanne?”

“As I told you before an Adita female has never mated
with a human before. Agra wasn’t sure of the success and couldn’t come here for
risk of contamination.”

“So he used you as a guinea pig?” Austin asked. “A
test subject,” he clarified.

“Yes. He knew you wouldn’t willingly become my mate.”

“But why all of the killing? People, animals,
everything?

“The planet had to be purged of the disease before the
Adita would return. The Elders would take no chances.”

“The planet? So there’s nothing left?” Austin’s
shoulder’s sagged, knowing before she answered this was the case.

“The Svan have been instructed to complete the
process.”

“What about the people in the warehouses and the camps?”
he asked, trying to not think about the deaths being suffered at the hands of
the Svan as they spread out across Earth.

“Those on Paru will be used for the harvest. They have
the blood needed to transform the Svan. Those here on Earth are being used as test
subjects, guinea pigs as you called them.”

“I don’t understand. I thought I was the only one with
pure, or clean blood.”

“You are the only one, but before I found you, the
Adita had perfected a method for extracting the mutant gene from those with
your blood type, but who were not pure. The process requires many months to
complete and isn’t full proof. It was meant to be an alternate survival
strategy.”

“You don’t sound convinced.”

“There’s much I don’t know, which is why I must find
Agra. I must find out why he would want to come here.” She turned to face him.
“You will stay in the bunker. Protect your brother and sister and the others,
but more than anything watch over Caleb.”

“My brother and sister? I don’t have any...”

“You know it’s true and who they are. Why do you lie
to yourself? You are not such a person to lie. You have always been honest with
others as well as yourself.”

Austin mentally shrugged. “I know. It’s a lot to take
in. A lot I don’t understand. Most of it goes against everything I know or
makes sense.”

“You learn, grow and evolve all of your life. This is
no different.”

“Yeah, but... never mind.” He stopped, knowing he
would lose in a debate with her. “So how did Agra miss that I had siblings? I
thought he saw, or knew everything?”

“Their blood, although quite exceptional for a human,
is not the same as yours and, quite simply, because I never crossed paths with
them until recently. Agra would not have been able to see them unless through
me. He can’t see them now and won’t see them unless I allow him.”

“The Svan let Kyle live. Won’t they tell Agra?”

“The Svan owe no allegiance to Agra or the Adita. They
allowed him to live because I ordered them to do so.”

“You were there?”

“I’ve been keeping an eye on your brother, yes.”  

Austin was silent for a long moment. “He was wrong,”
Austin remarked. “Agra was wrong about what I would have done. Who I would have
chosen.”

“Are you saying you would choose me as a mate?”

“That sounds really primitive.”

“You humans are peculiar about your words. If it is so
then say so. Changing how you say it, doesn’t make it any less so. Does it?”

“No it doesn’t. So yes, I would, I do choose you as a
mate,” he replied and pulled her to him for a kiss.

Eve tensed and pushed away.

“Did I do something wrong?”

“We’re not alone.” Eve dressed and pounced from the
bed like a nimble cat, returning to Austin after a few seconds. “Get dressed.
Hurry.”

Austin did as she instructed.

“They will be here soon. You must wait here, behind
the drapery. It is the only way I can protect you.”

“I can protect myself,” Austin argued.

Eve kissed him hard on the lips. “No you cannot. Not
against what’s coming.” She pulled the drapes closed around the bed, leaving
Austin to massage his wounded ego.

Eve waited in the middle of the room listening to the silent
thunder grow louder as it rolled towards the room. The force burst through the massive
doors sending hundreds of knife like shards of wood and jagged edged rocks flying
across the room. Eve stood in the midst of the storm unscathed. When the three female
Adita guards entered in the wake, Eve was ready for them.

The predators surrounded their prey. They carried
heavy swords with edges that gleamed wicked sharp. The weapons were forged from
the strongest metals found on the remotest planets in the seventh universe. Only
Adita guards used such weapons and only when sent to assassinate one of their
own. They held the swords high, grasping the handle with both hands. Eve stood
perfectly still, unafraid of death, for she knew death would not be hers this
day. She licked her lips in anticipation, having looked forward to this moment
since their first encounter.

“Look at her,” the first guard spoke.

This was Talina, she was the leader and would die
last.

“What’s so special about her?” the second asked.

She was the weakest of the group and would die first.

“Nothing. She’s the child of a whore. A child of man. Weak
and pathetic,” the third replied, sniffing the air around Eve. “She even stinks
like one.”

Talina sneered. “Stupid little girl. Wandering around
listening to voices. Do you hear them now little Eve?” she taunted. “Do you
hear Agra’s voice now?”

Eve had never been made fun of or bullied, and that
they mocked her now she cared little. In her mind she envisioned each move required
to end their lives, lives lived too long. As they continued to taunt and mock
and tease, Eve planned. First, she would take the sword of guard number two,
the weak one, and cut off her head. Second, she would remove the head of guard
number three and third... and third, Talina, the one who wouldn’t shut up, Eve
had special plans for her.

Eve breathed and the walls of the room breathed with
her. The guards paused in their onslaught to pay attention, thinking maybe Eve
was more than what they’d first assumed, and maybe she was dangerous. Before
they could decide, two were dead on the floor, exactly as Eve planned, but Talina
had vanished from sight, although not from the room. Eve listened for her and
hissed through her teeth upon locating her.

“I found your pet,” Talina said and threw Austin
across the room towards the roaring fire. Eve extinguished the fire leaving
cold embers, rather than burning flames, to provide for his landing.

“I would have thought you better trained Talina,” Eve remarked.
“My father must have been desperate. Oh, but wait. You aren’t here under Agra’s
orders,” Eve noted. “Za sent you. He knows I’m returning home soon, and he sent
you to stop me. Agra’s puppet, as you are Za’s.”

“Funny you talk of marionettes when Agra has held your
strings since the day you were born.”

“Silly Talina. Do you not know?” Eve paused. “The
bylaws state, and very concisely, only the leader of the Adita can instruct a
death by beheading? An assassination? Do you believe Za, a mere member of the
council, has the authority to send you to do such a thing?”

Upon hearing this and knowing Eve spoke the truth,
Talina lowered her sword. Za had assured her Agra wished for his daughter to be
killed. Now she knew she’d made a dreadful error in judgment, but the deed was
done. She would rather die here, than face Agra’s wrath. Talina raised her
sword and charged towards Eve. From the corner of her eye she saw the blade
swinging towards her, but it was too late. Her head and body were departed from
one another.

Austin stood over the headless corpse holding one of
the swords with both hands, his muscles strained from the weight. Talina’s
blood dripped from the end.

“You are quite capable, but stupid for doing so,” Eve
said.

“You’re welcome.”

“I don’t need your help. If she’d been paying
attention it would have been your head on the floor not hers.” Eve picked up
Talina’s head and tossed it into the fire.

“Are you scolding me?” Austin asked, laughing at the
notion.

Eve turned to him. “You forget what you are.”

“I don’t know what I am,” Austin replied, no longer
amused.

“You don’t know what you want to be is more accurate,
but for now you are human,” she said. “The question you must answer is, do you
want to be human or do you wish to be something more?”

“But I’m not human? Humans can’t hear people’s
thoughts,” he argued.

“So you consider yourself less human because you can hear
other’s thoughts? Or is it because you feel stronger, because you are an
improved version of your former self? You are a better human, but still very
much a human. And you haven’t answered my question. What do you want to be?”  

The answer should have been easy and quick, but Austin
hesitated to reply, to consider what he wanted. Not long ago he was cursing her
for infecting him, and now he fumbled over making a decision. He couldn’t claim
he knew for certain about remaining human, she would know it a lie. He knew
this to be a lie.

“I can change you.”

“What would that mean?” he asked.

“I don’t know. It could mean your death, but I don’t
foresee that happening.”

 “Have you ever turned anyone before?”

“Not with success.”

Austin laughed out loud. “What makes you think you can
change me then?”

“You were close before, but you fought against it. Your
desire to be human was very strong. You’d have to want to change or this time you
will certainly die.”