Autonomy: Book 2 in the Invasion Day series (10 page)

Curled in a ball against Thrayke’s muscular body, she watched as the stone walls of the building around them turned to metal, and then they were in a cage. It took her a moment to realize they were in an elevator, and by the time it stopped, she was finally beginning to unclench her white knuckles from the lapels of Thrayke’s black shirt. He came to a stop and gently lowered her onto a bed, but waited until she let go before he took a step back.

“Thank you,” she managed to tell him before he was part of the shadows again, and she was left alone with the bearded form of the man she’d been conditioned to both love and hate through her mixed up new life.

“I want to be angry with you, but I can’t be. I did this. I pushed you away, and I’m so sorry,” Kronus mumbled, staring down at her forlornly. She looked up and knew he was telling her the truth, but rage was building inside of her again, and she started wringing her hands in a bid to stop herself from lashing out at him.

“I need you to leave me alone. I can’t deal with this right now, please just go,” she pleaded, but Kronus didn’t move a muscle.

“I’m a spoiled, foolish and elitist child, Kyra. I’ve been a selfish coward all my life, except the one time a little girl was crying in a rose bush and I decided to help her. I should’ve kept you safe even after then, but instead I chose to let you go without ever learning your name or asking them where they sent you.”

“Stop, please,” she begged, and began clutching at her aching gut.

“And then one day, just another day in the life of this selfish and egocentric asshole, you walked back into my life with no warning at all. I took one look at that scar on your cheek and knew fate had brought you back to me, but instead of taking care of you, I did it again. I sent you away, just like before, however now I know it’s because I was terrified of how you make me feel. You make me crazy, Kyra, but being without you makes me even crazier.”

She lunged at him, like she had in the car with Thrayke, and her fists flew like a woman possessed. She clawed and gouged, punched and slapped him, but nothing was easing the pain within. Tears rolled down Kyra’s face, and her anger consumed her, but Kronus just let her hurt him in whatever way she wanted. He didn’t fight back. He simply stood there and took the best beating she could muster, and only when her muscles gave out did she finally fall back onto the bed in defeat.

“How many people have you killed? How many have you tested on? Hundreds? Thousands?” she asked, holding the stitch in her side while he took a seat next to her on the bed.

“Try millions,” he answered, and put his head in his hands.

“Why?” she breathed.

“Because we need you, the humans that is. Our race has developed an autoimmune disease called Ehrad. We cannot cure it, and we need to find an answer in our DNA as to why.” He looked back up at her with bloodshot eyes that showed forcefully unshed tears, but screamed with the agony within. “Your race holds the answer.”

“So you kidnap entire families and murder them in the name of science?” she yelled with renewed strength, but then fell back again as tears fell anew. “And babies? You take them, too?”

“Yes.” At least he was being honest, she had to give him that, but it didn’t make any of this easier.

“And do what?” she demanded. “What use are they to your research?”

“We crack the genetic code and look for a match we can reconstitute it with. Combining the chromosomes helps force the human DNA to evolve like ours. It’s all research at the moment in a bid to find a new sequence that works and we hope that what we find can eventually be used to help my race advance further.”

“Like with me?”

“Like with you,” he concurred.

Kyra felt like she might be sick, and slid off the bed onto the cold floor in a heap. She felt his strong arms scoop her up off the ground, and didn’t fight when Kronus lifted her into his lap and held her close. He wrapped his arms around her, holding her still. He’d never held her this way, and while it felt odd, she didn’t fight it. Kronus then climbed back, placing her beside him on the bed. He watched her, but she couldn’t meet his gaze. Kyra still had more questions.

“Then why didn’t they kill me and dissect me like all the others?”

“Because your sequence was a failure. The computer program that decodes the DNA sequences rejected your new code. It happens in over ninety percent of the people we’ve tested.”

“And then what usually happens to people like me?” she hated asking, but had to know the truth, even if it killed her to finally learn it.

“They’re normally dug a shallow grave and never seen again, rather than let them live with their new gifts. You were saved only because of Thrayke and his affection for you.” Tears came thick and fast, and Kyra didn’t try to fight them. She knew for sure now how she’d really had no clue what she’d gotten herself into back then, and felt more lost than ever now that she knew how and why things had turned out the way they had. Out of the many that’d been given the treatment, Kyra was the one and only lucky test subject allowed to live, and yet she felt far from lucky to have survived Greegis and his team of scientists. If anything, she felt cursed.

Chapter Nine

Kyra stirred the next morning to the strange feeling of roughness against her temple, and she wondered for a minute what it was. She opened her eyes and smiled. As she gently stroked the thick beard she was still trying to get used to on Kronus’ face, she sighed. No matter what awful lessons she’d learned, the instinct to love and worship her savior was still ever-present, and watching him sleep was a treat she hadn’t counted on enjoying before that morning.

She remembered her teachings about him and his race as a child, and how those alongside her in the foster homes and schools who’d struggled to accept the Thrakorian rule weren’t punished for their slow progression right away. At the time, it’d seemed like a kind gesture to her tiny mind, but she’d later found out how the offenders were given a specialized form of detention, and one not everybody knew about. In those private sessions specializing in behavior control, the children had reportedly been converted using a variety of propaganda driven messages and scare tactics. One of her friends had told her afterwards how they’d been sat down and made to watch a video showcasing all the awful things the human race had done over the past few thousand years, and that it’d been a terrifying lesson in humility the six year old child had never forgotten. Kyra hadn’t needed those intense sessions in the slightest. She’d put her trust in her rescuer that night on the rooftop and it’d never faltered, not even when he’d made a point of proving how much of an arrogant ass he could be.

Part of her wondered if she could ever truly love Kronus, or if she was in love with the fictional version she’d molded over time with her infatuation of a myth. It was a question she’d never seriously asked herself before, but having woken up wrapped in his arms, she felt like she could fall for his real persona—if only he could love her back.

And then there was the problem of the other part of her heart. It didn’t belong to Kronus, but to the man who’d been her lover and mentor until he’d been ordered to break things off. Thrayke was at the forefront of her mind, regardless of whom she’d woken up beside, and she felt a smile curl at her lips when she thought back to their time together before Kronus had come back into her life and turned it upside down.

Despite his insistence that they would never be anything more than a casual affair, she missed Thrayke, and who they’d been for one another while together. Time might be the only way she could tell where her heart truly belonged or which half prevailed, and in the meantime, she figured she’d settle for them both being her friend. Kyra hoped with all her heart that the rollercoaster of a life she’d endured the past few years might just slow down enough to let her catch up, and then she might finally be able to start making the right choices with regards to her future.

A slight movement over by the door caught her eye, and she turned to find five huge Thrakorian soldiers stood to attention just a few feet away from the end of the bed by the elevator door. Their presence surprised her, but then again she knew it had to be expected with the King around, especially while away from his fortress home. Kyra sat up and smiled over at the men in greeting, but not a single one of them moved a muscle or addressed her in return. They were clearly the ultimate in elite agents who lived to protect their sovereign, and she guessed they’d probably stayed up all night to watch over him.

Despite the actually rather crowded room, not a sound reached her ears. It was eerie thinking how they’d all watched her sleep, and she blushed with embarrassment when she realized they must’ve also seen her fall apart the night before.

Kyra slid to the edge of the bed to stand and stretch, choosing to leave her shame behind and focus instead on the future ahead. There were no certainties when it came to what Kronus was or wasn’t planning on offering her, but she promised herself she’d hear him out, and hoped they’d try and become something to one another, even if it was just friends.

As she watched the lineup deep in thought, looking at them but not seeing, she realized the man in the center of the group blocking the elevator doors was Thrayke. She immediately went to him and wrapped her arms around his waist, and was sure she heard the Thraks to each side gasp in shock at her actions. Kyra guessed no other human, female or not, had been so overly familiar with the Thrakorian noblemen before, but she didn’t care for formality. Thrayke had to know how much she cared for and appreciated him.

Just like the others, his arms were linked behind his back by the wrist. Thrayke was standing at ease, and he was perfectly still—like a statue. He remained motionless at first, sticking to his professionally enforced stance, but then couldn’t seem to help himself. Kyra felt his arms loosen just slightly as his heart and head seemed to be battling things out within him. When he sighed deeply, muttered a curse, and then wrapped his arms around her in return, she had to smile. No matter the distance between them, he was still ready to comfort her, and she was eternally grateful that he still wanted to after everything they’d been through.

Kyra held onto him so tight she thought he might pull away, but instead Thrayke just stayed there, giving her what she needed despite their audience. She knew it was selfish, but she craved as much affection as she could get, and was glad he seemed to understand that need. She took a deep breath, inhaling him. He smelled good—like sweat and boot polish—and it reminded Kyra of a life she missed more than she’d realized. Her heart and soul were in the army, not amongst the rebels, and there was no way she’d let herself forget her place ever again. She nestled against him some more, and Thrayke’s black combat jacket was rough against her cheek, but she still didn’t pull away. She was torn between whether to hold on longer, or pull away and let him go, but for the time being her heart was winning rather than her head.

Kyra suddenly felt like crying. She wondered if she let go, would it be for the last time? She wasn’t sure she was ready for that yet, and guessed she might finally be mourning the relationship she’d lost and the connection between them she knew might never return.

“Are you okay?” his whispered voice found her ear, and she forced herself to nod.

“Thank you for saving me,” she murmured into his chest where her head was still resting. “You’re a good man, Thrayke. An amazing man. I don’t want to say goodbye.”

“Me neither,” he whispered so quietly she knew the response was just for her. “And jeez woman, talk about denting my reputation as a badass,” he then teased, and she giggled. Kyra was glad he’d chosen to lighten the mood, and hoped it was his way of coping too.

“Well, I guess you
were
pretty badass last night, all covert ops and stuff,” she replied, and looked up into his face with a smile. He’d wiped away his camouflage makeup, but was still filthy and in need of a shower. The dark, oily cream made the lines of his face seem more pronounced, but he didn’t look older because of them, only somehow more distinguished. “It was impressive, and incredibly cool. Did you even get any sleep?” she asked, having noticed the dark circles under his eyes that had nothing to do with the black cam-cream, and he shook his head.

“We’ve been standing guard over the two of you since we got here. Sleep is overrated anyway,” he answered with plenty of obviously forced nonchalance, and Kyra felt her cheeks burn that he’d seen her at both her most vulnerable and volatile.

“So you saw what I did to him? Why didn’t any of you stop me?”

“Because he ordered us not to intervene, no matter how you reacted. Even if you lashed out at him. I think he kind of deserved it, but don’t tell him I said that.” Kyra laughed quietly and shook her head.

“How can I compare anyone to you two after all of this?” she asked before she’d fully thought what she was opening up about, and he smiled down at her with nothing but affection in his intense gaze.

“Have we ruined you for all humankind? Perhaps it really is a matter of, ‘once you go Thrak, you never go back…’ or something like that,” he mumbled with a cheeky grin. His silliness made her smile broader, but Kyra felt herself growing more confused, rather than surer of what she wanted. The fundamental facts remained though, and she knew that learning the truth was far more important than figuring out where her heart belonged.

“There was so much I didn’t know before, so much I yearned to find out. And now I do know, I’m not sure I can process it all,” she mused aloud, and then laid her head against his chest again. She realized that having been watched over by Thrayke and his team also meant they’d heard everything that’d been said between her and Kronus, and she hoped they would each keep their mouths closed about their history and her revelations.

Kyra didn’t know how it worked in the Thrakorian army, but she knew many humans who would’ve loved having that sort of knowledge to use against the King. The immense amount of Thrakorian loyalty was hopefully worth more than that to them, and she hoped she was right to trust the noble race of men who surrounded her not to repeat or spread gossip about their odd love triangle.

A deep cough from behind alerted Kyra to the obvious fact that Kronus was awake, but she didn’t care that he’d caught her and Thrayke having their moment of quiet resonance. The awareness that she was a small fish in a sea filled with sharks remained, and because of that lack of power she held, she couldn’t be sure if or when she’d have an opportunity to thank Thrayke for everything he’d done for her again. She’d most likely be back in The Tower with a full work schedule as soon as she’d been fully rehabilitated again. It was a bittersweet prospect, but a future she knew she deserved. However, Kyra still felt she’d earned the chance to tell her friend and mentor exactly how much she appreciated him, regardless of their history as lovers.

“Is the transport ready?” Kronus then asked his men, and as Kyra turned and walked back toward the bed, she heard one of the soldiers answer from behind her.

“Yes, sire. A craft is on the roof at the ready.”

“Excellent, let’s go,” he answered, and stood just as Kyra reached him. She wasn’t sure what to say to him, or how to act after their intense conversation the night before, and she fumbled on the spot in wait for him to tell her what to do next. He didn’t seem interested in addressing her awkwardness though, and Kronus reached down and cupped Kyra’s cheek with his hand, pulling her gaze up to his. “We’re taking you back home to The Tower, but I’ll be staying for a while to help pull together everything we need to put an end to this rebel activity once and for all. Are you ready?” he asked, and let a smile curl at his lips that somehow also shone in his almost black eyes.

Kronus, the all-powerful leader of not only his own race, but also hers, mesmerized her. The softness he showed her seemed new to him, and while his features remained stoic, those eyes of his gave him away. He took her in as though memorizing her face, and Kyra felt her cheeks flush under his scrutiny. She eventually nodded, and smiled as he took her hand and led her back into the awaiting elevator.

They travelled up the few floors to the roof, and stepped straight out into the bright morning sunshine atop the vast building. Kyra took a deep breath of the fresh air. It was a glorious day, warm and without so much as a hint of a breeze. Silence seemed to have fallen over the city, but then all of a sudden, something didn’t feel right. It was far too quiet.

“No chains to hold you prisoner, and no resistance to being led away by a pack of alien scum. Perhaps I really was wrong about you,” Tuka’s spiteful voice filled the silence, and Kyra looked across in time to watch him step out from behind the hovercraft they were about to board. The small squad of Thrakorian soldier’s she was traveling with closed in around them, but she knew they were doing it to protect the King rather than her. Tuka clearly didn’t care. He fixed her with a hard stare and carried on. “Almost my entire operation has been wiped out in one night by a squad of Thraks who stormed our gathering, and then when I returned home, I found you gone. Of course I feared the worst, especially after I discovered that your guards had been executed and the house was barely left standing. Naturally, I then spent the rest of the night tracking you down. I guess I needn’t have worried after all, you treacherous bitch,” he told her with a repulsive scowl.

Rebel soldiers then started pouring out of the stairwell exits and from behind the craft to join Tuka in his last stand, and Kyra recognized many of the faces there. She’d lived and worked alongside several of the men and women who’d come to be a part of his coup, and fear gripped her gut at how badly this would undoubtedly end for all of them. She didn’t want Tuka’s followers to get hurt, but at the same time, she was scared to her core for Kronus and his men. That same helpless feeling of confusing loyalty to both sides filled her head again, and in her confused state she realized she’d failed to notice the gun in Tuka’s hand.

He lifted it, ignoring the Thrakorian soldiers and their leader. He seemed fixated on making her pay for having betrayed him, and he pointed the weapon directly at her head. In less than a second, the men and women he’d brought with him followed his lead, taking his action as a sign to initiate their fight, and they advanced on the handful of Thraks on the rooftop.

Battle commenced in a heartbeat, and rather than wilt under the precariousness of the situation, the soldier within took over. On instinct, Kyra assessed the situation, and she readied herself to fight, but strangely none of the rebels came at her. Her death seemed to be in the hands of one and only, and Tuka clearly wasn’t letting anyone else have her but him. This was personal. Thrayke and the others started fending off their other attackers with apparent ease, but there were too many of them, and even Kronus joined in the fray, leaving her open to attack.