Reclamation (The Ravening #3)(50)
Author: Erica Stevens

"Your blood cells attacking my blood cells," Bishop answered.

My knees shook as I stepped away from the microscope. "So my blood won’t help to keep you moving if they do release another form of the gas?"

"It won’t keep me moving; in fact it will kill me. I’d like to test the others though, especially your siblings."

I nodded as I glanced over my shoulder at Abby and Aiden. Aiden was sitting at the table with Bret, Jenna and Molly. Abby was curled up on the couch behind them; her hands were tucked under her head as she slept. She looked so young and vulnerable that it tugged at my heart. Her boyfriend, Matt was curled up on the other end of the couch with his feet entwined with hers. On the floor before them Barney had one eye open as the dog watched everyone.

Aiden leaned over and kissed Molly, his hand trailed over her cheek before he walked away from her and began to roll up his sleeve. "Bethany." I turned back to Bishop as he pulled out another syringe and began to prep it for Aiden. "There is one good thing going on right now."

"That is?" I prompted when he became more focused on Aiden’s vein than what he had been saying.

"Your cells have completely stabilized. There are no new changes in them and they are no longer being taken over. Whatever changes your body was going through are over with now."

Relief filled me as I nodded. I didn’t mind being faster and being able to see and hear better, who would? I didn’t even mind the craving for red meat or blood as long as that was all I would have to deal with. It was a far better alternative to being frozen. But it was petrifying to think that my body may have just kept changing to the point that I became someone I might not recognize anymore; someone that started to attack and feed on people, someone that could no longer be trusted around my loved ones. I knew that Cade wasn’t like that, but no one had known what it was that I would become.

Rosemary had said the others that had received blood were fine too, but there had been no way to know what would happen after more time past. Bishop had given me that answer though, this was who I was, who I would be from now on, and I was beyond happy with that.

"That is good," I whispered.

He offered me a small smile before focusing on Aiden again. Stepping back into the doorway my gaze instantly returned to the ship. Cade had made it that far, that was something at least, I told myself. This standing here, impotently waiting though was enough to drive a person mad as I swiftly moved down the stairs.

Lloyd rested his rifle against his shoulder when I stepped beside him again. His eyes remained distant and cold as his gaze ran over me. He’d never been the warmest of people but I’d considered him a friend, and ally. I would give anything to fix what was wrong between us but I didn’t think that was possible. He had trusted me and I had betrayed that trust. I’d chosen my path and now I would have to accept the fact that I may never get his trust back, that I deserved his disapproval.

"Any luck?" he inquired dryly.

"No. Bishop’s testing Aiden now."

He nodded as he turned away again. My eyes focused on the menacing alien vessel that had been marring our sky for far too long. I wished I could see through the damn thing to what was going on inside. The not knowing was the worst part but I thought I would feel it if something were to happen to Cade.

But what if I didn’t?

I turned around and paced back to the house as Aiden appeared in the doorway. "Anything different with your blood?" I asked.

Aiden shook his head. "No."

My shoulders slumped, if my blood didn’t help them than they were all screwed if the aliens decided to release a new gas. I could take a lot, but I didn’t think I could take losing everyone that I loved and cared about. I turned away from them and stalked to the edge of the clearing. Deep within the shadows of the forest, I thought I spotted movement amongst the trees. Frowning, I brought my gun before me as I drew within myself like Cade had taught me to do. Searching amongst the shadows, I tried to pick out what it was that I sensed out there, but I didn’t see it again.

A chill crept down my spine as I took a quick step back. "There’s something out there," I hissed.

"Where?" Lloyd demanded as he appeared at my shoulder.

"I’m not sure."

Another shadow seemed to flit through the woods but I saw nothing as I turned to follow it. I was straining to see through the trees when screaming erupted at the encampment. Lloyd didn’t bother to look back before running into the woods toward the people we had left behind. "Stay here!" I yelled at Aiden and the others before taking off into the forest after him.

I caught up and past by Lloyd before we were halfway to the encampment. I jumped and darted around the obstacles in my way as the woods raced by in a blur of tree trunks and branches. This new found strength and speed was amazing, and though I was frightened by what was going on, I was also exhilarated by the power that coursed through me. I wasn’t even breathing heavily by the time I arrived at the compound.

It took me only a second to understand the source of the chaos as people ran screaming in multiple directions at once. Three of the giant octopus/tick like Seekers had invaded the camp and were in the process of hunting down as many people as they could.

I didn’t know how they had discovered us, but the small bit of security we had found here was effectively ruined. I lifted my rifle to my shoulder and began to fire as one of the creatures picked up a young girl and slammed her viciously into the ground. More Seekers emerged from the woods as screams reverberated through the air and the monsters began to swarm us.

***

Cade,

I ducked down and moved rapidly through the hole into the room beyond. I hadn’t known what to expect but I took a large step back as I found myself on a golden balcony that overlooked a tree with its roots embedded in a glimmering pool of water. The tree stretched almost to the top of the domed ceiling. Its boughs were full of thick green, red, and orange leaves that didn’t appear to be about ready to fall from it but instead seemed to be the actual hue of the tree. Thick golden fruit that I didn’t recognize hung from the lower boughs; the weight of them pulled the tips of the branches into the clear purple water below.

I didn’t know what out of this would be considered The Fountain, whether it was the tree itself, the water, the fruit, or perhaps it was everything working together, but I was certain that we had just discovered the source of The Ancients immortality.

The room must have been designed to jut out of the side of the ship, instead of being nestled securely into the bottom like I had originally thought, as the domed roof was translucent enough to see the sun beyond. The rays spilling into the vast room caused a myriad of gold, silver, and blue colors to dance across the white marble floor. Tapestries full of vibrant colors and breathtaking scenes hung from the walls. There were strange animals on some of them. Some of the animals appeared docile but others looked like they could rip my head off with one swipe of their car sized paws. Other tapestries also depicted scenes from different planets, with strange looking species that most certainly weren’t human, but I suspected they’d also fallen victim to my people.