Traitor Born by Amy A. Bartol

Author:Amy A. Bartol [Bartol, Amy A.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781503936911
Publisher: 47North
Published: 2018-04-17T07:00:00+00:00

Chapter 11

The Promise of Dawn

The air elevator descends. Tears brighten my eyes. My body begins to tremble.

“He won’t talk,” I whisper. “You control the lives of the people he loves.”

“Shh,” Reykin replies.

Our eyes meet. Fear drives through my heart. “Don’t do anything. Please.”

He stares ahead at the city skyline as we descend into the main Palace, toward the medical facility on one of the subterranean floors.

Upon arrival, I find that the Atom physicians on duty have been expecting me. I’m ushered into a private room, where a male technician cuts my taped bandages away. He provides me with a white bodysuit with cutouts that expose my ribs. After donning the flimsy garment, I’m joined by a team of physicians. I expect Reykin to leave, but he doesn’t. He presides over the medical team, scrutinizing every device. My ribs are scanned. Knowing what’s ahead, I want to forgo it, but Reykin convinces me to submit to the bone fusion and skin regeneration procedure. I lie down on the table beneath the white lights and looming laser arm.

A secondborn female technician enters and takes a seat behind the laser’s control panel. The rest of the Atom-Fated medical team leaves. Reykin sits beside me. The laser emits a nauseating whine as it boots up.

“I hate this part,” I murmur.

Reykin lifts his chin toward the technician. “Give her something for pain.”

“She’s secondborn,” the woman replies. “Pain relief isn’t protocol in noncombat situations.”

“How much to circumvent protocol?” he asks.

The technician looks around. “A hundred merits.”

“Done.”

She slides from her seat and leaves the room.

“You’re going to make me soft,” I murmur.

“I’ll risk it this one time.”

In minutes, she’s back with a cylindrical tank. “I can’t give her the regulated drugs—they track them—but this will do the trick. It’ll make her happy and sleepy. It’s a little old-fashioned but effective.” She threads tubes over my ears and into my nostrils, instructing me to breathe deeply. I do. A heady rush of euphoria softens my pain. I smile broadly and giggle.

Reykin matches my smile with his own. “What’s so funny?” he asks.

“Nothing. My life is utter hell.” I sigh, and then laugh harder.

The technician winks at him before reclaiming her seat at the controls. The laser moves, emitting a precise beam. I don’t care. I feel like I’m floating. “I didn’t know this could be painless,” I say. “No one ever told me when I had this done before.”

Reykin frowns. “Dune was probably trying to prepare you for the life of a Transitioned soldier.”

“Nothing could prepare me for that.” I laugh lightheartedly, even though I mean every word.

The laser moves around, fusing cracks in my bones. My skin and muscle will be repaired after the bone is set. The smell is atrocious, but even that doesn’t matter.

Reykin leans near my ear. “Roselle, what do you want?”

“Want?” I smile dreamily. “I don’t know. What do you want?” He’s silly. No one ever asks me that.

“You can tell me. What’s your greatest ambition?” His aquamarine eyes shine like light on water.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.