Jonah tenses next to me. I slide my fingers through his and squeeze gently.
The Elder in my father glances toward the wall, like he can see me standing there. A small bow is attempted. “I am her gift, you see. My task is to ensure her continued health and safety so she will be primed for father’s plan.”
What is he talking about? What plan?
Zthane says, “To spy on her, you mean.”
Bios considers this. “This, too. But put your mind at ease. I am unable to contact any of my kin through your multiple shields.”
“You expect us to believe this?”
“I do not lie,” Bios says coldly.
Zthane’s eyes flicker toward Kellan, who merely nods.
“Ah, what a nice pet.” Bios is clearly delighted. “My brother was so clever breeding your kind. I have rarely had an opportunity to study Empaths until now.”
“How did you get down here?” Zthane is asking.
“This one,” Bios says, smoothing his hands down my father’s chest, “was a holder of knowledge, was he not? Some of his essence was left behind after Father ate him. It took me quite a while to sift through lingering memories, but I managed to come across this location.” He leans back against the wall, chains clanking noisily.
My skin crawls at how easily it talks about my father’s death.
“Do the others know where you are?”
“No,” Bios admits. “I was to inform my kin the moment I had a visual on the little Creator, but ...” He smiles, amused. “Your shields here are quite excellent. There is no way for me to reveal what I know without going beyond them. But this should be of no concern. I can freely give you this pledge: as long as the little Creator is down here with me, she is under my protection. No harm will come to her. I will give what is left of my existence to ensure her safety.”
This just gets weirder and weirder. Because, huh? First they want to kill me, now they want to protect me?
“Like no harm came to her before?” Kellan snaps.
“You and I know that plenty of harm befell the little Creator from my kin, but never by my hand.” He chuckles mirthlessly. “We cannot have a weak mother, after all.”
I’m nauseated to my core. There’s that inference again, like I’m somehow going to ... I don’t know, be the mother of new Elders? Is that what they want me for? To have a demonic litter of Elder babies?
Jonah wraps an arm around my shoulders and kisses me. He can’t hide his fury, though.
“If I’m good enough,” Bios whispers gleefully, “our children will be better suited to rule than the other brats. I so look forward to getting to know my new mother.”
Kellan makes a move then, but before fist meets face, both Zthane and Sjharn grab him. “I will kill you first,” he hisses, struggling against his friends. “You will never put your hands on her, do you hear me?”
“Maybe not so much a pet, but a watchdog,” Bios leers. “Does she pet you, pretty watchdog? Do you think she’d be jealous if I was to pet you, too?”
To hear these things come from my father’s mouth is too much to bear. I leave the room before I blow up the entire bunker.
To say Bios is a high maintenance prisoner is putting it mildly. He demands excellence, and when he doesn’t get it, fluctuates between terrifying anger and baffling petulance. And then there’s his macabre insistence that he sees me personally once a day so he can continue to ensure my personal health. Jonah refuses to let me into the room without him, so Bios is allowed five minutes of our time each evening before the lights in his cell wink out.
I hate that I’m staring at my father’s face, that I’m reminded every single day of all the mistakes between us in excruciating detail during each visit. A week after he was captured, I ask “Did you really mean what you said? About being sent to protect me?”
“Do not question my integrity.” The room goes frosty in his displeasure. “I have been ordered to ensure your safety and healthy. Have you not noticed how well I’ve been maintaining you?”
Um ... I discreetly glance down at my body. It seems to be the same as always.
“Yes, little Creator.” He’s exasperated. “I am constantly working on you. Have you really not noticed? Not a single headache? Not a single ounce gained? No backaches, no pimples, no cuts, no anything? You are the healthiest person in existence right now.”
I look to Jonah in surprise. For his part, he merely maintains his calm fa?ade. I know he won’t allow Bios to know if that anything he says bothers us.
“What if I ordered you to stop?” I ask the first Shaman.
“I am unable. Enlilkian has bade it so, and until he rescinds his decree, I must do it. And since I cannot communicate with him until we are above ground, I’m afraid you’re stuck being perfect.” He pauses. “May I point out how your womb is absolutely ripe for children right now?”