Page 21 of Calico Descending

The soldiers lurch forward, jabbing their guns at him, and I notice the sharp points at the tips aren’t gun barrels, but some kind of spear.

Titus roars, falling to all fours, and he swipes out at the soldiers, who skirt his swings. Not a minute later, he collapses, twitching and moaning.

Flicking his fingers at me, the Legion soldier steps over the Alpha and holds out a hand. The moment I reach back, his legs fly up in the air, and the soldier smacks to the floor. My pulse races, as I watch Titus scramble over him, but he doesn’t get a single punch in, before a second soldier rushes toward the two and stabs Titus again.

Massive arm drawn back, Titus crashes like an iron statue, crumbling to the floor.

My leg bounces incessantly, while I sit before Doctor Ericsson, who rewinds the video of my interaction with Titus.

“You see? Here. Here is that protective nature I was telling you about.”

Head tilted downward, I lift only my gaze toward the screen, on which he’s paused an image of Titus. Shoulders bunched, hands balled into a fist, he looks ready to fight. I imagine, behind that helmet is a murderous stare to match his stance.

“This isn’t a problem with the female subject. It’s Valdys. He’s toying with me.” Brows furrowed, he sits rubbing his smooth chin. “Perhaps we’ll have the helmets removed. That might help acclimate them.”

“They’re attached permanently?”

“Not permanently, but they’re not permitted to remove them. However, in the spirit of testing variables, perhaps we’ll see if that’s a factor.” He huffs, tapping a finger to his lips. “I’ll think about it. Allowing them too much freedom gives the wrong impression.”

Freedom? From not having to wear a heavy slab of iron day and night? I don’t bother to tell him he has freedom and humanity mixed up. “Why did you put me in there with him? Titus?”

“Titus rejected his assigned female. We thought we’d try cross binding to see if there was something wrong with you.”

His words carve into my chest as it occurs to me just how insignificant I am. That I could be thrown into another cage like a mouse being shared between snakes. “Rejected her?” After his gentle interactions with me, I find it hard to believe Titus would reject anything.

“Yes. Would you like to see the tape?”

“No.” God, no. The last clip he showed me resulted in nightmares of me being torn in half by Valdys.

“Is … is she dead?”

“Not dead, no.”

“Did he rape her?”

He shakes his head, and at the chasing frown on his face, I don’t bother to ask. “Her contributions to the Alpha Project are no longer necessary.”

She wasn’t raped. She wasn’t killed. But something happened that she is no longer needed. My guess? The girl is now useless--that’s they only time a body is put out of service in this place, unless they’re dead, and that follows shortly after useless.

“What was the interaction with you and Titus earlier? The finger thing?” Doctor Ericsson lifts chin, staring down his nose toward where my finger is buried in my lap.

“I … cut myself.”

“May I see?” He reaches out his hand, and with trepidation, I set mine over his palm. Gripping the tip and the base of it, he twists in front of him, examining the wound. “That’s fairly deep. Looks like it could’ve used stitches. How did you manage such a clean cut?”

“I … was … I ...” I glance over to Medusa, whose eyes narrow on me as I stumble through an explanation. “Opening one of the crates in the kitchen. A nail was sticking up.”

His brows twitch, and he crosses his arms over his chest. “The next time you sustain an injury that causes significant bleeding, you’re to let me know. We’re dealing with human beings who enjoy bloodshed. He undoubtedly smelled it from across the room.”

Undoubtedly.

“If my binding is with Valdys, why wasn’t I rejected by Titus?”

“Ah, she has the curious mind of a scientist. It’s a wonderful trait.” He tips his head, his lips stretching into that greasy, snake-like smile. “Shame you’re a woman. But anyway, why, indeed. We chose to test Titus because he seems to be inexplicably loyal to Valdys.”

“How so?”

“During training, he’s stepped in front of Valdys a few times, seeming to protect him. Not that Valdys needs much protection. He is, after all, our best fighter.”

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