Page 58 of From the Noblest Motives
Damien made every effort not to react, though someone who knew him well would've seen the tightening around his eyes. His father was treating children as if they were game pieces. He kept his voice soft and even as he asked, "How do you know?"
"So few words, and yet I understand you." Cyril's wistful smile was back. "We know what class of variants the children are, even in the womb, which has contributed greatly to such specifically targeted gene therapy. I have a specialized taxonomist who can determine this."
A powerful taxonomist? Can Shade identify variants in the womb? Would she be involved with any of this?"And the… other children? What happens?"
"To the children we switch out?" Cyril smile slipped a hair. "Damien. I'm not amonster. We place them with the best adoption agencies. A chance to grow up in a more normal home, away from their power-broker parents."
Do you even think how that sounds to me? Ripped from my parents. Sent to an abusive caregiver. This is monstrous. All of it. Still, he remained expressionless, nonreactive, though the magma pool of his anger bubbled and churned. For now he was after as much information as he could gather.
"Everything's beginning to come together." Cyril stood and made direct eye contact. A strange shudder ran through Damien's head. "I need you with me, Damien."
"I won't leave them." His arm twitched as Cyril came around the desk, the faint suggestion of millipede feet tapping up his spine. Damien backed a step, but Cyril kept advancing.
"Of course Blaze and Shudder need to be with you. I wouldn't ask that." Cyril crossed the floor in three steps. "You've had too many people in your life leave you already. All three of you. I need you with me."
"Don't…" Damien couldn't speak above a whisper, his vision tunneling.
Cyril surged forward and grasped Damien's biceps. His eyes were unnaturally intense, gleaming with a strange, predatory light. "I need you with me, Damien. Do you hear me? Youneedto help me."
"Don't touch me!"
Damien threw himself backward out of reach, panting hard, fighting the blackout waves of rage climbing to his skull. Through the gathering blackness, young voices spoke.Cyril needs us. Cyril needs me. Something wasn't right here. His innate need to piece things together grounded him just enough so that he didn't lash out.
Cyril had dropped his hands, staring in obvious disbelief. "Why doesn't it work with you? Why doesn't itwork?"
Before Damien could ask the obvious question, klaxons sounded—short, whooping sirens. Cyril cursed, rushed back to the desk to enter a series of keystrokes, then grabbed a palm set and strode to the door.
"Perimeter alert. Someone with firepower's found us." The look he shot Damien was anxious but determined. "We have to go."
"Shudder—"
"Go! Don't leave electronics behind, whatever you do. Get him and meet us at the coach house."
"The kids!" Damien shouted as Cyril rushed away down the hall.
His voice drifted back to Damien. "They know exactly what to do!"
While he trusted his father less and less, he did believe that the young people would've been drilled on what to do in an emergency.Shudder first.
Skidding around corners, Damien raced back to the main hall and found Shudder crawling backward down the stairs while dragging three packs by their straps.
"Is it a fire?"
Damien shook his head, took the packs and helped Shudder down the stairs with all possible speed. "Authorities, I think. Is this everything?"
"It is." Shudder gave him a wavering smile as he allowed himself to be hustled along to the back door. "Good thing you kept the room so neat. I'll never, ever say anything about the neatness, ever."
A deep, amplified voice drowned out the house sirens, shaking the walls.Noisette. Come out of the house with your hands up. Do not attempt to flee. The premises will be searched. Max Noisette, come out of the house and no one will be harmed.
"What in all flaming hells?" Shudder panted out as he limp-ran beside Damien.
The voice was terribly familiar. But that made no sense…
Any more words didn't seem worth the effort, though. Damien concentrated on hurrying them along with an arm around Shudder's waist. Probably a good thing that Blaze had his arsenal with him… Oh no.Blaze. He let go of Shudder as they hit the path to the coach house so he could type an awkward, one-thumbed message.
Dont rtrn, evac-ing house
They neared the clearing in time to spot Gwyneth hit a panel to open a bay door on the far side of the coach house, then scurry inside. Not two breaths later, a sleek skimmer nosed out.
