Page 59 of I Married Kayog
I shrugged. “Unfortunately, they were severely damaged by the explosion and the unexpected blasts they triggered.”
“What about all the witnesses?”
I waved a disdainful hand. “The flashing lights they saw in front of Kayog was just a manifestation of the anomaly—an early warning of the true blast that would follow. My poor mate sadly happened to be standing in the exact area that the blast went off, which both explains why it seemed to emanate from him and why he was the only person bleeding that way.”
He snorted and shook his head at me. “Well, well, Linsea. Who would have guessed such a ruthless female lurked beneath that sweet and polished exterior?”
I lifted my chin defiantly. “As you humans say, Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned. No one is hurting my mate. This only happened because everyone failed him.Iwill not.”
“Things are not that simple, Linsea,” Colin said, tension seeping back into his voice. “Your grandmother doesn’t know everything about Edals. It is kept secret for a reason to avoid panicking the population or other worlds. The doctors wanted totake him out to save the lives of everyone else in that hospital. Those two psionic blasts only caused concussions and some cerebral bruising to the people present. I want to believe that, even in his ‘dazed’ state as you claimed, Kayogchosenot to harm anyone. But other Edals who used that ability killed hundreds of people.”
I recoiled. “How is that possible? I thought every previous Edal died within hours or days after their birth.”
Colin nodded. “They died from a brain aneurysm right after they killed or grievously harmed hundreds of people. You see, the handful of Edals who made it to their birth reacted so violently to the onslaught of emotions from everyone around them that they tried to eliminate the cause. They also emitted a psionic blast, except theirs was lethal. Psionic disruptors do not work on them. The minute their eyes begin to glow is when they are about to launch their attack. That’s why those doctors were desperate to eliminate Kayog. He quite literally could have wiped out every patient, every medical staff, and every visitor in that hospital with a single thought.”
I shuddered and hugged myself. The fear emanating from those two Temern doctors had been undeniable. I had also seen his glowing eyes before, at the campus, in the Convention Center’s camera feed, and in the hospital right before the nurse put him in stasis.
Could he have truly been on the verge of killing us all?
“I hear what you’re saying,” I said carefully. “However, he unleashed his attack twice at the Convention Center and didn’t kill anyone. He merely knocked us out to silence our emotions.”
“And that’s the only reason he’s still alive as we speak,” Colin said in a grim fashion. “You’re being extremely naive right now if you think we can simply patch him up and send him on his way so that you both can have your happily ever after. Assumingwe’re able to fix him, what do you think is going to happen to him?”
“Why do I feel I’m not going to like your answer?” I asked, tension filling my voice.
“Because you definitely aren’t,” he conceded in an apologetic tone. “Kayog is not only unique, but he is an anomaly with terrifying powers. As we speak, our doctors and scientists are foaming at the mouth at the prospect of studying him.”
“He’s not a lab rat!” I snapped, straightening in my chair.
“Isn’t he?” Colin challenged, raising an inquisitive eyebrow. “In order to try to find a solution to his condition, every professional will have to poke and prod at him to understand what he is, why he is unable to shelter his mind from others, the extent of his powers, and how to rein them in. Honestly, granting him his wish to die might have been a mercy.”
“I will not allow it,” I hissed. “You are not turning him into a lab rat or some freakish experiment.”
“What are you going to do about it?” Colin asked, a hint of mockery in his voice.
“You seem to forget that I know how the system works. I can create the worst public relations nightmare for both the UPO and the Enforcers,” I replied in a frosty tone.
“We can stop you,” he retorted with a shrug.
“Can you?” I challenged.
“Of course,” he replied as if it was self-evident.
It was my turn to look at him with a taunting expression. “But after how much damage? You know once I get the ball rolling, it will wreck many things that will be nearly impossible to repair. Neither of us wants to go that route, do we?”
“Of course not,” he said in a less friendly tone.
“Then don’t force my hand,” I said sternly. “The UPO and the Enforcers have many enemies who would be delighted to help me go on a rampage.”
“Are you threatening us?” Colin asked, narrowing his eyes at me.
“I don’t do threats, only promises. You know I don’t want any of this. All I ask is that you protect my mate from the highly questionable plans that some people will entertain where he is concerned,” I said in a reasonable tone.
I highly respected Colin, and making an enemy out of him would be a huge mistake. But in order for me not to be eaten alive in this ‘negotiation’, I had to demonstrate that I wouldn’t be a pushover.
“We don’t know what he is or how dangerous he can get,” he replied, his voice heavy with frustration.
“Then find out, and then cure him,” I retorted in a factual manner.
