ﮩ٨ـﮩﮩ٨ـ Tethered ﮩ٨ـﮩﮩ٨ـ

Chapter 2

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• Luna •

Being restrained with a wire laced with phycyne and blindfolded during the trip to see Amir, and then stepping into an elevator going straight down to hell, wasn't Luna's idea of a pleasant experience. She assumed they were afraid she'd start a riot, which was stupid. They were leading her to where she wanted to go. She didn't know Amir's room number, but she knew it had to be where they were keeping a close eye on him.

She was going to go crazy if he wasn't there.

She was led into what appeared to be a tunnel after the elevator jerked to a stop. She could see bright light through the blindfold, and the scent was really dry and alkaline, vaguely recognizable. St. Matthew's? But it was in Louisiana. During the three-minute ride, it dawned on her that she was in a place she hadn't been since they infiltrated Ramsey.

Harmony Asylum's underground.

She smiled broadly. It was pointless to keep her blindfolded. She was aware of this location. Her parents had her come to the institution when she was younger to be monitored because she had acted out. She was also born at Harmony Medical Center, which is close to Huntington Park. She'd never forget Formaldehyde's strong pickle-like odor.

She stood quietly, sighed, and waited for someone to lead her ahead. Hands reached around her elbows, and she was pulled forward, thinking that whoever had their hands on her was lucky that her wrists were bound behind her back because otherwise, someone would be leaving work today with a hole in their chest.

Cop another feel, asshole. You'll no longer have that hand.

Her blindfold was finally removed as she came to a standstill against the wall, and Major Thibeau stood at attention. "I apologize for that, but we have Amir in a secure location, and we can't take any risks here."

"What risks?" Luna demanded. "I'm not going to do anything."

"You may not be able to move your hands, but you still have telekinesis. You could throw one or all of us against the walls with your mind."

"I thought I couldn't use my abilities."

The major smiled down at her. "You can't use them up there. But your abilities are limited down here. The testing rooms are located in this area. Besides, it was only a precaution."

She sneered at him. "Whatever. I know where we are. Harmony Asylum. I'm familiar with it."

A single bushy brow arched. "A lot has changed since you were a teenager, Luna."

"Yeah," she replied, turning to ask, "How long has it been since the Trojans were activated?"

The major chortled. "Is that your way of calculating the day?"

Luna remained silent, waiting for an answer.

"All you need to know is that you're alive, and we're the reason for it." He sucked in a breath and frowned at her. "I can tell you that Christmas hasn't come yet, so that should give you a sense of the timing."

"I wish I understood why you guys have a problem with me knowing the date," Luna growled. "What's the problem if I can't leave?"

A soldier moved slightly toward the right.

"We prefer to keep the timeframe anonymous. Our patients do not need to obsess over trivial matters. Such as dates," the major replied.

"Well, I'm not a patient. I'm a prisoner." Seeing as he was not going to say anything further, she asked, "Can I please get these off?"

Major Thibeau glanced at one of the camouflaged soldiers. He appeared to be young, but the khaki-colored beret concealed most of his face. "Cut Mrs. Khan's restraints. She's not going to be an issue." The man returned her stare. "I believe Luna is aware that this facility is equipped with a Chemnisol defense system."

The guard shifted forward, pulling out a pair of scissors. His jaw set indicated that he wasn't sure if he should listen to Major Thibeau, but he cut the bands, allowing her hands to open up. She shook her shoulders, releasing the tension in her muscles. Her wrists were covered in red marks, but it wasn't too bad.

"I'll cooperate," Luna said, scratching her neck. "But I need to see Amir right now."

"All right," the major said, his attention focused on her. "Follow me, and we'll take you to a place where you can clean up."

• • •

Luna was led to an empty communal area to freshen herself. She didn't want to waste time at first. She needed to get to Amir, but they weren't giving her much of a choice, which turned out to be a good thing because she looked like something from the boondocks. She had a bad case of bed head. She changed into the white leggings and black shirt that had been left behind after a quick shower and shave. The same standard uniform she remembered from years ago. Nothing beats dressing everyone in the same way to make them feel like a nameless face in a sea of nameless faces.

When she'd been here before, it was all about maintaining control and keeping everyone in line. Nothing had changed in her opinion.

When she realized what was going on, she almost laughed. Even when she was admitted shortly after her thirteenth birthday, BARDA was always in charge. They knew about her even back then.

When the same pale woman Luna had seen earlier came to the door, the first thing she checked was the plastic razor for the blade.

Luna scowled. "Are you really concerned about the razor?"

"We're concerned about everything," came the response. "Finished?"

"Absolutely."

The nurse took a step back, allowing Luna to return to the tunnel. The woman was glued to her hip as they walked to another elevator. "Because you're riding me so close, I feel like I should take you out to dinner. What should I call you?"

She punched the floor. "I'm Nurse Evans."

Luna's eyes tightened. Something about the woman reminded her of Titus, and that was a good sign. Possibly an . . . ally? "Is that your real name?"

"My first name is irrelevant."

The woman was as charming as Luna knocking Chase out with the flip of her hand. She shifted her gaze to the red number on the elevator and watched it gradually descend. Her stomach clenched. She was about to find out if Major Thibeau was messing with her, and Amir was away.

Luna wasn't sure what she'd do if he wasn't there. Probably go insane.

She couldn't stop herself from pondering the next thing. "Have you seen him—Amir?"

Her imagination ran wild as Nurse Evans pressed her lips into a thin line. "Yes. I've been tasked with looking after him. Actually, a group of us."

"Did he wake up yet?" Luna asked, ignoring the woman's uneasy stare.

Nurse Evans looked up, surprised. "Amir woke up two days ago, but he's been recovering. The doctor believes he will be fine in a day or so."

"What?" Luna scoffed. "He was shot in the back."

"He was, Mrs. Khan, but he's a Tethered Soul with the Alpha serum coursing through his veins." Her brow furrowed. "Sam used one of the company's specialized guns, which had been laced with every toxin we have. But Amir was unaffected by anything except the bullet."

She didn't like the sound of that. She took a deep breath and ran her hand through her damp hair. The image of Amir being shot flashed through her mind. Her arm muscles trembled. She did not doubt in her mind that she could handle whatever condition her husband was in, and she'd help him in getting better. Nothing in the world could prevent that.

"Is that . . . how I am okay?" she asked. "By my partner's strength?"

The nurse smirked. "Our medical team played a part in that. You were taken off of your machines a few days ago after Dr. Reynolds saw progress from you."

"Oh."

"Amir was asleep the last time I checked," she explained as the elevator stopped abruptly on the fourteenth floor. "He hasn't been sleeping well since he was brought into that room. He'd been thrashing around as if someone was chasing him."

She almost laughed in the nurse's face, but she didn't. It was nothing new because people were always out to get them. Even in their sleep.

She nodded slowly and followed Evans out into the corridor. It fathomed her at the moment how brave they were in only giving her one nurse, but they knew what she wanted, and she knew what was at stake if she acted on impulse.

Her heart continued tripping out, her hands sporadically opening and closing at her sides. Anxious energy rushed through her body, and as they approached the center of the corridor, she felt something she hadn't felt in a long time.

Amir's spider tingle. It trickled down the back of her neck.

"He's on this floor." Luna's voice was scratchy.

The nurse glanced back at her. "Yes. Amir is through there."

After doing a retinal scan, Nurse Evans came to a stop in front of a door and punched in a code. A soft click of locks clicked out of place. She cast a glance at Luna, her hand on the doorknob. "I don't know how much time they'll give you."

Then she pushed open the door.

Nurse Evans walked over to Amir's bedside and looked over his chart. "He has a normal heart rate."

Luna stumbled toward him, staring at the steady rise and fall of his chest. Amir was alive. Her heart was pounding out of her chest as he breathed.

"The bullet would have killed him if it had stayed in him longer," the nurse continued. "It should have killed him, but he didn't give up."

He held on.

Luna was speechless as she reached out and wrapped her fingers around his arm. Amir had warm, dry skin. Her breath caught again.

"I believe someone called Major Thibeau and told him what happened. There were still many officers on their way, but a helicopter was dispatched to pick you up." The nurse lowered her head and cleared her throat. "They had to act quickly after a bomb exploded in downtown New Orleans. The doctors were able to extract the bullet without causing any internal damage to him."

Luna slid her hand up his arm, her gaze trailing over the machines that surrounded Amir's bed.

"Mrs. Khan, according to Dr. Reynolds, Amir will be fine. You will both be fine."

She lowered her head to his chest and heard Amir's heartbeat matching hers. "Oh my stars . . ." She sat on the edge of his bed, her ear pressed against his chest. "Please . . . tell me this is real," she begged, her eyes welling up with tears. "Tell me this isn't a dream and that I'll wake up to discover this is a cruel joke. Please."

"It's true, Luna." She approached her and placed a hand on her shoulder. "Amir is still breathing."

"Thank . . . thank you," she whispered.

Nurse Evans responded, but Luna's attention was drawn to the sound of Amir's heart. She was only vaguely aware that the woman had left the room after a while. She remained where she was, her tears unstoppable. They kept pouring down her cheeks, dampening the thin white blanket tucked beneath his arms.

Minutes passed. Possibly hours. She didn't move because she wasn't capable of it and didn't want to. Her heart finally slowed. Amir's heart thumped as a heavy arm rested on her waist. Luna lifted her head, surprised and hopeful.

Her gaze was locked on a pair of brilliant caramel eyes.

"A," she breathed. The dam broke, and his beautiful face blurred.

His lips parted slightly. "It's all right, Moon." He lifted his other arm, brushing the tears from her cheeks with the back of his hand as if it took a lot of effort. "You don't have to cry. I can't see your beautiful eyes through the tears."

Her chest curled. "I thought . . . I woke up hoping you weren't gone from us. I thought I'd never hear you say that to me again. My chest hurt and . . ." Her throat tightened as she placed her hand over his, pulling it to her mouth. She kissed his knuckles. "These miraculous hands . . ."

He made a raspy sound. "Did you think I'd leave you and Sarah?"

She shivered.

"You begged me to stay, Luna, and I did," he said quietly as he tried to sit up.

"Don't move," she insisted, her eyes widening.

He made the same sound, but this time it was more strained. "Moon, I listened to every word you whispered. Your voice was like a stream of water, quenching and cleansing my soul."

She sniffed, leaving more snot boogers on his sleeve. "Sorry."

He laughed, his sound as gentle as the land where he was born, rolling and rising gracefully toward a sunlit cloud. "I have many reasons to live, and leaving my girls is not an option."

She nodded, and he said, "Now . . . get down here and kiss me."

"You . . . you took a bullet for me, Amir." Her breath caught in her throat once more. "Sam was about to shoot you, but his gun had been aimed at me. And you . . . you might have died."

He stared at her for a moment, as if she'd sprouted two horns. "And?"

"And? What do you mean?"

"What I mean is that we now have scars that match. Love Scars."

Luna laughed. "That sounds like the name of a song."

"Maybe you should write it."

"I will add it to my work-in-progress," she replied, grinning.

He bit his lip, and she almost leaned forward to nibble on it. "What else would I have done, Big Bird?"

She gazed into his eyes with fresh tears. "I see you haven't lost your sense of humor."

"Never," he said. "My soulmate brings it out of me."

A gentle breeze from the air vent brushed against Luna's skin, causing small goosebumps to appear. She had finally found peace, and she didn't want to let go of it.

"Luna Reneé Carlyle-Khan. I love you," he whispered, his eyes glistening as he spoke those words. "If your life is in danger, I'll do everything in my power to keep you safe. That's what love forces us to do. Right?"

"Yeah," she whispered, still a little stunned. "The same is true for me. Just like we are right now. Our lives are in danger."

He acted as if nothing had happened. "I'd take another bullet for you. For our family."

Oh, God. "Amir . . . don't talk like that."

"That's something I should tell you, Moon. I'm going to tell you that more often."

She smiled as she raised her head. "Your words are like a candle that is immune to all winds. They are incredible. Thank you . . . for . . . what you did."

He chuckled. "You don't have to thank me."

"I do."

The corner of his mouth lifted. "I'd gladly take a grenade for you." She laughed, and he continued, "You can express your gratitude by bending down and kissing me. I shouldn't have to beg this much."

And she did exactly that. She kissed him softly, enjoying his taste and the warmth of his lips. "I love you, and I plan to spend every waking moment proving it to you, Prince."

"That sounds great to me." As she lifted her head, he yanked on her hair. "Have you . . . found out . . . where we are? What about our daughter and Faisal?"

Luna quickly told him the gist of what the major and nurse had explained to her, and what she had figured out. "They said you held on." She sniffed, wiping her tears away with her shoulder. "It's now my turn to get us out of here."

Amir's grip on her thigh tightened. "Not just you, Luna, but me as well. We're in this together."

She narrowed her eyes. "I'm not going to lie, I'm scared, Amir. But there was no way I was going to stay in this hellhole and not see you." She slid her hand down his arm, curling his elbow. "I know there will be pain, but I must bear it."

He shook his head, and his voice was rough and scratchy. "Moon, you shouldn't have to do anything. They're monsters, and we'll—"

"No. I'll take them out. I'll devise a strategy. Not you." She knew she was serious the moment those words left her mouth. He was her family and her future. He loved her, and she didn't want anything else to happen to him.

"This isn't a tag team. The things they'll put you . . . me . . . through . . ." A single tear escaped his eyelid as the redness in his eyes intensified. "You shouldn't suffer for them—"

She cupped his face. "If that's what it takes to see you, Amir, so be it. I'll undergo numerous shock treatments if I have to. You are everything to me." She smiled again at the sound of his soft inhale. "We have to play by their rules. There is no opposition." He nodded, and she ran her fingers down his cheek. "Amir, I love you. Always have. And I'm not going to stop."

He coughed a dry laugh and tightened his grip on her hip. "You know, they'll challenge us after I get better."

"Let them try. We'll make them pay."

He smiled, his eyes focused on her. "We're tethered."

Her heart pounded as she remembered those words from the day they found out they were linked, and she moved closer to him, pressing her face against his cheek. She closed her eyes and sent up as many thank-yous as she could to every God, deity, and prophet she knew, brushing her lips across his cheekbones. "Tethered Souls."

She let herself rest on his side, probably for the first time since she'd arrived. She didn't feel stronger because he was next to her, though she did in a way. But it was because she had her companion with her, someone who would never let her do this alone.

The door suddenly opened, and Luna stiffened just like Amir. She turned around to see Major Thibeau and a guard. Nurse Evans and a young housekeeper stood behind the incredibly douchey duo.

"Did we interrupt anything?" the major asked.

Luna laughed. "No. We were just talking about the weather and what we have planned for the next few days."

The major clasped his hands together. He looked like a Hollywood actor in his military uniform. Maybe he was? "If you two behave, you will be able to see the outside. But all in due time."

"From what Luna described, I don't know if I want to see the outside," Amir said.

Luna's grip on the blanket became tighter as her eyes pivoted to the guard. His gaze wasn't hostile, but that didn't tell her much either.

Major Thibeau swallowed and cleared his throat. "We have things to do, Mrs. Khan."

Amir sat up quickly and shifted his weight to the side. "What things?" he wondered aloud, threading his fingers between his legs. "And I don't think I've ever had the pleasure of meeting you."

"That's Major Thibeau," Luna explained. "He runs everything around here."

"Is that right?" Luna's stomach sank as Amir's voice became low and dangerous. "I've seen you before. At Dr. Kim's?"

"I don't think you have," Thibeau said calmly. "I've never visited the doctor's estate."

Luna put a hand on Amir's shoulder. "How much work do I have?"

"We need to run some individual tests first, and then joint tests," Thibeau replied.

Amir took note of Luna's muscles clenching. More joint tests? She couldn't see that going well with her husband involved.

"It is nothing too strenuous or invasive." Nurse Evans took a step back and motioned to the door. "Please. The sooner we get started, the sooner it will be over."

Amir held Luna's hand tightly.

The major gave her a steady look. "Do I need to remind you of what you promised, Mrs. Khan?"

Amir gave him a cold stare. "Now?"

The nurse spoke up before Luna could. "Luna agreed to do whatever the major wanted in exchange for seeing you first. We gave you both that chance."

"I thought it was going to be in a few days," she said.

Her husband then folded his hand over hers. "I'm here for you, Moon."

She returned his gaze and nodded, a few tears streaming down her cheeks. "I know. I'll get back to you as soon as I can."

Taking a deep breath, she scooted off the bed and stood. A second later, the guard was behind her as she bent over and grabbed her shoes.

Tucking her hair back, she slid her sneakers on.

She was so screwed.

Her tenacious grip on holding it together slipped, and then completely fell away, as the gravity of the situation became clearer. Terror swept through her, then panic, creating an ugly tangled mess of emotions fueled by adrenaline. Everyone in the room could tell she was getting anxious and on the verge of going insane.

But she calmed down.

However, before she could reach the door, the major slapped his hand against the wall, pressing a button. Then came the terrifying, familiar sound of air releasing in a series of small puffs. There had been no other warning. There was no odor. There was no change in the air's consistency.

The nozzles in the ceiling and walls had released highly lethal phycyne, and there was no getting away from it. In an instant, horror drowned her out as the staff covered Amir's face with a gas mask. Luna's breath was cut short as red-hot pain spread from her scalp down her body. A fire swept over her skin as if she had been saturated in gasoline and set ablaze. Her knees gave out, and her knuckles cracked against the tile floor. Her throat was scratched and her lungs were scorched by the phycyne-laced air.

Crumbling into a ball, Luna's fingers clawed at the floor, her mouth open in a silent scream. As the chemicals invaded every cell of her body, her muscles spasmed uncontrollably. There was no conviction. There was no hope that Amir would put out the fire, and she silently called out his name over and over, but there was no reaction. He was put to sleep.

There was and would be nothing but agony from now on.

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