∞ The Tethered Ones ∞

Chapter 2

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• Luna •

Luna had never given too much thought about her future. She has loved very few people in her life, and she always adored raising her daughter to be a wonderful and caring young woman. She also had found new love with someone she never thought would be possible.

Amir Khan. He showed her what true love was.

One day, he came to her and surprised her. At that exact moment in time, she wasn't able to explore something deeper with him. But as her feelings began growing deeper for him, she couldn't turn them off, and she wouldn't have tried even if she wanted to.

The moment he turned his keys into her ignition, she knew she didn't mind him staying in the driver's seat. Being with him has had many curves thrown between them, but none of those meant anything. They'd always found their way back to each other, despite everything.

A few days ago, she'd woken up in an unfamiliar home and fought her way to talk to him, but only to have her soul crushed at the realization that she may have lost him forever.

Her husband's memories of her were gone.

That news shattered her insides like someone had stabbed her directly in the heart. She couldn't understand it at first, but she was livid and realized her ex-fiancé was the reason behind it.

Chase injected Amir with a powerful sedative that caused his heart to stop beating, but then he quickly revived him a moment later. He needed to separate Amir and Luna's telepathic connection to each other so he could inflict more emotional scars upon her.

Helping her husband regain his memories was one obstacle that he will overcome. She was determined to help him remember their daughter and their life together as husband and wife. She wasn't even sure if he'd lost his memory of being a practicing Muslim.

That thought tormented her.

Islam had kept Amir stay grounded, and praying to Allah has helped him in his troubles. Being a devout Muslim helped shape him into the extraordinary human he has become. And if he'd lost his faith, the one part of him that made him whole, Luna was sure she'd help restore it. His faith mattered to him, and her.

He will also remember the gift he was born with. A Tethered One; a person with extraordinary abilities. He was paired with her after she was born, and the moment they'd first locked eyes upon one another, they felt an immediate connection. She knew she needed him, and he knew she would be the only person he'd ever desire in his lifetime.

Just recently, they learned they also harness a deeper power inside of them when they hold hands. They can bring light into their darkened world. They were powerful together, and without him, she was empty. They were one, and they were Pure Souls, who were destined for each other, designed by creation.

One way or another, he will return to her, and when he does, they will strip away all the power of the person who did this to him. Chase had another thing coming when her husband retrieves his lost memories.

The Khan Family were not ones to screw over, and she was certain there was an army of friends, family, and allies ready to help in their journey to win this war. But they must first go into battle.

The fight for their freedom was not over.

They are The Tethered Ones.

And they will get justice.

• • •

Exhaling a deep breath, she inched the flimsy gray curtain aside and peered out beyond the expansive plantation, into the forests surrounding Dr. Kim's home. She didn't know how far away she was from St. Matthew's Institute, but she was sure she was somewhere close to New Orleans. She'd recognized a tiny convenience store that was five blocks away she had once visited.

The outside was empty, aside from a few guards who were strolling up and down the sidewalks, doing their job and surveying the ground. A brilliant, flickering white light coming through the clouds shined down in different sections of the yard. There wasn't anyone walking along the pathways, and no birds were heard chirping or seen fluttering from one tree to another. Not one sign of movement from anything in the distance. She didn't even see flies or insects in the air, which felt kind of odd. Everything was so quiet and calm, almost soundless inside this place in a haunting way.

Her gaze was fixed on the black wrought-iron gates, glued to the spot she will run through with Amir any day now. She wanted desperately to be with him, so badly that a deep, throbbing ache sliced through her chest. When they were in the woods and running for their lives, it seemed like ages ago. But in reality, it had been three days since she fought Chase. She felt victorious having what little power she had over him. She had to show him she was fed up with how he has treated her over the years, and sadly, it did nothing in the end. She was always his target.

He targeted her six years ago, and it was mainly for Sarah. He knew she had the telepathic gene inside of her blood, and he used Luna to keep her around him. He might have helped raise her and had shown her how great of a father he could be, but he had nothing like Amir's love for her little girl. Amir had more than a fondness and a compassionate side to him regarding her. He was — is — her true father. 

So many of their kind — hundreds — if not thousands, of Tethered Souls, were locked up in hospitals across the globe. And Chase . . . he was the reason, along with the people who worked for him. And here she was, vulnerable, just another individual who will soon be experimented on. It was nothing new.

Pressure began building up inside her chest. It felt as if someone were squeezing her heart with a tight grip, never letting go. Every so often, Chase's words came back to haunt her. The vial he pulled out of his pocket like it was a play thing flashed inside of her mind. When he said the formula had killed Amir, she thought he was lying at first, until his grin grew more sinister. On the plus side of things, he didn't eliminate their connection. But it did the opposite.

God, was it the opposite, she reflected, sniffing silently.

Being under their watchful eye twenty-four-seven, again, was nearly impossible for her to stay focused. She didn't want Chase to have a chance to inject her with the same serum he'd given her husband. She wanted to keep her memories with him alive and never erased. However, she still had a feeling things were about to get ugly.

But she was strong enough to take whatever crap she was given. She'll fight hell and high water for her and Amir's freedom. No one will be able to stop her.

Taking a deep breath, she blinked and closed the curtain, then sucked in a startled breath, jackknifing up so quickly that her head began spinning.

Turning her neck, she watched as two familiar gray eyes peered into her room and stared back at her. Her bottom lip snared at Nurse Smith, ready to give the woman another ass whooping. She should know not to mess with her. She'll fight back.

Keeping an eye on her, Luna pursed her lips. "Smith."

Stepping inside, Nurse Smith stood next to the wall with her trusty notepad in her hand, a pen sitting behind her ear. "Moon."

Irritation pricked her veins. As much as she tried not to think about how Amir had forgotten about her, and what it would be like when he finally remembers them, it was useless when there were people constantly using his pet name for her. Only he was allowed to call her that. Only she was his 'Moon.'

"You should get over yourself, Luna." Nurse Smith shifted one leg over the other in her white scrubs and crossed her arms. "You're not his moon, anymore."

Taking a step backward, Luna glared into her eyes, keeping her breathing calm. "I'd shut up if I were you."

"And if I don't?" Her eyes rolled as she ambled toward the rusty chair in the corner and took a seat. "Should I be worried about little 'ole Luna?" She laughed as Luna shot off a flare from her eyes. "Sorry to disappoint, but I'm not. I am curious, though. I'm sure you have other abilities to uncover. I'm wondering how we can draw them out of you this time."

Not giving in, she clenched her jaw and balled her fists at her sides, controlling the anger boiling in her body. She knew that was what everyone wanted her to do. To give in to her dark side and let it take over. But she had to stay tough. For her. For her family. For Amir.

"I guess the cat's got your tongue today," the nurse said, tilting her head to the side. "I know you have more abilities than you're letting on, Luna. You won't be able to conceal them forever. Not under our watch. So, you might as well give up now and embrace the darkness that will consume you. All you have to do is . . . harness it."

Keeping her mouth shut, the ball of emotion cut Luna off as she uttered, "I'll never give any of you want you want. Never."

She shrugged. "Oookay. We shall see, won't we?" She beamed. "Come on. We need to go."

Luna tensed. "Where?"

"To the kitchen. It's almost the afternoon and you should eat something." She tsked. "You have a big day today."

"What?"

"You need your strength for what we have planned for you."

When Nurse Smith didn't elaborate and Luna stayed still, she huffed in frustration and grabbed her arm, nearly throwing her outside of the bedroom. Grabbing her elbow in a tight grasp, she all but dragged her out into a wide hallway with four doors on either side.

"If you're not going to walk, I'll just have to get you there myself," Nurse Smith said, impatient.

Struggling to keep up with her long-legged pace, Luna was bare-foot and confused as she began feeling her darkness slowly crawling its way out. She knew she was more superhuman than a regular human. But she wasn't sure how to handle herself. When they reached the landing, the nurse yanked her arm harder, nearly pulling her limb out of her socket, causing her shoulder to sting.

"I can walk." Luna jerked her arm free from her grasp. "You don't have to. . ." A framed photo of Dr. Kim and his wife, with their two sons, on the stairwell, caught her eye. The glass was dusty and had something smeared across it.

Her stomach roiled.

Just being in his house made her feel like she was back at St. Matthew's, and maybe it was because she was in the doctor's care, about to relive her worst nightmares all over again.

"Are you just going to stay there like a statue?" Nurse Smith's eyes narrowed. "I have no problem with throwing you down the stairs."

Stepping up to her face, Luna snarled, "Why don't I throw you down the stairs instead? Sound like a plan?"

"I'd like to see you do it. Because if you kill me, that means your dark side would win. That is what happens with Pure Souls. They lose every good thing about themselves by doing something harmful to —"

"I get your point," she snapped back at her, taking a deep breath before she did something stupid she couldn't take back. That didn't mean she didn't have a fantasy of pushing Julia down the stairs and breaking her neck.

"Awesome," Nurse Smith chirped, grinning.

Heading quickly downstairs, Luna willed her brain to work properly as she took in her surroundings. The foyer was lit by a crystal chandelier that looked like real crystals, and there were more photographs of his family and friends along the walls. Even pictures of the different hospitals he'd worked in.

Straight ahead in a small office were more scientists, about eight of them, all in their white lab coats, all wearing goggles as they were hunched down examining samples through a microscope. Each of them looked the same. Busy with work and not paying attention to anything. A few of them straightened their backs and stepped around one another as Luna and Nurse Smith walked past them. Then a light-haired woman by a doorway made eye contact with her and continued to go about her business. 

As she strolled through the same atrium as before, the sun slithered through the dark space. Once they reached a door slightly ajar, she felt it.

The same tingle spread across the nape of her neck, signaling Amir was near.

Pacing quickly to where she felt his presence, Luna gasped as she saw him kneeling on a prayer mat, mumbling quietly. "He . . . he's praying."

Standing on the other side of her, Nurse Smith snorted. "Why wouldn't he?"

"I just figured he'd lost his faith after forgetting who I am," Luna choked out, in shock that Amir's faith was not erased from his mind. "He's praying," she repeated, but this time with happiness in her tone, a tear sliding down her cheek.

"Well, contrary to what you or anyone else believes, we aren't that heartless. We wouldn't erase someone's religious preference. It'll be against our code."

Lifting her chin, Luna replied, "I'm amazed you guys even have a code. All you've done is treat me and several others like lab rats. Like we're some kind of animal. We're humans, who happen to be different. Even you are different, Nurse. So, you can keep telling yourself you're working for the greater good, but you aren't. I have a lot of hatred towards several people in this house, and I wouldn't mess with myself if I were you. You know what I'm capable of."

Before she could utter a response to Luna's threat, a door behind them swung open and revealed Alisha walking from one room to the other, with a small tablet in her hands.

Luna's gaze met and held hers, then she faced forward and stepped away. Peering inside, her eyes traveled around the room as she spotted a group of men in black suits standing quietly. None of them were familiar, but it was the one in the seat next to a large fireplace with his back turned to her that mattered, the one she couldn't wait to get her hands on again and do more damage to him.

Chase sat in a brown leather chair, watching a big flat screen on the wall. There was a local TV news station broadcasting images of what has been going on around the world. It was a totally different atmosphere than it had been merrily days ago. Smoke billowed from cars as a fire covered forests beneath a burning sunset. The streets were a mess and looked like a complete war zone.

"Look at this," Chase uttered, snickering. "Amir and Luna exposed themselves, and now the world is a mess. A total catastrophe."

It looked like half of the planet was looting every shop in sight and some scurrying around on the ground aimlessly.

"The world has gone to hell, and that's what people care about? More electronics?" His laugh was deep and spiteful, filled with venom. "They make it too easy for us. Tethered Souls are at our feet!"

It still amazed her that she was with him for so long and had never realized what kind of person he truly was. There were times he was away on business trips, but really, he was a hunter and was out scouring the globe for new souls to experiment on.

Chase shook his head and chuckled when the screen flipped to tanks rolling into the city of New Orleans and the surrounding areas. "There's no sense in hiding now."

Pouring himself a glass of wine, he continued, "I want to thank you . . . Aluna. That's what you call yourselves, right?" He snorted and raised his glass. "The world is toast, thanks to you two, and I for one am going to have one hell of a time watching it burn. So, here's a toast! To the beginning of the end. Cheers!"

He took a swig from his glass and smiled joyfully, causing Luna's stomach to turn.

Like hell. You just wait and see, Chase. You'll be the one burning.

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Credit for Chase's final line goes to . . . Muaazics. He helped bring a little more 'spark' to the situation. Thank you for your suggestion. ✨