INIZIO

XXVI | TWENTY-SIX

Not even the piece of cloth that Vadim had given Jayden was enough to muffle the cry of pain that ripped from his lips.

Giselle had foreseen that, so she was thankful she was here, next to Yvette, cradling two pillows near her head, a small attempt on blocking out the noise that Jayden made. That and the fact that she couldn't bear to see the tracker being shot into his wrists. She couldn't bear seeing him in pain.

It would have reminded her too much of the first time she had to do it; when she had to do it to Vadim. Very much like now, no amount of fabric could conceal their whimpers of pain. Or clean up the spills of blood that had been around them. What had Giselle preoccupied was if Jayden would be strong enough to remain awake, after all, when she and Vadim had inserted the tracker, they were already transformed. They had been capable of dealing with the pain.

Yvette stirred and began her incoherent mumbling once more. Giselle frowned, and she drew herself closer to the half-awake Yvette, hoping to make sense of whatever it was she was saying.

"Go... Home... Live... Turncoat...Go...Why...No."

Giselle's brows furrowed deeper still. "Don't worry, Yvette, we will go," She whispered back, pulling away from the pillows and pushing some strands of hair from her face.

It was then that she took note of the silence.

Perking up, Giselle pulled the covers closer to Yvette's chin and stood, making her way back to Vadim and Jayden's room.

She was met with a sobbing Rachel, who amidst her tears dabbed at the small puddle of blood that had formed by her feet. Giselle's throat constricted, yet she forced herself toward Rachel and took another small fabric piece, and helped her. "It's ok, it's normal. There is going to be a bit of bleeding, but everything will be fine."

"He fainted! In my arms!" Rachel agonized. "I don't even know why he is so set on helping you guys," Rachel fumed, she had stopped her cleaning, and now stared at Giselle through flaming torn eyes. "You, who has brought nothing more than problems, why would he help you?" Her hands tightened around the dirty cloth, which made her hands taint in blood.

Giselle couldn't answer.

"I had enough with my mother. Now I have to deal with the fact that you're taking my brother," a hiccup got stuck in her throat, as Rachel stood and glared down at Giselle. "I didn't ask for this, and he sure as hell doesn't deserve this," She stormed off, leaving Giselle to clean the remains of the mess.

"You're right," Giselle muttered to herself. "We didn't ask for any of this. Yet here we are."

-

Pulling the hooded sweater over herself, she turned in time to see Yvette climbing with difficulty onto the bubble floated. "Where are we going?" she managed, when Giselle aided her, helping her to fit comfortably into the backseat of the floater.

Giselle offered a tight smile. "Don't worry about that, just rest for a while, and when you wake up, you'll be in a better place, where you can be tended adequately." Hopefully.

"I don't need to be cared for," mumbled Yvette, as she allowed Giselle to help her into a thicker sweater begrudgingly. "I need to know where we're going," She snapped. "You and Vadim can be so incompetent and naïve most times, so tell me where we're going! They could be on our tracks and you'll never even suspect it!"

Giselle sighed heavily as she tossed in yet another row of miniature dehydrated goods inside the bubble's storage space. "Yvette, you're burning with fever," she grumbled. Yvette stopped fighting the seat's strap, instead stared at her straight in the eye. Her green eyes seemed to swim in a pool of haze, yet they managed to make Giselle still.

"You mustn't trust anyone, anyone, you understand?" She hissed. Giselle blinked a few seconds before nodding. "Good," Yvette visibly relaxed but kept her hand wrapped tightly around Giselle's wrist. "I'll be gone for some time, Lynn. Hopefully, this time it'll work."

Giselle's brows pulled, as Yvette drifted off into a seeming restless sleep. She had called her Lynn. Who was Lynn?

"Why's that look all over your face?"

Giselle's head cocked and she caught Vadim's eye. "She's speaking in riddles again."

Vadim frowned. "She's been doing so since she ate those wild berries. What vexes me more is the fact that she got the red bacilli right after."

A feeling like dread seemed to slide down Giselle's back, making her quiver. Biting her lip, she moved her body to face Vadim. "Remember the metaphor? The cat and the rat?"

Vadim tensed.

"Not saying it's true, but it's a possibility that shouldn't be discarded. Don't worry, I'll tread on carefully."

Vadim eyed her long and hard. "You better. We don't know if those people out there do want to help us or not. After all, we technically still belong to the enemy, don't we?"

Giselle's lip curled in disgust. "Don't say that," She bleated.

Vadim smiled a bitter smile. "It's a truth that can't be denied. Everything they've done to us will forever remain in our flesh, blood, and cells; quite literally. As much as you and I hate to admit it, they made us," he clamped his mouth shut when he saw the dark look that crossed his sister's face. "Anywho, I just came to remind you of Jayden's treatment."

"I'm well aware," Giselle retorted.

Vadim shot her a look. Giselle pretended not to see. "But go ahead, enlighten me." They both knew well she couldn't even manage to change her bandages without puking, despite being in the worst state before.

"The bandage must be changed tonight before going to bed, apply both anti infections, and always check to see if the incision is closing properly. You'll have to remove the stitches," he held his breath when he saw her tense. "It's a bit of a bloody mess right now, but with the UNIPO ointment, it should be scarred by the time you arrive at the Turncoat. As a matter of a fact, it should be healed by tomorrow night."

Giselle shot him a sour look. "Did Rachel tell you anything?"

Vadim shook his head. "She was pretty inconsolable though, she hasn't left Jayden's side since the tracker's been inserted, and she won't dare speak either. Jayden's got a tad bit of fever, but he should be good to go once he wakes up. Just give him another painkiller and apply the ointment. That should do the magic."

Giselle remained silent. There were few things that she regretted in life, after all, her life had revolved around her mother until it revolved around the UNIPO. Her drilled instinct was survival at all costs, and so was destruction. As Vadim played with the blade he always carried, Giselle realized that he believed so as well.

"We'll go with plan b, right? Just in case our hypothesis is right."

Giselle did no more than offering a sharp nod.

As much as the words left a bitter taste in her mouth; she couldn't deny the truth in them. She and Vadim belonged to the UNIPO.

...

apologies!! forgot to upload last week, so i'll be making it up to you guys. let me know what you guys think by far! - gb