The Opelux and Other Monsters || Book One

CHAPTER 61 - ORION

It was that look from Tritteon—wonder and disbelief—that distracted me enough I didn't sense Dawith move until the needle plunged into my thigh.

"Heat!" Lexicon yelled. "Burn it out!"

I grabbed my Destere and urged it through me as I collapsed, Tritteon's roar cutting off as the door sealed shut.

Dawith placed the injector back in the case. "Something tells me you have quite a lot to admit," he said calmly.

I gritted my teeth. Burn it away, I begged my Destere, spots filling my vision. Burn it away!

Dawith pursed his lips. "Why are you still conscious?"

I fell back on my elbows, the room tilting violently.

"Astonishing," he said, crouching in front of me. "Not a single individual I have injected over the course of my entire career has ever shown a resistance to the drug. What makes you different?"

"I'm trying to burn it out with my Destere," I blurted out, unable to stop myself. I swore. Heat. I needed more heat!

He grinned. "You didn't mean to admit that, did you?" He reached behind him, grabbed my wrist before my sluggish reflexes could think to pull it away, and clicked something around it.

The heat vanished.

"There. That should stop you from burning off the rest of it." He settled back. "Now. Who are you really?"

I slammed my hands over my betraying mouth, losing my balance in the process, and fell backwards, lights flashing through my head as it hit the ground.

"None of that," he said irritably.

I felt his hands on my arms and then he was dragging me toward the chairs that had restrained the Guardian's.

"No!" I gasped. I ejected my claws and he yelled in surprise and dropped me. I tried to scramble back but my legs wouldn't cooperate.

He blinked down at my claws sliding back into my hands. "What the hell are you?"

I pressed my hand back over my mouth.

He rolled his eyes. "Alright. If that's how we're going to play this." He flicked his hand toward me and blue light burst from his palm. Something heavy thunked behind me.

I turned in time to see a hole open up in the black box that had appeared, before Laza chains rushed out like striking snakes, snatched up my wrists, and wrenched them behind me.

"No!" I screamed at him, furious. "What the hell was that? Where did the box come from?"

"Send," he said, like it was obvious. "Now. No more about me. I want to know all about you. Where did you come from?"

My mind whirled, searching for a truth, any truth that wouldn't condemn Rilyin, and settled with, "Delmare."

He raised a brow, unimpressed. "Yes, you mentioned that. What part?"

"I don't know."

"What do you mean, you don't know?"

"I don't remember."

"Why not?"

"Desraeon took my memories."

Dawith scowled. "All of them?"

"No."

"How did you get here?"

"Desraeon."

His eyes pinched as he rubbed his chin, exhaling irritably. "Yes. I'm looking for an expanded answer. Are you capable of that?"