Linked

Thirty-Five : Pity

I gulp, blinking at him. All I can see is Corin's face, his blue eyes dark and desperate, his breath quick and ragged. It's like the world has stopped spinning around us. He releases my wrists. His fingers linger on my skin a moment too long, their soft touch almost making me forget my rage. 

Almost. 

Davis and my mom pause, standing silent at our sides.

I don't move. My head swims with confused thoughts. When we'd first arrived here, and mom told us she suspected Frenchwood of tampering with our Link, I was so angry I could hardly sleep. And the truth is so much worse than the speculation. Frenchwood didn't just tamper with our Link, she created it. The ramifications send my stomach spinning. Dizziness washes over me. Corin and I were never meant to be. Would I have been a Mindlinker at all, if it weren't for the doctor's interference? My hands start to shake as I think about the life I'm missing out on. Because of her. I fold my arms tightly across my chest. Why would Corin ever agree to this?

"Well?" I say. "Elaborate, please."

"Tell us how. Tell us why." My mother interrupts with her own demand, mirroring my posture.

"We had a deal." Corin says, his words rushing into each other, spewing out. "With Frenchwood. She needed someone she could Link with you, and my father volunteered me. Because of his position in the Medical Institute, he knew of Frenchwood's plans for Linkers. He wanted a guarantee my mother would be untouched. So he bargained. I would do this task for Frenchwood - however morally wrong it seemed - and in return, instead of being rounded up with the other Linkers, my mother would be free to come home. Live with us as a family again, unharmed. Ignored by the authorities." Corin shakes his head at the floor, running his hands through his chaotic black hair. "We just missed her so much. We only wanted to be together again."

I sigh. I don't want to understand, but I do. I would have agreed to the deal, too. Sometimes we do crazy things - things against our better judgement - for the love of family. The anger that exploded from me earlier subsides, melting away. I let my hands drop to my sides.

"Heartwarming." Davis remarks dryly. We all ignore him, and Corin shuffles toward me. I don't step back this time. I let him take my hands in his, warm and slightly sweaty.

"Do you really think I wanted to lie to you, Benna? That I took pleasure in accompanying you here, knowing what was going to happen? It was horrible. I've hardly slept in weeks."

My mouth opens, but the words shrivel before they can emerge. He squeezes my hands, as if to prompt me. Reassure me. I want to reply but the only thing running through my mind is fuzz. This is all too much to comprehend.

"Your devotion to your mother is admirable, young Mr. Elhart," Davis suddenly says, pulling my attention to him. "But we are running out of time. Let us move along." He extends an arm to shepherd us toward a nearby ladder. Several members of the refuge scale it quietly, disappearing through the hatch into the wild forest above. The fight has gone - I can see it in their drawn faces. They are resigned to their fate. Whatever it may be.

"No," Corin says, gritting his teeth. He turns to Davis. "I'm not done."

My mother takes my hands from Corin's. She pulls me into her arms and I feel like a little girl again. Safe. I cling to her side, bony beneath the rough fabric of her salmon-coloured tunic. Corin turns away, pressing his palms to his eyes. Davis emits a low growl. A warning that we'd better listen. I get the feeling he is a man insecure in his position.

"We assumed she was here, at the refuge," Corin whispers, revealing red-rimmed eyes.

"Your mom?" I ask, although the answer is obvious.