The Complete Crimson Forest series

Onyx: Chapter 5

"Am I still being too rough?" Marvin asks as he slides a needle into my forearm.

"No, I mean it hurts a little but that's a given," I reassure him. I made Henry stand outside the sound proof room today after seeing how nervous he made Marvin yesterday. "Any luck with my blood?" I ask him.

His lips twitch. "No. Not really. I don't think we have the ability to copy it if I'm being honest, but the council won't get off my back." He pulls the needle out and rests a cotton ball on the drop of blood that comes out with it. I replace his finger with mine to hold it down.

"How long until you give up?" I ask, not sure I should ask the question, but feeling like I can trust this man. My innate ability to read people tells me that this guy is just doing his job. He doesn't really have much good to say about the council or Bryxx in general, just the tone of his voice when he speaks of them is bitter.

Marvin makes eye contact with me for a long second. He then glances to the door as if making sure it's sealed shut. "I don't know. I could make the call today. I have a good case, but..." He looks back to me. "That won't have good results for you."

"What do you mean?" I push, wondering how much he'll share.

"Next step for you, if I make that call, is you and your blood being used for studies involving...well, you know about your blood, right? About its unique properties?"

"It's a cure for vampirism and stuff, yeah, I know about that," I assure him quietly.

Marvin nods. "Yeah, it's not every day we get to study someone like you and their affects on vampiric blood or just study your blood in general. The next step is to study just how potent your blood is, how much stronger a vampire reacts to your blood rather than just any blood. This is all fairly new to us, and we haven't any documented studies on this. There's nothing. The council is going for releasing the first medical journal on your species to the entirety of the Bryxx. They'll study every aspect of you until they decide they're done and then...and then they'll use you to cure Kade, that vampire they brought in with you. He's important to the Bryxx. He's councilman Albert's son, a black level guard, and whatever else. I try to stay out of political affairs. I just come here to do my job." Marvin stops and nibbles his bottom lip. "I talk too much. I get lonely down here."

"I won't tell anyone. I can keep secrets," I promise him. "So they're not planning on feeding me to Kade right away? They have more tests to do first?"

Marvin nods. "Yeah. I'm not privy to all that information, but I have instructions to learn all I can from you even if I can't clone your blood. When the council is satisfied with what I have, they'll ask me to publish it in a medical journal. Then, they'll dispose of you by doing so, they'll cure Kade."

I nod slowly. I already pretty much knew that's what they'd do with me in the end, so this isn't a surprise.

Marvin's face pinches. "I'm sorry."

I smile sadly. Kade will never forgive himself if he kills me. I can't let it come to that.

Marvin hands me a cup of juice and instead of protesting this time, I just drink it.

"How come almost every Bryxx I've met so far is kind like you, and yet the Bryxx do such terrible things?" I ask him, not really meaning to, but the question has been on my mind too long.

Marvin sets the tubes of my blood into a plastic box. "I don't know which Bryxx you have met, but if you've only so far met the kind type, consider yourself lucky, May."

The door opens and Henry strides in. "Are you about done?"

"Yes, sir." Marvin scrambles around the room and helps me down from the high stool he had me on today. "She's free to go."