Eight of Hearts: The Rift Blade - Book 1

Chapter 31

Shyla lay in shock, barely registering what Dr. Higgins was saying as he prepared to "re-calibrate her memories".

"But I wouldn't hold my breath if I were you," he said, cheerfully waving a syringe at her. "That tends to complicate the memory re-calibration process."

She wanted to lash out, to fight against the man tormenting her. He had gloated about how he was rewriting her memories just so he could break the terrible news of James's fate all over again. So he could watch her despair over her lost family. Her eyes ached, but she was unable to cry. She may not have been able to remember everything herself, but her body refused to produce any more tears despite the IV fluids she was receiving. How many times had she endured this? How many more times would she go through this again before this deranged monster was satisfied?

A voice suddenly came over the speakers, bringing everything to a halt. "Attention HDSF thugs! This is James Garland speaking!"

Dr. Higgins' smile disappeared, replaced by disbelief.

The tears that Shyla had been unable to shed suddenly broke free as her heart surged with joy. "He's alive!" she cried. He was really here! Everything would be fine now. She could hope again.

"Improbable!" Dr. Higgins declared, giving Shyla a look of befuddlement.

"I'm here to rescue some friends, and I'm not leaving here empty handed," James continued over the intercom. "I don't like killing, so if you lay down your weapons and let us pass, no one will get hurt."

He really was here. There was no one else who had that level of ridiculous idealism. Anyone else would realize that bargaining in this situation would only backfire. But James somehow made it work. Even now, she knew, he would find a way to rescue her.

James's voice hardened as he continued: "But if you dare hurt a single one of my friends, I will let my army loose on you all. If you cooperate, I won't hesitate counting you as a friend." There was a pause, followed by a crackling and shuffling sound. "Crap, how do I turn this thing off?" his muffled voice said.

Dr. Higgins cackled with delight. "Well, James; let's see how you like your friend becoming an enemy!" He twisted the syringe onto the port of the IV line and pushed the plunger.

"No! Stop!" Shyla screamed, fighting against the wave of exhaustion that hit her. She couldn't remember anything, but the sensation felt familiar. She remembered this feeling. The panic of her senses going numb. The desperation of trying to resist. The resignation as her strength and will gave out. She remembered it all, though only faintly. Was it just the residual sensation that her body was reacting to? Was it purely instinct? There was something more, something about what he had told her. Oh, that's right..."that tends to complicate the memory re-calibration process." She focused her mind on clinging to the memories she was most afraid of losing: her friends; her family; James. Even now, she could still hear his voice echoing through the room, but she could no longer understand his words.

She took one deep breath before darkness closed around her, and she held it.

Jonas knelt by the door to his cell, journal in hand as he calculated the exact runes he would need. James's voice echoed through the prison as Jonas worked, but he ignored it. It was good to know he was here; that gave him hope that he might find others. If they could coordinate, maybe he could piece together some of the mystery behind what was happening to them. But he had to focus on his own efforts, so he wouldn't fall into James's debt. Not again.

"Disintegrate...self..." Jonas muttered as he drew a lightning bolt symbol, then enclosed it in a square. That would be the end result, which was the safest place to start. Runes required a trigger to set them off, so that would have to come last. All runes had to be enclosed in a square, and any square that shared a side was connected. He drew a second square, branching out of the existing one, then drew a diamond inside it. "Sensing...self...pressure..." he said, finishing it off. The rune for pressure was a line with a semi-circle intersecting it, so visually it was easy to interpret.