Fractured Past (A Talnarin Novel Book 1) Read online

  It’s the one place I have yet to explore, and the one I’m looking forward to the least. As I enter, all the nervous chatter instantly dies away. Feeling my face red with heat, I focus on my feet. The attention is too much and too suffocating. The shocked gazes of the talnarins confusing and overwhelming. Just as I consider escaping back to solitude, a small hand grips my own.

  I whip my head up and find a young child about seven years old, staring up at me with a huge toothless grin. She has muddy brown hair that’s lumped together from days of neglect. She has streaks of dirt all across her face as well. What draws my attention the most though, is the unearthly yellow glow of her eyes. This is the first time I’ve seen a talnarin child and it’s a shocking sight. Innocence pours from her in waves but much like the adults of her species, something else, something older, peeks out from within.

  Confused as to why she’s seeking my attention, I simply stare in shock for a few tense moments. Unaccustomed to touch, I try to slip my hand free with no luck. Despite the little girl’s size, she easily keeps hold of my sweating hand. My nerves, already frayed, jump to attention the longer she remains silent. Then, without a word, she tugs my arm twice.

  Unable to handle the unwanted touch any longer I say, “Let go. Now.” My voice comes out harsher than intended and guilt leeches into me. She’s a child, I shouldn’t be so harsh. I open my mouth to correct myself when she tugs again. I snap my mouth closed and allow her to pull me forward.

  As she guides me through the crowd, chatter slowly resumes once more. We pull to a stop facing the far back wall where three people huddle around each other. I manage to finally pull my hand free and a small sigh of relief escapes me. I watch as the little talnarin child plops back against the wall next to the huddling group. Upon a closer look I see that the one centered in the middle of the group is the young human Ginger.

  She looks worse for wear, but at least she’s conscious and safe. There are already bruises forming on her face and arms, with blood crusting the top of her forehead and bottom of her lip. Ginger leans heavily against a young man. He looks to be in his thirties. He gently holds her up while a woman, who appears about the same age as the man, tends to her wounds with a cloth. I look between the three of them and easily see the resemblance. Perhaps they are Ginger’s mother and father. At my approach, they all turn to look up at me with tired faces. The man looks at me hesitantly while the woman looks outright hostile. It causes me to take a step back.

  The woman stands up and places herself in front of the young girl. The woman stretches her thin arms out and grips the front of my shirt in her hands. Her grip is weak and her face is scrunched up in pain, but hostility still finds a way out. Her face is bruised and bloody as well, her form slightly hunched over. Just as I’m about to pry her hands free, a quiet voice whispers out, “No.”

  Instantly the woman releases me and crouches back down to inspect Ginger carefully. The poor child whimpers in pain when the woman’s hands wander over her stomach. “If you had just left her be, she wouldn’t have suffered like this. It’s your fault she’s in so much pain. Had you kept quiet, they would have simply started their tests again, not beat her. You did this. You hurt my baby.” The woman’s voice cracks, her eyes focused on the child. The man next to her looks at me gently and with pity. I can understand the anger and hostility, but the pity throws me.

  After a few seconds, the woman’s words finally sink in. It was my fault then, what happened to the child. Had I just let the talnarins be, they wouldn’t have beat her. But I couldn’t just stand by and watch them drag her away. It’s not in me to do nothing when I see people, especially children, suffer. What was I supposed to do, leave her to the mercy of those bastards? Besides, I wasn’t the only one who called out, was I? There was at least another voice that begged them to stop, right? Or did I imagine everything?

  Unsure of what to do, I stand there awkwardly, waiting for someone to say something more. As I watch, the man gently cups the woman’s face and gazes at her patiently. With a sigh, she grips his hand tightly before glancing at me. “This is your fault.” She pauses briefly before continuing. “But, you also saved her. You saved all of us. So, for that… thank you.” She gives me a hard look before bringing her full attention back to Ginger once more.

  The man slowly stands to face me with a small smile on his face. “Thank you for defending our daughter. Thank you for not simply standing by and allowing those men to hurt her. You attempted to stop them and for that I will be forever grateful.” The father inhales a small breath. “We have been here for some time and not once had another tried to step in and save our child. Most simply looked the other way for fear of retribution. And to add to that, you used those powers to set us all free. I’m sorry we have no way to repay you for what you have done us. The least I can offer you is for you to please sit with us and rest.” He gestures to the corner, watching me patiently. “Perhaps there will come a day when you can visit us in our village. Maybe then we can properly thank you. But for now, please join us.”

  Still uncertain, I lower myself to the ground to sit between the talnarin child and Ginger’s father. As soon as my back rests against the wall, I curl my legs up and hug them close. The young talnarin child reaches over and gently grasps my hand in hers. I think to pull away, but restrain myself at the last second. She is probably just looking for comfort from another, seeing as the two adults divide all of their attention on their own child and not her.

  It makes me wonder where this talnarin child’s parents are and why she is alone. It breaks my heart to look around and see all the worn and hurting children in this room. Children far outweigh the number of adults present and it makes me question the motive behind this. The age range of taken children appear to be anywhere from six to early adulthood. Was it merely because abducting the children took little effort compared to adults?

  Perhaps they need children for the experiments. Yet, I wasn’t child when it happened to me, so maybe the testing here is different from what I endured. I pull in a breath in an attempt to gather my courage before asking, “Why did they take you?” Silence meets my ears and I watch as Ginger’s parents freeze.

  After a short few seconds, the father searches my face before he sighs softly. “We don’t know. The only times they spoke was when they wished to taunt and torment us.” He gets a far off look in his eyes as he continues on. “They never said why they did those tests or what use they had for us, either.”

  As I look out upon the crowd of prisoners, I finally notice it. Most of the humans in the room display some sort of abnormality on their person. There are patches of discolored skin on a few, balding heads on others, and slightly malformed limbs on the rest. If one wasn’t looking closely, it’s easily overlooked. This is how it looked in the beginning stages for those taken by Him too. Even Ginger’s father has discolored skin along his arms. Her mother’s leg is lumped on the side too. I hope it’s not too late for these people. I hope there’s a way to fix them all.

  I don’t ask anything more, my mood somber. Instead, I content myself to sit and watch the interactions between these freed captives. Thoughts loop around inside my head, constantly questioning where these people go from here and what their future is like. Perhaps a normal life is no longer possible.

  That thought merely breaks my heart as a small hand squeezes my own.

  Chapter 29

  I glance up as the silence reigns over the room once more. I don’t know how long I’ve sat here stewing over my thoughts. Looking around, I see fear in the human’s faces while the talnarins look relieved or in awe. I don’t have a chance to question it when I see Malik standing just inside the doorway. He scans the faces before him until golden eyes land on me. I will myself to meet his eyes and not flinch back.

  After what feels like an eternity staring into his soul, Malik gestures with a jerk of his head for me to follow him. I pause before pushing to my feet. I don’t bother saying goodbye to those I sat with
, instead I settle for a simple wave. I never was good with goodbyes.

  My pace is slow as I meander around the freed prisoners, but I eventually make it out the door. Pulling to a sudden stop, I notice Malik and his men stand a few paces away. Thankfully, none of the talnarins acknowledge my presence. It allows me to swiftly move away and lean against the wall. I don’t bother to hide the fact that I’m eavesdropping. Just as I settle, I notice a hand offered in my direction. I follow the arm and find it belongs to Malik, who doesn’t even bother looking at me. I stare at the offending limb in disgust. What the fuck does he want me to do with that? Determined to pretend they don’t exist while I still eavesdrop, I turn my head to the side and refuse to acknowledge him. His hand grips my wrist and I attempt to pull away without luck. He drags me closer, and suddenly lifts up my shirt and reaches towards me with his free hand.

  I yelp, clawing and punching at his chest. It’s like fighting a rock. He releases me so suddenly, I stumble back. I glare up at the offending talnarin and snarl. Understanding dawns and with it comes fury. He took the journal. For a split second, I’m tempted to call for my fire but one look at his expression stops me cold. He’d kill me before the flames even surfaced. I settle for spitting out, “Next time ask for the damn thing instead of going through my shirt, asshole.”

  A smirk spreads across his face and he leans in to whisper in my ear. “But where’s the fun in that?” Without another word, he turns back to his little group. My cheeks flush. Bastard. Cocky, arrogant, infuriating son of a bitch.

  Every time I think I can pull one over him, he somehow gets the upper hand. Now he has the paperwork, the vials, and the journal. And what do I have? Nothing, absolutely nothing. Except the dagger. For whatever reason, he let me keep it.

  Even with the blade, I’m nowhere near closer to finding the answers than before. I thought my shitty luck finally turned around when I found this place. But then the talnarin vanished and the evidence was snatched.

  Not to mention, I now have to bring Malik and his little gang to Him. If any of the Gods can hear me, please cut me some slack and have pity on me. When we get there, please let Him be missing. Better yet, let some accident happen that prevents this group from even getting near that village in the first place. It’s my battle to fight, not theirs. They’d only get in my way and ruin everything. I need to face this alone, not with the seven talnarins breathing down my neck every second of the day. This is my attempt at closure and revenge, other presences there would only delay those two goals.

  Somehow, I need to throw them off the trail. Perhaps there’s a way to convince them it’s a fool’s errand. Or better yet, maybe I can bring them to the wrong village instead. If they were to ask, I’d simply say it’s been so long since I’ve been here, the details are hazy. But, Malik said he’d kill me if there was any funny business and I’d bet my revenge that he’d think my detour was funny business.

  For now, I’ll play it by ear. I’ll lead them in that direction and see how things progress. I can always improvise, though I can’t guarantee the success of that. Malik seems to always be one step ahead.

  Always.

  I’m pulled from my musing as the group of Talnarins break away. Damn it, I missed what they said. Before I get a chance to even twitch, Malik looms in front of me. A glare settles on my face and a smirk settles on his. He says nothing as he stares me down; it’s unnerving. I look away first and from the corner of my eye, I see his smirk widen. It angers me since it feels like I lost a battle I didn’t even know we were fighting.

  “We’re heading out tomorrow first thing and until then, you’re mine, girl.” His tone books no room for argument but even so, I do.

  I whip my head around. “I’m not leaving until all the people here are taken care of first.” I say as firmly as I’m able under his intense look. I won’t break on this, I can’t. Who knows what he plans to do to these people.

  “It’s cute that you think you have a say.” I send him my fiercest glare and Malik remains unfazed. “But worry not, little girl, all the ones released will be sent to Craforian come morning. Now, move.” He doesn’t even give me a chance to move on my own as my arm is once again in his grip. Though this time, Malik is far gentler as he pulls me along.

  “I can walk just fine on my own asshole.” I give a tug for good measure but he holds firm. As I grumble under my breath, a soft laugh sounds from my left. Glancing up sharply I see a very amused Malik staring down at me. What in the Hellvian? I snap out an angry, “What.”

  “You’re amusing. It’d be a shame if I had to kill you.”

  “Excuse me? It’s a shame for you? What about for me? You’d still have a beating heart when you walked away, I wouldn’t.” Almost as an afterthought I say, “And I’m not amusing.” Why is Malik so… relaxed? What is wrong with him? What is wrong with me? My face feels warm. He continues to drag me around until we end up in the large bedroom. As he pulls me in, panic swells and I twist and pull my arm to no avail. I try to plant my feet firmly down but nothing seems to work and the panic only continues to rise.

  Nothing good will come going in there with him, I just know it. Despite never have been intimate with another, I’ve heard a thing or two. Small villages aren’t the best place for secrets and private things, after all. Everyone knows everything, always. Going into the bedroom alone with Malik seems to be just the type of thing my parents always warned me about, their ‘men have only one thing in mind’ speech.

  But even if Malik didn’t have that in mind, I still wouldn’t enter the room with him. Being in such a confined space with him alone I nerve-wracking. I mean, it’s not a small space by any means but the point remains. Being alone with Malik is not a good idea, at all, ever. I’m rambling. I’m rambling inside my head. But it’s not because of the nerves. No not at all. Nope.

  I finally find my voice and nearly yell, “Let go! I can’t go in there with you. I’ll wait outside”

  A rumbling laugh escapes Malik. “Relax, little girl. I won’t do anything unless you ask.”

  “Ask? I’m not going to ask. I’ll never ask.” I rush to say. This only makes him laugh harder. With a quick yank, I’m pulled through the doorway into the bedroom. As soon as I step inside, Malik releases my arm and moves further into the room.

  I watch warily as he takes a seat on the sofa in the small living room area of the bedroom. He gracefully plops down and props up his feet on the table. Then, he pulls paperwork from a pocket and begins reading. Hesitantly, I retreat a small step, hoping he doesn’t notice. Of course, Malik doesn’t miss a thing. In a quiet but firm voice he says, “Don’t leave this room, girl.”

  Anger heats my face at the command and I clench my fists together. I am so sick of him thinking he can order me around. I am so sick of not fighting back for fear he’ll kill me for it. Frustration coats my tone as I snap out, “What in the Hellvian am I doing here?”

  He doesn’t bother to glance up. “You’re here because I said you needed to be.”

  “But why? I can go wait outside or with the other released prisoners.” I can’t keep the pleading from leaching into my words.

  “You’re not leaving my sight. I don’t need you running off when you think we aren’t watching. I also don’t need you conspiring with the others under our noses.” At this he glances up with a smirk, “Besides, you caused me enough trouble for one day.”

  I scoff at the accusation. “Trouble? I haven’t caused any trouble. In fact, I’ve been more than helpful. I gathered all the paperwork, the journal, and the vials and kindly gifted them to you as a gesture of sincerity and goodwill. And for a little something extra just for the fuck of it, I’m even bringing you to a talnarin madman who tortures children. See, aren’t I just the sweetest?” I stretch my lips into the fakest smile I can muster before marching off to the far corner of the room. From behind me, I hear his rumbling laugh.

  Choosing to ignore it, I slid along the wall until my ass hits the floor. I cu
rl up my legs to my chest and grip them tight. Exhaustion weighs heavily on me, but my mind won’t give me peace.

  As I sit in the darkened corner of the room, I deliberate over everything that happened today. Kidnapped by another group of psycho talnarins, finding other experimentation victims, running into Malik, and now having the information I need stolen away from me… it’s been too much.

  Perhaps if I play nice with Malik and his band of asshole men, I could gleam some information off of them. If I act complacent and helpful, maybe it will allow me access to the information I need.

  What am I going to do?

  Chapter 30

  A shadow passes over me and I snap my eyes open. I jerk upright, fists held out in front of me. Malik towers over me with an expressionless look, arms crossed. Unsteady, I climb to my feet to face him or whatever he throws my way.

  The silence grows as he continues to stare, and a strange tension fills the air. Finally, the ever-pressing silence ceases as he says, “We’re leaving. Lead us to this talnarin you’re hunting.” His stare turns hard. “No tricks, girl. If anything seems off, I kill you, understand?”

  My brain’s not caught up, but I give a jerky nod in his direction. Still groggy from sleep, I rub my eyes. I must have dozed off sometime in the night. The last thing I remember was debating my next move and getting nowhere. My body must have just shut down on me after everything that’s happened over the last few days; bodies tend to do that when they’re under too much stress.

  Malik barks out a “move” before leaving the room. A frustrated sigh escapes me as I take my time leaving the bedroom. As I walk, I stretch out my tired and sore limbs and chase away the remaining wisps of sleep. No matter how much I thought over everything last night, I still don’t have a plan of action. Every option I deliberated resulted in an outcome I didn’t like.