Siren's Surrender (29 page)

“All cards identified correctly,” he announced at the end of the test. “Amazing.”

Hands still laced in front of her body, Gwen blew out a breath. “Not so amazing.” Freeing a hand, she pointed toward his glasses. “The cards are reflected in your lenses. I can see everything you look at, backward but perfectly clear.”

Von Drak groaned in disappointment. “How stupid of me,” he muttered.

Gwen bit down on her tongue to keep from saying anything that would reveal her own ideas about the entire matter. She was tired of having her time wasted with such trivial shit.

So what if the Mer could pick up on people’s feelings or draw a little energy out of a stone? Did it really matter much? In her mind, no. In their minds, however, they’d gotten hold of something more valuable than raw plutonium.

“Sorry,” she offered. “It was too easy.”

Von Drak laughed. “I suppose it was. Tell me if you will, though, how psychic are the Mer?”

Gwen shrugged. More damn questions. “Not very.”

She hoped the sooner she answered the sooner she could get out of here. Except for brief glimpses of Tessa and Addison, she’d been almost totally isolated from her sisters during the testing. The girls were being kept far apart. It didn’t take a rocket scientist to guess why, either.

It was true they had time in the evenings to catch up with one another, but those meetings were more than a little awkward. Nobody wanted Whittaker around and nobody wanted to answer his questions anymore.

For the sake of her family, Gwen did her best to dodge him, putting as much distance between them as possible. She didn’t want to be around him, or alone with him at all. Mostly because she feared she’d give in to the temptation to have him again.

Damn it! Even though they’d spent just a single night together, she wanted him more than ever.

When she was alone, she let her mind drift back to that night. Reliving his every word, every gesture, every touch. The way his big hands had teased her body through flashes of heat. The way his lips had traced the curve of her neck and breasts. The way his hips had moved against hers as he conquered the very core of her womanhood.

Memories of Blake tightened the muscles across her belly and thighs, producing an indescribable surge of pleasure deep inside her body. Her heartbeat quickened, sending a hot throb of blood through her. Even the tips of her toes tingled.

It was easy to picture the only time she’d seen him, naked and stretched across her bed. She’d been stunned by the way he’d looked at her, his brooding gaze drinking her in even as a smile of satisfaction turned up one corner of his sensual mouth.

By the goddess above. She’d loved being with him. Loved being taken by him. For the first time in a long time, she wasn’t plagued by her Mercraft running amok as she slept. Her mind was too preoccupied spinning sensual fantasies around Blake. He’d been exactly what she needed.

And she wanted more.

She swallowed tightly. As much as she hated to admit it, it was difficult to keep her heart out of the equation. She’d met the perfect man.

And I can’t have him
, her wicked brain cells reminded.
The man I’ve waited all my life for.

Of course it was his job that separated them. Technically, he was one of
them
. An agent of the government holding them against their will. Yes, she knew the spiel. That it was for their own preservation while authorities hunted for Jake Massey and the rest of the rogue Mer.

There was one small problem.

She didn’t feel very safe.

With so many thoughts and concerns pressing in from a thousand different sides, Gwen felt exhausted. Physically and mentally tired. An ache was beginning to build behind her temples, warning of the headache to come.

Dr. Von Drak interrupted her thoughts. “Well, since the results of this test have been nullified, do you mind if we move on to something else?”

Gwen sighed. “Must we?”

His grin was self-effacing. “Hopefully this next challenge will be a bit more difficult for you.” Pushing away from the table, he indicated that she should follow. “Come this way, please.”

Gwen followed him down a short hall and into another room. This one was a little more elaborately outfitted. It looked like a firing range. Two more doctors worked with Addison, who was sliding the Ri’kah off her wrist.

Seeing her sister, Addison grinned. “Hey, you missed some hellacious shooting.” Laying the weapon down, she pointed to a series of mannequins. The plastic replicas of humans were blasted and blackened, hardly recognizable.

Gwen gasped as she surveyed the carnage. “What the hell did you do?”

Addison extended the thumb and forefingers of both hands, imitating guns cocked and ready to fire. “They’re testing our psi-abilities. Man, mine’s really starting to come out. The more I practice with that thing, the better I get.”

Her answer was precisely what Gwen didn’t want to hear.

She looked at Von Drak. Remembering what she’d done to Chiara, she felt cold hands clamp around her spine. “You can count me out. I will not use my Mercraft again in any way that is destructive.”

Addison squinched up her face. “Ah, come on. It’s fun to show off.”

Of course Addison would go into it whole hog and damn the consequences.

Gwen rounded on her sister. Closing her fingers around Addison’s arm, she dragged her to one side. Fury, wordless and totally incoherent, welled deep in her throat. “I don’t know what you think is going on,” she snapped. “But we’re not here to show off and make a spectacle of ourselves. This is serious business, Addie. Right now their entire perception of the Mer is based on violence and the damage we can do to humans. I don’t know about you, but this isn’t the sort of attention I’ve ever wanted. I want to go home.”

Addison immediately jerked her arm away. “I want to go home, too,” she yelled back. “That’s why I’m trying to cooperate, show them everything. If they know all we can do, they won’t be afraid.” Offering a little smile of apology, she shrugged helplessly. “Right?”

Gwen studied her sister’s adamantly squared shoulders and fiery eyes. She refused to be cowed, or intimidated. Unlike her, Addison was willing to embrace her inner Mer, revel in the power and abilities being a mermaid offered. She wished she could accept them as easily and without reservation.

“I know you’re doing what you think is right—” she started to say.

Addison cut her short. “Don’t you ever get tired of hating yourself, Gwen?” she asked. “Being afraid of being different is no way to live. We are what we are. It’s time you accept what you can’t change. You’re a Mer. Get over it.”

The people in the room cringed, waiting for the inevitable explosion.

It never came.

Swallowing hard, Gwen let her hand drop. “You’re right,” she admitted slowly, in a voice laced with resignation and defeat. “I can pretend all day long I’m human, but deep down inside I’m still a Mer. I can’t change it, can’t stop being what I am.”

Addison reached out, giving her arm a little squeeze of reassurance. “It’s not so bad here, Gwen. We could actually start over if we had to.” She paused a moment, then continued. “I’m starting to feel like I fit in. You know?”

“Well, I don’t!” Gwen snapped back. “And I never will.”

Dr. Von Drak cleared his throat. “If you don’t feel up to further testing today, perhaps it should be put off for another time.”

Setting her personal ruminations aside for later examination, Gwen glanced at the remnants of the mannequins Addison had destroyed. Her gaze sidled over to the Ri’kah confiscated from the hostile Mer. Tessa’s had also been taken into custody, giving researchers two good examples of ancient Mer technology.

Her jaw clenched automatically at the thought of using it against anyone. Her gaze slid toward the people in the room. The humans. Throwing her craft against Chiara to defend Blake was one thing. But using it against a human . . .

Her heart rate bumped up a notch.
What if I had to defend myself against them
?

Would she be able to do it?

Sucking in an anxious breath, she made a quick decision. It was time to stop being intimidated by what others might think about her. She’d spent twenty-seven years jumping at her own shadow. Enough was enough.

Gwen swore under her breath.
I won’t be afraid anymore
.

Drawing back her shoulders like a soldier about to march off into combat, her attention shifted back toward the waiting scientists. “Put out some fresh targets and get ready to step back.” She flashed a smile toward Addison. “I’m about to show this kid how to do it right.”

A
n hour later, Gwen slid the Ri’kah off her arm. Although she’d intended to give a display of guns ablazing, the most she’d managed to extract from the thing was a few weak sizzles and pops. She simply could not make the weapon work the way Addison and Tessa could.

She frowned at the uncooperative weapon. “Why won’t you work for me?”

Addison pressed a soothing hand to her shoulder. “It’s not important,” she stressed. “You just haven’t worked with it the way Tessa and I have. It’s always been a hands-off thing for you, I know. You can’t just expect to pick it up at random and use it perfectly. It took me forever to master it.”

Jowls sagging, Dr. Von Drak looked downright disappointed. “So you are not familiar with this item?”

Letting her hand drop, Gwen shook her head. “Really, I’m not.” She winced. “My talent seems to lie more on the kinetic side.”

A familiar voice interrupted the conversation. “Damn.” A low whistle followed. “Don’t use that thing on me.”

Gwen turned around.

Her breath caught in her throat. The moment her gaze fully settled on Blake, she experienced a small frisson of shock that shot all the way to her toes.

Whoa, he looked good. Impossibly tall, broad shouldered, yet with a wiry leanness that suggested he could move as fast as a puma on the prowl. There was almost an animal maleness about him that seemed to add an edge of danger to his look.

She dipped back her head to look into his beautiful eyes. His irises weren’t just blue-gray, they were the color of the early-morning dawn, just as the sun began to peek over the edge of the horizon to break night’s lock on the world.

I wish we were alone.
The thought swept through her mind and she felt her cheeks flush.

“Don’t worry,” she reassured him. “I’m not the fighting kind.”

Blake caught her blush. “That’s not my experience,” he teased. His smile grew wider and his unabashed stare ranged over her in a more than impersonal manner.

Gwen’s blush grew hotter and she could barely meet his eyes with her own. Even though she wasn’t human, she was still a woman of flesh, blood, and bone. A woman who was finding it hard to keep head and heart separated.

I think I’m in love with him
.

She froze at the thought, her mind whirling in panic. Did she really mean that? A desperate need to keep her feelings guarded and impersonal forced her to maintain a calm demeanor.

Snapping out of her reverie, Gwen gave him a care-free smile. “We were just finishing up here.”

Blake nodded. “I think I’ve seen enough today,” he said, addressing the scientists in a curt tone. His manner was more than a little strained, tense. “I’d like to take these ladies home.”

Dr. Von Drak waved his fat little hands. “Of course. It’s been a long, tiring day for all of us.”

Blake nodded again, polite but firm. “Good.” He looked toward Addison and Gwen. “Are you girls ready to go?”

Gwen quickly nodded. “I think I’ve had enough.” She brushed damp strands of hair off her forehead. Her arm felt more than a little weak. She was absolutely worn down to the bone.

“I’m tossing in the towel, too,” Addison announced. “And I’m starving.” She poked one of the doctors. “You do know you have to feed us or we die,” she groused.

“We’ll get some food in you as soon as possible,” Blake said as everyone walked down long corridors that were becoming way too familiar. The usual black sedan waited to whisk them back to their living quarters.

Gwen slid into the backseat beside Addison. She let out a sigh of relief. “I’m glad that’s over.”

Whittaker muttered under his breath, “Amen.” Instead of getting in beside her, he chose the front passenger’s seat.
Why would he do that?
she thought. He had openly flirted with her at the lab, but now she couldn’t fail to notice his desire seemed to have cooled off.

Addison gave her arm a light punch. “What are you thinking about?”

Gwen absently shook her head. “Nothing much.”

Addison’s gaze softened. “Don’t worry about the Ri’kah thing. At least your kinetic abilities are worlds beyond what Tessa and I can do.”

Gwen nodded absentmindedly. Not really wanting to talk, she stared out the window. The weather had been rotten these last few days, matching her mood perfectly. At least the rain had settled down, reduced to a light mist that made the damp air sticky. As the gloomy remnants of day began to descend into an even gloomier evening, clouds sank low to the ground, creating a purplish luminescent fog. It blanketed the land, giving the impression the A51 compound and its people were wrapped in a layer of gauze—a beautiful, if eerie, sight that perfectly suited her mood.

She didn’t like this place, not one bit. If she had her druthers, she’d just walk into the fog and disappear forever.

A few minutes later the sedan rolled to a stop in front of their assigned duplexes.

Addison got out. “You want to come over to Tessa’s place?” she asked. “We’re pulling out the Monopoly board.”

Stepping out beside her, Gwen shook her head. “I’m not in the mood for games.”

Addison shrugged. “Okay, be that way.” She flounced off without a second look.