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“Lovely,” Eden muttered, wishing this twisted story wasn’t something she needed to understand.
Raina went to refill the mugs. “That’s the simplified version of our background.” She returned to the table and slid Eden’s mug across the table toward her. “Let me paint a picture of the present situation.”
Eden quickly reviewed what she knew about the conflicts, trying to boil everything down to the crucial facts. Altor and Torret were at war. Each side blamed the conflict on the other, of course. Emperor Jevara, the ruler of Torret was vile, ambitious, and needed to be stopped. The Citadel, now led by President Zevon, had stayed out of the conflict as long as he could, but Zevon reluctantly sided with Altor and he was plotting some sort of coup against Jevara. Eden desperately tried to remember all the names and the significance of each event, but it all started to blur together after a while.
“Mistress Air of Pyron has formed an alliance with President Zevon, but no one is sure if we can trust her or not,” Raina continued. “The Pyronese tend to be pacifists. Well, half of them do. There are also the Wraiths to consider.”
Eden held up her hand and shook her head. “I’m never going to remember all of this.”
Raina pressed back in her chair with a nod. “I’m sorry. I’ve been here for a while now so I forget how overwhelming it can be.”
“I’m a good student. I’d be happy to study up if you’d give me access to the information. Maybe some sort of tablet or digital reader.”
“That’s a good idea. I’ll get you a datapad. However, there’s one really important fact that you need to understand now. Conduits were starting to lose their powers. Each generation noticed a sort of fading. The gifts were still present. They were just much less powerful.”
“Is that why second-level conduits were created?”
“Yes.” Raina brightened, sitting up a little straighter in her chair. “I wasn’t sure if you had heard the term. I’m glad you have.”
“It’s the entire reason the founders took us to Earth. They were protecting us from the people who created us. They were afraid that the experiments would continue and we would become no better than slaves.”
Raina reached across the table and took Eden’s hand. “I know we just met and you have no reason to trust me, but I have no reason to lie. I was taken to Earth just like you. My grandmother went with me, so I was raised in Juneau rather than Still Water Island. But our lives were similar.”
“You have no reason to lie about what?” Eden prompted, tired of this rambling explanation. “Just say it and I’ll either believe you or I won’t.”
“The founders are the ones who created us. They were never protecting you. They were fleeing the authorities and took their prized possessions with them. The male you know as Dr. Lorish was the driving force behind the project. He had just broken out of prison.”
“Bullshit.” The word burst out of her mouth, but her mind was spinning in circles, comparing what Raina had just revealed against what Eden already knew. She shoved back from the table and stood up, backing away. “Do you have any proof of this?”
“I do.” Raina motioned her back to the table as she launched the first video with a voice command. The wall to their right flickered to life then displayed the images Raina had requested.
For the next hour Raina showed her videos and news feeds, interviews and still shots supporting the sequence of events. Once she’d established that the founders were criminals and liars, Raina switched to training sessions at the Citadel and even a mission recording that showed a power triad in action. By the time Raina turned off the display, Eden was in tears.
“My entire life was a lie,” she sobbed. “I don’t even know my real name.”
Raina skirted the table and wrapped her arm around Eden. “Let it out, friend. I’ve been there.”
Eden cried and cursed, releasing a lifetime of frustration and anger. So much of what had taken place on that island made sense now. Looking back, she was able to see through the excuses and deceptions to the motivations that lay beneath. “They intentionally kept us away from human males. Was there an advantage to keeping us,” she paused, searching for the least embarrassing word, “inexperienced?”
Raina nodded then sighed. “Virgins form soul bonds faster and bond more deeply than sexually experienced females. It allowed them to demand more for you from their buyers.”
Wiping the last of her tears away with her fingertips, Eden shuddered. “Then they did intend to sell us. I wasn’t sure.”
“They didn’t just intend to sell you. They had buyers lined up for many of you. The first sale was scheduled to take place in less than two weeks.”
“Who would it have been?” Eden wasn’t sure why she cared. It was just one last piece to a horrific puzzle and she needed to fit it into place.
“Kendra. Do you know her?”
Another shudder passed through Eden and tension knotted her stomach. “She’s a really close friend.”
When Eden’s emotions had finally run their course, Raina crouched down beside her chair. “This process is going to be hard no matter how much we try to soften the blow. That’s why I was hoping you’d help. I’m going to take the women through this in small groups. They know you and trust you. I think it will be easier for them if you help explain everything and reassure them that we’re the good guys. I know it’s asking a lot right now, but are you willing to help?”
She thought of Kendra and poor timid Amy and nodded. “Of course I’ll help.”
CHAPTER3
Five weeks later…
