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As we left and I locked the door behind me, I couldn’t help but think of Iris one more time.Whatever you’re doing right now, I hope you’re being careful about it.
IRIS
Project Night Moon Facility
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Every time I so much as turned my head or lifted my chin, my skin burned. I’d never heard of a shifter dying from contact silver poisoning, but still…I lifted my hand, desperate to scratch or rub at the raw skin on my neck, but I forced myself to set it back down. Touching would only make it worse. I had no idea how this collar was constructed, if the silver would flake or if it was solid, but I didn’t want to find out.
I took a deep breath and sat myself back down, carefully folding my legs against the white tile floor. I was tired. No, I was exhausted. My flesh still burned, and I didn’t want to agitate it anymore. I could still see the people outside my cell, but their faces were difficult to make out through the glass — I was certain it was a one-way mirror. They could see everything they wanted to. The thought made my skin crawl even more, and I forced myself to close my eyes and take a breath.
Never let them see you sweat, Iris.
It didn’t matter what I was feeling right now. I wasn’t going to give these people the privilege of seeing it.
When I opened my eyes again, the faceless people were still outside, but I could see beyond them. Everything was blurry, of course, like I was looking up from the bottom of a lake, but I could at least determine they were in something like a hallway. There was also what looked like a window on the other side. I could only assume it was a cell just like mine, if this was what I thought it was. And at this point, I had no reason to think thiswasn’tthe Project Night Moon facility.
Something in the window shifted, and I realized they must have changed the filter, or blinder, or whatever was in the glass. I could see faces for a moment as everything became crystal-clear, but I didn’t recognize a single one of them. They stared blankly at me, leaning to talk to one another, someone scribbling on a pad. I closed my eyes again, straining to hear any of the words, but all I heard was my own breathing. I frowned and strained to listen again, but the only other sound was the gentle, constant flow of air being pushed into the room.
Sound deadening. Of course.
It was a military operation, after all. I looked back up and the glass had gone frosty again, but just as well. Those didn’t look like any of the missing people; if I had to guess, they were employees or something. I tipped my head and took in a deep breath, hoping I could catch some sort of scent, even if it was pushed through an air system first.
The stench of antiseptic drifted into my nose and I almost gagged, regretting my decision to inhale at once. It smelled like a hospital on steroids — the thought would have intrigued me at any other moment, but right now, all I could do was fight the urge to vomit or swallow my own tongue. I never felt comfortable in hospitals, but at the moment, my skin was positively crawling.
One breath at a time, Iris. Freaking out isn’t going to get you anywhere.
If anything, that was probably what they wanted. Even if my anxiety was difficult to control, I could do it out of spite for these people. I could.
I am not going to die today. They don’t get that from me.
I looked up at the ceiling, another thought flickering across my mind.They have my phone. I should have left Eli a note before I left, or at least a text before I got out of my car. I know better than that.
It waseasy to lose track of time in here. The light never changed. At some point, I got my breath back under control, but I couldn’t sit still any longer. I got back to my feet and started to pace, trying to figure out a way to get the silver off my neck without irritating my skin — or worse.
Could a shifter get blood poisoning from wearing silver too long?
This thought kept coming back to me, and I wished I could flush it down the toilet. Worrying about the silver chafing at my neck wasn’t going to help, but it wasn’t going to kill me any faster, either. I took a deep breath.You’ve never heard of anyone dying just from silver contact, Iris. You’re overreacting.
All the same, my fingers were already prickling uncomfortably, and all I’d done was prod at it. I couldn’t even imagine what my neck looked like at this point, and I didn’t really want to, either. I couldn’t feel any real latches, though, and there was nothing I could pick at to try loosening it.
It was obvious that I wasn’t the first wolf they had contained. They clearly knew what they were doing.
I resumed my pacing, not even noticing that my window had become unfrosted again until movement in the hallway caught the corner of my eye. Pausing, I turned to face it, squinting until I realized I was watching several large men dressed in all black. I couldn’t make out their faces, but two of them were clearly struggling with something. Those further ahead seemed to pause for a moment, looking back to watch the pair closest to my window.
Stepping forward as far as I could without reaching the end of my chain, I stood up on my toes. I could see that the furthest guards seemed to be escorting a couple. They looked defeated and tired, the female shifter holding a child and putting a hand over her eyes as they stared at whatever was happening closest to my cell.
I paused and craned my neck, looking at the last pair of guards before realizing there was someone struggling on the floor, legs outstretched as the men dragged them. Feet wriggled against the tile, but the men had no issue hauling the person back up. As soon as I caught a glimpse of her, I recognized the bruised woman. The face I saw made me forget all about the small family being escorted further down the hallway and out of sight.
I knew that face. It was Cynthia Smith.
She looked significantly thinner and like she’d aged five years, but it was definitely the same person I’d seen in the photos her sister Demi had shared with me. My heart caught in my chest as one of the men jerked on Cyn’s arm, causing her to stumble and nearly fall again. This time, she didn’t even bother trying to fight them, simply stumbling back until she could stand upright.
This time, I noticed the blood on the front of her white outfit. It was brown, crusting. She looked exhausted, with deep purple bags beneath her eyes.They’re experimenting on her, I realized, my mouth going dry as I watched the men hurry her along. It was obvious that she was clearly having a rough time just walking, but they didn’t care.
As I watched her disappear from sight, my stomach churned. The files I’d read indicated they were trying to find some way to control shifters and turn them into some breed of super soldier they could use to subdue other armies.
I grimaced at the irony.They already have shifters in their ranks, and they have no idea. Imagine if Ryan’s brother knew this…
