Page 41 of Tyton: The Spider and the Dragonfly (Tyton #1)

T

alia stepped into the shower. The last tendrils of red whirlpooled the drain. The last of herself.

The Talia that had stolen into Callum Black’s office.

The Talia that had overheard the paranoid CEO order his men to alert him the instant the biosig sensors went down.

The men that had no idea what to do without their CSO.

The Talia that had laughed when they informed him that they were already down.

The Talia that had met his DocPod blue eyes, wide in shock, savoured the subtle shift into terror.

Watched them follow the repeater she threw and then, the slack as the bodies hit the floor with a dull thud.

The Talia that had carved him up as he lay helpless, but alive – his men holding an involuntary vigil just beyond the radius of the repeater signal.

They drew their IntelArms pistols too late.

An EMP grenade took out the repeater, the guards and everything else. She was already gone.

That Talia followed his blood down the drain.

The new Talia would have to clean up the mess, starting with herself.

Unnaturally thin legs, clutched to her chest, Talia wept along with the spray of the showerhead, drilling into her hair. Her spikes dissolving in the warmth, along with the rest of her, but it could not stop her from shivering.

Sesi padded back into the bathroom, followed closely by Callie. She rushed toward her, but Sesi barred Callie with her arm and guided her to sit on the floor in the corner.

She had teased Talia once about her tarot cards.

How she didn’t believe in it, but kept using the deck anyway.

Sesi had done some reading, but didn’t dare tell her.

If she had to choose, Callie would be her Queen of Cups, Talia her Knight of Swords.

She would be Temperance, or at least, she aspired to it.

But this spread was over. Change was coming. Sometimes the card reverses. Sometimes you draw a new card. Sometimes the whole deck needs to be reshuffled. Sesi hoped Talia’s next card would bring her happiness.

Callie curled against Sesi’s chest, absorbing every drop of anguish in the throes of Talia’s catharsis. All of Talia’s defences would need to come down before Callie could intervene, and even then, she would need to be careful. Like a moulting insect, she needed time.

After several minutes, Talia released her legs and placed her arm on the rim of the tub. The tiniest act of vulnerability. Sesi allowed Callie to go to her.

Talia shifted forward. Callie slid behind her and held her against her chest until the water ran cold. They would never speak of this moment, but the knowledge that she would always be her comfort was enough.

Sesi arrived with towels.

“Why are they so big?” asked Callie.

“Because I want them that way.” Sesi looked at her like it was a stupid question.

Talia laughed to herself. She had once asked the same thing. She slipped her arm around Callie, pulling her close.

“So, what happens now?” Callie spoke into Talia’s towel.

Sesi sighed. “You’re staying here.” She caught Talia’s eyes steeling, but she held up a finger to halt it.

She didn’t want to break the tenuous spell taking hold over these two.

“There’s no mess to clean up.” Sesi cupped Talia’s jaw and stood on her tiptoes to reach her lips.

“It’s just other things I need to take care of.

And your arms still aren’t fully healed,” she pointed at Callie.

Callie flexed her fingers and twisted her forearms. “Nothing’s bleeding. It’s your miracle ointment.” Callie grinned, but Sesi caught the slight wince.

“No, it’s the nanoids in your system.” Sesi scolded. “Behave,” she smirked before she left.

Callie hung up the towel and sat on the edge of the bed, dragging Talia along with her. “Sit,” she ordered. Talia raised an eyebrow. “Please,” Callie added. Talia sat on the floor between Callie’s dangling legs. She was tall enough that Callie could easily reach her hair.

Talia leaned back into Callie’s brush, stiff lines raking across her scalp. She exhaled, releasing the ghost of who she was only hours ago. Callie kissed the top of her head. “Thank you,” she breathed. Talia turned to kiss her calf, but she didn’t respond.

Callie massaged Talia’s temples. She moved to her cheekbones. Her jaw. Her forehead. Talia let her neck relax against the edge of the mattress. “Will you tell me about Elena?”

Her muscles clenched. That part still caused pain. Callie slipped away and buried herself under the covers. Talia hadn’t been expecting that. She had expected Callie to push or worse, tell her that she didn’t have to, like she was broken. Talia felt the absence acutely. The message was clear.

Talia slid under the covers with her and pulled Callie to her chest. She still held the power. She still controlled what happened. “I don’t want sympathy,” she managed.

Callie burrowed her face against Talia’s breast. “Then don’t tell me any of those parts.”

That seemed reasonable. “Elena was younger than me.” That was a decent start.

“Were you the good daughter, or the bad one?” Callie smiled against her skin. She felt Talia give a small laugh.

“I was the bad one at first.” She left out the beatings. The regular tours of mutilated women. The smell. That was the worst part. The part that seared itself into your brain so you could never forget. Talia would carry it for as long as she lived.

She inhaled sharply. “Our parents were almost celebrities. Two children was almost unheard of. Two daughters was a miracle.”

“Elena was the golden child?” Callie guessed.

Talia shook her head. “The opposite. Our family received special treatment, but it was never directed toward Elena and me. We were all expected to conform, but us especially.”

Callie drew calming circles across Talia’s chest. She found herself distracted by Talia’s small, rose-coloured nipple. Her soul as bare as her skin didn’t help her resolve. Sesi would kill her if she wrecked her arm, though.

“And I did.” Talia continued. “I knew what I had to do to avoid punishment and I did it. Everyone praised my parents and I caught a bit of their reflected light.”

“Then why did you run?”

“Callum Black made a huge donation. Except it wasn’t a donation.

It was a purchase. Any children would inherit NovAITech and they thought that would buy them the power and influence they needed to start forcing their horrible beliefs on everyone.

” Talia stroked Callie’s hair, as though she were the one who needed comforting.

“I had spent my life until then being the perfect daughter and my reward was to be punished forever. So, I told Elena I was leaving.” Talia grew quiet.

She knew she had to change and there was no safer place to shed her skin than here.

Talia inhaled sharply. “I thought we were close. I thought Elena would come with me. She held the loose corner of corrugated aluminium open that led to the tunnels and then to the subway, before they got shut down. Instead, the moment I slipped through, she ran to tell the others.” A tear fell, but Talia didn’t wipe it away.

Her face grew hot and angry. “I’ll never forget the way she smiled when I turned to look at her as I fled.

She knew exactly what would happen to me if I was caught. ”

“She said you would be unharmed because you were already paid for,” Callie said softly.

Talia’s forehead wrinkled. “What?” Had she made a mistake?

“That’s why she was attacking me. She said someone needed to be punished in your place.” Talia’s neck muscles tensed against her fingers.

“Even more glad I killed her then.” Talia muttered, flexing her jaw. But tears still fell. Callie could see that Talia still felt something for Elena. She decided to steer the conversation in another direction.

“Then you met Georg, right?”

Talia nodded. “He was also running. From the same arsehole as I was, it turned out. He was just better at it.”

“And Sesi came along later?”

“Yeah,” Talia confirmed. “That’s her story to tell, though.”

Callie nestled against her chest. Talia’s heart thudded quickly against her ear. But there was nowhere to go. Nowhere to be. She could wait for Talia’s new shell to heal a bit more.

Her heartbeat slowed. Callie’s lips turned against her skin, catching the rise and fall of her curves in her periphery. How could someone so hard be so soft?

Callie couldn’t resist anymore. She planted seedlings of kisses along the tender flesh of Talia’s breast. Her hungry mouth sunk into her blossoming nipple. Talia arched into her.

“Sesi is going to be very upset with me if I damage you. You’re supposed to be recuperating.” Talia warned.

Callie scraped her teeth, warmth pooling between her thighs. She settled back down.

“Good girl.” Talia raked her nails through Callie’s hair. The praise only stoked her libido.

“Did you fall as quickly for her?”

Talia’s eyes grew unsettlingly large. Callie thought the comment was innocent, but she must have gone too far.

“It’s not a secret. Yesterday you refused to give Sesi an egg unless I did too.”

Talia made to leave, but Callie held her arm. She flinched and Callie winced.

“Stop,” she pleaded. Talia seethed, but she turned to look at her. “I know you’re not a soft mushy person. I don’t need you to be.”

“Then why would you…” Talia started.

“I agreed.” Callie let go of her arm and bit her fingernails.

“But that’s madness.” Talia collapsed back onto the bed.

“So is everything I’ve been through in the past two weeks.

” Callie reached for Talia again. Talia didn’t flinch away this time.

“It’s been more fucked up than I could ever have imagined.

” Callie snorted a laugh in disbelief. “It’s also the happiest I’ve been in,” She shrugged. “I don’t know. I can’t remember.”

Talia craned her neck. “Did you hit your head? It’s also the third time you’ve been injured in the last two weeks.”