LITMIR.BIZ

       Chapter 8

      As Lucien struggled to pull on the sweater without showing that it was a struggle, Lucy stopped him.

      “You’ve got something sticking out of your back.”

      “Cactus.” He’d rolled in plenty of it. The minor irritant had paled against the other aches and pains he was beginning to feel now that his arm wasn’t killing him. He couldn’t remember ever taking such a beating, even from a raging wendigo. He’d been overconfident and unprepared.

      Lucy sighed and got a pair of tweezers from her case. “Sit down. Let me get them.” She went to work pulling out the tiny spines as he eased back into the chair. “So I understand you’re going to be working at Smok’s new lab,” she said to Theia.

      Lucien snorted. Like that was happening now.

      Theia stayed behind him, watching Lucy from a few feet away. “I hadn’t made up my mind.”

      “Well, if you don’t mind a little unsolicited advice, I suggest you don’t.”

      Lucien tried to turn, but Lucy held his shoulder—the one that was still sending out flares of pain.

      “Oh?” Theia’s voice was cool. “And why not?”

      “I think it’s a little beyond your abilities.”

      Lucien wanted to slug her, but her grip on his shoulder was firm.

      “I mean, I’m sure you’ll be a fine scientist someday, but this is serious work. It’s not a graduate project.”

      “Give it a rest,” Lucien growled under his breath.

      “On the other hand, I hear you’ve already been in the White Room.”

      “The White Room?”

      “Our special project. Lucien’s special project, really.” She was yanking out cactus spines roughly to let him know she thought he’d overstepped his authority. “It’s highly classified. Even the government doesn’t know about it. But you...you know about it.”

      Theia stepped closer. “Is that some kind of threat?”

      “Threat?” Lucy stopped plucking and turned to look up at Theia. “No, of course not. That’s a little paranoid.” She went back to her work. “It is a warning, however. I know you’ve signed our nondisclosure agreement. Not sure if you read the fine print.”

      Theia’s voice hardened. “What fine print?”

      “Lucy,” Lucien warned, but she ignored him.

      “The fine print that says you’ve agreed to return any intellectual property you may have removed from the lab.”

      “I didn’t take anything. What are you talking about?”

      “Your memories.” Lucy stood and dropped the tweezers into the case, turning to face Theia as Lucien rose, wanting to shut her up but not knowing how—and realizing as he stood that the room was spinning.

      “And how exactly am I supposed to give back my memory of the visit?” Theia scoffed.

      “We’ve developed a special technique.”

      Lucy had a syringe in her hand, and Lucien grabbed for it, but the floor seemed to tilt under him, and he grabbed her arm instead as he pitched toward the table.

      Theia stepped in to steady him while Lucy regarded him with cold eyes, as if she would have let him fall. He’d fucked up, and he was on his own.

      She stood back while Theia helped him into the chair. “I suppose you got your head knocked around by that delicious Viking.”

      “I may have hit my head on the concrete once or twice,” he acknowledged.

      “Are you having trouble seeing?”

      “Not much.” Things had been a little blurry.

      “Not much?” Lucy shook her head. “Looks like you’ve earned yourself a pretty good concussion there, little brother. Someone’s going to have to keep an eye on you overnight. And it’s not going to be me. I have a date.”

      “Well, he’s not staying here,” Theia’s sister objected from the doorway.

      “I’m fine,” Lucien insisted. “It’s just a little vertigo and blurred vision.” He stood again but couldn’t seem to find the room’s level.

      Theia grabbed his arm once more. “I’ll give you a ride home. I’d like to discuss this intellectual property issue a bit more, if you don’t mind.”

      With both Rhea and the Viking now standing in the doorway, Lucy was reluctant to make a scene. Lips pressed together, she discreetly dropped the syringe back into her attaché case as she picked it up. “Suit yourself. But I warn you, he’s a pain in the ass when he’s convalescing.”

      “Thanks for all your help,” Lucien said to her sweetly. “I think we can take it from here.”

      Lucy shrugged. “Get that bone checked tomorrow. And don’t come crying to me if you slip into a coma.”

      “If I slip into a coma,” said Lucien, “I promise you will be the last person to whom I come crying.”

      Lucy gave him a saccharine smile and headed for the door.

      Theia’s sister frowned at the two of them. “You sure about this, Thei?”

      “No. But I’m doing it anyway.” Theia picked up the crossbow and gave Lucien a stern look. “I’m going to hold on to this for you. If you can convince me you’re not a danger to my family, maybe I’ll give it back.”

      Leo stepped in the way as Theia led Lucien toward the door. “Don’t come at me or mine again. Next time you won’t be walking away, with or without assistance.”

      Lucien was too tired to argue with any of them. All he wanted to do was lie down and go to sleep. He let Theia walk him to her car without comment or protest, leaning back in the seat and closing his eyes once he was inside.

      “I’m going to talk to Rhe for a minute,” Theia said. “Don’t fall asleep.”

      “That’s not actually a thing,” he murmured. “It’s a myth that you shouldn’t fall asleep after a concussion.”

      “I meant because we’re going to have words. A lot of them.” She slammed the car door, and Lucien wanted to grab his head to stop it from ringing, but his arms were too tired.

      * * *

      Theia glanced back at the car as she gathered the scattered arrows. Lucien might be dangerous, but his sister was definitely more so. She hadn’t exactly been subtle in her threats. Smok Biotech might not literally have a way to wipe Theia’s memory, but she wasn’t about to give Lucy the chance.

      The rhythmic snap of a pair of flip-flops announced Rhea’s approach on the stone path. “You’re not really going to give those weapons back to him?”

      Theia straightened and put the last one in its quiver. “Not if he doesn’t give me some satisfactory answers. But I’m sure he’s got plenty more where these came from.”

      “He just tried to kill Leo.”

      “I know. I’m going to try to talk some sense into him about this obsession he has with Leo being a revenant.”

      “You realize there’s a good

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