Mimic (Wardens Legacies - Ancient Blood III)

16 - CONTRACTUAL OBLIGATIONS

The next two days went pretty much the same way as it had with Julian and his leach Nathaniel. The host was kept in the back of their minds; watching imagined replays of their life with parents, while the invader had complete control over the use of the body. They all told the same story. The spirit entered the medical research lab, was told to lay down, felt a sharp pain, and suddenly woke up inside a new body. They had been under the assumption they were going to be transplanted into a void vessel, but instead became aware that they were stuck inside a child. They were told to wait it out until the child was big enough, and they could take over. It would be enough time to keep the Reapers at bay, by the time they had control they would no longer be marked.

Luckily for me, I was able to extract both spirits from the host without causing harm to either child. Each time I questioned myself increasingly about all the deaths before them. I had never seen myself as a monster, but now I was starting to realize I was not much better than Lidia or Sheridan. I had my own taste for the dark arts, only mine ended the lives of many. Dawn's understanding nature was enough to cause me to fall into confusion. I spent my evenings locked in the master bedroom reading the files repeatedly. I kept looking for the integration process, trying to piece together how it was done. I had spent enough time with Lidia over the centuries, I knew her better than she even knew herself. I had figured out her procedures in the past, also put pen to paper so she could never forget them.

I could figure it out, she was not that complicated. Sure, she loved the dramatics, but she was not a pure genius. Most of what she came up with was rip-offs from other doctors. She just knew how to animate the body and change the owner. That was why she had Kris. She thought that the Grim Reapers daughter would be able to kill upon contact, providing uninhabited vessels for her to use. When she learned Kris could not do that, she lost interest. I had stood beside her through all of it, because I felt taking her out of this world would only complicate things.

Before I knew it another week had passed, and I was nowhere near a conclusion to my question. I had spoken with more spirits, and it was the same thing over and over again. It was the expression of sudden pain that made me wonder. Was she killing them, or was their last memory of pain when they were yanked from their shell and placed inside another? The other thing I could not understand is how she could promise a transplant, but turn around and perform an integration at the last minute. These marked beings went to the Doctor for a new body and became stuck inside the shell of a screaming toddler. I needed something to take my mind off of things. I guess I should say at this point – be careful what you wish for.

***

At seven forty-five the next morning there was a series of rapid knocks on the front door. I thought the world was on fire and raced to the door, throwing it open to see Xic standing there his face paler than usual.

"It's Elle," he stammered. "The babies coming."

My eyes widened. Why had he come to me?

"How far apart are the contractions?" I asked pushing him out of the way.

"What?" He stared at me confused.

"Where is she?" I asked pressing the button on the elevator.

"The hospitals asking for you." He was still befuddled.

"Then let's get over there before she loses her mind." We entered the elevator.

There was an eerie silence as we descended to the ground level. I did not even wait for the doors to open before I took off at a sprint towards the hospital. Something told me that she needed me. I tore through the entrance and followed all signage towards the maternity ward. It did not take long to find her as she was the only one screaming in the hallway. I raced into the room, and there she laid with her legs in stirrups. The doctor was trying frantically to calm her down. She was having none of it, till her eyes locked with mine.