The Transcended: They call him Lucius

Part 3: Blood ~ Chapter 15

After a second of silence, Lucius retorted, "You still allowed them to take my Bobbi."

"I'm nobody's property!" Zoey interjected.

"Hush!" Khalida's voice boomed over the phone. "You seem to forget that you, Andrew, are mine. And thus, she is mine before she is yours."

He gritted his teeth. "Fine. You want to know what I did, right? I'll tell you. But, in return, I want her back. You owe me after this betrayal."

"I owe you nothing," she stated as she sat up straight. "You, on the other hand, owe me everything. If it wasn't for me, you would have long since been dust. The mere fact that you are even allowed to have secrets from me should be a sign of my respect towards you as an individual. However, if you keep disrespecting my authority, then perhaps I should treat you as a mere minion instead."

Her eyes glistened with power and malice, her smile chilling the blood of everyone in the room. Lucius wisely remained silent.

"So, here's what's going to happen: we need Zoey over there, alive, healthy, and sane, for the experiments we've got planned. If, after all that, combined with your information about what it is that you did to her, I feel like it, I might return her to you."

"Hell no!" Zoey exclaimed. "I don't ever want—"

"What makes you think I care what you want?" Khalida interrupted.

Zoey fumed. "Because you just said you needed me healthy and sane. Do you really think the prospect of going back to Lucius will keep me fucking sane?"

Khalida clicked her tongue. "Valid argument. Then how about we consider your time with us as a truce? I'll let you and Andrew fight it out afterwards."

"Considering I'd be on enemy territory, that's not quite fair."

"Oh, I'm sure that when the time comes we can discuss the terms, conditions, and location of the truce's disbanding. How does that sound?" Khalida leaned forward and smiled, resting her chin on her entangled fingers.

"Considering the position I'm currently in, I suppose that's the best deal I'll be offered." Zoey gritted her teeth. And depending on their research, I might still enjoy a long time living Lucius-free... If my chances of getting away from him afterwards are poor, I could always opt for a one-way ticket out—transcended or not.

"So, we got a deal then?" Khalida asked.

"Yes," Zoey said with a smirk. "Experiment all you want—as long as you don't end up dissecting me alive."

"Good." Khalida turned her attention to Lucius. "So, Andrew, is it clear how we will continue?"

"Yes, but I disagree. She's mine and—"

"Enkiru," Khalida interrupted him, "this is not a negotiation."

Lucius visibly cringed. Isa and Gwen pulled their gaze away from the phone and stared at him, faces blanched. Zoey frowned, unsure what had just happened.

"I shall repeat myself once and only once: you belong to me. Your very life is mine. Everything that you are today, you are because of me. You owe me everything and I owe you nothing. Have I made myself clear, Enkiru?"

The temperature in the room seemed to drop. The silence was deafening, but Khalida waited patiently.

"Crystal," Lucius finally said, the defiance gone from his voice. "I'm sorry for questioning your authority."

A coy smile graced Khalida's lips as she reclined in her chair. "In that case, let me schedule a flight over. We can discuss things properly, face to face—what you did to her, what we will do to her, and what will happen to her once we are done."