The Hidden Gemstone

Chapter: 22

Alex's POV:

My head started spinning the moment I opened my eyes, although I wasn't sure whether it was from the pain in my side or the searing bright lights. I tried to blink away the dancing spots in my vision and focused on my surroundings.

I was still in Dad's room, thrown on the bed whose sheets were stained red from the blood that kept escaping the wound on my side. My arms and legs felt heavy but nevertheless, I tried to sit up in my position. As soon as I did that though, a voice spoke.

"I wouldn't try that." It was Troy. I looked at him, and the first thing my mind registered was the pistol in his hand.

Anger swelled up inside me, but I was too weak to direct it. I hoped my glare was enough to let him know that I was anything but pleased at the sight of him. If he got the message, he didn't show it.

Despite his warning, I tried to sit up again. More blood spilled out of my wound, followed by a sharp stab of pain. I clutched my side, groaning. The wound seemed to keep getting worse which worried me. I healed fast; the bleeding should've lessened by now.

"That bullet had a little something to slow you down," Troy spoke as if reading my thoughts. "You'll heal eventually. It'll just take longer."

I stared at him dumbfounded, wondering how the hell he knew any of that. I scanned the room, my eyes searching for Dad. He wasn't around, but I could hear hushed whispers outside the room. My instincts shifted, alerting my senses to stay on guard. With a slight strain on my ears, I was able to make out the words.

"-capable of surviving it," a strangely familiar female voice spoke, tugging at my instincts. It was almost annoying when my instincts tried to force me to remember something buried in the back of my mind. "She'll be weak for a couple of days, but there won't be any more side effects. After all, the human body is not built to sustain this kind of pressure."

"Do what you can," Dad said. "Just don't hurt her."

"I'll try my best," the woman said and the door of the room creaked open to reveal her.

She was tall, with blond hair that looked like corn silk, flowing to the length of her elbows despite being tied up, and soft brown eyes. Her complexion was fair and her cheeks so red, they reminded me of cherries. She was dressed in a lab coat over a T-shirt and a pair of jeans. Her pink lips curled into a beautiful smile when she saw me.

I would've been struck speechless by her beauty if it wasn't for the syringe in her left hand, held low as if to hide it from my gaze. At the sight of it, my heart thumped loudly against my chest. I felt my restlessness increase and my instincts began to shift simultaneously.

"You must be Alex," she spoke politely as she slowly moved toward me. I defensively backed up as much as I could, which was about two inches given the pain I was in and the limited space behind me. "I'm Beth."

The name struck me like a ton of bricks. My eyes widened as I recalled the conversation I overheard what felt like a millennia ago. The meeting with Dina and the scene in the woods had taken up so much space in my mind, I'd nearly forgotten about it again but now it returned to me like a flood.

What you're asking of me is not that simple, and impossible if I haven't seen the subject, the woman had said.

I'd been beating my head over what that meant but now, the message was as clear and sharp as a blade.

I was the subject.

I stared at the woman in shock. My instincts told me to run which was odd since running was the last thing my instincts suggested in any situation. I looked at the syringe in her hand again which was filled with a dark blue liquid.