Chapter 1

“Wake up.”

A hand comes down across my face, stinging my cheek. I groan and try to sit up, but something is restricting my movements. A headache starts to bloom inside my skull, making me groan once more. Where am I? I think sluggishly, my brain slow to catch up with my body. I start to open my eyes, but a harsh light invades my irises, causing me to shut them again. A voice penetrates the thick cloud of fog covering my mind. A man’s voice, scolding.

“Stop that, you’ll give her a bruise. You know we can’t injure them or they won’t be viable subjects.” I can hear the sneer in the second man’s voice as he responds with,

“Don’t lecture me Kade. I know the rules.” One more time, I try to open my eyes, Only to hear the first man say,

“Shh, she's waking up.” My eyes flutter open after finally adjusting to the bright light, revealing the two men staring down at me, one with concern in his eyes, the other a calculating curiosity. I turn back to the first man, glad to see a friendly face. I study him silently, trying to figure out if I know him. I decide after a few moments that I don’t, but continue to study him out of curiosity. He stares at me with baby blue eyes, a soft light behind them. His midnight hair falls gently in his face. He works his strong jaw in an absent-minded sort of way, his full lips tight. He’s dressed quite nicely, A black suit, James Bond style, that compliments his long, lanky frame.

I was wrong when I said he was a man. While his voice may be deep, he has the face of a teenage boy, maybe my age. My mind catches on that sentence for a moment. How old am I? My eyes focus back on the teen. He looks to be about 18 or 19….I’m probably around that age. But I should be able to remember that…. Right?

The teen looks like he’s about to say something, but the second man beats him to it.

“She’s not talking, she’s not even struggling. Did we bag a stupid one this time Kade?” he jokes. I turn my head, glaring at him. I open my mouth to speak, but no sound comes out. The teen, whose name is Kade I suppose, is also glaring at the man. He speaks through gritted teeth.

“She’s not stupid. She doesn’t have any memories you idiot.” He turns back to me. “It’s okay. Take your time. We’ll get you some water soon.” The man scowls at Kade and starts to say something, but finally, my voice returns to me in a croak, as if I haven’t used it in years.

“How do you know I don’t have any memories?” Kade’s face crystallizes, becoming blank as slate. His voice is cool and hard as stone when he answers.

“Because we took them.”