Our job, for the time being, was done. It was up to Amal, Amane, and our Perfect allies to do their part, before we could proceed with the next stage of our plan. I worried we might fail, but I couldn’t let that pull me back or bring me down in any way. I had to stay positive, because it was the only way I could see Amane again.
And there wasn’t anything else that I wanted more in this world than to hold her and kiss her and be by her side, for as long as we both lived. For that, Ta’Zan had to be out of the picture.
Amane
Ta’Zan took us to one of the main creation labs—specifically, the one where Amal and I had devised the core blueprint for the Perfects. Not that much time had passed since I’d last been here, but it still felt like ancient history. A lot had changed since I’d left this place, most of it inside me. I was no longer the person who’d worked here, who’d served Ta’Zan willingly, thinking he was the only one who could lead us.
That Amane was dead. The one standing in front of him now was filled with anger and resentment, all of it aimed at Ta’Zan. The collar made it difficult for me to say or do a lot of things, but it wasn’t a real impediment, since Amal had given me the codes.
From this point forward, I had to be careful. Ridan’s life and wellbeing—not to mention the lives of the others in Rose and Ben’s crew—depended on me. They were like family. I couldn’t let them down.
Ta’Zan stood in front of us, blankly staring at a screen with his back to us. He didn’t say anything for a while. Both my sister and I waited for him to speak. Knowing him, this added a dramatic effect to what he was about to say. Ta’Zan sure loved his theatrics once in a while.
The silence was almost deafening. I occasionally glanced at Amal, who didn’t miss any opportunity to give me a reassuring wink, as if telling me that everything was going to be okay. I didn’t want to disagree with her, but Ta’Zan had a way of ruining everything, intentionally or otherwise.
“I’m extremely disappointed in you, Amane,” Ta’Zan finally said.
“Yeah, you’ve said that before,” I replied, unwilling to let him have this small victory. I didn’t want him to think he had any power over my mind, since that was never in my nature. He would’ve taken it as deceit, and the last thing I wanted was for him to think I was playing some kind of game. I had to be myself, unapologetic and unafraid, ready to get my ass kicked if needed.
“Things will be different from now on,” he declared. “I didn’t want it to be like this, but you and your outsider friends didn’t give me another choice. I would’ve thought you were wiser than what you’ve shown, so far.”
“I was tired of your delusions of grandeur,” I retorted.
He turned around, sneering at me. “Yet, you’re standing here, ready to serve me again.”
“Well, it’s either that or death, and you know I’m enjoying my existence too much to let you snuff it out.”
“Perhaps you should choose your words more carefully, Sister,” Amal murmured, giving me a sideways glance.
“No, no, let her speak freely.” Ta’Zan chuckled. “She thinks she’s right in all of this, and she’s just trying to keep her friends alive. In a way, I admire her. But it won’t lead anywhere good.”
“I don’t understand.” I sighed. “You’ve got me here, ready to work for you again. What the hell more do you want? Genuine enthusiasm? Because that’s not going to happen. That ship has already sailed.”
Ta’Zan gave me a cold grin, and it scared me more than an army of Perfects. I knew him well enough to understand his facial expressions, and this one, in particular, was cause for concern.
“I would like for you to be a little bit more… into it, yes. You should love what you’re doing, Amane. You’re not a run-of-the-mill Faulty. You and your sister are the best of your species, and I think you deserve the luxury of enjoying your craft,” Ta’Zan said.
“Spare me the love-your-work nonsense,” I said. “Just tell me what you want me to do, and I’ll do it.”
“In a minute. I’m not done,” Ta’Zan replied, then turned his attention to Amal. He stepped forward and hugged her. She smiled, softening in his arms. “I’ve missed you, my child.”
“I’ve missed you, too, Father,” she whispered. “I’m sorry I wasn’t more careful. But my sister took me by surprise. I didn’t think she’d be this foolish…”
“Not to worry, Amal,” Ta’Zan said, giving her a soft, fatherly smile. “All has passed now, and we’re together again. We can continue our work, undeterred by anyone. It’s a shame so many have died already because of these outsiders’ stubbornness.”
Amal nodded enthusiastically. “I feel like I can breathe again. I’m nothing without you, Father.”
Well, she certainly knew how to play the part right. Even I was close to buying whatever she was selling. Ta’Zan looked more relaxed as he carefully analyzed her expression, as if thankful to see that she was still loyal. When he shifted his focus back to me, however, my blood curdled, as the sneer returned—an omen of something much darker that had yet to happen.
“Now, it’s time for you to understand something, my wayward daughter,” he said.
I hated it when he called me that. I wasn’t his daughter. He wasn’t my father. He’d made me, sure, but he’d also indoctrinated me, he’d poisoned my mind, and he’d convinced me to do horrible things. I had the blood of the entire Draenir species on my hands. I would never forgive him for that.
“I don’t know what else you have left to teach me. I’ve learned enough,” I murmured, though my knees were already getting weaker.
Ta’Zan pressed a small button on his bracelet. Seconds later, a Perfect came in, dragging someone by the back of his neck. My heart stopped, as I recognized the prisoner. We’d grown up together. He’d been by my side, and my sister’s, from the very beginning. I’d once had feelings for him, but I’d never acted on them, given our servitude to Ta’Zan, who’d always insisted that we keep our personal relationships to a minimum in order to avoid getting distracted.
“Thanis…” I mumbled, dread clutching my throat.
He was as handsome and as resilient as I’d last seen him. Thanis was tall and muscular, with long limbs and turquoise fur growing on his back and legs. His amber eyes were cat-like and wide, and they filled with both surprise and horror when he saw me.
“Amane… No… Why’d you come back?!” Thanis breathed.
“She came to her senses,” Ta’Zan said.
“What… What is he doing here? What are you doing to him?” I asked, my voice trembling.
Ta’Zan raised an eyebrow. “Thanis was one of the rebels who started the riot to assist Derek and his crew in escaping the colosseum,” he replied. “I kept him alive and killed the others. The latter I did to teach the Faulties a lesson. The former, however, I did because I knew you’d come back to me one day, my wayward daughter.”
“What the hell are you talking about?” I croaked, then looked at Amal. She seemed equally stunned by this development. “Did you know about this?”
She shook her head slowly. “I didn’t see him with the others when they were executed. Then again, I wasn’t exactly paying attention, and I didn’t have much time to react, since they were all promptly pulverized.”
“Ta’Zan… He’s not… He’s not a part of this,” I said, mentally bracing myself for something horrible. My instinct was never wrong, and the knot in my stomach was extremely uncomfortable.
The Perfect pushed Thanis onto the floor, then stepped back, patiently waiting as Ta’Zan got closer to him. A glimmer caught my eye. A blade glistening in Ta’Zan’s hand. Amal gripped my wrist, discreetly holding me back.
“What… What are you doing?” Thanis asked, scared and confused, his gaze bouncing from me to Amal, then Ta’Zan and back to me.
