The corridor outside the port room looked like a disturbed anthill. Two guards stood at the entrance, weapons visible, while technicians hurried past with clipboards and sealed containers. A cart rattled by with straps and tarps, and someone barked orders over a radio.
"Morning, sir," Jade said, forcing brightness into her voice as she stepped into the hallway. "What's all the commotion about?" Jade expected Dr. Foster to whirl around red-faced and ready to tear into someone. Instead, he turned with a warm, almost grandfatherly smile and patted her shoulder like she'd done something wonderful just by showing up.
"Oh, Jade! Good morning, dear. How are you?"
Jade blinked, startled by Dr. Fosters cheerfulness. He was never happy, ever. Mind tricks, she thought, keeping her expression smooth. Aamon already got to him.
"Just fine," she said, and smiled back like this was normal. "I heard the commotion out here. Do we have something good?"
Foster's smile widened. "Amazing. Go take a look. Go on." He waved toward the guards. "She's fine. Let her in." One of the guards hesitated, then stepped aside.
Jade slipped through the doorway, relief loosening something tight in her chest. At least losing my job is one less thing I have to worry about.
When did Aamon even have time to do this?
Jade wonders to herself as. She had assumed he was "solving problems" the way he did everything else: quickly, efficiently, and without asking permission. The idea should have angered her. Instead it left her unsettled, the fact that someone had manipulated reality on her behalf.
Jade exhaled through her nose. He's a demon. Of course he did.
And worse, Aamon was starting to feel… present. Like a constant in her life rather than a bizarre accident. Loneliness had never bothered her. It had been a choice. A safety precaution. Yet, in the last twenty-four hours, she'd started noticing the shape of it. Not when she was alone, but when she wasn't.
What happens when he gets bored of me?
The thought made her skin crawl. It made her feel weak in a way she wasn't ready to face.
All good things must end.
Jade closed her eyes and inhaled sharply, forcing herself back into the room.
The port room was a large, white-tiled chamber built for messes no one wanted to acknowledge. A row of lockers sat against one wall, lab coats hanging inside. An incinerator unit took up the opposite side, stainless steel and industrial, with a maintenance hatch built into the rear for cleaning and access.
Centered under the fluorescent lights was the stainless-steel examination table and beside it sat a large wooden crate. Jade's steps slowed. The crate was far too similar to the one she had found the night before. The crate's lid had already been pried off. The contents had already been pulled.
On the stainless-steel table stood a tall glass tube, set upright like a display piece. Inside it, curled in a fetal position in that same blue liquid, was a naked man. Jade's jaw went slack.
You've got to be kidding me.
Dr. Foster followed in behind her, practically buzzing with pride.
"This is going to make history, my dear Jade."
He patted the side of the tube as if it were a trophy. The smile on his face threatened to rip his cheeks. Jade's mind raced as she fought to keep her face neutral.
He can't know I know… Play dumb Jade. Be harmless.
She forced a confused blink and pointed calmly at the stasis tank.
"Dr. Foster," she said carefully, "why is there a human in there?"
Foster's shoulders relaxed, pleased by her confusion. "Not to worry, dear. This man is not a man at all."
Jade kept her face neutral, but her stomach turned. She wondered how much Foster had already figured out about these men. She stared at the tank, knowing that this man must also be a demon like Aamon.
"A sea beast," Foster continued brightly breaking Jade's concentration.
A sea beast? So this one is not a demon? Jade thought to herself as she eyed the tube.
"A rare one indeed Jade!: Foster continues to ramble. "Hard to believe, I know, but it's the truth. Our last oceanic mission brought him up from the sea floor."
His eyes shone like a child showing off a new toy. "A decent prize indeed. What's even more interesting is it's ability to shapeshift into…"
One of the guards called him from the doorway. Foster paused, annoyed. "Sorry dear. Excuse me." Foster turned without another word to address the guards in the hallway. Jade barely heard the exchange. Her attention stayed fixed on the statis tube.
There was a stillness to the man inside that didn't look like sedation. It looked like containment.
"How many of you are there?" Jade couldn't help mumbling to herself as she circled the table to inspect the tube. Her eyes traced the equipment: hoses, clamps, pressure seals, fluid lines. Blue liquid filled the base compartment under the tube, cycling through a pump. The setup was too similar to be coincidence.
First Zeth. Then Aamon showed up. Now this.
She swallowed, nerves setting her hair on edge. She moved closer and tapped the glass lightly. She made sure to position herself in a place that she could watch the door while she tried to figure out what to do about this situation. Foster stood at the doorway with his back turned, deep in conversation with the guards. He didn't spare her a glance.
She focused back on the statis tube. Aamon would want to know about this.
"Hello?" she spoke softly, not to alert the others. "Are you awake in there?"
No response.
She hesitated, then tapped the glass again, whispering. "My name is Jade. I'm…" She hesitated, not sure of her own words. "A friend of Aamon." It felt insane to say and she had to stop herself from laughing.
"Do you know him?" Jade continued as she circled the tube, searching for a latch or release. There was a maintenance hose attached at the back, hidden from the doorway. Jade crouched, reaching for it, and her foot snagged the line. The hose popped loose and almost instantly blue fluid seeped onto the floor.
Jade winced, trying to steady herself as her eyes darted back to the doorway. No one reacted. Foster was still talking, hands gesturing wildly, guards nodding along content. The leak was concealed behind the tube's rear panel, out of their sight.
Jade exhaled shakily as her eyes focused back on the man inside the tube. Jade's breath caught. The man's pale, sea-foam green eyes were open, and they pinned her in place with instant awareness.
She lifted one finger to her lips, eyes wide and begging.
"Please. Don't." Jade mumbled as quietly as she could.
His stare sharpened as his eyes narrowed, focusing on her. Then, slowly, a smile crept across his mouth. Not friendly. Not grateful. Menacing. Jade suddenly felt as if she was prey to something that wanted to kill her. She felt herself step back.
The man's body shifted in the wrong way. His skin rippled as if something beneath it was rearranging. The curve of his legs bulged, then split, then multiplied. Octopus-like appendages unfurled in slow, deliberate motion, pressing against the glass and filling the space. The appendages thickened. The tube began to creak.
Jade's blood turned to ice. "No, no, no, no." Jade took another step back, her words barely audible.
Cracks spidered across the glass. Jade stumbled backward, heart slamming against her ribs as the tube shattered. Glass exploded outward. Blue liquid surged across the tile. A mass of writhing limbs spilled onto the floor, slick and heavy, like something dragged from a nightmare tide pool.
For a terrifying moment, it was not a man at all rather a huge, serpent-like creature, broad-headed and scaled, with multiple tails that thrashed and slapped wetly against the floor.
Jade's knees almost buckled.
Then the creature convulsed, the shape collapsing inward. In seconds, it was the man again: naked, dripping, sea-foam eyes gleaming with satisfaction. Jade turned her head sharply away, cheeks flaming despite the terror.
Why are they always naked? Is this some kind of cosmic joke?
Her embarrassment didn't survive the sound of alarms and shouting outside the room.
"BACKUP!" a guard bellowed. "SPECIMEN BREACH!" She hears running in the hall and she knew she had no more time. Jade moved on instinct. She sprinted to the lockers, yanked a lab coat free, and returned with it clutched to her chest.
The guards were rushing in. Radios crackled. Boots pounded.
Jade shoved the coat into the man's arms. "You need to get out of here," she hissed. "The incinerator has a back access hatch for cleaning. It leads out. Go. Before they block it."
The man stared at her as if she'd spoken in a language beneath him. Bafflement flickered across his face, followed by contempt. His gaze raked her like she was something on the bottom of his shoe. Then he looked toward the doorway where the guards were gathering. He could have torn through them. Jade could see the thought in his eyes. But something restrained him.
The man's eyes laid back on Jade for only a moment. "Friend?" He said, looking at her in a way that made her feel as if he was appraising her. Jade looked genuinely worried for him, like she believed he could be harmed by humans.
Fool, his eyes seemed to say.
Then he slid into the lab coat, still never breaking eye contact with her. He gave a slow, deliberate nod. And without a word, he moved toward the incinerator. Jade watched him slip into the maintenance access like smoke through a crack.
The guards surged forward too late, shouting, weapons raised as they posted outside the doorway, ready to breach the room. Jade's mind scrambled. If they questioned her, she was done. If Foster decided she was involved, she was done. If she stopped the man from escape and Aamon found out…
No! She wasn't giving in to her fears, not now. Jade dropped to the floor and squeezed her eyes shut.
Unconscious. Be unconscious. Be useless.
She let her body go slack, breathing shallowly through her nose just in time. Chaos erupted around her: men yelling, orders snapping, radios blaring. Boots splashed through the blue fluid.
Dr. Foster's voice cut through it, sharp and furious. "We lost another one! What the hell is wrong with this facility?"
Jade felt Fosters foot bump her side. Not a kick, but careless, as if she were debris. He huffed.
"Not dead. Just… in the way." His tone went colder. "Clean this mess up. And get her to debriefing. Now." Foster barked orders and although Jade had shut her eyes, she knew he was red faced and huffing over the loss of another one of these strange men.
Hands grabbed her under the arms. Jade kept her body limp as they lifted her, letting her head loll. Inside her chest, panic clawed. She had to fight to keep her breathing steady. As long as they believed she'd been knocked out during the escape she could remain innocent.
How long can I fake this? Will they torcher me for the truth? Can I pass as an innocent bystander?
Tears tried to gather behind her closed eyes. She swallowed them down hard, jaw clenched as she begged her own body to obey her wishes.
Someone please. Please help me.
Jade silently called out to the universe, despite knowing this situation was hopeless.
"Hey."
Suddenly, a familiar voice spoke from somewhere behind them. The guard carrying her stopped, and Jade felt the man turn to face the speaker.
"Where do you think you're going?"
The voice was calm, flat, and impossible to mistake. Aamon. Jade felt her heart stumbled, she could not believe her luck. Aamon was there. He was suddenly always there.
Jade felt the man holding her go stiff. He seemed to sense some danger she could not detect. The guard cleared his throat, trying to sound steady. "Sir. Dr. Foster ordered this one be taken to debriefing."
"Put her down." Aamon's tone didn't rise, but it carried weight like a command laced with a dare to defy him.
"Sir," the guard said, and Jade felt him tense, "I can't do that. She interfered with a matter of great importance. We need information from her."
Aamon's voice turned to ice. "You can tell Foster that if he has a problem, he can come find me." Jade could hear the click of his shoes on the tile floor as he neared her. The air felt cold, his presence was undeniable.
The guard's breath hitched. Jade heard a faint shuffle as the man moved back from Aamon. Then the guard lowered her to the floor.
Aamon's voice dropped into something low and lethal. "If you value your pathetic mortal life, you will be wise to never touch her again."
The hallway went quiet and Jade could imagine the stare down happening now only she knew who the victor would be. Jade heard guard retreat a moment later, fast and frightened, his boots fading down the hall. For a moment she stayed still, heart racing. She refused to open her eyes, fearful that this entire situation was a trick. Maybe it wasn't really Aamon. Maybe she was so desperate for help, her brain had invented this delusion of being saved.
Then warmth spread through the air, blooming like sunlight on her skin. Jade's curiosity pried one eyelid open far enough for her to peak through her lashes. Aamon crouched over her, his face so close to hers that she could see the glow in his eyes. Heat radiated off him in waves, but it was slowly dying, controlled, like he reined it in.
Jade's throat tightened as her eyes shot fully open. She stared up at him in disbelief. It really was Aamon. Without warning, her eyes filled, fast and humiliating. Tears slid sideways into her hairline. Too many emotions hit at once: fear, relief, confusion, the sharp ache of not wanting to be alone again.
Aamon's mouth curved, he almost looked relieved.
"Seems your curiosity has gotten you in trouble again." He murmured. "Curious kitties only have so many lives." His smile softened slightly.
The comment cracked something open inside Jade. Something difficult to put into words gave way and Jade's body moved before her pride could stop it. She threw her arms around his neck, clinging to him like he was an anchor in a world that had stopped making sense.
For one breath, she felt safe. She felt Aamon stiffen. Then pain flashed through her arms like electricity down a wire. Jade gasped and fell back hard, hitting the tile. Her skin stung where she'd touched him. Her chest seized, grief and embarrassment tangling into one ugly knot.
She stared up at him, tears streaming, unable to form the question: Did you do that on purpose?
Aamon blinked, genuinely caught off guard. Then his face tightened with something that looked dangerously close to frustration.
Not at her. At himself.
He stepped back, hands curling at his sides, jaw set. He could never offer her physical comfort. For all his power, all his control, he couldn't do the one simple thing she'd reached for. He would only ever be able to help her from a distance.
Jade sobbed once, quietly, and the sound scraped the inside of him like a blade. Zeth appeared at Aamon's shoulder, expression worried, eyes bright with concern. He glanced at Aamon, then down at Jade and he stepped forward.
"Let me help you." He extended a hand toward Jade.
Jade slapped his hand away and rolled to her feet, wiping her face with the back of her sleeve like anger could erase the humiliation.
"I don't need your help," she snapped.
"Or your pity." Jade hissed as she got to her feet.
Zeth recoiled, surprised more than offended. Aamon didn't move. His eyes stayed on Jade, unreadable.
Jade swallowed hard and forced her voice into something quieter, sharper.
"I don't understand you," she said to Aamon, and it came out shakier than she wanted.
"You keep doing things that confuse me. You help me but won't explain anything. You act like you want to protect me but you're keeping me at a distance. Am I a game to you? Am I just some silly mortal you will eventually get bored of and forget about?"
Jade's words drifted into silence as the truth of her own fears became real. Aamon walked past her without responding. Jade felt her heart sink into her stomach as he passed. Jade watched Aamon for a moment as he headed back to her office. Zeth set a lift hand on her shoulder, startling her.
"I think he was just worried about you." Zeth offers a small smile as he tries to comfort Jade.
Jade huffs, shrugging his hand off her. "I told you. I don't need your pity." Jade snaps at him before putting her head down and walking slowly towards her office. Zeth shakes his head and slowly follows her.
Back in her lab, the fluorescent lighting felt too normal. Too sterile for what had just happened. Aamon stood at the window with his back to them, arms folded across his chest. Heat shimmered faintly around him, rising and falling like his temper was a living thing.
Jade sat heavily on a stool, rubbing her arms where they still stung. She watched him for a moment, then looked away, jaw tight. Her scientist brain clung to the measurable because her emotions were a mess.
If he's angry, he radiates heat, she thought distantly. And he was angry. But why? Because she hugged him? Because she got in trouble? Because he had to step in?
Jade closed her eyes and forced a slow breath. Anger wouldn't fix anything. Anger never fixed anything. She opened her eyes again. Aamon hadn't moved.
Jade took a deep breath and let it out slowly. Her voice came out flat and full of exhaustion. "I didn't mean what I said. Well, I did mean it but not the way I said it. I mean. Not entirely."
Jade put her head in her hands, frustration making it difficult to explain herself. She swallowed and tried again. "What I mean, what I'm trying to say."
Jade looked back up, Aamon still had not turned to face her. She took another deep breath.
"Aamon, thank you. I don't know why you keep helping me. I don't know why you won't explain things clearly to me. But I am grateful for your help, whether it was intentional or circumstantial and," Jade paused, rubbing her arm uncomfortably. "I'm sorry." Jade let her gaze fall back to the floor.
Aamon finally turned, ember eyes fixed on her with unnerving focus. "Sorry?" Aamon questioned her. Something in the way he said the word made Jade feel small. Made her want to say more and disappear at the same time.
She nodded stiffly, feeling herself fink further into her chair. "For snapping at you. At both of you." Jade finally said, her voice was small.
Aamon's expression shifted. Something in his eyes eased, a fraction. He turned back toward the window again, shoulders loosening slightly as if the apology had taken the edge off something he hadn't known how to name.
"Aamon?" Jade's voice carried in the room, quietly, uncertain. "Can you just give me one clear answer? Just this once? Please?" Jade paused, waiting for him to respond. When he stayed quiet, she continued.
"What am I to you?" Jade held her breath the moment the question left her lips. She wanted reassurance. She hopped he would call her a friend. That Aamon would admit to wanting to help her, promise to stay, to keep saving her. That he would keep fixing things that went wrong.
"Research," he said quietly.
Jade blinked. "What?"
Aamon exhaled, then faced her fully, resting his hands on the window ledge behind him, posture composed, old-fashioned in its restraint.
"You are… research," he said slowly, voice cool but not unkind. "You are a strange mortal. Your face changes colors. You say things without thinking, then you punish yourself for it. You keep secrets. You don't beg." His eyes narrowed slightly, curious. "And you weren't afraid of me. Even after seeing me."
Aamon's gaze held hers. "One might say I'm as curious about you as you are about me."
He paused, as if testing the shape of the words before letting them go.
"Is that a satisfactory answer?"
Jade stared at him, unsure if she trusted her own words at that moment. He had given her an honest answer, but it was not the answer she had hoped for. It was the answer to the one question she had been too afraid to ask because the answer would be too painful to hear.
So you will leave eventually. Jade thought to herself as she nodded, knowing her words would betray her pain if she spoke.