(Just going to say I am sorry it took so long to update this. I got really into writing Divergent Path and the Star Wars fictions)
Trinity Blood: Prequel: Wizard's Treachery
Chapter 7: The Threat, Part 2: Edge of Loss
Thomas looked out the window of the small tea shop. Cars moved through the narrow streets. The metal buildings gleamed in the pure light of the sun. Overhead the barrier mimicked a bright blue sky. There were no clouds in sight, not that this meant much. It could be cloudy and raining acid beyond the barrier for all Thomas knew.
"What are your plans now?" Katy asked, drawing Thomas from the window and back into the tea shop.
"Hmm?" Thomas leaned back in his sit. His hands were wrapped around the steaming cup of tea. "As soon as I'm old enough, I'm going to get a job as a genetic scientist and try to improve the lives of enhanced humans." Now he said this aloud he realized how ridiculous it sounded. He laughed. "It sounds silly when I say it."
"No," Katy stated with a shrug. "It's your dream."
Thomas smiled. A warmth filled him at the thought at least one person understood. "Would you like to come with me and help?" he asked.
There was an almost amused look on Katy's face at his words. "Thomas," she started, sounding patient as if he was younger than fifteen, "you're still a kind."
Say what? Thomas stared at her, not certain he'd heard correctly. Still a kid? Did that mean she did find his plan for the future a silly one? He knew it was idealistic and might never come true. Even still…
"It's not a bad thing," Katy added. A dreamy look had come over her eyes as she looked out her window. Her head rested on her hand. "Have you ever thought on a life beyond being what we went to collage for?"
"Eh?" Thomas blinked, caught off guard by this question. "What else is there?" he demanded. His father had been a genetic scientist. It was really the only path Thomas could follow. Jobs funded by the UN paid well enough for him to leave his step-mother's house and strike out on his own. He wouldn't be a burden to his father anymore and he could leave Kadin and woman far, far behind him. "It's the only future I really want."
"You don't want a family, kids even?" Katy asked, looking at him now with a frown on her face.
Thomas laughed. "I'm fifteen, Katy, that's the last thing I've on my mind right now."
"Really? Most fifteen year olds can't wait to start dating."
"Well, I'm not 'most' fifteen year olds," he stated, forcing the hurt out of his voice at what her words implied. "I'm normal if that's what your saying, but I've years ahead of me to think on having a family."
Katy laughed. "Yes, I suppose you do." Her smile widened. "But I don't."
"You're only twenty-eight, you've plenty of time before you need to think on it."
There was a long pause in which Katy shifted. She looked out the window. There was something she wanted to tell him, he could see it in the way she shifted and the glazed, distant look in her brown eyes. She twisted strands of her curly blond hair around her finger.
"All right, what is it?" Thomas asked after several long seconds.
"Thomas," she looked at him before exclaiming, "I'm getting married!" A hug smile spread across her face as she showed him the ring. It was gold with a diamond placed on it. Stranger still it looked like real gold and a real diamond which would've cost more than even Thomas' father could make in his lifetime. "His name's Michal Sforza."
Thomas stared at her as she continued on about it. Then, when a break came, he finally found his voice. "Congratulations!" For some odd reason his smile was forced. It wasn't so much the fact he was jealous, because he wasn't. The fact was that in his heart he'd hoped the two of them would've been able to work together as genetic scientists one day.
The Sforza family, especially the main branch, was extremely rich. Even richer than Thomas' step-mother and that was saying something. They were one of the major backers of the UN in public which allowed them to maintain a hold on their wealth and old titles, but there was something hidden about the family which had made Thomas avoided Michal when he was at school.
"Oh, it's going to be wonderful, Thomas. The wedding's planned for a little over a year from now. I hope you'll be able to make it."
"I hope so too," Thomas said with a happy smile. It still felt fake. Why couldn't he bring himself to be happy for her? She wanted this more than anything else, he could see this. Even still, he couldn't smile and mean it.
It was the fact that, in the end their paths were going to be different. He would start working as a genetic scientist and she might never even end up in the field at all. In the end it didn't matter much. She was happy and that was what counted.
"I'll see you again before I head for Italy," Katy was saying when Thomas pulled himself from his thoughts. "It'll be fine. We'll still be friends and everything even if you do end up working for the UN."
"Yeah," Thomas stated. "When are you leaving?"
"Day after tomorrow. Come here tomorrow around ten and we can talk again, maybe see the old London palace or Big Ben if the UN is letting people for tours tomorrow?"
"That'll be great!" Thomas meant it too. He loved seeing both the instead of the palace and Big Ben. "I'll see you then." Thomas got to his feet and paid for her drink and his.
Thomas left the shop and started off through the crowded streets. He didn't want to head back just yet. Instead he needed to pick up his diploma. There wasn't away he'd be able to get without doing so. So Thomas stopped by the university and got his diploma before he headed towards the historic city of London.
As always there were UN personal stationed at the entrances into the historic city so Thomas headed towards the river side and sat down. The dark water of the River Thames sloshed at the barriers as it headed towards the ocean.
By the day after tomorrow there would only be one person left here that Thomas cared about. That would be his father. So much was changing and everything would never be the same. In a year's time Katy would be married and would start a family.
What did Thomas want out of his future? What sort of future could he have? He was fifteen and had graduated collage with a doctorate in genetic science. Perhaps in ten years he'd want an family… but who in their right mind would fall in love with someone like him? Even then, would it be worth it? His father traveled a lot and Thomas didn't want to be anything but a genetic scientist.
He sighed and rested his chin on his knee. "I guess the future is never certain." He smiled at himself, eyes locked on the water. His father should be home by now. Perhaps he should head back. Thomas stood and stretched. He tucked the diploma into his bag before he started the long walk back towards the mansion.
xxx
"Stop it!" Carter shouted. He placed himself between Isaak and his family. "Stop, Isaak, please."
"Stop?" Isaak looked coolly at the man who'd given him this name, really the first name he'd ever had.
There was nothing he felt towards him. All that mattered was the test subject and the future that subjects genetics could unlock. The subject was the step before the Gods next hosts could be created. Yes, through his genetic code their hosts would be made.
"Stop," Isaak repeated in a low, almost icy voice. He stood. "Do you have any idea what sort of hell you left me in?" Never once did Isaak's voice rise.
"I couldn't go back, Isaak. If Emily hadn't died in childbirth, I would never have left you there. You have to believe me!"
Childbirth? But the time given would've meant she'd had to have been pregnant around the time they'd fled together. The subject was safe, those had been Carter's words as they'd made to leave. Was it possible Emily had fallen ill while giving birth to the test subject? Yes, it could be. No matter how hard one tried no mortal could survive long after giving birth to one like the test subject or one like Isaak if Isaak had been born what he was now.
Isaak gave a small, cold laugh at Carter's words, showing none of the conclusion he'd arrived at. "I have to? I thought I believed you back then, but mortals have one thing on their mind: survival." He paused with a look at the two he held captive. "Now, tell me, where's the test subject?"
The man shifted and glanced at Kadin. There was worry and pain in his eyes. "I'll tell you if you let my sons go."
Sons? So the one who wasn't here would have to be around fifteen and if he was then he would be the person Isaak was looking for.
Isaak smiled. The demon holding Kadin lowered him to the floor before steering the boy over to Isaak. The boy's face was shock white and his eyes flickered as if he were trying to look anywhere but at Isaak.
"I'll tell you what," Isaak started, "we'll play a little game here and if you don't answer my question you loss something." Isaak pulled out a gun he had enough foresight to bring along.
"Don't!" Carter took a step towards them.
Isaak held out the gun to Kadin, one hand on the boy's shoulders. "Listen closely, child, take the gun and point it at your father."
The boy's eyes widened. He looked at his father and back at Isaak. "B-but," he stammered.
"Leave him out of this!" Carter shouted and moved again.
Isaak shot a glare at him and a demon took hold of Carter from behind. To the boy Isaak said, "You're father here seems to care more about the life of an enhanced human than yours or your mothers."
The boy's eyes widened and he looked again at his father. Kadin shook his head, but his eyes gave away the pain at the new. Tears were already welling up in his eyes. Isaak had him. Slowly Kadin took the gun from Isaak and turned.
"Isaak," Carter started.
"Tell me where it is," Isaak said with a hint of ice in his voice. He knelt beside the boy, keeping a loose grip on his shoulder.
Carter shook his head. "Don't do this—"
A scream tore from Kadin's lips. The sound of the gun going off was sweet music to Isaak. Carter gasped and struck the floor, holding a point just below his stomach. By the blood on Isaak could tell the bullet had logged in his spin.
Blood pooled around Carter. He glared at Isaak. "Kadin—"
"Where's the test subject?" Isaak repeated, holding back the urge to smile at Carter's pain. "One simple answer and this'll be over."
Carter pushed himself into sitting position, gasping and clutching at the wound. "No matter how long you look, you won't find him, Isaak," Carter growled.
"Him?" Isaak's eyebrows rose with interest. So he was right it was the older boy. "I see." Isaak bent closer to the boy and whispered, "Your father loves your brother more than both you and your mother. Look at all the pain he's put through just to protect him."
Kadin's hand shook. The boy's eyes were wide as tears trickled down his face.
"Kadin, don't listen to him." Carter was looking at Kadin with a plea in his eyes. "I love you and your mother dearly." The fool actually sounded sincere.
"Y-you let Thomas get away w-with everything," Kadin whispered. More tears slid down his round face.
"I only want what's best for you and your future, Kadin."
"Then why didn't he give away your brother right away?" Isaak whispered to the boy.
Kadin shook his head. He stared at his father and shook his head again. Hand shaking, Kadin moved it so the muzzle was pointing towards Isaak instead.
Isaak leapt back as the muzzle flared. His shield flew up only seconds before the bullets would've hit him. The bullets clattered to the floor. Kadin had fully turned on Isaak. The boy's hands were steady and his eyes were filled with so much hatred for Isaak it was clear the boy was far beyond listening to him.
"I've all I came for," Isaak stated with a smile and a mock bow to the boy. The ground shifted under him and he sank down into darkness before reappearing just outside the mansion.
Screams sounded for the home as Serena no doubt raced over to Carter. In the distance Isaak could just make out a teenage boy racing towards the house. It wouldn't be long now until Isaak knew if Serena fully rejected the test subject and cast him out or if he'd be able to stay. The woman didn't seem to be accepting type.
A smile appeared on Isaak's face as the sun sank below the horizon. Soon the subject would fall into his hands and he'd be that much closer to his Gods arrival on this world. Everything was falling into place. Now there was little which could stop his Gods from coming. Very, very little.
The only thing was Thomas. If the boy didn't agree to come or if he somehow managed to stay then that was a problem. Isaak felt as if Thomas had a rule to play in the events which would lead up to the Gods' arrival on this world.
(Author's Note: Just as a heads up, Katy will be a reoccurring character throughout the story. That's why she got a name.
I really need to start working on this book again, especially with the colony now heading back to Earth. Certain events in this book I need to write before book 2 starts up. Why? Because in Empire's Dawn there are three planned point of view characters: Abel (obviously), Aran, and Thomas. For Thomas to be on this book has to be done. So I am going to be trying to switch between it, Divergent Path, and The Mandalorian Wars before school starts up.)
