Page 16 of Forged in Deception

The Professor had promised, and his word was true. The woman had never doubted it.

When the snake spoke, its voice was gentle, feminine. It floated on clouds of color, filling the woman’s mind from all directions, driving out all else.

“I am an interdimensional being. The people of your earth might refer to me as an alien or something else. I have one true name, but I am known by many. You may call me Mother.”

“Thank you,” the woman said. She realized that tears were rolling down her cheeks. The beauty of the snake was too much to be contained within her heart. Her joy was spilling over.

“I have chosen you, dear one,” the snake said. It was the softest, kindest voice that the woman had ever heard. “I have chosen you for great things.”

CHAPTER

EIGHT

ASHER

“Shush! It’s officially way too early for you to be squawking like that,” Asher said, eyeing the black, crow-like bird that had planted itself directly in the middle of the path to the dining hall. “Though I have to admit, it is pretty out here.”

Asher and Karlin had arrived at the retreat site late the night before, and he hadn’t been able to see much aside from his comfortable cabin. Karlin had parked her Kia at the main Senera research compound on their way in, exchanging it for a more rugged Jeep, but it had been too dark and quiet to get a look at much aside from the parking lot.

With little to do but read the single book he had in his carry-on, he’d gone to bed early and managed to wake up around dawn. Gabe would be so proud. And in the bright morning sun, the beauty of the property was undeniable.

Several buildings dotted the reddish desert landscape, most of them made with local materials that made them almost disappear into the scenery. Despite the lateness of the season, flowers bloomed all over, and several towering cacti cast coolshadows. From the looks of it, no expense had been spared in designing the area to look more like a Pinterest-worthy resort than a site to conduct medical trials.

When the bird finally meandered off the path–shooting Asher a final threatening glare–he pulled open the door to the dining hall and stepped inside.

It took his eyes a moment to adjust to the gentle lighting as he scanned the large space. It was far and away the largest building he’d seen so far, with a single, massively long table and dark tile flooring that reminded him a little of being inside a cave. Though the decor was simple, it followed the same luxurious-yet-natural style as the exterior.

Along a narrower table on the far side of the room, stacked with breakfast options, he spotted Karlin pouring a steaming beverage into a mug.

“Good morning,” he said pleasantly as he began to walk over, his sneakers squeaking slightly on the floor. With no one else but the two of them here, his steps were almost loud enough to echo.

“Good morning, Axel,” Karlin said flatly, looking up at him for less than a second before ripping open a pale green packet of stevia and tossing it into her mug.

Guess she was back to treating him like a barely-tolerable annoyance.

Oh well. He’d win her over eventually. And if he couldn’t, well, at least annoying her was fun.

“This is quite the spread,” he said, gesturing broadly to the piles of fresh fruit, warming trays filled with thick oatmeal, dark brown toast, fresh-squeezed juices, and various other Gabe-approved healthy breakfast options. “But, uh, I don’t see any coffee. Or bacon.”

That got a smile out of her, along with a single raised eyebrow.

“I thought you would have done enough research to know that the food on this retreat is caffeine free, sugar free, vegetarian, and exclusively organic.”

“I was a little more focused on researching other things,” he said, taking an instinctive glance toward the ceiling in search of security cameras. He wasn’t about to accuse Senera of criminal activity out loud, but Karlin seemed to get the gist.

“Well, there is actually a reason for the diet restrictions,” Karlin said, still smirking. “We’ve studied this question heavily. As it turns out, the traditional diets that shamans prescribe with other psychedelics have some scientific backing, so we follow a lot of the same advice when we give our patients DX8.”

“Are you sure it’s not just because it makes this place look more like a fancy celebrity rehab?”

“Oh, that’s definitely part of it.”

“Great,” Asher said, grabbing a mug and plucking a bag of herbal tea from the table at random. “If I die of scurvy, I’m suing.”

Karlin laughed, and once again, Asher found himself struck with just how different she looked when she loosened up. He could only imagine the gorgeousness that would ensue if she actually removed her ponytail and let her red hair fall to her shoulders.

“You do realize scurvy is the one where youdon’teat vegetables, right? It's a severe vitamin C deficiency.”

Asher picked up a slice of lemon and held it over his right eye. “Right. Scurvy is the pirate one. Arr, matey! Walk the plank!”

---