Page 81 of Carnival
???
“Do I really have to do this?”
I squirm on the high stool, shifting my gaze between Aria, James, and Freya.
Freya works for the De Santis family, and essentially, her specialty is poisons. To get to her lab, we had to put on protective suits, two layers, masks, and gloves that took ages to take off, and walk through a botanic garden filled with deadly venomous plants. She’s in her early thirties, with long, fiery red hair and a look of pure annoyance on her face.
“Yes,’’ Aria and James respond at the same time.
Aria steps forward, taking my hand in hers. “I told you, didn’t I? I’m having you chipped. It’s happening today.’’
Freya’s behind the two, in her white lab coat and a pair of glasses. She puts on latex gloves and pulls out a syringe. My eyes bulge out at the size of that thing, the needle being thick as hell. No way I’m letting that anywhere near me.
“Get your hands off her,’’ James grumbles, staring at the way Aria’s holding my hand.
“Make me, bitch,’’ she scoffs.
“You don’t have to tell me twice.’’ He takes a menacing step forward, and I groan. This has been happening for the past two weeks, them bickering and arguing at every given opportunity. It’s Aria’s fault, really. She was the one who had him pulled out of prison.
“Enough, both of you,’’ I sigh, and both their attentions snap back to me.
“Look, Rose, you need this, alright? I know the needle looks fucking terrifying, but I’ve done it twice, and it doesn’t really hurt. She won’t push it too deep so it could easily be removed.’’
“Why Freya, though? She’s a chemist, not a doctor.’’
Freya snorts from behind. “I did med school for three years before switching to chemistry. Trust me, I can do much more than just inject a chip into someone’s body. For example, I’m no stranger to removing limbs, which I’ll do to you if you continue to piss me off.’’
“Alright,’’ I raise my hands up in surrender, and Freya finally approaches me. She takes a small cotton swab filled with alcohol and disinfects the small spot on my forearm.
“This will sting a little, but if you scream like a little bitch, I’ll kill you,’’ she threatens, and somehow, I believe her.
She’s very attractive but very scary, too. Especially since she’s wearing an eye patch. I don’t dare ask how long or why she’s wearing one. It’s none of my business, and I highly doubt she’d tell me. More like she’d kill me for asking it.
She brushes her thumb across the spot where she’ll inject the needle, and I squeeze my eyes shut, bracing myself for the impact. Instead, nothing happens. I wait another couple of seconds, but when I don’t feel the needle piercing through my skin, I peel my eyes open.
Freya’s brow is narrowed, head tilted to the side as she again brushes her thumb against the spot. I wince a little. Her eyes flick to mine, and she pushes her thumb into the skin, and I straight up let out a small yelp.
“How long has this spot been sore?”
I shrug. “Since I can remember. It only hurts if someone roughly touches it, though.’’
“Huh,’’ she takes a step back, putting the syringe on a small metal tray, then sits in one of the spinning chairs, grabbing my forearm with both her hands, inspecting the small area.
“What is it?”
“I’m not quite sure,’’ she murmurs, then speaks without looking up from my arm. “Aria, third drawer on the left. There’s a small metal rod; go grab it.’’
Aria nods and wordlessly goes to open the drawer. It takes her less than a minute to return, and Freya finally releases the hold on me. There’s a button on the top of the metal rod, which Freya presses. Then, she runs it along the length of my arm.
Nothing happens until she reaches the spot, and it starts beeping.
“Why am I beeping? I haven’t stolen anything yet.’’
Freya ignores my poor attempt to joke and continues to run the rod along my arm a few more times, just to make sure. Eachtime, it beeps when it reaches the spot she was supposed to inject with the tracking chip.
“This is a metal detector,’’ she finally looks up at me. “Did you have any severe surgeries in your childhood that might’ve been the reason for the fucking metal in your body?”
I shake my head. “No.’’
