Page 34 of Black Bay Defender
“I asked.”
And that was an even bigger surprise, but one that sent a little thrill through her. She hoped it meant he found her as attractive as she found him, but it was probably wishful thinking on her part. His eyes were flat, cold, and uninterested as he stared at her. As a soldier, he’d most likely only asked about her to assess her threat level.
She cleared her throat. “I, ah, came to talk to you about potentially helping you regain your memories.”
“Oh?”
Did he know about the Beasts? Had he been told about the experiments that had been performed on them? Just the sight of her should have cued him in that she wasn’t normal. She gestured toward her face. “My DNA was spliced primarily with that of serpents among a host of other exotic creatures to a lesser degree. I can mesmerize people. I might be able to use that to free your memories.”
“How does that work?”
He had a nice voice, but it was so flat, toneless, without even a hint of the curiosity the question suggested.
“I hold your gaze and ask you some questions. You’ll be compelled to answer.”
He gave a sharp dip of his chin in acknowledgement and then he was striding toward her. He stopped about a foot away, and Lark closed the remainder of the distance. He topped her by about half a head and she couldn’t help thinking he was the perfect height.
Reaching up, she placed her palms on either side of his face. Touching wasn’t necessary for her gift to work, but she wanted to put her hands on him, wanted to touch him. His skin was warm, his jawline just slightly rough with bristles, and he smelled amazing. The sudden urge to bury her head in his neck and just breathe him in was a strong one. But she wasn’t here for that.
He gripped her wrist with his right hand, the one that was still flesh and blood, but he didn’t try to remove her hand. He just held on, and maybe, that hopeful part of her suggested, it was because he wanted to touch her too.
Her eyes locked on his as her pupils constricted to the barest slits. “I want you to think back to when you were a child. As far back as you can.”
Normally when she did this, there was a pupillary response in her prey, but Grady’s eyes never changed. That didn’t mean it wasn’t working. It always worked. It would work on him too.
“What do you see?”
“Nothing new. Flashes of memories that I’d already seen thanks to my sister. Otherwise, my earliest clear memory is waking up like this.” He raised his prosthetic arm, spreading the mechanical fingers.
Lark’s mouth popped open and she blinked in surprise.
Tonelessly, he told her, “It is likely my ocular upgrades. My eyes are no longer those of a human.”
Lark’s eyes blinked open and she took a moment to absorb what she’d just remembered. While it had that hazy quality around the edges that dreams often do, she knew it was a memory and not some fabrication her subconscious had tossed up. Last night’s incident may have been slightly traumatic for all involved, but it had managed to unlock some of the time she was missing. Not all of it, she still had gaps, but this was a good sign. She remembered that first meeting with Grady. It hadn’t ended there either. She’d refused to give up, had returned again and again, asking different questions, trying to make it work.
Typical of her, she’d been fascinated by the data Jace had sent her about the Resurrection program and had dug in deep wanting to know everything. When Grady had shown up at Black Bay, she’d told herself that the reason she was so intrigued by him was because of the information he could give her – the additional understanding – but the truth was, she was attracted to him, plain and simple. Just being near him made her body hum despite his cold robotic responses that were so opposed to the Grady Carter his sister had told Lark about.
Paige. She remembered Paige now too. The warm, generous, compassionate nurse that Jace had brought home with him. The woman who had quickly become one of Lark’s best friends.
There was a quiet knock on her bedroom door and Lark’s mouth quirked up in a smile. Definitely not Kong. When he knocked, the windows rattled. Scooching up higher on her pillows, she called out, “Come in.”
Jayla poked her head around the door. “Did I wake you?”
“No, I was up.”
Taking that as an invitation, the woman came in with a tray held between her hands. “I brought you breakfast.”
There was a bowl of oatmeal with sliced bananas, buttered toast, and a cup of tea on the tray. “How are you feeling?” Jayla asked as she set the food in front of Lark.
“I got some of my memories back.”
The woman’s face brightened. “You did? Oh, that makes me so happy. What did you remember?”
“Grady,” Lark told her with a small smile as she picked up the teacup. “And Paige.”
Jayla clapped her hands together. “That’s wonderful news.” She settled herself into the chair by the bed and leaned forward eagerly. “And speaking of Grady, I have gossip.”
Lark chuckled. “Of course you do.” Jayla always had gossip and was always ready to share.
