Chapter 110 Ch. 80
“I thought it was a unique bond per person?” Zara asked. “Like me and Ethan? Like a…”
“It is. But we don’t know what type of catalyst you are.”
“What does that even mean?” She questioned.
“Ask her,” Lorenzo said. “I’ll be right back.”
He turned and walked out of the room, letting the door click shut behind him.
Zara waited a moment, then she took a step toward the woman. She didn’t care so much about understanding the bond. That could wait.
"You have to help me," Zara said, urgently, looking behind her as if Lorenzo would appear. "You aren't on his side, are you?"
"I am selfish," Imogen said, picking under her fingernails and not looking up. "I only ever help myself."
"Please," Zara pleaded, clutching her hands together. "Do it for my mother’s sake."
“And why would I do it for her sake?”
“Becayse you were friends?” Zara said, but it sounded like a question even to her
"How sure are you that I was even friends with your mother?" Imogen asked, finally looking up.
Zara swallowed hard, trying to keep her voice from shaking. “I dunno… you said I looked like her and…”
“It’s merely an observation. Not a declaration of our friendship.”
Zara nodded, but she was going to give up. "I need to train. I need to be strong enough to escape here and protect myself from any type of danger. I can't stay like this. We can run together and then tou teach me… wherever you live.”
Imogen crossed her arms over her chest and walked a slow circle around Zara. "What do you actually know about yourself?"
"I know I am bonded to Ethan," Zara said, trying to think clearly. "There is something about my blood that gives vampire folks power, and I have had these terrible chest pains ever since I found out what Ethan really was. When he cousins compel me.”
"The catalyst awakening," Imogen murmured, nodding to herself.
"Huh?" Zara asked.
"What you are was suppressed at birth by your mother," Imogen said, stopping right in front of her. "The spell probably expired, and now the power is coming out. It is like a dam breaking."
“Okay?”
“Tell me. What gifts do you have— not what your blood can do.
"Once, when I was captured by those people, I thought about breaking a woman’s arm and it just happened," Zara said, her hands shaking at the memory. "It took me a long time to figure out how to fix it back. I have tried to make other things happen since then by concentrating, but nothing ever works."
Imogen leaned in close, her eyes searching Zara’s face with an intensity that made her want to look away. "Because you are trying to force a river to flow uphill, Zara. You do not even know what you are holding inside."
"Then tell me," Zara said, her voice growing stronger as she met the woman's gaze. "Tell me how to make it happen again. If my mother suppressed it, she must have had a reason, but she isn't here to protect me anymore. I have to do it myself so I have to learn."
Imogen reached out, her fingers hovering just inches from Zara’s pulse point at her neck. "She did it because a catalyst is a target. You are a battery for everyone else's ambition. You broke that Wo man’s arm because you were afraid, weren't you?"
“I was terrified. I just wanted her to not touch or do anything to me.”
"Fear is a doorway," Imogen murmured, pulling her hand back and pacing the small room. "But you cannot live your life in a state of panic just to access your own gifts. You have to learn to find the door without needing someone to kick it down for you."
Before Zara could ask how, the door to the room swung open. Lorenzo walked in first, his face set in a hard line. Behind him, three men in dark clothing pushed in several metal cabinets. The cabinets were tall and sat on small black tires that squeaked against the floor. They were filled with glass jars, various metal instruments, and monitors that hummed softly.
Lorenzo stopped in the center of the room, gesturing to the equipment and the men standing by it. "These men will assist you with anything you need, Imogen. They have been briefed on how to handle the samples."
Imogen didn't even look at the cabinets. She kept her eyes on Lorenzo, her expression bored. "I do not need assistance. I have told you before, Lorenzo, I prefer to work alone. Other people only get in the way of the flow."
"You are dealing with a catalyst. These type of powers have vanished for several years,@ Lorenzo said, his voice dropping an octave. "It is unpredictable. You might need someone to hold her down, or someone to fetch a different set of tools…"
"I can handle a girl," Imogen snapped, finally turning to look at the men. "And I certainly do not need three sets of eyes tracking every move I make. Tell them to leave."
Lorenzo didn't budge. He crossed his arms over his chest, his feet planted firmly on the floor. "Oh, you might need them, so just have them here. Consider it a courtesy."
"A courtesy?" Imogen laughed. "You don't know the meaning of the word. You want them here to make sure I don't walk out of that door with her, or to make sure I don't teach her something you haven't approved of yet."
"I am protecting my investment," Lorenzo replied. He took a step toward her, his shadow falling over the equipment. "Even if you decide you truly do not need their hands to help you move a jar or steady a needle, just know that you are being watched. Every drop of blood is accounted for. Every word you say to her is recorded."