Thirty Five

Thirty Five
“SHATTERED MIRRORS”

Astrid's POV

The safe house clings to the city’s edge — remote but reachable. Three days since we escaped the island. Three days watching Eagan fall apart.

I brew tea at the kitchen counter, catching a glimpse of him through the doorway, sitting stiff with exhaustion beside Elara’s bed. He has hardly slept since we've been here.

Military doctor Liam brought checks Elara’s vitals again: generally stable, mentally unknown.

I bring the mug to Eagan. "You need to rest."

“I’m fine,” he says, not looking up.

"You're not." My hand encounters the tautness of his shoulder. "She's not going anywhere."

"She might. If she wakes up still the way I conditioned her… I need to be prepared.”

The doctor completing her examination. "Vitals improving. Brain activity increasing. She could wake up at any moment.”

When we are alone with Elara, I sit facing him. “What are you going to do when she wakes up not recognizing you?

He has eyes for his sister only. "Keep trying."

“What if she tries to kill you again?”

"She won't get the chance."

Between us, the cold implication hangs. I place my hand on my slightly swollen belly.

“You can’t stay here forever,” I tell her.

"Yes, I can."

"Eagan—"

"She's my sister. My blood. Two decades of searching for her. I won't abandon her now."

“We’re not asking you to give up on her. “But this obsession is destroying you.”

Danger flashes in his eyes. "This isn't obsession. This is family."

"And what am I? What's your child?"

He reaches across the bed to take my hand. "Also family. But different."

"Different how?"

"Elara is my past. My responsibility. My failure." His eyes drop to my stomach. "The baby is my future. A chance to do better."

"And me?"

There’s a pained smile on his lips. “You were the impossibility I never deserved.”

Elara’s fingers twitch over the sheets.

“Back off,” Eagan warns, standing. "Stay by the door."

I back away, hand on the doorknob, as Eagan moves to where she’ll see him first.

"Elara," he calls louder. "Can you hear me?"

Her eyelids unstick, revealing a dazed gaze directed at Eagan. She gazes, offering no acknowledgment.

"Do you know who I am?" he asks, voice controlled.

She licks dry lips. “In Target —” she begins, trailing off and looking puzzled. "No... that's not... I don't..."

"What's your name?"

″E-37,″ she says automatically, and winces. "No... Elara. I'm... Elara."

Eagan relaxes slightly. "Do you know who I am?"

Her eyes sweep over his features. “Brother,” she whispers, the word feeling foreign.

Eagan’s face changes to relief.

"That's right. I'm your brother. Eagan."

"Eagan," she repeats. “They told me … you were dead.”

"They lied."

Sitting up causes her shoulder wound to grimace. "Where am I?"

"Somewhere safe. You were injured."

“I shot you,” she suddenly says, her eyes widening. As you recall … they told me to kill you.”

"You tried. But I'm hard to kill."

Her gaze shifts to me. "Who is she?"

"This is Astrid. She's with me."

I approach cautiously. Up close, their family resemblance is obvious — same intense eyes, same proud nose. But where Eagan has arrogance, she has only confusion.

"Hello," I offer quietly.

She nods, then turns back to Eagan. "How long?"

"Since the island? Three days."

"No. How long has it been… since they took me.”

His jaw tightens. "Eighteen years."

It physically affects her in the number. “It’s like … yesterday and forever.”

"What do you remember?"

"Pieces. Fragments. Most of that is blocked by the conditioning. They would… reset me any time memories came back.”

"Reset you how?"

"Drugs. Electroshock. Sensory deprivation. Whatever worked."
Eagan's knuckles whiten. "Who ran the program? Give me names."

“Eagan,” I say, “she just woke up.”

Elara's eyes dart between us. “The Brothers made conditioning. Supervised by Doctor Vega.”

"Julian Vega?" Eagan demands.

She nods. "He was always there. Always watching."

Eagan's lips twist into a frosty smile. "Thank you. That's helpful."

“You‘re going to kill him,” Elara says.

"Yes."

"Good. But it won't fix me."

Her truth hangs in the air. I lay my hand on Eagan’s shaking shoulder.

“I should let you rest,” I say to Elara. "You've been through a lot."

"Wait," she calls. "Are you... his wife?"

"No."

“But you’re going to have his baby.”

My hand moves to my stomach. "How did you—"

"They enhanced my perception. Your body language — how you defend your belly, skin color changes. I was trained to pay attention to everything.”

"Yes," I confirm. "I'm pregnant."

Something in her eyes softens. “I always wondered whether he’d have a family one day.”

"I'll leave you two alone."

"Astrid," Elara calls. "Be careful with him. He breaks things he loves."

I pause, unsettled. "He's trying not to."

"I know. He always tries."

In the hallway, I lean against the wall, fatigued.

Liam appears, concerned. "She's awake?"

I nod. "And recognizes him. Partially."

"Fully? Or still conditioned?"

"Both, I think. She is fighting it, but it is still there.

"That complicates things. We can't trust her yet."

"I know. Neither can she."

Liam sits down opposite me in the living room. "She mentioned a name?"

"Julian Vega. Oversaw her conditioning."

"Fuck. Vega's untouchable. High-ranking Brotherhood scientist and government official.”

"Eagan will go after him."

“And that could get us all killed.”

From the bedroom, I hear Eagan’s gentle murmur — the tone he uses in infrequent unguarded instances.

"What happens now?" I ask Liam.

"We wait. We watch. We prepare for the worst."

"And the best?"

He gives me a pitying look. “As for a best-case scenario here, there is none. Just varying degrees of bad."

"She's his sister. His blood."

“She’s also a trained assassin genetically programmed to kill him. “But blood doesn’t undo programming.”

"He won't give up on her."

"No. That's what worries me."

Eagan appears, his face registering a fragile hope that nearly renders him vulnerable.

“She’s sleeping,” he informs the group, pouring himself a drink. "Naturally this time."

“Did she give you anything to work with?” Liam asks.

"Enough. We move against Vega soon."

“That’s suicide,” Liam protests. "He's protected."

"Not from me." Eagan drinks. "Not anymore."

"What about Elara?" I ask. "She needs time to recover."
"She'll have it." Eagan turns to Liam. "Double security here."

“And in the meantime, while you hunt Vega?” I press. “What if the conditioning comes back?”

"Then you run. Protect my child."

“Do you want me to leave her?”

“I expect you to protect my child,” he says sternly. “(Elara would) appreciate that priority.”

"And if you don't come back? If Vega’s protection is too good?”

A dangerous smile appears. “Then you will be a very rich widow.”

“We’re not legally married,” I remind him.

“A minor technicality easily corrected. If that's what you want."

Liam exits discreetly.

"Is that an offer?" I ask.

"It's a practicality. If I were to perish or something happened to me, you will not have any legal way of getting access to estate. For the child's sake."

"How romantic."

"Romance isn't my specialty. But protection is."

“If you want me to say yes, ask me the right way.”

There is a flicker in his eyes. He kneels before me.

“Astrid Sage please marry me.” Not for practicality, not for the child, but because I’m selfish enough to want you bound to me in every way.”

The honesty steals my breath.

“Yes,” I whisper, astonished at how easily the answer comes.
The kiss holds the weight of promises I know he’ll uphold.

A soft sound interrupts us. Elara is in the doorway wearing a borrowed robe, pale but alert.

“Congratulations,” she says with no feeling. "You should do it soon."

“You’re supposed to be resting,” Eagan admonishes.

“I haven’t done anything for eighteen years. And you don’t have a lot of time.”

"Time for what?" I ask.

Her warning eyes meet mine across the room. "Before they come for me. For all of us."

Eagan tenses. "What do you know?"

“Everything I was programmed to know. And what their contingency plans were if I was captured.”

"Tell me."

Elara drops down onto a chair, tired. “They implant trackers in my body.” Dormant until activated. The instant I woke up, a message went out.”

"Fuck," Eagan snarls. "How long?"

"Two days. Maybe three." She looks between us. "They're coming, brother. And they’re throwing in everything they’ve got.”