Unfortunately, that was as much as I’d get out of him for the time being. He unsettled me in ways I’d never experienced before. I kept trying to imagine what the absence of Hammer was doing to him. If I replaced Hammer with my mother, then the pain and the longing was too real, too much to bear. Maybe that was exactly how Brandon felt being separated from Hammer. If so, then I’d have to cut him some slack. “Can you tell us more about the Aesir?” I asked. “About your connection?”
“I believe I’ve already explained what they are,” he said.
“The spirits of animals that have crossed over,” Thayen replied. “Yeah. I get that part.”
That explanation wasn’t enough for me, though. “How is the connection made between you?” I asked. “How does it make you feel when Hammer isn’t around?”
Brandon’s fiery blue gaze darkened to a shade of indigo disrupted by white sparks. “It’s like a piece of me has been cut out and taken away. Once a Berserker bonds with his Aesir, that connection is unbreakable for all of eternity. If the Aesir is destroyed, it renders the Berserker meaningless. My existence will no longer matter if something happens to Hammer, which is why I’m doing my best to keep him safe while also stopping those doppelganger bastards from killing you.”
Thayen turned to face him. “What are they after? The clones, I mean. What’s their endgame?”
“You might find it hard to believe, but I actually don’t know,” Brandon replied. “I’ve scouted for them. I’ve done work both for them and for HQ, but I am not privy to that information. They’re shockingly well organized. Information is kept on a need-to-know basis only.”
Glancing over my shoulder, I observed the big, dark opening of the cave. Deep beyond that blackness, my mother and friends were sleeping, recovering from a difficult day. I needed them rested, and they needed me with a clear head. Fortunately, having my mother back had come with a sense of newfound clarity. My mind and heart felt lighter, though the latter had an annoying tendency to beat faster in Brandon’s presence.
For my mother and friends’ sake, however, I would keep pushing and find a way for us to move forward. That meant getting Brandon to tell us more, or to at least commit to helping us with our next mission. We would need his support in our attempt to get Isabelle, Voss, and Chantal back.
“They took Isabelle about two months ago,” I said. “Do you know anything about that? Or why her, specifically?”
Brandon shifted uncomfortably, his brow furrowed as he avoided looking me in the eyes. “I’m the one who took her.”
Thayen shot to his feet. “What?!”
“Hold on. Take a deep breath,” Brandon said, raising his hands in a defensive gesture. “It was an order from HQ. They said her genes would be useful for something related to the cloning process, but I admit I didn’t pay much attention to the details. Two months ago, I’d seen Hammer for the last time, with a promise from Haldor that they would destroy him unless I did their bidding. And their bidding involved Isabelle’s abduction, so I complied.”
“You came to The Shade, and you took her,” I murmured, disappointed. I should’ve understood, but still… it felt like a good reason to stay angry and distrusting of him, if only to make myself feel better. His allegiance was to Hammer first, not to us. Not to me. I needed to remember that.
“Yes. I came to The Shade, and I took her. I would do it again, if I were to go back in time,” Brandon replied. “She wasn’t hurt. I was careful and gentle. Barely a tap on the forehead, and she was asleep. By the time she realized what was happening, Isabelle had already been settled in the dungeons beneath the Port here.”
“They had you coming to The Shade often,” I said, remembering his account of stolen and tainted DNA samples. “What else did they have you do?”
“They have me run different errands, but I usually stick to labors of this false Shade. Keeping the order, disciplining the clones, stuff like that.”
“Disciplining the clones?” I asked, exchanging a brief glance with Thayen. He looked curious, too.
Brandon lay on his back, groaning as he stretched his arms and put his hands under his head, staring up at the blank, black sky. My gaze wandered over the toned muscles drawn from his shoulders to his forearms. The skin was almost pearlescent, faintly shimmering under the artificial glow. “It takes a while to get the newly made ones under control. They tend to be rebellious at first. They long for freedom and independence, which is exactly the opposite of what’s expected of them. Naturally, some refuse to cooperate and make a little bit of noise, which is where some of my brothers and I come in. Crack a whip here, kick an ass there, and poof! Obedient doppelgangers to serve HQ without further objection.”
“Right, because you’re punishers,” I muttered.
“It’s in my nature, yes. I cannot change who I am. I live and breathe violence, Astra.” That was the first time he’d said my name. And the way he’d said it sent a rush down my spine. I would’ve liked to respond, perhaps offer a witty retort, but my brain betrayed me. Brandon seemed to have that effect on me. Why?
“You’re always so dark and full of yourself,” Myst cut in, appearing on the same ridge where the Berserker had shown up earlier with the stag. Her presence made all three of us stand, and my heart started to pound in my chest.
Brandon smirked. “Took you forever.”
“It wasn’t easy to find the hostages,” she replied dryly, then looked at Thayen, the blue fires in her eyes burning brighter than before. “I know where they are.”
Silence settled as we waited for her to continue. It seemed like Myst didn’t quite pick up on certain social cues. “Well?” I croaked,
