Darren tapped something into one of his screens and headed for the door. I couldn’t let him out of sight. As soon as I was alone, I’d be stuck watching the future come closer, with no way to help Tair.

Or myself.

“I want to see them.”

“See what?” He stopped with his hand on the doorframe.

“The clones.” Just saying that word made my stomach churn.

He turned back, suddenly amused. “You were that impressed?”

Impressed? I was going to have nightmares about them, so that was a type of impressed, but it wasn’t at all the kind he meant. “Will you show me or not?”

Darren tapped a finger against his cheek, mulling it over, but I already knew what he’d decide. It was beyond obvious how much he wanted to brag. He waved to one of the assistants in the other room. “Roll her out for me.”

Two assistants hustled in wearing full body armor. Apparently nobody was taking chances with me now.

Not that I could do much tied to the table.

They rolled me to the next room, where a hush fell over the workers. I twisted my neck, trying to see what they were all busy with, but I could only peek at the closest monitors and they were filled with genetic info that meant zip to me.

“Here are my beauties,” Darren said as he hit the button to lift me seated.

The table rose, giving me way too clear a view of Darren’s wet lab. I swallowed, trying not to hurl. Half because I was lightheaded sitting up and half…

The other Quantas looked like me.

But not.

One was just a torso with a head. One didn’t have a nose.

Another looked burned, with melted skin and no eyelids. It stared at me… Aware.

Oh God.

My chest heaved and I choked. If I had a full stomach, I would’ve lost it.

Everywhere I looked, my own face looked back, but twisted. Wrong.

“The pure clones don’t survive.” Darren leaned against my table, his weight making it squeal like it was in as much pain as I was. “I had to get creative.”

Creative.

My mouth tasted like chalk. Creative?

“They’re giving us more information than you ever did.” Darren looked over them, all proud at what he’d done.

I could barely breathe.

“Not as detailed as your visions, but I’m getting there.” He leaned in, whispering close to my ear. “Don’t worry. I’ll still play with you when I’m Seligo.”

Horror gripped me until my skin felt like it was sticking to my bones, squeezing me to nothing.

“You—” Fear choked off my words, but white-hot hate burned over the dread. I pulled against my bindings, shaking the table. “I’ll ki—”

“Quanta.” Darren leaned close, enveloping me in his gross body heat and cologne and ammonia stench. “You can’t touch me.”