Read Online Blood Legacy Origin of Species by Kerri Hawkins - Free Book Online Page A

I’ve been passing through some interesting phases, most of which I don’t remember at all.”
    This caught everyone’s attention and Ryan seemed at a loss as how to continue. Susan, though the youngest at the table by centuries, came to her aid.
    “When Ryan first returned from captivity, she slept for almost three weeks.” Susan’s voice was hesitant, but grew stronger as she settled into her element. “I monitored her condition and it seemed almost cyclical in nature as she passed through periods of deep sleep, then transitioned into shorter, more fitful bouts, then returned to the deep sleep. It seemed similar to REM and non-REM sleep, but more extreme. I use the term ‘sleep’ loosely because Ryan’s brain waves never indicate a true sleeping state but are more akin to deep meditation.”
    Susan glanced at Ryan, who was staring at the table in front of her, her chin resting on her fist. “When Ryan first awoke, she experienced a period of retrograde amnesia, which quickly passed.”
    This intrigued Abigail. “Amnesia? Can you describe that, Ryan?”
    Ryan removed her chin from her hand and thought back to the strange episode. “I saw a man, and I understood that it was a man, but I had no understanding of how I came to possess that knowledge. I also had no memory of any man other than the one sitting in front of me.”
    Ryan nodded to Victor. “That man was my father.” She gave a nod to Susan as well. “When Dr. Ryerson entered the room, I didn’t recognize her either, having that same sense of extreme disassociation. I didn’t recognize anything in the room, or in fact, anything at all until Drake came in.”
    “And you recognized your son?” Abigail prompted.
    “Yes,” Ryan said thoughtfully. “Not immediately. But when he climbed onto my lap and looked into my eyes, suddenly everything I knew came crashing back.”
    Ryan winced at the memory, wordlessly communicating how painful the experience had been. Abigail watched her for a long moment, then turned her attention back to Dr. Ryerson.
    “There were other phases?”
    Susan nodded. “Yes, a short time later, Ryan described feeling profoundly weak.”
    “She actually fainted and collapsed in my arms,” Victor added. “I carried her to the lab.”
    Ryan gazed at her father, then took up the story line. “I came to and just felt extremely tired. I could barely hold up my head.”
    Abigail, ever astute, caught the shift of expression on Susan’s face, interpreting it correctly. “You have seen this behavior before,” she said.
    Susan felt as if she was somehow betraying Ryan, but she could not resist Abigail’s probing.
    “When we were in captivity,” Susan said, “Madelyn would bleed Ryan completely, and it would take days if not weeks for her to recover.”
    Ryan stared at the table in front of her and began tracing a strange geometric pattern with her finger. Abigail watched the odd, repetitive behavior, then turned her attention to Victor.
    “And what happened after this most recent bout of weakness?”
    Ryan’s cheeks colored slightly as she continued tracing the pattern. Marilyn noted the blush and leaned forward. This would be interesting.
    “Ryan disappeared,” Victor said, “and I went to look for her.” He stared down the table at his offspring, seeking to explain the inexplicable. “When I found her, she very clearly did not recognize me again.”
    “But this was different from her earlier memory loss?” Abigail prompted.
    Victor was still searching for words to explain. “She was not herself.”
    Ryan stopped tracing the pattern. “Apparently I was completely out-of-control,” Ryan said with self-recrimination. “I attacked him.”
    Victor slowly shook his head. “No, I don’t think you were out-of-control at all,” he said slowly. “I initially had the same impression. But after some thought, I realized you were on the verge, but your mannerisms were very calculating.” He turned to Susan as if seeking