Page 68 of Soulmateless
Dr.Fitz smirks. “Well it may be too complicated for you to understand when you haven't studied science.”
“But have you used magic to test that idea? Or anything else? Is it all just based on the fact that it's unique?”
One of the other geneticists, dressed in a black suit with his gray curly hair, answers talking with a pointed finger to the sky. “We haven't been able to test that way. That's a big reason why it's called the DS52theory.”
My heart jumps at the last word. “Theory?”
He continues, “It’s the closest gene we have to what makes them violent, but more tests need to be run. We do believe that this gene is the one though.”
I clench my fists around my notes. The articles never said anything about this being atheoryand needing more testing. Why are they presenting this like it's a fact?
"There is always room for new discoveries but this is the most probable idea.” Dr. Fitz's eyes dart from side to side, giving away his discomfort. "We all know from Amara herself that dreamscreechers were made violent. We're just looking intohowthey were made violent."
"So you just go into research with your own bias?” My teeth start to grind. “You go in experimentingtryingto prove that dreamscreechers are naturally violent? You literally gave me an article stating that it was a fact that they were”
"It's not biased. It's the word of the Gift of Love herself," Another geneticist, with a messy gray bun and a pale green blazer, stands on her two feet. Her wrinkled face scrunches as she points her finger at me. "We have no reason to doubt Amara. She is a Gift to us from Cosmo, made divinely to reward our gratitude."
"Godusa is too!" I snap. "She is the Gift of dreams and prophecy! When we all came together to worship Cosmo, he gave us both!”
"But she's full of hate! She has punished us because of her own jealousy!" Her voice gets more passionate. Even Dr. Fitz comes over and pats her shoulder.
“How do we even know she had punished us with dreamscreechers?” I squint. “I would know more than anyone here that Amara is not immune to misunderstandings. What if that's the case?”
Dr. Fitz scowls. “Don't be so foolish, Amias! We have accounts of our ancestors being traumatized by not only dreamscreechers, but by Godusa’s nightmares! We have stories like Lydia and the Great Beast as proof of her treachery! She'sbeen after us since the very beginning! Dreamscreechers are just an addition to the punishments she's already handed out!”
I think over those stories. Godusa had used her dreams for wrong. We know how she had haunted our people with nightmares because of our lack of gratitude. There's real letters from her victims.
Then there's the story of Lydia, and how she was manipulated by a dreamscreecher. It coerced her. It stole from her. It nearly killed her.
But… that doesn't mean they're all evil. Even if Lydia was a victim to a single dreamscreecher, there's still thousands more that could be innocent.
Dr. Fitz continues. “I don't understand how you could question it. Godusa had punished your bloodline as well as everyone else's.”
I furrow my brows. If it were to turn out I was wrong, it would be disrespectful to not only the kingdom of Amara, but to my family. My heart lurches at the thought I could be on the wrong side of the story.
I lower my head. “But is there any evidence that that's true? That dreamscreechers exist to spite us all?”
“It's Amara's word,” Dr. Fitz says firmly. “She is our divinely designed Gift of Love. She’s more reliable than any evidence we could ever come up with.”
I scoff. “So you're just following her blindly?”
“She's the Gift of Love. Have you not listened?”
I sigh. No. This isn't right. Just because she's a Gift doesn't mean she knows everything.
“I'm sorry… but that's wrong.” A part of me wants to sink below, never to return, but a bigger part wants me to keep my feet planted. I'm not going to let this nonsense walk all over me. “I can't support this amount of dishonesty.”
People murmur as I turn to my chair where I have my satchel and put away my notes. The professor pleads for me to stay but I tune him out.
Clara was right. My gut was right. It's all just a lie.
“Hey, isn't he the grandson that doesn't have a soulmate?” One man whispers.
As I swing my satchel over my shoulder, I grip it tightly. Are they really bringing up my soulmate problems right now?
“I think he should be cleansed,” another person says. “Before he uses this to let dreamscreechers in.”
“This is why he didn't get a soulmate, right? His monster fetish is gonna get us all killed!”
