The Augment-A Short Story from the Sehnsucht Series: Sehnsucht Short Stories, #4

THE AUGMENT

by Keyla Damaer

https://keyladamaer.com

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This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, organisations, places, events, and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or a used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons living, dead, or otherwise, events, or locales is entirely coincidental. I really mean this. Totally not you.

All rights reserved. Any reproduction or unauthorised use of the material or artwork contained herein is prohibited without the express permission of the copyright owner except for the use of quotations in a book review.

I write in British English. Colour and leant aren’t typos. It’s the funny way Brits spell the words.

That said, even if several set of eyes looked for errors (aka horrors), and despite the great professional editing by Kerry Murphy, you may still find typos.

Some kind souls have reached out to me to warn me about them, and I promptly corrected them. You can do the same here: https://keyladamaer.com/report-an-error

Other kind souls who had an opinion about the story have left reviews. I thank them all and you for snatching a copy of this story. Feel free to leave a short, honest review.

This story is part of the Tales from the Sehnsucht Series.

Copyright © 2022 Keyla Damaer

www.keyladamaer.com

Ryma

The Augment

PART ONE

Manderian year 2470

The evening breeze caught Ryma’s dark hair. Long locks whipped around her face like a snake’s tongue. The view from the window overlooked the park of the royal palace in the capital of the Shedirian Empire. She stared at the gloomy clouds chasing one another in the sky. Heavy with snow, they promised a tempest. Still, nothing compared to the turmoil inside her.

‘A twin sister—’ Ryma whispered and pressed hard on the tablet showing the DNA results, breaking the device. Splinters of glass cut through her hand, drawing blood.

Shedirian Empress Jessica Bowen caressed the wounded hand. ‘You’re bleeding.’ Her voice trembled.

Ryma glanced at her recently found twin, forgetting about the pain. Jessica’s golden hair was French braided and wrapped into an elegant low bun. A simple strapless gown of pale-grey embroidered silk, adequate for her position, adorned her. A pair of long elbow gloves completed the ensemble. People often said pregnant women had a distinct glow. Jessica was radiant, despite her huge belly. Her firstborn Alexander was due within the month.

Ryma focused on her wound. The pain abated, leaving a warm sensation where there had been blood before. Not even a scar. True, she was an Augment like Jessica, but this twin idea made little sense. ‘My adoptive father, Adam Waters, never talked about a sister, let alone a twin.’ She studied Jessica’s expression to find any hint of lies in her body language. ‘He told me my biological mother died giving birth to me, and my father died before I was born.’

She recalled her childhood with Adam; the first time they went horse-riding, him teaching her how to ride a bicycle, even the time when he fed her broth, and she sneezed it all over his face and uniform.

She continued, ‘I have no reason not to believe him.’ She pushed Jessica’s hand away from her arm.

‘If you don’t believe my tests, you are free to repeat them. My blood is at your disposal,’ the Empress said.

‘Yes, I will, but first, I want you to tell me your story.’ Ryma projected her unspoken words into Jessica’s mind.

The other woman ambled to the posh chaise lounge and let herself sink into the fluffy cushions. ‘My first memories are