Chapter 20

ARIA

"Someone should have fucking told me, dammit!" Mom barks, still looking like she just escaped a massacre.

None of us have had the chance to clean up. We barely made it inside before Mom began berating us for leaving her out of the loop. Again. She called a family meeting, meaning just the four of us in one small room. The room seems a whole lot smaller with a pissed hybrid female.

"We didn't want to you to know, Mom," Rex says gingerly, making sure to stay safely behind Uncle Brazen.

"Why? Because you thought I couldn't handle it? I'm not weak! I've never been weak. I've lived through more hell than either of you could ever imagine. I've clawed my way out of the devil's lair more than once. I can handle this. This can't break me. Believe me, I've dealt with worse."

She's lying. I can feel her heart breaking right now. She had to watch her father die for her, even after she had told him she'd never forgive him, and now her mother is a heartless, coldblooded killer that gets off on sadistic fantasies of wiping the earth clean. And it just so happens that her main targets are her daughter and granddaughter.

"We know you're not weak," I say, trying to placate her. "We were trying to take care of you the way you've always taken care of us."

Her anger is keeping her pain at bay, hiding her tears that I can feel inside her. When she cuts her eyes toward me, I might shrivel up. I forgot how scary she can be when she's pissed. She clears her throats when her emotion tries to surface and she turns away from me before speaking again.

"I'm your mother. I'm supposed to protect the two of you. Not the other way around," she says in a whisper when her voice tries to betray her.

Rex looks like he always did when Mom scolded him as a child. He hates disappointing her. Always has.

"You protected us when we were kids. You protected us as new adults. You protected us as old adults. You raised us to take care of the ones we love," Rex says softly. "We were just trying to emulate you, because you'd spare us from any pain you could."

Mom turns around, her tears finally falling, and she walks over to jerk Rex into an embrace he wasn't prepared for. He slowly returns the hug, tightening his hands around her small waist.

"I understand why the two of you tried protecting your mother from this," Uncle Brazen says as he takes a seat on the steel table of the exam room we've confiscated. "But this is one of those times where good intentions could have paved the road to hell. Your Mom was distracted because of this information being spilled to her at the worst possible moment. That's how he got the net around her. I was fucking helpless. These animals seem immune to uranium, which made my guns and grenades pointless."

I suck in a breath when my eyes widen. Considering I never even bothered firing a gun, I didn't know about the uranium immunity. "That's why we weren't making a dent, despite our numbers," I say more to myself than anyone else, and then guilt hits me with a weighted hammer. "And they're immune because they found a way to use my blood's properties."

Uncle Brazen nods absently, seeming lost in thought. "Why didn't you tell me?" he asks at last, looking up to meet my eyes and then Rex's.

I thought that would have been obvious. "Because you would have told her. You don't keep secrets from her. Never have."

Well, that's almost true. He doesn't keep secrets from her since the last time it drove her back into the arms of my father.

Mom stays tucked in my brother's arms as he holds her as tight as he can. It's actually heartwarming, given the circumstances.

"If I felt like it could have endangered your mother, I wouldn't have said anything." Mom glares at him, but he doesn't cower down. "I didn't wait this long just to lose you," he tells her without fear.

She returns to her embrace with my brother, probably planning how to make Uncle Brazen pay for that comment.

"From now on, you need to include me in on things like this," he says, ignoring the new scowl my mother casts him. "You can trust me to make the right decision regarding your mother."

"How did they do it so quickly?" Mom asks, ignoring Uncle Brazen's last remark while wiping away her remaining tears and releasing Rex.

"I think I can answer that," Simone says while coming into the family meeting late, and I glare at her for abandoning us.

She gives an innocent shrug, batting her eyes as though she has no idea why I'm shooting daggers at her.

"Took you long enough," Rex mumbles in a surly tone.

"I had to heal," she says with even more innocence, playing coy.

Damn her.

"For over an hour?" I ask incredulously.

"Well, I was also examining one of the purple-eyed science experiments. Turns out, they've got a complex gene system. More complex than the hybrids Ty created out of humans."

"We figured that much," Uncle Brazen says while leaning back. "These were already hybrids with gifts, from what I could tell. I assume the Fire Hawks just amplified all their abilities. It would make sense to use hybrids with complex systems that wouldn't be too overloaded with the new genetic code."

Simone's eyes are wide with surprise, and Uncle Brazen bristles when he feels insulted. "You know I'm more than just a pretty face," he says, almost frowning, and I bite back a grin.

"You sort of stole my thunder, Uncle Brazen." Her pouting tone lightens the air. It's good to see the old Simone back. "To elaborate on the theory, though, I found an intelligence in the code like I've never seen before. This has taken centuries to formulate, and that means we're dealing with a team that is full of patience. All they needed to finish the code was Aria's blood. If they get ahold of her savage blood… There's no telling the limits these things can reach. Ty Silvers was nothing more than a rookie next to these people. He was one scientist with a group of flunkies doing his grunt work. These people are using collaborative minds with one goal tying them together. Not even Dad could have mastered something like this on his own."

And they got more than plenty of my blood. They can build more than an army; they can build an entire nation.

After muttering a few curses and inwardly kicking myself, I say, "I wouldn't worry about them getting my savage blood. That jack isn't coming back out of the box."

Rex shifts uncomfortably, as does Uncle Brazen. I'm pretty sure my inner bitch scared the unholy hell out of both of them.

"Alice created hybrids that are strong enough to take down your mother. Hybrids strong enough to withstand uranium without their savage. We haven't even seen what they're truly capable of yet. What if they gain control of their savages? Not only that; do you think Alice would create a creature that was stronger than she'll be? We might need your savage, Aria. As terrifying as that is, we might not have a choice."

I can't even process the last part because I'm too focused on what she said before.

"What if they gain control of their savage?" I whisper, watching all the puzzle pieces fall into place.

I sprint out of the room, crashing through the double doors that lead to the hallway, and rushing by a very surprised commander. He reads my mind, hearing my fears, and he reacts with the same vicious pace I have, almost beating me outside.

He's getting stronger and faster. Is his connection to me changing his line of power?

Considering I have more pressing things to concern myself with, I push aside the thought and head toward the battle scene. I hope I'm wrong. I killed everyone, surely. They didn't get to succeed with their plans.

"What the fucking hell is going on?" Kellan demands as he slows down. He's getting slower and losing strength. Not enough to be worried about, but enough to notice.

Unbelievable. His ties to me made him stronger. Now that he's been released, Jase is the one assuming the extra strengths.

"They were here after Mom," I say, moving my eyes across the ground.

"And she's safely tucked away insid—"

"Why would they want me?" Mom asks, interrupting Kellan's words.

He frowns as he looks her over. Everyone has cleaned up except for Rex, Mom, Brazen, and myself. Her body is healed, but her clothes are still stained in the major amount of blood she lost.

My whole body tenses when I read the ground, the nightmare in my head unfolding and turning into reality.

No. No. No!

Small, barely noticeable impressions are leading away from the spot where Mom's blood is still staining the ground. Her blood isn't like mine. It doesn't die once it hits oxygen. And now they have copious amounts to do with as they please.

"He could have killed her," I say absently, more to myself than anyone else, as I study the proof that confirms my fears.

But he never wanted her dead. He took his sweet fucking time, just waiting on someone to save her. None of them planned to survive the night.

I run my hand through my hair as I read the fresh impressions. They're barely ten minutes old, and they lead away from her bloody stains on the ground and move into the woods. She shed a lot more blood than what's here. In fact, there's barely any left.

"Aria, we're trying to follow, but it's getting a little hard to keep up." Kellan sounds as frustrated as everyone else feels, but I'm too concentrated on the sickening truth to worry about explaining myself.

Jase doesn't say anything before walking away, pulling his phone out as he heads toward the woods, probably trying to set up an interception discreetly. But it won't be possible. These people have planned everything out, and they're far more intelligent than we assumed. Our constant flaw is underestimating them.

"Mom was the target," I say again.

"Because Alice wants me dead," Mom says bitterly, a hint of pain on her tongue.

"Yeah," I lie, knowing damn well she'll kill herself if I tell her the truth.

Her death will serve no purpose, because they'll eventually find another way to do this. Evolution is steadily getting faster, and something as simple as savage control can be around the corner for several of her kind, should Simone find the cure.

"And you had to run out here to figure that out?" Mom asks suspiciously.

I acted too damn rash. I should have calmly left and done all this behind a veil. Now I've tipped her off, and Mom is a master interrogator.

"I thought they might have left some trace when he was on you. It dawned on me that I never got to check the scene, and they've been out here cleaning it up. He was careless when he was trying to take you out. I needed to assess the scene before it was completely gone. I think I can track their steps from the way they came. A crew like that would have had to have left a trail."

It's not a lie, but it is a misleading truth that she might just fall for. Her emotions relay to me that she's falling for it. She'd never believe anyone else, but considering she raised me, I've had inside information as to how to manipulate her.

"They'll be gone by now. They would have prepared for failure and evacuated whatever facility they were in," Mom says, huffing out a breath.

She bought it. Now I need her out of here so I can tell the others the truth.

"Araya," Jase says as he rejoins us.

"Commander."

"They have three men in custody that need to be interrogated. They might be harmless or they could be scouts. My men picked them up just ten miles from here."

Mom rolls her shoulders back as her confidence resumes. Jase is damn good.

"I'd love to interrogate them. Just let me get a shower and fresh clothes. If they know anything, I can swear to you they'll talk."

Jase nods, and Uncle Brazen kisses Mom before she walks back toward the compound. Surprisingly, he stays.

"That should buy you some time," Jase whispers in my ear, making sure the sound doesn't carry any farther.

"They weren't really picked up?" I ask.

"Nomads," he mouths when Uncle Brazen walks closer to us.

It won't take Mom too long to realize they're worthless. Her shower will take longer than the interrogations. And I have no idea how to stall for more time. We'll just have to find a way to work in secrecy. I also have to find a way to shake Uncle Brazen so that I can fill in the others.

"You should probably go with Mom. We'll work on the trail. Maybe their facility could at least lead us somewhere," I tell him. Again, it's not a lie, so I hope for the best.

When I look up, I see the challenge in his eyes that doesn't promise me the best results.

"You're definitely Hale's daughter. He always could make your mother believe anything he said when he was trying to protect her. He was the only one who could do that. But considering I observed his masterful technique for centuries, I know all the signs of a good lie when I see one."

Apparently Alice isn't the only one I keep underestimating.

"What's going on?" Simone prompts, her eyes narrowing in confusion. Apparently Uncle Brazen is the only one who has caught on.

I look at Jase, hoping to get some insight.

"He's practically figured it out already," he says. "Might as well clue him in. If anyone wants your mother to keep breathing, it's sure as hell him."

Uncle Brazen's deep breath tells me he really does fear the worst, and we've just essentially confirmed it.

"That hybrid could have killed Mom numerous times. He played with her. It was all an act. They didn't give a damn about me, because they came for her. For her blood."

" Her blood?" Simone asks, still confused. "Why would they seek her blood when yours is so much stronger?"

"Because Araya can do something Aria can't," Jase answers, scrubbing his face in frustration.

"She can do many things Aria can't, so you need to elaborate and clue us all in before I lose my fucking mind," Rex growls.

I can actually feel his impatience. This empathic thing is growing stronger, and it's actually a little irritating.

"I couldn't figure out why they were after her when it's my blood they want, but everyone knows Mom controls her savage. And they know she draws it forth any time she's in a big fight."

"And that has meaning because?" Kellan prompts.

"Oh fuck," Simone hisses, and Uncle Brazen curses.

"Someone needs to explain it to those of us who can't understand your cryptic wording." Rex glares at me expectantly and admittedly a little pissed.

"Araya's blood is what they needed, and they couldn't actually kill her because the blood would have been worthless if they had. Even as a savage, her body is still weakened by enough electrical voltage. It took a long time for someone to craft a weapon with enough electricity to take her down while savage, but now it seems like every-fucking-body has that technology," Uncle Brazen says, taking a deep calming breath.

When Rex starts to berate us for still not giving the full explanation, Jase cuts him off and finishes.

"They want to control their savages. Aria can't do that. They know that for sure, considering the standoff between she and Alice. But Araya can, and since she's Aria's mother, the blood will fuse together easily and complete the genetic code, giving them unyielding power over their savages and their gifts. If I had to guess, they built this code off of Alice's blood to begin with, which is why she hasn't attacked either Araya or Aria before now. She needed to wait until the code was almost complete, otherwise, she might have never gotten what she needed."

"I should have seen it sooner," Simone groans. "To create something this complex, the blood has to fuse seamlessly together to create a solid, genetically altering formula. Three generations of powerful beings… the options are limitless."

Kellan drops to his knees, studying the ground for clues just as I did. "So they're playing mad scientist like Ty did? Creating a new species of hybrid?"

Simone laughs humorlessly. "Ty was child's play compared to what they've accomplished. He created hybrids that Araya took down with the flick of her wrist once she got a handle on her savage. These people have created hybrids that Araya can't even compete with. We're so fucked if we don't find a way to penetrate their skin with something other than our gifts, because we're not strong enough to take on an army of them. Not even Aria will be strong enough once they fuse Araya's blood with hers and complete the formula."

Kellan and Jase curse, and Uncle Brazen looks up at me, realizing why I wouldn't tell Mom. It's in his eyes, and I hope he backs me up.

"She'll kill herself if she finds out. If she's dead, her blood is useless, and she'll sacrifice herself to save everyone else," he whispers with tears in his eyes.

No one says anything for a long, heart-wrenching moment.

"We can find a way to beat them." Rex's voice is broken, and he swallows hard on the invisible knot in his throat.

"We will find a way. We have Simone. They don't have a scientist in their lab that comes close to being as good as she is. She'll find a weakness." I look over to Simone who nods.

"I've got plenty of corpses I can start dissecting. I'll learn all I can, and I'll use my gift to separate each and every cell until I can find a flaw in the pattern. Nothing is ever perfect. Somewhere within the code there is a weakness."

Uncle Brazen's crestfallen expression matches my own inner turmoil. Keeping this from Mom isn't going to be easy. But within a few days, the point will be moot. They'll have used her blood, and killing herself will be pointless.

"But she'll still kill herself even if it's too late this time. She'll try to prevent it from happening again," Jase says, adding to the thoughts in my head, though I hadn't even thought to question that.

"Christ," Uncle Brazen says, distressed. "She can't know. She has to think this was all a stage for her death as opposed to a sham for her blood."

At least we're in agreement. Now the question is how to do that while we search for Alice.

Jase walks with me inside, his brow furrowed in deep thought. I try to block out my own thoughts in an effort to keep from weighing his mind down even more. This whole night has been stressful enough, and he just came down from his savage.

Our wedding night is ruined, my mother's life depends on secrets, and the crazy bitch grandmother from hell is building a fleet of indestructible mercenaries with a scent for our blood. Life is really fucking grand.

As soon as the door shuts, Jase lets out a pained groan before dropping to his knees, and my heart jumps to my throat.

"Jase!"

He doesn't answer me or speak at all. A feral growl rumbles in his chest, and my knees tremble when he looks up at me with killer eyes and a wicked grin.