Ignited

by Desni Dantone

CHAPTER 27

  Alec manned the black leather chair, his hands folded behind his head and his legs stretched out casually in front of him as he waited for us to join him. His eyes followed me to the couch, where I sat beside Callie, taking the seat closest to him. He gave me a weak smile before lifting a cool gaze to Nathan as he strode by.

  Nathan took a stance along the wall across from Callie and me. He glanced at me before turning his attention to Alec, all signs of amusement from a moment ago wiped clear. His eyes were as hard as Alec’s on him.

  There sure was no love lost between the two of them.

  Alec spoke up, addressing all of us. “We have some things to discuss.” He leaned forward in his chair, focusing past me on Callie. “You’re not going to understand a lot of this, but you can’t repeat anything you hear to anyone.” There was an applied or else that drove home the warning.

  I gave Callie a sympathetic smile and she nodded. Her face was a little on the pale side.

  “I can’t believe you got her involved in the first place,” Nathan said to Alec. “Isn’t that the one thing both sides agree on, to not involve humans?”

  Callie grabbed my hand and I gave it a squeeze. I knew she had realized for the first time that she was surrounded by not-completely-human company. I also doubted Nathan had meant to let that detail slip.

  Alec snorted. “She was going to be a bigger pain if I didn’t involve her. Trust me.” From his tone, I could only imagine the hell Callie had put him through when I had gone missing.

  “Yeah, that’s true,” Callie added quietly.

  “She was already on their radar. She’s safer hanging with me, believe it or not.” Alec narrowed his eyes at Nathan. “Now, enough about Callie. I want to know where your loyalty is before we go on.”

  Nathan stood against the wall with his arms folded over his chest and a smirk on his face as he stared at Alec. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

  “Are you on Team Kris or Team Lillian?”

  My breath came in a sharp gasp and I held it, frozen in my seat, as I stared in disbelief at Alec. What in the hell was he doing? I wanted to kick him, and would have if it was geometrically possible.

  Afraid to see his reaction, I peeked at Nathan out of the corner of my eye. He stared blankly at Alec in that way that he was so good at, that way that made it impossible to guess what he was thinking. The only thing I could presume was that he was dangerously close to leaping across the coffee table at Alec.

  “Your girlfriend?” Alec prompted with a teasing ring. “Seriously, she’s bad ass.”

  “You should know. Don’t you work for her?”

  “Girlfriend?” Callie whispered to me, and I shook my head because it was so not the time to get into that.

  Alec leaned back in his chair and shrugged casually. “But you know her on a much more personal level.”

  I sunk into my seat, and wished for the ability to disappear. This time, Callie’s hand squeezed mine. From the almost comical look of annoyance on Nathan’s face as he purposefully avoided looking at me, he didn’t need to ask how Alec knew.

  Of course, Alec volunteered the information anyway. “When you were passed out last night, Kris and I did some catching up. It was brought up.”

  I caught my jaw before it dropped, but there was no avoiding Nathan’s gaze as it shifted to me. I felt it from across the room. I glanced at him and saw the array of exasperated disbelief on his face. Then he looked at Alec.

  I had been wrong earlier. Nathan hadn’t been about to launch himself at Alec then. He was now.

  I beat him to it and slammed a fist into Alec’s arm. “Why do you have to make it sound so dirty? It wasn’t like that.”

  Alec rubbed his arm absentmindedly. “I want to make sure he knows I’m around,” he said to me, nodding his head in Nathan’s direction. He turned to look at Nathan. The hostile glare in his eyes matched the threatening tone of his voice. “Now answer the question. Who are you loyal to?”

  Nathan scoffed. “You really have to ask me that?”

  “Yes,” Alec said, sitting up in his chair. “For two reasons. One, your history with the leader of the Skotadi group that was hunting Kris. Two, I don’t understand how Kris ended up on their doorstep to begin with, unless she was set up. Correct me if I’m wrong, but you led her there, didn’t you?”

  Nathan looked ready to explode. Not once had I questioned his motives or intentions. Alec brought things to the table I had never considered, and if it were directed at anyone other than Nathan, I might have been interested in hearing an explanation. From him, I didn’t need one.

  “Alec,” I tried to interject.

  “I want to know,” Alec insisted.

  Nathan’s voice was tight when he spoke. “Considering I thought Lillian was dead, I had no idea she was a Skotadi, let alone looking for Kris. I don’t know why. I don’t even know how she turned.”

  I saw a flicker of emotion in his eyes when he talked about Lillian, and I knew this whole thing was harder for him than he let on. It didn’t last long, and I doubted anyone else noticed.

  “I did lead Kris there,” Nathan continued, “under the assumption that we were meeting a Kala group that would escort us to our base. Obviously, we both were set up.”

  Alec tapped a finger to his chin as he listened, then glanced at me. I nodded in agreement and he looked back to Nathan. “What you’ve been doing with her isn’t something the entire Kala community would know about,” Alec said. “You’re not allowed to do it, and I’m not sure how you’ve gotten away with it off for so long, but somebody knows, right?”

  Nathan nodded. “I had two contacts that kept tabs on her for me.”

  “Who?”

  “An old psychic and a supervisor.”

  “A supervisor?”

  “Travis. He’s who led us to the compound, under the pretense that it was a safe house.”

  “He’s your mole, then.”

  Nathan nodded in agreement. “I know he was the one that set us up, but I don’t understand why. What do the Skotadi want with her? And why do the Kala want her dead?”

  “Isn’t it obvious?” Alec asked with a low chuckle. He glanced between Nathan and me, and seeing that the answer wasn’t as obvious as he thought, continued, “Because Kris is a Skotadi.”

  The words came so easily and confidently, it was impossible not to believe him. I nearly choked on my own saliva when I forgot to swallow. Then my mouth ran dry.

  Just as confidently, Nathan piped in. “Maybe her parents were, but she’s choosing Kala.”

  “In her case, it doesn’t matter,” Alec said. “She doesn’t get a choice.”

  I finally found my voice. “Why don’t I get a choice?”

  “Kris.” From Nathan’s tone, I knew he didn’t want me to believe what Alec was saying.

  I wasn’t sure what I believed, but I had to hear what Alec knew. “Alec?” I prodded.

  With a sly grin directed at Nathan, Alec turned to address me directly. “The earliest hybrids had blood so pure that they had no power over the pull to one side or the other. They couldn’t change what they were born in to.”

  I nodded along. Nathan had explained this to me. As hybrids became more human, the pull lessoned and they were able to choose willingly. So why couldn’t I?

  Alec continued, “You were created directly from a union of Hades’ four demigods. That makes your blood more pure than that of even the first hybrids. The demigods that created you were demons, making your blood almost pure evil.”

  My evil blood ran cold at his words. I glanced at Nathan, and wished for him to say something to refute Alec’s claim. He stared at Alec and said nothing. That wasn’t a good sign.

  I looked between the two of them. “What does that mean?”

  Alec answered me. “That you’re destined to cross over to the bad side. Like me.”

  The laugh Nathan emitted was almost sadistic.

  “Are you not listening?” Alec jeered at him.
“She’s as pure as they come. She’s going to be the strongest living hybrid, and she belongs to the Skotadi.”

  Nathan still wasn’t convinced. “She had no idea what she was. I didn’t even know. How do the Skotadi know?”

  “Because they created her,” Alec said like he was tired of repeating himself.

  “Why did they create me?” I piped in.

  “The Kala were the first to create a super-hybrid in an attempt to gain enough power to finally win the war. The Skotadi found out, and created a super-hybrid of their own.” Alec paused and leveled his eyes on mine. “Me.”

  Nathan chuckled at the same time I squealed, “You?”

  Alec glared at Nathan before turning back to me. “I was the product of their first attempt.” He sounded bored with his answer. “They didn’t get the perfect blend that they were looking for, I guess, and tried again. The result was the ultimate weapon of war—you. They kept me around to be your number two, figured I could be of some use to you later as they use you to bring down the Kala and bring about a flood of evil upon the world.” He ended the most influential statement of my life with a casual shrug like it was no big deal.

  “So what about this super-hybrid of the Kala?” Nathan asked like he was merely amusing Alec, and didn’t really believe his wild stories.

  “He’s one obstacle the Skotadi are trying to overcome. For some stupid reason, he fled the protection of the Kala base a few weeks ago, and has been on the run ever since. The Skotadi are looking for him, and they almost got him a few times, but he keeps getting away. They’ll find him, though, and then there will be nothing to stop the Skotadi, nor Kris and I.”

  ‘The Skotadi are looking for him’?

  Him? The boy in white? Is that who Alec was referring to? Is that why Lillian had drilled me for his location? Because he was the Kala’s lone hope to win the war? My nemesis?

  And why would he flee the protection of the Kala if he was their great hope? Something told me it had to do with me and those dreams. Not that I could figure out what any of it meant. Not right now. There was a good chance I would throw up any minute. Only focusing on the guys’ arguing voices kept the bile down. For now.

  “Good luck convincing her to join you,” Nathan jeered.

  Alec smiled coldly. “You’re really in denial, aren’t you? She. Doesn’t. Get. A. Choice.”

  “That’s why you’re Skotadi before you’ve finished developing,” I concluded quietly. The guys stopped glaring at each other to look at me. “You can’t prevent it.”

  And neither will I. I shook my head, not wanting to believe what I was hearing, what I was thinking, what I was saying.

  Alec looked at me sympathetically. He understood like no one else could. He hadn’t chosen Skotadi. He too was being forced. That must have been what he meant when he said he was Skotadi, but insisted that he wasn’t evil. Not yet.

  Silence filled the room for several long excruciating seconds before Nathan broke it. “If they knew about her, how is it that she didn’t already know about this? If she’s so important to them, why didn’t they protect her, come for her sooner?”

  Alec had a quick answer. “You were probably the problem actually. Me, they followed. They came and got me out of a foster home when I was fourteen. They would have done the same with Kris, but they lost her when she was eleven. I’m assuming you had something to do with that.”

  Nathan met my eyes warily. Things were adding up. He knew it as well as I did.

  “How did they find her now?” Nathan asked.

  “My theory? You again. They knew you were playing around in her life.”

  “So they were watching me?” Nathan asked skeptically.

  Alec threw his hands up. “It’s just a theory, but it makes sense. They had no idea where she was for six years. They found her from all the media craze after the car accident. I’m sure you had a part in that, too.”

  Nathan and I shared another look. When he pulled me from the car, he had inadvertently led the Skotadi to me. He looked physically ill over coming to that realization.

  Alec continued, “They enrolled me in school right after.”

  “To lure me in?” I wasn’t able to keep the hurt I felt from coming through in my voice.

  Alec leaned forward in his seat, and took my hands in his. “I really messed up though, because I started to care about you,” he said. “Every day I had them buzzing in my ear, telling me what I had to do, and I couldn’t go through with it. I don’t want this for myself. I don’t want it for you.”

  I met his eyes and saw the sincerity in them. I wanted to believe him.

  He lowered his voice and I knew that what he had to say was for my ears only, but he had no choice but to say it in front of an audience. “You know the moment I decided I couldn’t do it?” He hesitated, and made me hold his gaze before he continued. “It was that moment on the playground, when I kissed you. I felt something I still can’t explain. I had to kiss you again just to make sure.”

  It had been my first real kiss. I remembered every detail of it vividly. A slow burn crept into my cheeks at the memory. Under Alec’s intense gaze, I felt open and vulnerable.

  “I was going to tell you everything.” Alec broke the connection between us, flicking his eyes at Nathan. “Then he showed up.”

  “And we barely outran a mob of Skotadi that night,” Nathan said viciously.

  “I had nothing to do with that,” Alec said, dropping my hands to address Nathan. “They must have known I was having second thoughts and sent another unit to bring her in.”

  “Or you’re just trying to get her to trust you again,” Nathan said coolly. “Trying to redeem yourself? With a Kala army invading the compound, who would have killed Kris if they found her, you breaking us out wasn’t some hero move on your part. It’s what the Skotadi would have wanted anyway. They want her alive.”

  “Kris, yes. Not you,” Alec spat in return. “Don’t forget I saved your ass, too.”

  Nathan shrugged, unimpressed. “Again, to win Kris’s trust back.”

  I rubbed my hands over my face with a groan. There were so many angles. So many theories. So many what ifs. How would I ever know the truth? Alec blamed Nathan. Nathan blamed Alec. They both hated each other. I had romantic issues with both of them.

  “Is there anything we can do?” I asked Alec in desperation.

  “If there is, I haven’t found it yet.”

  There was a heavy silence that filled the room, smothering me. Finally, Nathan broke it, his voice thoughtful. “There’s a way to turn Kala to Skotadi,” he started slowly, forming his thought and words carefully. “If they can do that, there must be a way to turn Skotadi to Kala. Or prevent turning Skotadi in the first place.”

  I turned to Alec excitedly. “Do you know how they did it?”

  “I didn’t even know they had until you told me.”

  “Could you find out?” The hope in Nathan’s voice matched mine.

  “After I aided and abetted your escape and blew up their base? Doubtful. I’m sure I’m at the top of their Most Wanted List right next to the two of you.”

  Until then, I hadn’t considered what repercussions Alec might face for helping us. “Do you think they’ll come for you?” I asked him.

  He nodded without hesitation. “They’ll lock me up until I complete development, and then I’ll want to cooperate with them.”

  “What are you going to do?” My voice rose in concern.

  Alec looked pleased with my alarm. I thought he might have glanced in Nathan’s direction to make sure he noticed before leaning forward in his seat to create an intimate zone between the two of us.

  “I’m going to have to go on the run until I figure a way out of this,” he said. “I’d be more than happy to help you out, help you to rein in your evil impulses as they spring up on you. I’ve got experience. You’re more than welcome to go on the lam with me—”

  “Over my dead body,” Nathan cut in.

  �
��That can be arranged.” Alec was so quick to turn his attention from me to Nathan, I was certain he had purposefully given that speech to set Nathan off.

  Nathan was just as quick to respond. He pushed away from the wall and stood up straight. “Let’s go, pretty boy.”

  Alec returned a cold grin that made him look a little...well, evil. “You’re forgetting that I’m on my way to becoming the second strongest Skotadi alive. The only reason I didn’t kill you on that path was because you had a coated knife, which I see you don’t have anymore.” Alec pushed to a stand. “We can go again, if you don’t believe me.”

  “Nobody’s going again.” I jumped up and grabbed Alec’s arm before he could take another step. I placed myself between the two of them and pointed a finger at each. “You two are going to have to get along, whether you like it or not. What happened to the camaraderie from yesterday?”

  “That was a one-time thing,” Alec answered. “It was only for you.”

  It was clear from his expression that Nathan agreed.

  At least there was one thing other than their hatred for each other that they agreed on. They both cared about me.

  “Then continue to do it. For me.”

  That might have been the only thing I could have said that got them both to back down. Still, just in case, I kept my stance in the middle as Alec retreated to his chair and Nathan reclaimed his post against the wall. Callie looked a little disappointed at missing what would have been a hell of a fight. I knew because I had seen it once already. I didn’t need a sequel.

  I looked between the two of them. “Now, what are we going to do?”

  “We?” Nathan asked.

  I turned to face him. It was clear he didn’t include Alec into any equation he was a part of. “Yes, we. You, me, and Alec.” There was the subtle sound of a throat clearing behind me. “And Callie,” I added without removing my determined eyes from Nathan’s.

  “He’s a Skotadi, Kris.”

  “So am I.” I ignored the cold shiver that ran down my spine at those words.

  “No, you’re not,” he said with just as much bullheadedness as I expected.

  Alec started behind me, “I’m pretty sure we—”

  “Shut up, Alec.” I kept my focus on Nathan. “We’re going to need his help.” I turned to Alec and added, “If you’re willing to help.”

  “That’s why I came back for you,” he said to me. “To help you.”

  I heard a snort behind me and turned to the source. Nathan was looking at me like I was crazy. He gestured to Alec, “He’s one of them.”

  “I’m one of them,” I hissed between my teeth.

  I felt Alec and Callie glancing between Nathan and me as we stared each other down. It was obvious we had some talking to do. Callie was the first to pick up on the vibe. I heard her approach Alec behind me.

  “Wasn’t that a McDonald’s we passed last night down the street?” she asked.

  “Huh?”

  “Let’s get some breakfast to bring back.”

  There was a hesitation, and I sensed Alec’s reluctance to leave. Finally, miraculously, Callie nudged him by us. She gave me a reassuring nod as they passed.

  I had all intentions of standing my ground, putting up a fight, and staying strong. The moment the door shut, leaving Nathan and I alone, the gravity of the situation hit me, and I crumbled.

  I was going to become a Skotadi.