by C. M. Owens
“I have to make time to go shopping,” I grouse, and he laughs a little harder.
“Let’s do this right now. Clay would love nothing more than to marry us first thing this morning.”
“Clay has a lot on his mind right now. It’s not like I’m going anywhere,” I casually release, and I feel his body tense up as Brazen’s face comes into view.
He’s standing outside with a group of men looking over what appears to a large screen made into the steel table. They’re all studying it very intensely, and Brazen looks up to catch my eyes. His pale beauties hold a sadness I know I’ve caused. His slight wince is no doubt due to the obvious reconciliation I’ve shared with Hale, and he looks back down to rejoin the quiet conversation.
“I hope not,” Hale mumbles.
“You hope I’m not going anywhere?” I ask softly, and I feel his body get even stiffer.
His lips tighten in a way that answers my question without actually answering me. I can feel his anxiety forming over his skin as it materializes and strikes him in the heart.
“Hale, I’m not,” I utter sincerely while forcing him to stop and face me. “I said yes. I’m going to marry you unless you decide you don’t want me anymore.”
“We know that will never be an issue,” he murmurs with such a pitiful tone.
“I love you, and I prefer cocky Hale.”
He rolls his eyes while stifling a grin, and then his lips claim mine with no remorse for the man I’ve left heartbroken.
“Then marry cocky Hale right now,” he pushes.
“I’ll marry cocky Hale very, very soon. Right now I want to review the security footage again. I think I figured something out.”
“Fine,” he says with mock frustration, and I smirk as he pulls my hand in his.
Brazen’s eyes stay glued to the screen mounted inside the table as we walk up, and Hale steps up beside two men we barely know.
“What’s going on?” he asks curiously.
“Cheyenne,” Brazen says very softly.
“What does that mean?” I ask.
“She shouldn’t be here. This is for high-ranked officers only,” a man snarks. “Leave us, girl.”
Girl? I’ll show you girl, you smug, stupid son of a bitch.
I snort derisively while in complete disbelief. I’ve never been forced out of a meeting before.
“Araya is with me. The last time I checked, it was her interrogations which gave us every damn lead we had,” Hale asserts.
“She has no ranking, and we’ve had to tighten security per our fearless hybrid leader,” the full blood prick snarks.
“Watch your tone. The last I checked, I was a ranked official,” Hale growls.
“So am I,” Brazen interjects. “I’m also our advocate, and I’m saying stand down. We’ll need Araya’s input. She knows Cheyenne better than any of us.”
The snarling man he just pissed off scoffs before walking away from the table, and everyone else resumes looking over the feed. Brazen’s eyes catch mine again, and I look away as I see the underground footage they’ve acquired.
I watch in disbelief as the drone wanders through the corridors of the underground tunnels. I briefly glance at Brazen’s hand bearing the navigation remote before turning back to the familiar, dark tunnels.
“If you turn right, there’s a secret room,” I murmur softly while staring at the screen. “It’s all the way at the end of the hall. All you have to do is make the drone tap the wall three times.”
“How do you know that? The tunnels were meant for officers only,” a man mumbles.
“They were also meant to break strong hybrids,” I almost whisper. “It’s where they would take you to break the rules.”
As if the legal torture wasn’t bad enough.
Brazen and Hale both wince in unison at my confession, and Hale’s grip tightens on my hand while Brazen does as I asked. The drone taps the wall thrice, and then the old wall slowly starts to climb into hiding to allow for access.
“This is the only way we could get in. Our drone had to tunnel under the ground and through the floor where the metal wasn’t as reinforced,” Brazen says to answer my silent question.
The power isn’t running in the old, destroyed compound, and the dim light of the drone is all that casts a glow on the morbid memories etched in that room.
“There’s a stainless steel table in the middle of the room. Above it there’s a large light fixture. There’s an emergency solar switch on the back of it which will illuminate the whole room if you turn it on.”
“How much time did you spend there?” a man gushes.
“More than anyone else. Araya was one of the very few that ever had to be taken to that room. The rest of us prayed it was an urban legend,” Clay murmurs as he takes the spot beside me.
The table shuffles around as Brazen zooms in on the switch I spoke of, and then the drone raises it to shed light on the horrific torture room. I gasp when I realize there isn’t any dust in this room like the rest of the underground footage.
“Araya was right. This room is in operation. They’ve been going underground.”
It’s like a miniature lab on top of a torture room. There is blood on the ground that is less than a few days old, and chemicals that have been left are still fresh in color and stain.
“Shit. They were right under us. We should have fucking dug it up that day,” Brazen growls.
“Use the drone to see if you can find any weak spots to blast through. We’ll see what evidence they’ve left behind. Hale, come with me. I need to talk to you about some of this other,” Clay asserts, and Hale kisses my forehead before joining him.
The others slowly disperse, and I step over to stand beside Brazen in an effort to help him analyze the footage of the underground hell.
“I didn’t know about this part of your stay in Cheyenne,” Braze murmurs softly as we stand alone.
“That’s because I don’t exactly speak about it. Please don’t ask me to talk about it,” I strain out as my jaws clench.
“Not everything has to be said aloud,” he murmurs softly.
His hand moves across my back very comfortingly, and I stifle the tears that want to fall. He sighs as he continues to navigate the drone, and I quickly wipe away the few stray tears that have crept out. His eyes immediately flash over to my new ring, and I see a glistening stain of tears in his pale eyes.
“So you’re engaged… again,” he almost snarks.
“I’m sorry,” I sigh as my eyes steady solely on the footage in front of me instead of the brooding man.
“Well it’s not like that means it’s all said and done with. By my count, we’ve been engaged twice as well.”
“Brazen, I said I’m sorry. I can’t do this right now,” I whimper as the halls I’m looking through bear enough trauma to force the tears out.
“Hey, look, I’m sorry. It just caught me by surprise,” he says while pulling me back to the table. “I didn’t expect things to change so suddenly. One second you’re telling me it’s him, and the next you’re engaged. I shouldn’t have been so crude about it.”
“Actually you should. You have every right to hate me. You have every right to call me anything you want, say anything you want, and even loathe the sight of me. I fucked you over, and I deserve any lashings you feel like dealing out. I just can’t do it right now,” I screech too loudly, and eyes fall on us from all around.
“Araya, I don’t want to give you any kind of lashing. I think you’ve endured enough from my kind,” he says very quietly in a tone that screams out his guilt.
“I wasn’t speaking in the physical sense,” I grumble.
“I know you weren’t, but you associate that word with my kind. Is that why you chose him? Is it because it’s too painful to think of being with someone that shares the same blood as those who have hurt you the worst?”
Tears drip more freely, and I wipe them as he walks around to my other side to shield me from the on-looking eyes around u
s.
“No. I never once looked at yïu in that way. You’re one of the kindest people I’ve ever met, Brazen. I can’t explain why I chose him. I wish I could.”
He sighs out as he stares at the screen, and he freezes the frame while sending the picture in an email to Clay.
“I found it,” he mutters dryly.
“I need to go buy some more clothes,” I grumble while turning to walk away.
“Araya, I’m sorry for upsetting you.”
“Like I said, you have that right. Besides, you’re wrong about sharing their blood. No other full blood can walk in the sun because no other has ever had me. You share my blood more than theirs now. I loved you, and I still do. I just love him too. We have a connection I wish I could explain.”
He starts to speak when both of our phones start buzzing. I almost jump at the unexpected vibrations rattling from my pocket, and he checks his screen to read the message I’m sure matches mine.
Conference room in five minutes.
“I’ll walk with you,” he murmurs when he assumes my phone read the same.
Eyes continue to stare me down, and I’m not sure if it’s because of our accidental outbursts or because of my racy attire. My heels clank against the floor, and we head in together to meet our small group of trusted faces.
Hale’s eyes narrow when he sees me walk in with Brazen, but I walk over to take the seat next to him to ease any jealously he might feel. His arm stretches across my back very possessively, and he goes so far as to kiss my head in front of the pale eyes burning against me.
Brazen sits down directly in front of us, and I’m thankful for the table dividing the two men I spent too long torn between. Grayson walks in with Angelica, and they occupy the seats next to Hale and me as Nicholas comes to take the seat beside Brazen. Clay is staring at a screen as if in complete shock, and I’m curious as to what exactly is going on.
“What’s this about?” I muse as the door to the room locks shut.
“Well, for starters, you,” he says very vaguely while turning around.
“What now?” I huff in exasperation.
“Araya, I did a test on your blood to check your span, and-”
“You did what? I told you I didn’t want to know!” I explode.
“I know you didn’t, but we need to know. Hale deserves to know now that you’ve again promised to marry him. Brazen deserved to know when you were engaged to him. I deserve to know how long my best friend has left. We all care about you, and we all wanted to know. More to the point, with Symphony in the picture, we need to know how long you’ll be at your peak. Usually when a savage grows more in control and in demand, the span is coming to an end.”
I get sick at my stomach, and Hale’s show of affection becomes sincere as he grips me to him with panicked hands.
“What the hell, Clay? Spit it out,” he prompts.
“I’m trying, I… I just… just don’t know how,” he stutters.
“Weeks, months, years? What is it?” Brazen urges.
“That’s just it. It isn’t. Araya’s blood is immortal,” he unloads, and gasps erupt from all around.
Brazen almost smirks as he sits back in his chair, and Clay collapses to the chair behind him as if the words have exhausted him.
“How is that possible?” Hale asks in disbelief.
“I have no idea. Hybrids have spans. The only immortals are the full bloods. I’ve never seen anything like it at all.”
“And you’re sure this isn’t a mistake?” Nicholas asks warily.
“I’m positive. I’m also certain this is their big plan. They think by using her blood to finish the sequence, they’ll have an endless lifespan. There will be no need for children if they don’t kill each other off. This is a huge fucking deal.”
Brazen’s wry smirk only grows as he realizes he’ll be around as long as I will but Hale won’t. Hale’s lips find mine as relief flows through him, and I just shiver slightly as I let his lips free my anxiety.
“Don’t fucking scare me like that again,” he mumbles to Clay.
“Sorry. It just… it shouldn’t be possible. I’m completely stupefied by this, and I have no idea how to proceed with my testing now. I’ve been treating her blood as human and full blood when really it’s something completely evolved. I have to start all over,” he murmurs in despair and shock.
The kiss breaks up, and Brazen is completely relaxed now as he leans back to face Clay.
“So the serum for the full bloods, will you have to start over with it as well?” he asks.
“No. That’s a completely different process, and I’m actually making great grounds with it. I’ve used my gift to expedite the process a little.”
“Your gift?” Nicholas muses.
“Clay has the ability to manipulate blood in ways that would astound you. He’s the reason we won in the great wars that led to the United having so much range. He’s also the reason the blood dilution process was sped up, and the blood drought was ended due to him,” Hale explains.
“Angelica’s blood… is she anything like Araya?” he asks.
“No. Her span is incredibly long for a hybrid, but not immortal. The emergent mother is what made Araya this way,” Clay explains.
“Is there any complications with my daughter’s condition?”
I wince when I realize he’s referring to me, and Hale’s hand tightens on mine when he feels my shiver.
“None so far. To the best of my knowledge, she’s just a better version of us.”
Hale sighs in relief again as he leans over to drape his arm back around my shoulders. Clay turns back to stare at the screen showing what is apparently strands of my blood on it, and then he shakes his head.
“There’s more,” he murmurs softly.
“What?” Hale almost demands.
“If they succeed in their quest to get blood from her third phase, they’ll succeed in finishing their species. The problem is, it won’t sustain the way they think it will. Within a few centuries, the forced evolution will cause a mutated species that will be all savage and all power. The world will crumble once the powers they see as gifts become a curse instead.”
Breaths stop filling the room as each person holds theirs. Everyday the stakes rise, and I’m in the center of all of it. If I’m not here, none of this can happen. If I’m not here, no one will die.
“Fuck no,” Brazen blares immediately as he peers into my inner thoughts with his far too keen powers of perception. “I know what you’re thinking, and I won’t fucking let it happen.”
“You’re fucking crazy if you think I’m losing you now,” Hale growls.
“You’re on twenty-four hour watch as of right now for even thinking that,” Clay asserts as the anger fills up in his eyes.
Shit. How did they fucking know?
“What?” Grayson chirps in bemusement.
“Araya thinks killing herself would solve the problem, but we will all die if she does. They’ve already produced their army. You’re the only one strong enough to fucking face them,” Clay continues, his eyes burning into mine.
“You’re just saying that to keep me from feeling guilty for breathing. If I’m dead, they fail, Clay,” I explain.
“Remove her weapons, and start an immediate surveillance,” Clay says to the room full of people acting pissed at me for thinking.
Damn mind eavesdroppers.
“I won’t let her out of my sight,” Hale murmurs angrily.
“You have to sleep sometime. Call me when you do,” Brazen interjects while glaring at me.
Nicholas leans over the table to stare into my too purple eyes now that the acid from my earlier tears have dissolved the blue contacts.
“Call me too. I don’t sleep much,” he murmurs with more guilt than anger.
“That goes for us as well,” Angelica says on behalf on her and Grayson.
Hale pulls my hand as he starts leading me out of the conference room, and he snarls at me once we’re outside.
“You find out you’re the first of our kind to have the chance to live forever, and you start planning a way to die,” he scolds.
“Hale, I can end this now. They’ll never succeed if I do,” I whimper. “I don’t want to, but I could save so many.”
“Stop. Stop right now,” he says as tears stain his eyes.
He whirls me around to face him, and he wipes the tears from my eyes as he pulls my lips to meet his. I feel the fear, pain, and dread in his breath.
“Araya, no one will survive because of your death. No one. Especially not me. Now damn it, I’ve got you. I have seven-hundred-fucking-years left on my span, and I’m going to spend every second of them with you. I’ll be damned if you think you can end this by leaving me. I won’t fucking let you. Do you hear me? I won’t fucking let you,” he says through his emotional strain, and more tears fall from his eyes as he disarms me.
He shreds the guns, and then he tosses the pieces to the ground. He pulls me behind him to his home I haven’t seen in so long, and the moment we’re inside, he slams the door.
“Hale, I don’t want to fight,” I whimper.
“You’re damn right you don’t. Because this is one I won’t let you win. Damn it, Araya. Don’t you get it? Even if you die, their fleet will still go on. Someone didn’t spend this much time and energy on creating a new species to let their dreams fail. They’ll do it no matter what. You’re just the stabilizing component.”
“It’s my fault they were ever able to do this in the first damn place, Hale,” I cry out.
His eyes soften, and he rushes over to be at my side as he pulls me into his lap.
“Don’t do that. You didn’t create these monsters. You didn’t call the madman to your blood. Someone else…”
He stops short as something seems to suddenly occur to him.
“Did you have to give blood at Cheyenne?”
“None other than the blood they beat out of me,” I say a little too casually, and he flinches as he grips me a little tighter to him.
“The blood you shed during the lashings and other things, did they bottle it up or anything?”
“No, they cleaned it up as if it was spilled water. Cheyenne has something to do with this, but not because of my blood. Whoever is behind this learned about my blood five years ago when they abducted me.”