Emma scowled. “Of course I do. Do I need to remind you that this is my mission? You’re just along for the ride.”
Finn’s eyebrows shot up.
He said nothing—nobody dared where Emma was concerned—but she didn’t have to be a mind reader to know what he was thinking. She’d begged Father to let her do this on her own, but ever since the incident with Ava, he’d insisted that she be accompanied wherever she went. And always by Finn MacKenzie, the worthless creep. The Rogue didn’t even have any useful gifts other than the usual speed and strength, only an annoying immunity to the gifts of others. Including Emma’s. Which kind of explained why he’d gone from Father’s foot soldier to Emma’s babysitter.
He shot her an annoyed glance.
Emma knew he saw it as a demotion. Still, she was Borré’s daughter, which brought with it a certain deference, and he dared not speak out about her or against her. It didn’t keep him from complaining, though.
“You sure we’re not lost?” He kicked at a rock, and it ricocheted, nearly hitting Emma in the knee.
“We’re not lost.” She reached out with her gift and prodded at his mind. Maybe she could get through enough to shut him up.
“Would have been faster to take the car.”
Emma sighed.
No such luck.
“We couldn’t risk anyone seeing us driving off with them,” she said. “It’s smarter to approach from the rear. I’ll get them to go with us, and we’ll be back at the car before dark.” She’d told him this at least a dozen times. If she didn’t need him to give a good report to her father, she’d consider leaving him behind.
Or in a ditch. I’m not picky.
She hated him. Hated her father for making her put up with him.
She sighed.
This mission would do it, though. It’d get her back in Father’s good graces, and she’d be his second, as she’d always been meant to be. She simply had to do a good job, put up with Finn—the idiot—and get back without killing him.
She could do it. She could do anything if she put her mind to it.
They walked in silence for a few minutes, Finn blessedly distracted by something on his phone, and Emma let her mind wander. As usual, it drifted back to Ava and what she’d done wrong—if there was something she could have done better. She’d been so convinced that once she’d shown Ava what she was missing—that Caleb and the others were holding her back—that she’d join their cause and take her rightful place.
She’d underestimated her sister’s loyalty, obviously. Emma had to admit her judgment might have been clouded by her own excitement at having found her sister. She’d met other siblings, of course, but Ava had been the first sister, and she’d hoped for that closeness she’d read about in books. She’d hoped that she and Ava would become best friends.
I was so close . . .
Emma shook off her melancholy. There was no use dwelling on the past. She had to look to the future and this new opportunity to draw Ava into the fold.
They skirted the wetlands, Emma frowning as her boots squelched in the spring mud, and came to the edge of the greenbelt.
She peered through the underbrush at the back of the house and smiled when she spotted the woman on her knees in the small garden to the right.
The woman grumbled as she tugged on a stubborn weed and gave a little cheer when it came free. She tossed it into the nearly full wheelbarrow without looking.
“Stay here, out of sight for a minute,” Emma whispered to Finn. When he started to argue, she said, “Just for a minute. Let me talk to her first.”
He nodded, and she emerged from the trees, crossing the yard on light footsteps.
When the woman looked up, confused, Emma smiled. “Mrs. Michaels?”
“Yes? I’m sorry, can I help you?” She got to her feet and pulled off her gardening gloves.
“I’m Emma. A friend of Ava’s. We spoke on a phone a while back?” She was tempted to see if she could do this without using her gift, but overconfidence had been her downfall before, so she reached for it, pushed a little bit.
Yes, you know me. You trust me.
“Oh, yes, of course,” Sarah Michaels said, waving dismissively and looking flustered before reaching out to shake Emma’s hand. “I’m so sorry. You took me a little off guard.”
She looked nothing like Ava with her dark hair and blue eyes, but then she wouldn’t, would she? She wasn’t really Ava’s mother. Merely a human.
“Oh, no, it’s fine,” Emma said, putting on her best innocent look. “I’m sorry to drop in uninvited like this.”
“Don’t be ridiculous. Any friend of Ava’s is welcome here.” Sarah’s smile fell slightly. “She’s all right, isn’t she?”
“Yes. Ava’s fine. I just . . .” She looked around the yard. “I needed to speak with you and Mr. Michaels for a moment, if that’s all right. Is he here?”
Sarah hesitated, and Emma pushed her a little more.
Everything’s fine. You trust me.
Her face smoothed. “Of course. He’s in the house. Come on inside, and we’ll have something to drink.”
Emma followed her, glancing back to see Finn starting out from the shadows of the trees. She raised a hand to still him but knew he’d probably move closer once they were inside.
She and Sarah walked through the sliding glass door, and the older woman called out to her husband as she pulled a few bottles of water out of the refrigerator.
When Ava’s dad walked into the room, she introduced them with a smile. “You remember Emma, honey, don’t you? Ava’s friend?”
He looked a little confused but held out a hand anyway. “Hello, Emma.”
“Mr. Michaels.”
“Joe, please. Call me Joe.”
The three of them stood around the kitchen island, and for a moment, Emma was filled with a sudden nostalgia—or perhaps longing was a better word, since she’d never actually experienced having a family like this. Ava was brought up here. Raised by parents who loved her, protected her.
Parents who never hurt her.
A twinge of pain shot through Emma, but she shook it off.
Time to move on.
“What is it you needed to talk to us about, Emma?” Sarah asked kindly, starting at something she spotted in the backyard.
Emma looked over her shoulder.
Finn stood at the back door like a stalker.
Idiot.
With a roll of her eyes, Emma waved Finn in. “This is my friend, Finn. We’re here to take you to Ava.”
“To Ava?” Joe shook his head slightly. “Why are we going to see Ava?”
Emma drew in a heavy breath and forced a wave of placid acceptance their way. “She needs you to come with us. She’s fine. You’ll be fine. But you need to get your coats and come with us now.”
They both looked a little dazed, and Emma wondered if she’d overdone the compulsion. Sometimes she didn’t even know her own power, and humans were so easy.
“Is there someone who’ll miss you if you’re gone?” she asked gently.
“Um. No, not really,” Sarah said slowly. “Mrs. Emerson next door?”
“Why don’t you call her?” Emma suggested. “Let her know you’re going on a little vacation while your husband gathers your things?”
They both nodded, and with glazed eyes and parted lips, Ava’s parents moved in slow, shuffling steps like zombies.
Emma leaned against the counter to wait as they fulfilled her instructions.
“That’s really kind of creepy,” Finn muttered.
Emma shrugged. “Gets the job done.”
After a few minutes, Sarah hung up the phone and Joe helped her into her coat. They approached Emma and stood before her, waiting expectantly.
“So weak,” Emma murmured, half to herself.
“Human,” Finn said, as though it explained everything. It did, actually.
“Well, let’s get going,” Emma said brightly as she reached for the sliding door.
For a mom
ent, Sarah’s eyes cleared. “Where are we going?”
Emma turned back with a wave of irritation and the glazed look returned. “You don’t need to worry about that, do you?”
They nodded in unison. “We don’t need to worry about that.”
Emma smiled in satisfaction and opened the door.
“How have you been?” Madeleine asked, crumbling a cookie between her fingers. Everyone else had left, and Caleb had been tempted to follow, but he knew he had to speak with his mother. It had been too long.
“Fine,” he said. “You know. Busy.”
“On assignment,” she said wryly.
“Right.”
Madeleine put the cookie on a napkin and squared her shoulders. “I want you to know that I understand. About the Guardians.”
“Oh?” He didn’t know what else to say.
She nodded. “Given your feelings for Miss—for Ava, it makes sen—”
“This isn’t about Ava. At least not entirely.” He sat back in his seat at the dining room table, spinning the water bottle absently. “Ava may have been the catalyst, but I’ve felt this way for a while. What we were doing, how we were treating the Half-Breeds, it’s wrong.” His mother stiffened, and he hastened to say, “I know the Council has the Race’s best interests at heart. But hunting these people down—killing them in many cases, too many cases. What gives us the right?”
“We need to protect our people.”
“From what?” Caleb asked, his voice a near-whisper. “From them? From exposure? I mean, think about it, Mother. What’s the worst that could happen?”
Madeleine’s blue glare was icy. “You obviously don’t remember your history.”
“Oh, I remember it fine, Mother, believe me. It was pounded into me from the cradle.”
“They’re unpredictable. Uncontrollable. There’s a reason it’s forbidden—”
“I know!” He caught himself and lowered his voice. He wasn’t going to argue. That wouldn’t do any of them any good. “I understand your concerns, but we can’t keep operating out of fear. The Half-Breeds are people, Mother. They deserve to be treated with some respect. They need our help, not our condemnation.”
“And what of the Race?” she asked.
“The Race will survive, as it always has,” he said gently, reaching out to lay a hand over hers. “But it can’t be at the expense of others. We’ve always prided ourselves on aiding and protecting humanity. Shouldn’t that extend to everyone, even if they’re not entirely human?”
His mother turned away but she seemed to be contemplating his words. She jumped and pulled her phone from her pocket with an apologetic look. Caleb shrugged, and she answered the phone. “Yes?”
Caleb tried not to eavesdrop on the conversation and got up to look out the kitchen window until his mother hung up.
“I’ve got to go,” she said. “I’m needed back at my office.”
“Okay.” He picked up his coat and squeezed the fabric between his fingers. “Are you all right? With . . . Gideon here?”
“I will be.” His mother looked down and took a deep breath. “I’ll do what needs to be done.” She squared her shoulders and lifted her chin.
His mother had always done her duty, and Caleb was only now beginning to understand the toll that took.
“Now, I really need to . . .” She waved her hand toward the door.
Caleb nodded. “I’ll walk with you.”
They left the house, the mountain air cooling as the sun neared the horizon. Madeleine tucked her hands in her coat pockets and Caleb glanced at her out of the corner of his eyes. They used to be so close, but now he wasn’t sure what to say to her.
His mother seemed to feel the same way, but she inhaled and let it out slowly. “You’re convinced this is our best option? This alliance?”
“It’s the only option,” he replied. “The Twelve, they’re . . . well, you saw what Ava can do, and Mother, what you saw in the Council chamber? That’s the tip of the iceberg.”
Her eyes widened. “Really?”
He nodded. “Sophie, too. Even with the block not fully removed, her cryokinetic ability is astounding. Think of what she’ll be able to do when it’s lifted.”
“And then there’s the boy,” she murmured. “Emma Reiko makes four. That means there are still eight more. We need to get Sophie and Isaiah back. And as many more as we can find, although I have no idea how to go about doing that.” She let out a frustrated grunt and swept her hair back from her face to secure it with a band at her nape.
“Actually, Ava had an idea,” Caleb said, as they rounded a corner and the Council Arena came into view. “The Twelve share DNA, so perhaps a search of our medical records might be helpful. With three samples, our scientists should be able to pinpoint some common markers, I would think.”
“It’s worth a shot. I’m willing to try anything at this point.”
“Anything?” He shot her another sidelong glance. “Even an alliance with the Guardians?”
Madeleine curled her lips into a humorless smile. “If what you’re telling me is true, and the Twelve are all that Borré designed them to be? Son, to protect our people, I’d form an alliance with the devil himself.”
Her smile fell, and Caleb realized that, to his mother, that’s exactly what she was doing. He could only imagine what it was like for her. Even being separated from Ava for such a short time and distance, her absence gnawed at him, like a missing piece waiting anxiously to be filled. And when they were reunited, it was as if everything was right—everything fit once again. For his parents, those feelings had to be magnified a hundredfold, and to not be able to act on them . . .
Well, it had to be painful.
Torture.
Wrong.
He got the distinct impression his mother didn’t really want to talk about Gideon, however, so he changed tacks. “What do you know about this sensor?”
“Hmm?” His mother turned to him, and he realized she’d been lost in thought.
“This powerful sensor Andreas has? What do you know of him?”
She frowned. “Andreas handles Bureau business. I don’t know much about the inner workings.”
“Still, this sensor is more powerful than any I’d ever heard of before—Gideon, too, for that matter.” Madeleine stiffened at the name, but Caleb pretended not to notice. “He helped Tiernan track me across hundreds of miles, Mother.”
“You’re joking.”
Caleb let out a startled laugh. “You didn’t know?”
“No, I had no idea,” she said, pulling the collar of her coat up around her ears. “Andreas didn’t tell me a thing. I knew, of course, that the Bureau was tracking you, given the situation with Borré’s escape, but the details . . .”
“Maybe he was trying to spare you.”
“I should still be informed. The whole Council should have been made aware of such a gift.”
An idea began to form in Caleb’s mind. He almost hesitated to voice it. “There’s more.”
“More?” She turned to him with an arched brow. “What do you mean?”
“It’s possible the sensor is a Half-Breed I was sent to retrieve for the Guardians.”
Her eyes widened in shock. “A Half-Breed? Working in the Protection Bureau?”
“I don’t know for sure. It seems like too much of a coincidence, for Evan to disappear and Andreas to acquire a sensor shortly after.” He shook his head ruefully. “I can’t believe I didn’t even think to ask Andreas the sensor’s name.”
His mother stopped in the middle of the sidewalk and grabbed his arm to stop him. “All right, I think you need to start at the beginning and tell me exactly what happened,” she said. “Obviously, I’ve been left out of the loop on a few things. Important things.” She looked supremely annoyed at the idea.
Caleb took a deep breath and told his mother about being sent to take the Half-Breed, a sensor named Evan, to the Guardian Colony. He described how’d he’d been intercepted and his mind had be
en tampered with.
His mother nodded—she knew much of the details concerning the Emma debacle already—but frowned when he explained that Andreas had told Tiernan about an extraordinarily powered sensor who could track over long distances, and that it was only when Caleb had been released from the compulsion that they had put together the possibility that the Half-Breed Evan and Andreas’ sensor could be one and the same.
“But now, I’m wondering—”
“If he’s not a Half-Breed at all?” Madeleine started to walk again, and Caleb hurried to catch up. “It would fit. Living in the human world, gifts beyond the norm. It makes sense.”
“Another one of the Twelve, here this whole time?” Caleb mused.
“It’s possible,” Madeleine said, quickening her pace as she dialed her phone. “Whatever’s going on at my office can wait. We need to get to the Bureau to find out exactly who—and what—this Evan is.”
A chill of apprehension shot up Caleb’s spine. “And if he’s one of the Twelve?”
Madeleine held up a finger as she instructed her assistant to reschedule the rest of the day. “If he is,” she said as she hung up, “then we’ll discuss, as a group, how to move forward.”
Caleb’s lips lifted. “It sounds like you’re ready to proceed with the alliance.”
“As if there were any doubt,” Madeleine said, a determined set to her shoulders as they walked through the front doors of the central building. “As if I ever had a choice.”
The Protection Bureau occupied two floors below ground in New Elysia’s central building. Ava wasn’t sure exactly what she’d expected—the stereotypical police headquarters perhaps, with scruffy, puffy-eyed agents poring over case files and guzzling coffee. Maybe something more sci-fi with holographic computer screens and a wall of laser rifles.
Maybe I’ve seen too many movies.
In reality, the main surveillance room was a little more than the first, and a little less than the second. It was circular, an apparent theme in the city, with a screen in the center of the room that could be seen from any direction. Of course, the word screen was a bit of a misnomer. There was no actual screen to be seen, just projections of maps, photographs, and other data that flashed by in layers of text and images.
The MORE Trilogy Page 58