Vivid Avowed (The Evelyn Maynard Trilogy Book 3)

by Kaydence Snow

  Lucian sighed, but none of them contradicted me.

  That’s exactly what he’d done. He’d named me, outed me, and twisted it to make it sound as if I were the bad guy—the petulant teenager preventing scientific advancements with petty temper tantrums. Meanwhile, he’d all but announced I could kill people with a simple touch and left it to people’s imaginations to fill in the horrific details.

  Now every person with Variant DNA who’d failed to manifest an ability would see me as the bitch standing in their way. The one person stopping them from getting what they’d wanted their whole lives. The selfish asshole preventing a scientific advancement that would benefit the entire Variant community.

  Every human would fear me too. His description of what I could do with the Light was accurate, but the language he’d used made me sound downright dangerous. To the humans, I was now another threat in a world where they already felt scared for their lives, scared for their children’s future, scared for their very right to freedom.

  I could see it from both sides. Could already see the kinds of things Variant Valor and the Human Empowerment Network would say about this, about me. Hell, I could probably write their propaganda for them.

  Whatever way you looked at it, I was a fucking monster.

  Sixteen

  The doorbell rang as I was coming down the stairs. Alec stepped out of Tyler’s study to answer it, favoring his right side. Whoever was at the door made his shoulders stiffen, his hand tighten around the doorknob.

  He really should’ve been in bed, not rushing to answer doors. He’d only just been discharged from the hospital a few days ago. I hastened to his side, my heart beating a little faster with unease.

  Logically, I knew the guards at the gate wouldn’t let anyone who was unknown or uninvited step foot on the property. But every time I walked outside, part of me still half expected cameras and microphones shoved in my face, just as they had been the day after Davis made his passive-aggressive announcement. We’d been on our way to class when reporters had swarmed our vehicle, shouting questions and flashing cameras. Our security detail beat them back before they could get very close, but it was still confrontational.

  So were the stares I was getting from students and even a few staff. I did my best to grit my teeth and avoided speaking to anyone for fear I’d tell them exactly what I thought of my so-called father.

  Thankfully, that had been my last day of classes before summer. I had a few assignments to finish and one lab exam, and then I’d get a short break before summer classes started. I could stay home and ignore the chaos until it hopefully went away. It was wishful thinking, but it was better than the encroaching panic that gripped my chest whenever I thought about the alternative—that this would probably get worse before it got better.

  It didn’t help knowing he was still out there—that he could make another grab for me or continue to twist things to the press, and there was nothing we could do about it.

  After Davis’s press conference, a stealth team had been sent to apprehend him in the dead of night. They’d had eyes on him since his speech, he was in a new location, they had the numbers. But once again, the attempt was unsuccessful; by the time they arrived, the new hideout was abandoned. Tyler said it was almost as if they knew we were coming. He shared a worried look with Alec while Lucian hung his head in his hands, grumbling unintelligible things for a long time.

  Feeling confident about anything was hard when the smartest, most competent, most dangerous men I knew were sharing looks tinged with fear. Every passing vehicle, every unfamiliar face, every ring of the doorbell made me cringe.

  When I made it to the door, I heaved a sigh of relief.

  “. . . not even here to see you, Alec.” Dana stood on the ornate doormat with her arms crossed, glaring at Alec and looking as hot as she always did. “Although I’m mildly pleased you didn’t, you know, die and shit.”

  “Then why are you here?” Alec’s low voice grated, a hint of annoyance coming though, just as Dana’s eyes met mine.

  I smiled at her as Alec took my hand. “Hey.”

  She smiled back but answered Alec instead of me. “I’m here to see Eve, actually.”

  “What? Why?” His hand tightened around mine. Having his ex show up at his front door and demand to see his Vital must’ve been awkward, but in his usual manner, he was handling it like crap.

  “Alec.” I tugged on his hand and shot him a reproachful look. “You’re being rude.”

  “Yeah, Alec.” Dana smirked at him as I ushered her in. “Eve and I are, like, totally BFFs now. She’s my bae!” She slung an arm over my shoulders and delivered her speech in an exaggerated SoCal accent.

  Alec stood in front of us, frowning.

  I couldn’t help the laughter that bubbled up, and my shoulders started to shake with my efforts to keep it contained.

  Dana let out one long guffaw and dropped her arm. If someone had told me on the night of the gala that Dana and I would be laughing together at Alec’s expense, I would’ve suggested they get their head checked, but here we were . . .

  When Dana spoke again, her tone was more serious. “I’d prefer to have this conversation in private.”

  “No,” Alec answered without hesitation.

  Ethan chose that moment to come bounding out of the kitchen wearing nothing but shorts, his impressive muscles glistening with sweat. He’d clearly just come up from the gym. He faltered as he registered the scene, the easy smile falling from his face. His bulk and height made him look even more awkward as he ran a hand through his sweaty hair, then turned on his heel and went back the way he’d come without a word.

  I stifled another laugh. “It’s OK, Alec. I’ll be fine.”

  “If you’re talking about me, I get to listen,” he said, his petulant side coming out. He crossed his arms, then winced and immediately dropped them.

  “Why are you even out of bed?” I asked reproachfully, but he ignored me.

  “Not everything is about you, oh mighty Master of Pain.” Dana’s voice practically dripped sarcasm.

  “What’s it about then?”

  “Alec. Go.” Dana and I spoke at the same time, in the same exasperated tone.

  Alec’s eyes widened as he looked between us. Finally, with a groan, he dragged his hands over his buzzed hair and down his face, then rushed out of the room as fast as his injuries would allow, muttering, “This is too fucking weird.”

  “Lie down on the couch, please!” I yelled after him as he disappeared in the direction of the living room. “Before you tear your stitches!”

  I bugged my eyes out at Dana and shook my head.

  She chuckled. “This one time we were on a mission in Morocco, and he got typhoid. We were just on recon, but instead of taking two fucking days to rest, he kept pushing it and ended up being evacuated and hospitalized for a week.”

  I groaned but laughed darkly as I led Dana toward the formal sitting room. None of that surprised me whatsoever.

  “Your problem now,” Dana finished as we sat down on the plush velvet couch under the window.

  “Yeah . . .” I trailed off, not really sure how to address that. Even though Dana and I were now on good terms, it was still a bit odd to be sitting next to a woman—a very sexy, beautiful woman—who’d had sex with my Variant.

  I cleared my throat. “Can I get you anything? Tea? Coffee? We have this ridiculous state-of-the-art espresso machine I’ve recently learned how to use.”

  “No thanks. I don’t have a ton of time, so I’ll get to the point.”

  “Oh, OK.” I angled my body slightly to face her.

  She leaned forward, propping her arms on her knees and taking a deep breath. “I’m here to speak to you about going to see Zara.”

  She looked at me, her expression wary but determined.

  My eyes widened even as my brow furrowed. I leaned back against the plush pillows, at a loss for words. “What?”

  “There are only two people employed by Melior Grou
p with an ability like mine—blocking other abilities. Zara’s held in a cell that blocks Light and scrambles the use of abilities, but any time she’s taken out, one of the two of us has to do it. She’s too unpredictable, has very little control of her ability. She’s dangerous.”

  “I know she’s dangerous,” I growled. She’d handed me over to a man who would have happily seen me die to achieve his goals; her actions resulted in countless deaths and put all my Bonded Variants in danger.

  “I’m just trying to explain,” Dana rushed out, keeping her voice calm. “I spend a lot of time with her, see her almost daily. And every damn day, she asks about you, begs to see you, Eve. She pleads with me to get you to come. You have clearance now, so you can just walk in any time you want.”

  “Why would I?” I couldn’t believe she was asking me to do this. My heart pounded in my head; my fists clenched. “Why the fuck would I give that traitorous bitch another second of my time, another scrap of my energy?”

  “I get it.” Dana held her hands out in front of her. “Trust me, I understand. Which is why I’m not trying to talk you into it. I’m just passing on information.”

  “I don’t care!” My voice got high. “I don’t want to hear it.”

  “Eve, I’m sorry. I really didn’t come here to upset you. I just feel like you deserve to know. You of all people deserve to have all the information in this situation.”

  She kept looking at me with that calm expression, those expertly made-up, understanding eyes. Stupid, beautiful bitch was being all kinds of patient and mature, which was more than I could say for myself.

  If I was being completely honest, I’d avoided thinking about Zara—about how she’d betrayed me, about the cold look in her eye as she’d slammed that van door. It was no wonder having it brought up made me explode; it was the only time I ever expressed anything about it.

  Sitting on that plush couch with Dana, the mild spring breeze that came through the window tickling the back of my neck, I realized I hadn’t processed the situation with Zara. At all. I’d shoved it into a black metal box and slammed the lid shut with a clang.

  I stared at the emerald velvet cushion between us, running my hands over the soft fabric and taking a few breaths.

  Finally, I lifted my gaze to meet hers. “What does she want, Dana? I can’t handle any more of her manipulation. I seriously don’t think I can take another . . . ” I trailed off, not entirely sure what I was getting at. Another betrayal? Another drama? Another bombshell I didn’t see coming?

  Dana wrapped her hand around mine. Her fingers were warm and strong, but she didn’t linger. She just gave me a squeeze and released my hand. “I get it. That’s why I’m not here to plead her case. I’m not trying to get you to forgive her or whatever. I’m just keeping you informed. What you choose to do with the information is completely your call.”

  Dana was going out of her way to not keep anything from me. She had no obligation to tell me anything, no stake in my happiness, but there she was, doing the right thing and giving me the truth. It couldn’t have been easy to raise such a difficult topic with her ex’s Vital and girlfriend. She was beautiful and gutsy.

  I nodded, and she continued.

  “She just keeps asking about you. How you are, what you’re doing, how you’re coping. I never give her any info—it’s against policy to give detainees information about the outside world, and I would never share anything without your consent anyway. Still, she never stops trying. More than anything though, she keeps begging me to bring you to see her. She keeps saying she needs to see you. Not wants—needs. She’s a little manic about it. I mean, she wasn’t exactly mentally stable to begin with, but I think the isolation and the removal of autonomy is only pushing her further into madness.”

  “Am I supposed to feel sorry for her?” I remained calm, but I was defensive too.

  “You’re not supposed to feel anything. Just sharing the facts,” Dana reminded me yet again.

  “I know. I’m sorry.” I sighed. “This is just really hard for me. What do you think this is? Is she giving you guys intel? Or is she being difficult until she gets her way?”

  “Nothing like that. In fact, she’s cooperating fully. She’s answered all our questions, even giving us extra information without us having to ask. She genuinely seems to hate Davis and even her own mother, although I don’t think there was ever any love lost there. As to what I think this is about—honestly, I have no idea. All I know is that she’s desperate to see you.” Dana shrugged.

  “OK. Thank you for coming here to tell me.”

  “It’s all good. Call me if you have any questions. Gabe has my number, even if Alec has deleted it. I have to get going or I’ll be late for work.” She got to her feet.

  “I will. Thanks, Dana.” We shared a genuinely friendly smile.

  After seeing her off at the front door, I wandered back into the sitting room and flopped onto the couch with a huff. I didn’t appreciate being forced to deal with my feelings around the Zara situation, but it was probably best I did anyway. It was on me that I hadn’t talked to anyone about it yet—let alone a mental health professional.

  My mind rifled through the implications and possibilities. A big part of me wanted to go see her just to satisfy my curiosity; I never could resist a puzzle. But maybe that was her plan all along—to get me curious and manipulate me into seeing her. Then again, what if I was just being paranoid? Still, Zara had more than proven she could be devious.

  As my mind raced, so did my heart—sadness, anger, and frustration all vying for first place.

  With a groan, I sat up straight. For the next half hour I tried to meditate—on the couch, the wingback chair, the floor—but my thoughts constantly wandered. I managed to slow my breathing and heart rate somewhat, but after a while, I gave up.

  I needed advice—someone to talk it over with. I could’ve gone to Dot, Charlie, any of my guys. Even Uncle Luce would have been more than happy to give me his sympathetic ear.

  But I needed to feel in control of how much I discussed this, how much time and energy I chose to give it. All of them would push me to talk more, would bring it up the next day, would look at me with cautious worry in their eyes.

  So I called Harvey.

  At the second ring, I realized it was around four in the morning in Australia, but just as I was about to hang up, he answered.

  “Hey, Eve.” He didn’t sound tired or groggy at all.

  “Oh, hey, Harvey. I didn’t wake you? Sorry.”

  He chuckled. “No. I couldn’t sleep. Been up drawing for a few hours now. What’s up? How are you?”

  He sounded relaxed, and I could hear music playing softly in the background. I could picture him sitting at his desk with the drawing pad, a lamp illuminating his work while the rest of the room was cast in darkness.

  “What’re you drawing? Is it for your course? How’s that going?”

  He told me about his studies and the friends he’d made but didn’t tell me what he was working on. He’d always been very secretive about unfinished projects. We talked about my science subjects too, about our families and the crazy stuff happening all over the world. He indulged me for a while, then pushed. “What’s going on, Eve?”

  “Maybe I just really wanted to catch up. We did promise to stay in touch.”

  “Eve. What’s going on?” His voice was still warm, but it held a hint of firmness this time.

  I sighed. I did call him to ask for help with the Zara situation, so why was I avoiding it? “Fine. I need your advice.”

  “About?”

  “Zara.”

  “What happened?”

  “Nothing? I don’t know. She’s been locked in a cell since they dragged her back here. It’s just . . .”

  “Dude! Spit it out.”

  I rolled my eyes—at myself. Why was this so hard? “She reached out to me, kind of. Through Alec’s ex Dana.”

  “Alec . . . he’s the tall, scary one? With the pain thing?”


  “Yeah, that asshole.”

  “He has an ex? Like, some chick was ballsy enough to touch him long enough to sleep with him?”

  “Harvey! I don’t need reminders of that, thanks!”

  “Hey, you’re the one who brought it up. Clearly as a distraction tactic from talking about what you actually want to talk about. What did Zara want?”

  “Why do you have to be right about everything?”

  “It’s what I do—I draw and I speak the truth. Zara?”

  “She wants to see me. Dana has a blocking ability, and because Zara’s electric ability is so unstable, Dana is on guard duty with her a lot. She just came over to tell me that Zara won’t shut up about me and keeps begging to see me. I don’t know what to do.”

  “Do you want to see her?”

  “No. I hate her.” I paused, a little taken aback by how intense those words sounded coming out of my mouth. I’d never said I hated Zara, but maybe that was the feeling I’d been stuffing down. Or maybe suppressing all my thoughts and feelings about this had made them fester and turn into hate. Did I really want to be capable of hating another person? Harvey just sat silently on the line, waiting patiently for me to continue.

  “I . . . I don’t know, Harvey. I don’t want anything to do with her, but it all feels so unresolved.”

  “You say you don’t want to see her, but you’re calling me for advice on what to do. Dig deeper, Eve. Use that logical mind of yours. Give me the reasons not to go and then the reasons why you should.”

  “I don’t want to see her. The thought of speaking to her makes my stomach turn. She betrayed me. She keeps asking for me, and I don’t want to give her the satisfaction of getting what she wants.”

  “And the other side?”

  “I need to know why.” I sighed. That was what it came down to—I wanted to understand why she betrayed me. To an extent, I could guess at some of the reasons, like her zealot parents, her need to belong, her desperation to stop feeling like a failure for not having an ability. But I still couldn’t understand why she’d done that to me. It felt so personal. “I want to look her in the eye and ask if our friendship ever meant anything to her.”