by Rachel Jonas
To start, it was spotless and had been decorated with care. Exceptional, vintage furniture in the nearby parlor was sleek while not losing its classic charm. It had been upholstered in black velvet, and the detailed wood trim had been painted gold. It was all beautiful and overwhelming, all at once.
“If you’ll follow me, the car is waiting out front.”
I cut a look his way. “Out front? We’re leaving?”
Why we needed to go someplace else for him to answer my questions, I had no idea, but it seemed this was how it had to be.
“I only need to take you a few miles up the road, but we aren’t leaving the property,” he explained, only confusing me more.
We could drive for miles and still be on the same property where this house stood?
“A harvesting camp,” I muttered as the realization set in. “Is that what this place is?”
“Was,” Aaric rushed to say. “It hasn’t been in operation for many decades now.”
I guessed he explained further because he’d seen how I grew defensive. Still, the very thought of being inside here for any purpose other than a rescue mission made my stomach turn. Every brick in the foundation of these massive homes was laid as a direct result of the carnage that befell humanity five hundred years ago.
A surprisingly aware looked crossed Aaric’s face, and I caught myself before I let him fool me. I nearly thought I recognized sympathy in his gaze.
Impossible.
“You said we needed to get going,” I reminded him with a huff, crossing both arms over my chest when finally breaking his stare.
“Yes,” he answered distractedly, moving quickly as if my words had startled him into action.
Passing through the expanse of the vestibule, I took in the furnishings one last time before breathing in the humid, outdoor air. I honestly didn’t think I’d ever see outside this structure again. Being taken from Julian’s home in the middle of the night felt like an end, but … the further I was led from that cell, I wasn’t so sure anymore.
Blinking hard, I volleyed a look between Aaric and the car door when he opened it. For one, I was caught off guard by his chivalry. Two, I’d been hoping to sit in the backseat. At least there we’d have a bit of distance between us.
Or, you know, I could attempt another rear-window escape.
His brow bounced once, and I felt my chest tug with the action.
“Are you … getting in?” he asked.
I wasn’t sure why he kept pretending I had choices. So, without uttering a single word of protest, I climbed into the car.
His car.
The potent aroma of the dark leather invaded my senses, more powerfully than it should have. It was this stark reminder that I wasn’t really just me anymore. I was turning into one of them.
The idea of it would bring me to tears if I’d let it, so I moved on, letting my gaze wander the interior of the vehicle instead. Unlike Julian, whose style ranged between sophisticatedly sleek and expensively sporty, Aaric’s mode of transportation was nothing of the sort. Thanks to Felix and his love of cars and tech, I recalled something quite clearly. Nearly forty years ago, a car manufacturer reproduced a line of vintage classics that pre-dated the Ianite rise. Hearing the unapologetically loud roar of the engine, a phrase I’d heard Felix throw around came to mind—muscle car.
The deep vibration rumbled my seat, and maybe my heart a little, too.
I passed a glance toward Aaric’s hand when he reached for the gear shift between us, and then completed the half-circle of the driveway.
A private road was lined with tall lamps that would have illuminated this pathway had it been nighttime. However, I was thankful for the light of day, because for all I knew, he was taking me to have a playdate with the Butcher himself.
I said nothing as I peered out the window through the thick, morning fog. Without words, I gawked at the distant silhouettes of large buildings set far off from the road. There was no question that they had once been a part of the harvesting operation. Perhaps dorms, perhaps insemination units. Whatever the case, I didn’t want to think about it.
“We’re nearly there,” Aaric reported.
When I scoffed, I felt his eyes land on me.
“What is it?” An exasperated sigh left his mouth after speaking.
“Do you even need to ask that question?” I griped. “You’ve explained nothing, and yet, you can’t understand why that’s frustrating?”
“This situation is one best broken down by showing, rather than telling,” he reiterated. “Otherwise, you’ll only have more questions.”
“So you’ve said,” I mumbled under my breath.
He seemed to think I was being unreasonable, because I couldn’t just go with the flow. However, I’d love to see how he’d respond to being taken in the middle of the night and yanked around like a dog on a leash.
“I’ve already said too much,” he reasoned. “Everything will make sense as soon as—”
“As soon as what?” I snapped. “As soon as you’re done jerking me around for the hell of it? For your entertainment?” My voice filled the small space when I shouted, and I felt no regret for having let my feelings out.
“All you’ve done is speak in riddles,” I accused, “because the cold, hard truth is that you don’t have to tell me anything because you have the upper hand,” I stated plainly, unable to hide my frustration.
My gaze slipped out the window and I felt the familiar sting of angry tears brewing in my eyes. Dead silence surrounded me, and I had no clue how to read it. The Aaric I knew would have had something to say, something that would put me—a lowly human—right back in my place. Only, in truth, I didn’t know him at all, which only made this whole ordeal all the more frustrating.
The breath I had just inhaled stayed locked in my lungs when the car slowed, and then eased off the side of the road, onto the gravel along the edge. I was by no means out of things to say, but I sat quietly.
You’ve said too much. Now, he’s going to teach you a lesson you’ll never forget.
I believed this to be the absolute truth—my fate—deep down in my bones.
Chapter Six
Corina
I was panting now, peering over at him from the corner of my eye every so often, but I said nothing.
“I’ve handled this foolishly.”
Those weren’t exactly the words I expected to hear. In my imagination, I braced myself to have harsh words shouted against the side of my face, whatever it took to make sure I hadn’t forgotten who was in charge. But … there was only gentleness in his tone.
“It’s probably best that I at least prepare you for what you’ll be walking into when we reach our destination.”
A deep gaze came my way next and, God help me, I felt it again. Soul-wrenchingly deep.
He seemed troubled, wrestling with conflicting emotions he had yet to share. My stomach was all in knots and I wanted to know what he held locked inside.
“I …” He barely spoke, before shutting his lips tightly again.
“You what?” My voice came out softly, more reserved than before.
His gaze lowered then, meeting mine.
“I know who you are,” he admitted. “I mean, your true identity.”
My heart hammered inside my chest, like it would burst through any second. He was lying. How could he possibly know what he claimed?
“I felt there was more to you than you were letting on that night you came to dine with me, when I found out you were my prized racer,” he added.
Without meaning to—or at least I gathered that he hadn’t meant to—he smiled a bit.
“What is it you think you’ve discovered about me?” I questioned timidly, deciding I should tread lightly.
Silver irises washed over me.
“I know you’re more than just some empty-headed doll,” he admitted first. “And I know your life’s work has been to eradicate the way of life that has only been the ruin of your people.”
I lowered my eyes to the floor of the car, where one of my feet wiggled nervously, resting on top of the other.
It felt like my stomach bottomed out as the interior of the car began to feel so, so small.
“I need some air,” I forced out, already reaching for the door handle.
I had no intention of running, but I couldn’t just … sit there. Not while he came dangerously close to uttering things that could very well get me killed. Things he couldn’t possibly know for sure. Things that could jeopardize everything my team and I worked so hard to achieve.
A firm hand came to rest on my wrist before I could move. It wasn’t lost on me that his skin was warm to mine, which made me wonder if this conversation was equally as unsettling for him as it was for me.
“Corina, stop,” he beckoned, and without wanting to follow his command, I stayed where I was seated.
The one tear I had struggled to hold in finally cascaded down my cheek and onto my shirt.
“You don’t have to run from me.”
He said that so confidently. So confidently I nearly fell for the act.
“Why should I trust you,” I choked out. It was never far from mind how he violated me. How he’d stolen what wasn’t his to take—my choice.
There was a breadth of silence that passed between us, and in that moment, I felt my will to run in the opposite direction of him beginning to fade just a little more.
“You should trust me because … a mutual friend of ours once said ‘you should always trust Miles’.”
Those words settled heavily on my heart when I shot an incredulous look his way. I’d only heard them once. Well … had only read them once, but that once had been enough.
“What did you say?” As the words left my mouth, I slowly pulled my wrist from Aaric’s grasp.
He allowed me to put the small bit of space between us, but his stare didn’t waver.
“It’s a password,” he said flatly, as if he hadn’t just rattled my entire world with a simple phrase. “You hear it and you know you’re among allies.”
I was shaking my head before he could even complete the statement.
“You will never be my ally,” I practically spat.
“It’s already truer than you’d ever imagine.”
“Keep thinking that,” I scoffed.
“I’m telling the truth. In fact, our paths converged a very, very long time ago.”
Breath wouldn’t leave my lungs as I stared at his expressionless face.
“Your cause has been secretly funded by an anonymous donor for years, correct?”
I didn’t want to answer, didn’t want to hear whatever lie he was preparing to tell.
“We, my team and I, were already operating our own mission. We had resources but lacked reliable manpower. Your team, on the contrary, lacked viable funding but were air-tight when it came to being in place and ready to serve. So, while we still make our way out into the field, we’re nowhere near as efficient as you,” he admitted, “… Blackbird.”
And there it was. He finally said it, brought the truth front and center where it could no longer be ignored.
My head spun with all he’d just said, the loose ends of my life that matched perfectly to his.
“The races were a front,” he continued. “We needed a clean—well, semi-clean—means of earning capitol to funnel into the cause. And should we be found out, we could at least pretend our only offense had been that we conducted illegal races. But they were never about building an empire for myself,” he confessed, “I’ve only ever wanted to make things right. Only ever wanted to see this Dynasty—built on pain and lies—brought down on its head.”
A rush of curiosity flowed through me. “You’re … the Benefactor?”
“I don’t work alone. There’s an entire network that stands with me, seeing to it that we have a chance at gaining the upper hand someday.”
I wasn’t sure what to make of all this. It was rare enough to hear even other humans speak about our mission so passionately. But an Ianite? It was unheard of.
Miles … Julian’s estranged grandfather had made certain not to let me off his property without having heard that name. The brief mention of that password had, perhaps, been to prepare me for this very moment.
“You and Glenn are—”
“Fighting on the right side of a war that has gone on for far too long,” Aaric concluded with a smile.
Deep, erratic breaths made my chest rise and fall as I took it all in. “I’m still so confused.”
Aaric nodded, seeming to understand. “He’s asked to speak with you once you’ve been briefed, but I should have known more secrecy wasn’t the right way to go about building trust.”
When I remained quiet, he pushed a little. “Whatever questions you have, I’m open to answering them,” he offered, but quickly amended the statement. “Provided they’re pertaining to the cause.”
It was as if he knew my first inquiry would be personal. It was his eyes that had me most curious. They were just so strikingly similar to the princes, the ones I missed more than words could express.
“One day, the money just … stopped.” I paused to turn a gaze his way. “Why?”
Aaric’s head lowered and he focused on the steering wheel instead of me.
“The authorities were starting to close in on us, forcing us to lay low when it came to connecting with your branch of the mission. It’s the reason we’ve been off the grid for a while now, out of the loop on Ianite news updates.”
News like Julian’s scandal, the princes all purchasing the same “doll”.
There was something about hearing him say those words. They made my stomach clench in strange ways. Perhaps it was just knowing that the ghost behind the funds, the one who’d bailed my team out of so many tight jams … was him.
“But you’ll be pleased to know those resources were diverted elsewhere,” he assured me, speaking as though I was being updated on a report. “It’s helped fund some other pivotal events pertinent to our cause, and it also helped us secure safe passage for our two most recent marks.”
When he didn’t elaborate, I planned to ask a follow-up question, but a second, more pressing inquiry came to mind.
“I need to know why you attacked me,” I forced out, hearing the rush of my own breath. “I know you said to ask questions about the mission, but I think I deserve an answer.”
My fists were balled in my lap and I didn’t have it in me to say how he terrified me that night. Didn’t have it in me to say how memories of that experience still haunted my dreams. Instead, I sat in silence, pretending that hadn’t been one of the most frightening moments of my life.
Aaric wasn’t quick with an answer. Instead, his gaze rose to stare out the windshield, at the vast open road laden with fog, just beyond the shiny, black hood of his car.
“Insurance,” he huffed.
My brow quirked at his word choice. “Insurance?”
He turned now, studying my face as my thoughts raced.
“When I discovered you were blood bound to the princes, I knew what it meant,” he revealed. “I knew how it linked the lives of all who participated. So, I … guess you could say I saw an opportunity and seized it.”
Shame made his voice quieter than before.
“So, you did it to eventually save your own skin,” I deduced. “This way, if you’re ever brought in for your crimes against the Dynasty, the monarchs would think twice about ending your life because you’re linked to royals.”
He neither denied nor confirmed my accusation, which only cleared things up further, but there was no other explanation given.
I felt torn. One half of me sympathized because our objectives were so tightly aligned. The other half found it hard to let go of the dastardly portrait I’d painted of him inside my head.
“There’s no excuse for my behavior. I’d like you to know I had no idea who you were that night. If I had, I … would’ve thought better of my actions.”
Despi
te myself, I believed him. Forgiveness was a long way off, but … I believed him, and that was at least a start, I guessed.
“If you don’t mind holding your other thoughts until later, I’m pretty sure the others have grown anxious. All they’ve been able to talk about is how excited they are to meet you.”
My brow quirked.
“Excited to meet me? Why?” I asked with a hint of amusement in my tone.
He seemed shocked that I asked, as if I’d missed some grand point he thought had been made clear.
Starting the engine, a smirk curved his lips slightly, and it didn’t leave as he pulled out onto the road again.
“Wouldn’t you look forward to meeting your idol? The woman who’s bravely stared her enemies in the eyes and managed to sway the hearts of three princes?”
He said three, which meant he had at least some clue about Roman’s objection to the blood bond. However, what stood out to me even more was one word in particular.
“Idol?”
His smirk turned into a soft laugh now.
“Corina, you don’t just stand in leadership over the team you run missions with,” he said pointedly, “you stand in leadership over us all.”
Us. He said us.
My stomach did that weird topsy-turvy thing again as I let that sink in. Somehow, the one who had provided enough nightmare fuel to last me a lifetime, had now become a non-threat completely. And not only that, but with the help of Glenn’s handy password, he managed to convince me we were on the same side.
He knew things no one else could. Not unless they’d closely worked with some key figures in the mission. His bit about the Benefactor made more sense than I was comfortable with, including his explanation as to where the money had come from, and the reason that resource had suddenly dried up.
I glanced at him from the corner of my eyes as he drove us deeper onto the property, and I had a revelation. Aaric had once seemed like the brutal monster who would stop at nothing to torment me. Only, now, I was starting to understand, starting to see the bigger picture since this conversation had burned away the haze of confusion. He was coldhearted and still brutal, yes, but … he was brutal for a cause.