Gifted Curse (Curse Trilogy) (40 page)

I feel air finding my lungs once more, and then I shake my head.

“I’m not taking the job here.  I’d still like to come to Hershian if that’s okay.”

He looks startled now, and his lips move while words evade him momentarily.

“Are… are you sure?  Hershian is a very small place with a far less glamorous appeal than the Seminole.”

I stare at the picture of Hale hanging on the wall behind him.  This damn compound is obsessed with Hale.  There are pictures of him all over this fucking place.  I’d never be able to get him out of my head.

I clear my throat before straining out, “The glamour can be blinding, but this place is too cold.  I’d love to come to Hershian.”

“That sounds great.  Just come as soon as you like,” he says excitedly, and I stare into his pale eyes.

“You know I’m hybrid,” I quickly insert.

“I know.  That’s one of the reasons you’re so damn good at interrogation.  I’ve studied up on your tactics in the past to use as training for my cadets.  Having you would be a huge deal to our smaller compound.”

I’m shocked by how completely unaffected he is by my hybrid status when it’s very clear he’s a full blood.  He even praised me and my talent.

“When are you going back?” I ask curiously.

“I’m going back tonight after I speak with a few others about some changes I plan on making to the compound.  It’s necessary to get approval from the United heads before making some adjustments.  Why?”

“I’ll just ride back with you.  Most of my belongings were destroyed in Javeline, so I travel light.”

His eyes widen in delighted surprise as he excitedly replies, “That sounds great.”

“I’ll meet up with you later then, Captain Hawkins,” I murmur softly while giving him a wave.

“Please, call me Nicholas,” he says before I get out of sight.

“Okay, Nicholas.”

I smile and then I head back into the room full of people celebrating my birthday which now seems more like my doomsday.  This is twice he has ruined it for me, and he refuses to tell me why.

Brazen smiles as he walks toward me, and his arms instantly wrap around my waist.  His smile fades quickly when he sees my eyes, and his ability to read me proves to be still intact.

“What happened?  You’ve been crying,” he asserts, and then his lips tense.  “What the fuck did he do?”

“Nothing.  Just dance with me before I have to leave,” I murmur softly while trying to keep the tears at bay.

I lean against him, and his arms wrap around my waist to hold me tightly to his body.  His lips stroke my forehead, and I feel some of my tears breaching their barrier despite my best efforts to keep them at bay.  They seep through his shirt, and his breath hitches upon feeling them dampening his chest.

“Where are you going?”

“Anywhere but here,” I whimper, and he holds me tighter.

“Araya, tell me what happened,” he coos while stroking my hair.

“What I knew would happen.  It’s over… Hale and me,” I choke out, and the tears fall more freely.

His arms tighten around me, and his lips gently caress the top of my head as I cry into his chest.  This isn’t the first party he has had to comfort me after Hale left me destroyed.

“I’m here, baby.  It’s okay,” he coos so sweetly, and he just holds me all the closer.

“Go ahead and say it.  I know you’re dying to.”

“Say what?” he asks innocently.

“Say you told me so,” I cry out, and I bury my face further into his chest to muffle my sobbing.

“I wouldn’t do that to you, baby,” he soothes, and his lips try to brush mine before I back away.

“No.  I need to go get my stuff.”

I start to walk away, but he pulls my hand in his.

“I’m sorry.  That was stupid.  I didn’t mean to rush you.  I just hate to see you crying.  Tell me where you’re going so I can transfer.”

I shake my head, and I rush over to hug him again.  His embracing arms take their comforting position, and I just let him be the friend I need right now.

“I’m not right for you, Brazen.  Find someone who is,” I breathe, and he pulls me back to stare into my eyes.

“You’re the only girl for me,” he murmurs so genuinely, and it stings to hear the words Hale once spoke to me.

I’m not the girl for either of them.

“I’m not.  I’ll talk to you when I can,” I murmur, and my lips offer his a sad goodbye before I dart off.

“I’ll find you,” he smugly adds from behind, and even though it was nearly a whisper, he knows I heard it.

I’m not sure if I want him to find me or not, but I sure as hell hope it isn’t anytime soon.  Right now, I need to stay away from anything that can emotionally charge me.

Captain Hawkins is standing beside
a large SUV when I walk out holding my single bag of clothes.  He smiles when he sees me, and he takes my bag to put it in the back.

“You really do travel light,” he chuckles out.

I half smile, and then I climb into the passenger seat.  He has a picture of a small girl staring into the sand while she plays.  Her eyes are hidden, but her smile is proudly displayed.

“Your daughter?” I muse.

“Yes.  You’ll have the chance to meet her, and I’m sure she’ll be in awe of you.  She wishes to join the United officials one day.”

I almost smile, but that sounds so odd.  Why would a full blood allow his daughter to idolize a hybrid?  Such a thing would be blasphemous in his community.

“Ms. Crush$ I can tell you have reservations because you’ve never even visited Hershian, but I can assure you we’re not at all like most places.  I realize I’m full blood, but I have a vast knowledge of hybrids.  I also hold a great deal of respect for them, and that’s all I ask in return… respect.”

I smile lightly at his ability to put my mind at ease after only having known me for a few short minutes, and he starts the long journey while driving like a father… slow.

“Just call me Araya,” I murmur softly, and a smile finds his lips.

“I’ll do that,” he kindly replies.  “We have an unusual set up, and we stay fairly busy with interrogations due to the fact we’re so close to the unaligned borders.  I hope you’re ready to get to work because there is plenty to keep you busy,” he chuckles out.

I’m ready to be completely distracted by anything but men.

“That sounds great actually.  How are your medical facilities?” I ask subtly.

“We have an abundant source of olophine if that’s what you’re asking,” he murmurs hesitantly.

“You know?” I gasp.

“I told you, I have a vast knowledge of hybrids.  You’ll find I’m not the typical full blood captain.”

I smile discreetly while staring out the window, and then my tears threaten to return as I stare out into the flat lands where Hale disappeared into the night.  I’m never going to know why he loves breaking me.  I have to learn not to care anymore.  I have to be done.

Chapter 11

Secrets Unlocked

My hands burn with the gift I rarely use.  It’s not supposed to be connected to my emotions, but when it comes to Araya, all bets are off.  I inject my veins with the olophine to calm the brewing storm, and I stare into the room where the scum is smugly relaxing with his hands cuffed to the table.

There hasn’t been a lead in two fucking years, and now this shit is going to start back up.  It took me three years to get her back, and now I’ll probably never have her again.  It’s for the best though.  Her safety is far more important to me than having her love.  The most painful thing I’ve ever done is walk away from her.  Now I’ve had to do it twice.  I broke her this time.  I could see it in her eyes.

My phone buzzes, and I take a deep breath before looking to see who it is.  I relax slightly when I see it’s Clay instead of her.  She’ll probably never call again after what I said to her.

“How is she?” I say into the phone while answering.

“She’s gone.  She took the lead interrogator position at Hershian, and Captain Hawkins drove her back earlier tonight.  Where are you?”

“I’m here already.  I stopped by the air hanger and took a chopper from there.”

“Choppers are dangerous.  You know you could have been shot out of the sky by any one of our enemies.”

“I don’t give a fuck.  The only thing I have worth living for is knowing I can keep her safe.”

“Hale, just tell her,” he sighs.

“No.  If she knows, she’ll go back to living in fear.  She may even go after them herself, and I wouldn’t be able to keep myself from going nuclear if it happened all over again.  They still want her, Clay.  You saw the fucking pictures.  I should have put it together sooner.  They attacked you guys the first time to get to Brazen.  He was supposed to die, and it was supposed to bring out her savage.  Javeline never needed to be attacked.  They did it to destroy her emotional state, and it damn near worked.  They’ve figured her out, and they came to Seminole to get her that night.  They’re not dead, and you know it as well as I do.”

“Are you sure these are the same people?  They’re not wearing the scorpion tattoo that shreds the bird.  It’s possible you’re mistaken.”

“There’re two pictures you didn’t pay enough attention to.  Go back and look at them closer.  They’re still alive, and they’re coming for her.  I’ll make sure they never get another fucking chance.”

“Let me come help you,” he exasperates.

“You know you can’t.  If you join me, you have to tell the United where you are and what you’re doing.  I can’t risk her finding out.”

I feel the burning once more, and I have to inject myself with more of the subduing medicine.  This is so much harder than last time because I’ve just completely murdered any chance of ever feeling her love again.

“Then call Brazen.  He’s damn good in the field, and he can help you.  You don’t need to do this on your own.  You almost died last time before you forced them underground.”

My jaw clenches as I stare at the picture of the girl I love more than my own life.  The thought of her being with anyone else is enough to shred my heart to pieces, and I have to hold back the tears that try to breach my eyelids.  She’ll always be mine, even if she goes back to him.

“I thought I killed them.  If I had known they just went underground, I would have never drug her through this again.  Brazen loves her almost as much as I do.  He’ll come with me if I tell him, and he’ll hurt her when he lies to her about where he’s going - just like I always did.  She needs someone there for her, and I can’t be.  I hate that son of a full blooded bitch, but he loves her enough to keep her safe in my absence.  I’m sure he’s already requested a transfer.”

“She wouldn’t tell him where she was going.”

I can’t help but smile upon hearing that, and I even let a small ghost of a laugh escape.  She’s so amazing and stubborn.  I’ll never love anyone else.

“He’ll find her,” I murmur with mixed emotions.

“Are you sure you want to gift wrap her and leave her for him?  You worked pretty damn hard to get her back.  If he succeeds in making her fall for him again, he won’t do anything to fuck it up.  You could lose her forever, and I don’t think you really want that.”

“Of course I don’t want that, but I’d rather her be happy and oblivious than tormented and scared.  You’ve seen her.  She’s still battling the demons left behind from her abduction.  She’s gone savage so many times from their strategic attacks.  She might reach stage three if she learns they’re still out there.”

“She’s never gone stage three before.”

“Could you imagine what would happen if she did?” I almost whisper, and I shiver at the thought of how many she could destroy too easily.  “It would be me times ten, if not worse.  I don’t know if I could get close enough to bring her down.”

“I can’t transfer to Hershian to keep her safe like I did in Javeline.  Seminole will need me in your absence since you won’t let me come help.”

“Brazen will take care of her,” I murmur, and then I feel the tense knot developing as the image of her with him sprawls out in my brain with such vivid pierces.

“She thinks you don’t love her anymore,” Clay releases with hesitance.

I pull the small, fragile ring from my pocket, and I stare at the white gold band holding the black diamond hiding a secret etching of a sparrow within the gem.  The engraving declares the love she thinks I don’t have.  The last ring I gave her was a temporary, generic ring that I never replaced.  This one meant something, and I wanted it to stay on her hand for the rest of our lives.

“That’s good, but it’s not enough.  She loves me more than she loves Brazen, and she’ll have to hate me to stay away.  I’ll take care of that when the time comes.  Until then, just make sure Brazen’s request for transfer gets granted.”

“I’ll do it,” he grumbles.  I know he hates leaving Araya in the dark.  “I’ll talk to you when I can.”
I hang up the phone, and then I feel my anger surging violently as the thought of losing Araya again surges to the front.  I launch the phone across the room, and it’s obliterated against the unforgiving stone wall.  I crack my neck from side to side before joining the very relaxed man in the other steel room.

I grip the edge of the table while trying to compose myself, and the man laughs a little at my rattled appearance.

“You look a bit hung over or still drunk.  I can’t discern which,” he snickers out.

“Let’s not talk about me.  Let’s discuss you.”
I stare at his neck to see the tail of the scorpion peeking out of his shirt, and I fight the power inside me that begs to blow him to pieces.

“I don’t think so, pretty boy.  I’ve got nothing to say,” he chuckles, and then he leans back with a smug, fearless smirk.

Fucking dumbass.  He has no idea who the fuck I am.

The steel table I’m gripping suddenly flies across the room when I jerk it free from its bolted state.  It crashes violently against the far wall before falling in a crumbling motion as it bows in half.

“Oh, you’ll talk,” I mutter in my chilling tone.  “You’ll be glad to talk because I won’t let you get near her ever again.”

He starts laughing louder, and I smirk at his indifference to me.  I casually lean against the side of the wall while letting him think he’s in control.

“You think I’m scared of you because you threw a little table against a wall?  You have no idea who you’re messing with, and the United is just going to slap some cuffs on me and throw me in Stringham.”

I can’t help but smile bigger now, and the burning in my hands finally finds an outlet as it releases my gift.  His right hand bursts free from his socket, and the red flows ferociously as he screams out his excruciating pain.  I casually stroll over to the corner, and I pull out a small dosed pack of blood to toss to him.

“You psychotic hybrid son of a bitch,” he exclaims, and his chained hands provide him just enough leeway to allow him to guzzle the half pack of blood fervently.

The wound heals just enough to keep him from bleeding profusely while leaving the pain intact.

“I need more,” he yelps, and he grips the closing end of the nub where his hand once was.

“We heal so easily, don’t we?  It’s a shame we can’t grow back limbs or other appendages though.  I can promise I’ll keep blowing shit off your body until you tell me every-fucking-thing there is to know.  Then I’ll give you just enough blood to keep you alive - just like they did her before torturing her daily.”

“You can’t do this,” he strains out through the pain.  “You’re a United officer.”

I smirk as I pull my badge off, and then I slide it into my pocket before hovering over him.

“This isn’t United business.  This is personal.  Which piece of your body would you like to lose next?” I snort out.

He looks away to stare at his missing hand, and I shrug before exploding his right foot right in front of his eyes.  He screams again as more blood surges free, and just as before, I hand him another partial pack of blood.  He savagely tears into it with his teeth to suck every drop out, and I smirk before sitting down.

“You don’t know who I am, so I’ll give you another chance to speak before I start tearing you to pieces without offering a way out.  You see, I’m the one that drove them into hiding the first time around when I slaughtered everyone with that fucking tattoo,” I growl, and I rip his shirt off to reveal the rest of the scorpion that is ripping apart the sparrow.  “She had to stare at that for days and days.  She has nightmares about that fucking twisted symbol.  But she doesn’t know how fucking pathetic you all really are.  You die so violently when my gift goes awry, and right now it’s stirring very ferociously.”

His tears start pouring out when his foot barely heals, and he feels the pain gripping him from top to bottom now.  He sobs louder when I start to blow off his other hand, and he waves it at me in surrender.

“Stop.  Please stop.  I’ll tell you what I know, but it’s not much.  I’m just a low level.  I took on small jobs because they paid me in blood that was so rich.  It tastes like it’s straight from the vein.”

Fucking dumb full bloods.

“Metropolis has the same blood for any full blood that pledges allegiance.  You’re a fool if you think I’ll believe this shit.”
“No,” he pleads when I stand to inflict more pain.  “I’ve been in Metropolis, and yes… the blood is close to the vein, but this blood tastes like it
is
from the vein.  The only thing missing is the thin layer of human skin protecting it.  I have some in my bag.  You’re welcome to taste it for yourself,” he stammers out promptly.

I suspiciously approach his bag, and I kick it open instead of leaning down just in case it’s a trap.  The small packs fall to the floor, and I rip one open to smell its contents.  It’s strong, ripe, and damn it smells just like undiluted blood.

He’s telling the fucking truth.

“I want to know everything you do know.  I don’t care how meaningless the detail is, I want it.  Now start talking,” I growl, and he sobs louder as he begins spilling the contents of the scorpion pact he took.

I have to keep her safe.  She’s my girl.