Mindee Arnett - Avalon

“Yeah, well, Hammer got there first,” Jeth said.

“So I gathered.”

Jeth’s mind was working fast as he tried to figure out his next move. “But I’m not so sure I understand this hostile reception. I thought we had an agreement.”

“Ah.” A hint of a smile danced across Renford’s lips. “So, you think to come here with Hammer’s men, mount a failed assault, and then attempt to convince me that you still want to honor our deal?”

“I didn’t know it was you in here, and I didn’t have any choice about working with Hammer. Like I said, he got there first. And this is my ship. Of course I came for her.”

Across from Jeth, Sergei was glaring so hard that his face had turned red. Jeth ignored him. His plan, if they got out of this, was to tell Sergei it had just been a ploy. Unless Renford actually did honor the deal.

“Yes, I understand.” Renford’s gaze moved from Jeth to Lizzie. “And you brought your sister. Excellent.” He approached Lizzie, then bent down and lifted her chin, turning her face more fully into the light. Lizzie tried to pull away, but Renford held fast. “You look so much like your mother.”

Outrage coursed through Jeth. Nobody touched his sister, not for any reason.

Renford addressed the soldier guarding Lizzie. “We’ll take this one with us, too.” The soldier immediately sheathed his gun, then stepped forward and pulled Lizzie to her feet.

“What are you doing?” In a panic, Jeth tried to stand, but the soldier behind him pushed him down, then pressed the barrel of a gun to the back of his skull mere millimeters above the implant architecture. Agony burst over Jeth’s head.

“Stay put, or I’ll blow a hole right through you,” the soldier hissed in Jeth’s ear.

Jeth went still, but he locked his gaze on Renford. “What do you want with my sister?”

Renford shook his head. “I’m afraid that’s an explanation that would take more time than I can spare. But I am grateful you brought her to me. Of course, it would’ve been easier if I could’ve met you outside the Belgrave. I might even have decided you were worth bringing along with me, but not anymore. You’re too much trouble and not enough value. Your sisters, on the other hand. They are most definitely worth it.”

“What are you talking about?” Jeth said, convinced the man was insane. Sisters? Value?

“What’s this?” Renford glanced at Sierra, his eyebrows raised. “You didn’t tell him? About his mother? How very . . . disciplined of you.” A smile that could only be described as proud rose to his face.

Sierra went pale, then red.

“What about my mother?” Jeth demanded, glancing between the two of them.

Renford chuckled. Then he crouched down, putting his face level with Jeth’s, a delighted glint in his eyes. He was enjoying this, Jeth realized. Renford relished the power he held over him. He relished the cruelty of it. “I can’t believe I’m the one to tell you this. Quite ironic, really. But your mother is still alive, Jeth.” Renford paused, as if allowing time for his nonsensical words to sink in. “And Cora is her daughter.”

ALIVE, ALIVE, A LIVE.

“That’s impossible,” Jeth said, breathless. The emotions churning inside him were so powerful, so confused, all he felt was numbing shock, as if his head had been plunged into a bucket of ice water.

“Oh, I’m afraid it isn’t,” said Renford. “Marian’s execution was staged by the ITA. They needed her to appear dead—it was the only way to hold her and perform the experiments on her they intended. During that last trip your parents took into the Belgrave, something happened to them. Something that altered them biologically. And whatever it was, it affected the fetus your mother didn’t know she was carrying at the time. Cora . She was born a mere seven months after they returned.”

Jeth realized at once that it could have been possible. The timeline worked, at least. And if his mother had gotten pregnant during that trip, he wouldn’t have known. All the information about it had been sealed. And Cora’s strange DNA. It all fits .

Jeth risked a glance at Cora, still unconscious in the soldier’s arms, his heart thundering in his ears. Sister . Was it true? And could his mother really be alive? Experiments . The ground seemed to shift beneath Jeth, his whole universe turning upside down at the possibility that everything he’d assumed about his parents’ fate was wrong.

He turned back to Renford, desperate for answers. “Why? Why would the ITA do it?”

“Oh, I’m afraid I can’t tell you that,” said Renford. He slid his hand into his pocket and withdrew a data cell. “That information is too valuable to share with just anyone.”

Jeth stared at the cell. “What does my mother have to do with the Aether Project?”

“Jeth, your mother is the Aether Project. Along with Cora. And, soon, Lizzie, too.” Renford motioned toward his men. “Bring those two with us. Kill the rest.”

“No!” Sierra screamed, a crazed look on her face. She pulled hard against the men holding her. One of them lost his grip, and Sierra reacted at once. She yanked a small, round object off the soldier’s belt and tossed it. The thing hit the ground with a metal clink. Smoke began to pour out from its top, flooding the room in seconds.

Jeth jumped up, turned, and wrestled the gun out of the hand of the soldier behind him. Then he spun around, trying to find Lizzie. And Cora . Smoke stung his eyes, and he covered his mouth and nose to keep from breathing it in as he ran forward.

Bodies pressed around Jeth, panic descending. He felt that panic clawing at him, trying to freeze him in place. He fought it off, desperate to save his sisters. A soldier appeared in front of him and threw a wild punch. Jeth ducked it easily and then struck the man in the back of the head with the butt of the gun. The soldier went down, and Jeth leaped over him, moving on.

“Get them out of here!” he heard Renford shouting.

Jeth ran toward the voice. He pushed and punched people out of his way, but resisted the urge to start shooting. It was too risky.

“Lizzie!” Jeth screamed.

There was too much noise for him to make out an answer. Smoke burned his lungs, and a coughing fit racked his body.

Someone appeared in front of him. Jeth moved to strike, but held back when he realized it was Dax. He didn’t understand how the man had recovered from the stunner already, but there he was.

“Come on.” Dax pushed his way through the fighting, and Jeth stumbled after him. A moment later they broke free of the smoke. Jeth wiped his eyes. They were in the rear of the cargo bay, near the exit.

Lizzie .

A soldier was pulling her through the door.

Jeth lunged forward, but Dax grabbed his arm, stopping him.

“Wait,” Dax said. Then he pointed a small, strange-looking gun and fired once. The shot made an odd whizzing noise as it left the chamber. Jeth turned, expecting to see the soldier fall. Dax’s aim was legendary.

The man kept moving.

Dax had missed. Jeth couldn’t believe it. He pulled away from Dax. “Let go of me.” Jeth broke into a run, but he only made it a few steps before a stunner bolt struck him in the side of the head and everything went black.

“Do you think it scrambled his brain?”

“Dunno. Guess we’ll find out when he comes around.”

“You mean if he comes around.”

“Oh, he will. He’s too stubborn to die. Besides, Milton said he’d be all right.”

Jeth wished the voices would stop. Each word was like a pickax striking him between the eyes. But the speakers were Flynn and Shady, two people who rarely descended into silence by choice.