Page 47 of Secret Gifts
“My gift. Mom refuses to, and you trained directly under her for centuries. Please tell me how to control it.”
I need a distraction, and this is just as good as any. He frowns when I hear the sizzling of my contacts which are being dissolved, and he shakes his head while turning his attention to Jase momentarily.
“You don't need 'control' until you can call upon your gift as you please. I don’t know how to make it come forth. My problem wasn’t summoning it, it was using too much without understanding the consequences. You need someone who struggled summoning, and other than Rex, I don’t know who else to call.”
That doesn’t help at all because my brother still struggles. I huff out, and then I pull out a new set of hybrid blue contacts to put in. Uncle Grayson shields me from the eyes of anyone so no one sees my little secret, and then I step back to lean against him.
“Just give it some time. It took your Aunt Angelica a while to let me in. Once she did, it connected us. Maybe Jase just has to learn to trust you first.”
“Eavesdropping are we?” I muse when I realize how much better his hearing is than most hybrids - one of his many evolved talents.
“Always do when my niece looks to be hurting. It’s a promise I made to your father who I loved like a brother.”
I smile softly, and then I wrap my arm around his waist.
“He loved you like a brother too. So does Uncle Brazen.”
He nods, smiling lightly as he reminiscences.
“Brazen is the first full blood I ever trusted. He’s the first person, other than Araya, to stand up for me. He proved himself when he went against his own kind to prove my innocence once. He’s not as good at interrogation as your mother, but he was good enough to save my hide.”
I laugh a little, then seriousness hits me. I wish I could fucking interrogate as well as Mom. If I could, then I could find out how Jase really feels about me. Perhaps it's best I don't know.
A general steps up to call to our still slouching crew. His posture is impeccable as he shows his militant tone to us all.
“Load up. We need to get on the road. We’re detouring to Cantenbury fields. Our drones spotted something we need to investigate. This is silent stalk. Brigades one through fifteen will be on this.”
He walks away, and I frown. Damn it. I’m brigade fifteen. I wish I knew what brigade Jase is. He’s constantly shifting teams like he owns the damn place; like Rex.
“Aria, need a ride?” one of my teammates asks as he jogs up.
“Nah, I got a car. I’ll see you there,” I murmur while running back.
My mother steps up and whirls me in her arms.
“It doesn’t matter what time, what day, or where you are, you call me if you need me.”
I pull back to see tears in her eyes as they dissolve her blue contacts, and then Rex walks up to pull her in his arms as she sobs like we’re going off to die.
“You too,” she whispers in his ear, and he holds her tighter to comfort her fear.
I’ve never seen her like this. Mom is always so badass. It’s not like we haven’t been in the field before.
“I love you, Mom,” I sigh out, and she pulls me into her embrace with Rex before Uncle Brazen’s arms wrap around us as well.
I chuckle a little for how silly we must look to the outsiders, but then we pull back and wave farewell to the mother I’ve rarely ever seen cry.
“What was that about?” I whisper as we get in the car.
“That was Mom hearing urgency, a little fear, and anxiety in the general’s tone. We need to be careful. Mom’s intuition is unparalleled.”
I gas the car and squeal off of the city’s pavement to slide onto the muddy streets that will carry us away. The rain starts coming down to make the slushy ground even more ridiculous.
This fucking rain will mess with our tracks.
Rex grips the oh-shit handle on my rental car like it's the only thing keeping his ass planted in the seat. I asked for the fastest thing they had, and that’s what they gave me.
“I really wish Dad hadn’t taught you how to drive,” he grumbles under his breath, and I let a laugh escape as I shift to another gear.
