Page 7 of Tainted Gifts
“That’s not natural either. How long have you had this headache?”
“Longer than I should have.”
“Why not hang back and stay with me? They can send another tracker, and I’d like to run some tests on this headache of yours.”
“No. This is too important. I told you what Kellan was. I need to be there to keep anyone else from finding out. You know what that means,” I whisper softly.
“I know what it means, and I agree he has to die. He’s not like you just because he has eyes to match. He’s a monster, but it doesn’t mean you have to go stalk him down. Uncle Grayson and Aunt Angelica can do that,” she says while frowning.
“They can’t track though. If another tracker catches the trail, they will let the commander know before they let our aunt and uncle know. He has made this top priority.”
“True,” she huffs out while frowning. “Fine, then I’m going with you.”
I smirk as she brushes by me, and then I turn to see Jase’s eyes burning into mine as he takes advantage of my solo stance.
Crap.
He lets a small grin free, and in a blink, he’s at my side.
“Crap?” he muses, acting as though he’s forgotten he and I aren’t on speaking terms.
“Please just let me do my job and leave me alone,” I mumble under my breath while heading to my car.
I wish I was an ungifted. Then I could leave the United and not have to see him again.
“Aria, I’m not giving up… ever. I know you love me, and I know eventually we’ll move past this,” he murmurs from too close behind me.
The chill of his breath burns through the skin on my shoulder when he intentionally lets it linger there for too long. I can see him smirking in the reflection of my car window.
I don’t speak, and I keep my mind as blank as possible as I climb into the front seat. When it fails, I begin thinking randomly.
Crazy striped socks. Microwaveable cocoa. Chocolate… Mmm, chocolate.
He laughs to himself before walking away to go to his own vehicle, and I roll my eyes as Simone comes to join me in the passenger seat.
“You don’t have to ask to go?” I ask curiously.
“I’ve got clearance to go on any mission I choose. I sent in my notice of field detail. The rest is just paperwork I can fill out when I get back. It comes in handy to be the lead scientist on occasion.”
I wish I could just go wherever whenever. I wish I could forgive Jase. Maybe then this headache would go away.
Chapter 2
An Unexpected Breath
The howling hounds of the night taint the already eerie dark air deep in Unaligned territory. I curl up in my tent as my pounding head begs for some reprieve.
“Are you okay?” Simone asks while joining me and zipping the tent back up.
“Maybe as soon as I get some real sleep, this headache will subside.”
I swear there’s a small man with a viciously high-powered jackhammer and he's going crazy inside my fucking head.
“How is she?” Jase’s voice asks through the thin fabric of the tent.
Without meaning to, I let the image of the figurative, angry little man pounding my head into rubble flash through my mind.
“She’s seen better days,” Simone sighs, and the tent starts to unzip.
