Breed of Havoc (The Breed Chronicles #3) (13 page)

“You didn’t.” She shoved her hands into the pockets of her lab coat. “Want to go for a walk? I can’t stay away long—I’ve got tests to run—but I can spare a few minutes.”

“Yeah, sure. Lead the way.”

I followed her outside to the track. She looked up to the sky, took a deep breath and smiled. “I love being outside. Everything is so fresh and clean outside. This is my favorite time, too, when it’s not daytime anymore but it’s not quite nighttime either.”

I eyed her. “Yeah. I like it, too.”

“I’m sorry about before,” she said quietly. “I’m just not used to being around—”

“Prospects?”

She laughed. “People.”

“But you’re great around people. A little torturey, but that goes with the whole Doc thing so I can’t hold it against you. Much.”

“I’m good around medical equipment. My lab, the med-rooms. Those are my…zones, I guess. I’m comfortable there. I’m in charge there.”

“It’s your element.”

“Exactly. So when you tried prying me out of it, I kind of panicked.”

“It’s just me, Doc.”

“I know. That’s what I told myself.” She stopped walking and looked at me. “Why did you invite me to hang out?”

I rolled my shoulders. “You’re always trapped in that lab or some med room, so I figured you needed some time away. Time around humans and not machines—especially ones preparing to take over the world.”

Her eyes lit up. “I’m good with machines, especially that one.”

“You’re good with people, too. We already established that.”

“No, we established I’m good with people when I’m in
my element
.” She shook her head slightly. “I’ve been taking advanced science classes pretty much all of my life. I love science and I’m good at it. In school, I was always the youngest student.”

I stared at Doc for a solid minute before I spoke. “You weren’t popular, were you?”

“No.” She shook her head and laughed. “Not even close. I was shy and awkward, and too smart for my own good. No one understood me and I didn’t understand them.” She eyed me. “I guess it was similar to your experience here, except I didn’t have your confidence.”

“Confidence? I guess I don’t really see it as that.”

“No? Then what do you see it as?”

My mouth opened, closed. I’d never actually thought about it before. “Stubbornness?”

“Close enough. But like I said, that wasn’t me. I shied away and let people walk over me.”

“Is there anyone here who had a
good
childhood?”

“Probably not, or not many.”

I didn’t comment on that, because I wasn’t sure how to, so we just walked in silence for a few minutes. Every once in a while, I glanced at her, only to find her face lifted to the sky and a small smile in place. I rarely saw Doc out of her element. I rarely saw her so…content. Peaceful.

“You really like it outside, don’t you?” I asked, smiling at her.

“Yes. Silly isn’t it?”

“No, not at all. I’m just seeing different sides of you. It’s nice. So,” I said, “tell me something else.”

“Like what?”

“Anything. Favorite color or food. Something I don’t know.”

“Favorite color is red and favorite food would be sour candies of any kind. If I can fit it in my mouth, it’s good.”

“I’ve never seen you with candy.”

She reached into one of her pockets and pulled out a small Ziploc bag. “Always on me, unless I’m doing blood tests or in any of the main labs where anything remotely food-like is forbidden. It drives Dr. Hamilton crazy.”

I scrunched my nose. “Yes, how is Dr. Asshat these days?”

“Actually, I wouldn’t know. For some reason, he refuses to work with me anymore.”

I stopped. “Hell. That’s because of me, isn’t it? I’m sorry.”

“Don’t be. He’s a good doctor, but he can be very shortsighted. It just took me a while to actually see it as that.”

“Well, then I’m not sorry anymore.”

Doc laughed again. “Thank you for sticking up for me with him. I’m not sure I said it before, and even if I did, it bears repeating. I do appreciate it. And I appreciate being invited out of my cave.”

“You didn’t stop fighting when Dr. Asshat was ready to lock me up and throw away the key, so I’d say we’re even.”

“Well, still. Thank you.”

“You’re welcome. And now you have to go,” I guessed.

“I do.”

“Well, if you want to hang out again, Linc and I watch TV in the common room on Fridays. Well, he watches scary movies while I mostly stare at the walls or hide behind him. But he enjoys it.”

She gave me a soft smile. “Thank you. I’ll keep that in mind.”

We walked back to the North Tower, chatting quietly. Doc waved and went to one of the med-labs and I headed for the elevator. It was still early, so Linc was probably in the common room now watching one of his horror flicks.

I pressed the button for the elevator. The doors slid open a minute later and I found myself face-to-face with Rachel.

Nothing good comes out of an elevator. Nothing.
Being trapped in one for an hour this Phase already taught me that.

Rachel beamed at me. “Hi, Jade!”

“Hi,” I said slowly, trying not to make a what’s-wrong-with-you? expression.

Crossing her arms over her chest, she narrowed her eyes at me. “Why do you look at me like that whenever you see me?”

Oops. “Because I’m just waiting for the other shoe to drop,” I answered. I probably shouldn’t have said it, but it was the truth. I
was
waiting for the catch. I
was
waiting for the reason she’d been full of smiles lately and why she hadn’t said one bad word to me.

She tried for a hurt expression but didn’t quite pull it off. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

“It’s supposed to mean that I know better.” I laughed. “What’s the deal? Are you hoping I’ll forget we don’t like each other and what…? You’ll trip me when I least expect it? Knock me over? Kick my imaginary puppy?” I shook my head. “Whatever it is you’re up to, just get on with it already and drop the act.”

“Who says it’s an act?”

I tilted my head to the side and shot her a do-I-look-that-stupid? look. “You hated me all of last Phase. You insulted me, my—my family.” My voice hardened as I remembered what she’d said last Phase about my mom being better off dead since she’d been part demon. It had my fists curling, aching with the need to hit her again. “You did your best to get everyone else to hate me.”

“Yeah.” She managed to keep a straight face for about three more seconds, then she bent at the waist and started laughing. “Oh, man. That was fun, wasn’t it?”

“A riot,” I muttered.

She let out a loud breath. “I did try. But you’re still here, so I guess I should’ve put more effort into it.”

“You were hoping I’d leave?”

“Well, yeah. I mean, if it was me, I would’ve been long gone. You’ve got what, three friends? Four, if you count that gullible little P2. The rest of us really don’t like you, Jade. Do the math.”

My stomach twisted. Ignoring it and rolling my eyes, I pressed the button for the elevator again. “I’m not here to be liked.” It wasn’t a lie—exactly—but neither could I say it was the whole truth. Did I need to be liked? No. But it didn’t stop me from wanting it. Being liked was definitely a lot better than being hated, especially when it wasn’t just one or two people doing the hating but almost every Prospect. I could do the math, too. It added up to a whole lotta Jade-dislike.

“You just keep telling yourself that,” she said, her tone patronizing. I could just imagine her giving me a little head pat to go with it.

I stepped inside the elevator without responding.

As the doors slid shut, she gave me a small wave and laughed. “Enjoy your weekend!”

I wasn’t sure what to think. I was glad the charade was over, but in another way, I wasn’t sure if I hadn’t been better off playing along.

*~*~*

Movie night didn’t turn out great. By the time I got to the common room to sit with Linc, my mood was shot and the movie—much to Linc’s dismay—didn’t even register. He’d been upset, but I couldn’t tell if it was because I’d been moody, or because the movie hadn’t scared me like he’d hoped. Probably both.

I woke up to a voice calling my name. Once I sat up in bed, it took me a minute to realize the voice was coming from the security panel. Still half-asleep, I stumbled over to it and pressed what I hoped was the button to answer. “Yeah?”

“Director Greene would like to see you in the auditorium at nine.”

“Huh?”

“Be at the auditorium,” the voice said, exasperated now, “at nine.”

“Sure.”

There was a clicking sound and I blinked at the panel until my brain focused. What’d I just agree to? Meeting Greene in the auditorium? Huh?

Frowning, I glanced at my alarm clock. The blue digits showed it was already eight thirty. I blinked again. Hell.

Fifteen minutes later, my brain was working a little better. My usual morning routine would’ve meant reading my mom’s journals before I did anything else, but with only fifteen minutes to spare, I didn’t have time. I sighed and grabbed my ID before heading out.

There was no one in the halls. There were a few voices coming from the common room, so someone was awake already, but I knew the majority of the Prospects slept in on the weekends. Well, they slept in on the one weekend a month we didn’t have training, anyway.

I took the back stairs to the fifth floor and went to the auditorium. There were already a few people waiting outside—the P4s, I realized dimly, including Rachel and two of her friends. They had their backs to me, but when the people in front of her glared at me, she spun around. The smile on her face faded instantly and she crossed her arms over her chest. “What are you doing here?” she snapped.

The elevator doors opened at almost the same time, and Greene stepped out. “She’s here because I asked her to be here. Do you have a problem with that, Miss Clarkson?”

She didn’t answer. Instead, she shook her head and turned away.

It always amazed me how some people—like Greene—could sound so polite and mild mannered, yet full of authority. Like Tasha, though she tended to forget the mild mannered part and focused only on the authority.

Greene walked over to me. “Thank you for meeting me here, Miss Hall.”

“Not that I’m arguing or anything,” I started, casting a glance at the others, “but she has a point. What
am
I doing here?”

He gave me a soft smile. “You’ll understand shortly.”

Whatever it was, I decided then and there it couldn’t be good.

He unlocked and opened the doors to the auditorium. The lights flashed on as everyone walked in. I came in last, behind the others, hoping to stay out of their way for as long as I could. Only two rows of bleachers were pulled out and Greene’s podium was a few feet away. Greene motioned for us to sit.

I distanced myself from the others, not that I would have had to since they all moved away from me.

“Good morning,” Greene said cheerfully, smiling down at the nine of us. “I’m sure you’re all anxious to learn why you were asked here today. You’re here because you have agreed to have the genetic treatments we offer. All but Miss Hall, of course.”

And just like that, everyone remembered my presence and looked to me, like they were also wondering why I was there.

“Phase Four is, obviously, the most important Phase for you. Until you have your treatments at the end of your Phase, you’ll be involved in a mentor program of sorts. A couple of experienced hunters will come in to speak with you about the treatments. You’ll be free to ask the questions I’m sure you all must have and the mentors will do their best to answer them.”

Rachel nudged Leslie and I heard her whisper ‘ask him’. Leslie shot her a glare but raised her hand. Greene’s eyes narrowed slightly, but he nodded to her. “Why is Jade here?”

“As I’m sure you’re all aware, Jade, while she has not had the treatments herself, does posses the same qualities as our hunters. She should be considered a great resource for information. That is, if she accepts my proposal to be considered a mentor.”

Rachel snickered.

“Give it a rest already,” Kristina Ray said. She rolled her green eyes. “Just because you have issues with her, it doesn’t mean the rest of us do, Rachel. You don’t want to hear what she has to say, that’s on you. Personally, I’m interested.” Rachel shot her a glare, but she ignored it. “What’s your problem, anyway?”

Until late last Phase, Kristina had been one of Rachel’s friends. When Rachel’d started harassing me when I was hurt, Kristina had defended me and told her off. If anyone got as many glares from Rachel as I did, it was Kristina.

“She’s part demon and she got—”

“Oh, for crying out loud.” Kristina’s dark auburn hair fell in her face as she shook her head. “Felecia got herself kicked out. I’m sorry for it, since she was my friend, too, but it’s been a year. Get over it. As for the demon thing, so what? You’re here aren’t you? You signed up before anyone else did. You think because it’s not something you were born with that you can’t be considered part demon? Get real. If anything, it’s worse. You’re asking for it. She didn’t.”

I wasn’t exactly a huge fan of Kristina’s, but after she stopped being part of Rachel’s group last Phase, I liked her more. And now, she quickly became my second favorite person in the room.

Rachel didn’t say anything else, only continued to stare at Kristina with narrowed eyes. I’d never really seen anyone say anything to Rachel before, so my own eyes (which were probably bugging out of my head) were on her, too. Kristina stared right back at Rachel, like she was waiting for her to say something.

“Thank you for your support of Miss Hall, Miss Ray. While I may not have said it exactly as Miss Ray has, her points are no less valid. I know most of you seem to have a problem with Miss Hall. You’re not required to like her, nor are you required to take her advice, should she offer any, but you will show her as much respect as you’d show your instructors and our agents. You’re all legally adults now. I expect you to behave as such.”

“So when does this thing start?” a dark-haired guy asked.

“Next Sunday, and it will continue every Sunday after that until April. You’ll meet here, where you can speak with our agents, ask questions, and get their opinions.”