Breed of Havoc (The Breed Chronicles #3) (34 page)

“What do you mean?”

“Why do you want to do this?”

“Being here is all about training. This, the mentor thing, is partly about learning what’s possible when you’re different, isn’t it? Well, what I can do is different.”

“That’s not something anyone else is going to be able to do. You know that, right?”

“Yeah, I do.” It made me a little sad that he was probably right, that none of the others would be able to do it. If they could, then maybe they wouldn’t think I was such a freak. But as much as it weirded
me
out, if or when I actually mastered it (assuming it was masterable in the first place), it could come in handy.

“I’ve talked to Peter, so I know you’re not exactly thrilled with being different. Why do this?”

I rolled my shoulders. “No, I’m not thrilled with it. Sometimes I’m too different, but that’s not going to change anytime soon, and
something
has to. If it’s not them, then it’s gotta be me, right? I’m tired of hiding who I am from them. I’m tired of pretending I’m not something I am—which
is
different.”

“Time to embrace your demon side?”

My demon side. I still didn’t exactly like that term, but… “Yeah, basically.”

He said nothing for a minute. “Okay, I’m in. But so help me, Jade, if you get hurt…”

“Then I’ll just tell everyone you hit me when I wasn’t looking,” I said sweetly. I walked away as he sputtered and smiled to myself when I heard him mutter ‘shit’ under his breath.

It took a few minutes to get things set up because I’d asked for a red light like the one they’d used in Tracking. After, Adam moved everyone to the far side of the room as Peter wrapped the blindfold across my eyes.

“You’re absolutely sure about this?” Adam asked for the sixth time as the lights went out.

I couldn’t
see
things like I had before, but I knew he was to my left. “Yes.”

“If you say so.”

Even though they were covered, I closed my eyes and let out a deep breath. Focusing, I pulled the image of the room to my mind and thought about where everyone had been. I could hear whispers and breathing, slight shuffling of feet. Rachel, who’d been as far from us as possible before, had moved to stand in the front when the lights went out, like she wanted the best view possible.

Some of the others were, like before, saying I’d get my ass kicked. After a second, I realized my ‘some’ estimate was off—it was most of them. Even Kristina wasn’t so sure I wouldn’t walk away without some bruises.

“Ready?”

I spun toward the sound of Adam’s voice, praying that the seeing sounds thing would kick in any second, because until it did, I was basically going to be a blindfolded punching bag. My other senses were still pretty good, but not good enough if he kept his earlier word about not holding his punches. “Yup.”

Hearing his feet moving, I raised my arms in fight-mode and moved, trying to keep the sounds—and him—in front of me. The air shifted a little and I dodged to the side. Adam’s fist grazed my arm.

“You okay?”

I smacked him when I felt him move in front of me. “I’m not unconscious or crying. I’m fine.”

The longer my eyes were closed, the louder the sounds got. Adam struck out again, catching me in the other arm. There was barely any force behind it.

C’mon, demony senses. Kick in already so I can kick his butt!

We circled around for another minute or two, with him still pulling his punches.

The sounds got louder again and the blackness got darker. A light red glow formed in the shape of a body. Adam.

Still freaky, but definitely kinda cool.

This time, I took the offensive and moved toward him. I heard the unmistakable sound of intakes of breath—including Adam’s. He moved back and circled one way, then another, then back again. I took a step forward and punched him in the stomach. Before he could move or duck or dodge, I brought my arm down on his back.

“Lucky guess,” Rachel called out when the others started to cheer.

I turned toward her voice. “Think so? I’ll hold still, then. You try.”

“Jade—” Peter started.

I shook my head. “Even if I hit Adam or dodge his hits, she’s just going to say he’s letting me get him or something. Right?”

“Which he probably was,” Rachel said, the red glow around her nodding.

“Well, here’s your chance to see for yourself.”

I wasn’t sure what I expected—her to refuse or gladly take the chance—but I didn’t think she’d march right over and hit me in the stomach. I could have avoided the hit, and probably should have, but I’d been so shocked she’d actually do it that I’d just stood there. “That’s your free shot,” I said, tone low.

She scoffed and tried hitting me again.

I dodged to the left, then right, then ducked, then dodged to the right again. Each time she tried hitting me she missed by inches. She tried circling around me, like that’d help, but I just followed her and ducked and dodged some more. This time she tried kicking my feet out from underneath me, so I jumped up.

“Alright,” Peter said, “I think that’s enough of an example.”

Ignoring him, Rachel advanced on me, punching and kicking non-stop. I kept moving back, blocking her hits with my hands and legs easily, but I knew I was getting close to a wall now.

“I said enough!”

I dropped my hands down to my side at Peter’s snapped command and glanced to my left, where he was standing.

Rachel muttered, “You’re a freak,” under her breath, and out of the corner of my eye, I saw her punch out once more.

I turned back in time to catch her fist a second before it would’ve hit me in the jaw. I tore the blindfold off and did my best to ignore the spark of anger in my stomach. She made an ugly, angry face at me and tried slapping me.

Even as I caught her hand easily again and held it, that spark of anger ignited into a ball of red hot fury. My fingers tightened.

“Let go!” she shouted.

I heard and felt a sickening crack. Rachel cried out and yanked her hand free before I could release it. She pulled back hard enough to send herself sprawling to the floor.

My stomach dropped as Rachel scrambled back, pushing away from me with her feet. I couldn’t move or think, only stare at her, helpless to do anything. Someone shoved me aside when I took a step forward. “I’m sorry! I didn’t mean—I barely—”

Kristina blocked my path. “Get away from her, Jade.”

“Step back, Jade,” Peter said.

“My hand’s broken!” Rachel gasped. “That bitch broke my hand! Get her away from me!” Adam and Peter helped her to her feet. She held her arm to her stomach, her face white and clammy. “See?” Pointedly, she stared at the other P4s. “This is what I’m talking about. She’s dangerous. She shouldn’t be here!”

My heart pounded in my chest. Something tight clutched my lungs, making it hard to breathe. “But I didn’t mean—”

Matt, who’d been one of the first to act nice toward me, shook his head. “Just go, Jade.”

I didn’t want to leave like that, but what else could I do? Without another word, I ran from the room. Outside, I moved to the side and fell back against the wall, trying to catch my breath as it wheezed out in painful gasps.

Oh, shit. Oh, shit.
I repeated the words in my head, over and over, until it matched the sound of my ragged breathing.
What have I done now?

Still unable to catch my breath fully, I went out onto the catwalk. Air, peace, quiet.

Avoidance.

Yeah, I was going to play the avoidance game until…I wasn’t sure when. When people were gone?

For the last few weeks, things had been looking up a little. The other P4s had been on my side, not Rachel’s. If she said something to me, I’d been the one getting defended. And not just the P4s, either. The others had started to…not like me exactly, but they’d showed me less animosity than normal. Not tons less, but there weren’t as many whispers about me. No doubt that would start up again full force.

I already knew no one believed it’d been an accident, that they thought I’d done it on purpose, because they knew Rachel and I didn’t like each other. Because they knew we had issues. But I’d never hurt her on purpose. Okay, excluding last Phase when I’d punched her, but even then it hadn’t been that hard, more of a not-so-gentle tap.

Yeah, I’d squeezed her hand a little, but not with the intent to really hurt her. A little pressure, no pain.

Wasn’t that what had happened with Linc? I’d barely shoved him and he’d flown back like I’d put all my strength into it. He’d said it was the adrenalin and my emotions that had done it, and I’d believed him. I’d wanted to.

God, I hadn’t wanted to hurt him, or even Rachel. I’d just wanted Linc to stay back because I’d been upset, and I’d squeezed Rachel’s hand a little, just to show her that I was done being her verbal punching bag.

I hadn’t meant to hurt either of them and I’d done exactly that. Except this time I’d really hurt someone.

Linc and Dr. Cherry…they could both say there was nothing wrong with me, but I knew better, especially now.

And Rachel, whether I liked it or not, was right. I was dangerous.

C
HAPTER 16

Greene sent me to see Dr. Cherry an hour later. He’d glanced at me, told me I was going to see her immediately, and that was that. No discussion, nothing. He didn’t yell or question me about what had happened, though I was sure he’d get to it eventually.

To make it worse, I didn’t have Linc with me and instead Doc had been ordered to go. I didn’t mind her company, but I would have preferred Linc. I was used to him going with me, and after the accident, I hadn’t even had a chance to talk to him about it. I’d been on way to see him when Greene had found me and said I was going to the facility.

As soon as we arrived, Dr. Cherry and Doc started talking about me like I wasn’t there. They were running different ideas around, ideas for tests and procedures. After twenty minutes, each one had about half a dozen picked out, and I doubted I’d get out of there anytime soon.

Dr. Cherry wanted more demon tests, and Doc wanted her usual scans and blood tests. This time, she got to use the facilities All Scan, which was even more sophisticated than the CGE’s, and Doc fell in love all over again. That was the highlight of my night.

“Okay, well, I see what the issue is,” Dr. Cherry said after the last of the tests.

I waited for her to explain. “Okay…?” I prompted when she didn’t. “What’s the deal?”

“Your strength is increasing at an amazingly fast rate. That’s not
completely
unusual given your current exercise plans, except you already had incredible levels for your age, height, weight, etcetera.”

“We knew that,” I said impatiently, shooting Doc a look. “You told me that last Phase.”

Doc sighed. “This is different, Jade.”

“You said my strength and speed were increasing last year, so how is it different? If it was increasing then and it’s increasing now…it’s the same thing. I don’t see a difference.”

“If Adria’s reports were accurate, you ran six miles last year very quickly, right?”

“Yeah, so?”

“That, in itself, wasn’t completely unusual, even though very few people run that fast without training to do so.”

“And I don’t, because I hate running. Again, we know that.” Why were they telling me what I already knew?

“Okay. What you may not know is that these changes are, as expected, because of your DNA. But now, those changes are reacting to your moods and emotions.”

I snorted. “Oh, come on.”

“Don’t scoff,” Doc said, scowling at me. “People have been known to do extraordinary things when they’re frightened or hurt or angry.”

“Exactly.” Dr. Cherry peered down at me. “You told me you shoved Linc after your demon hunt because you were upset over the deaths of those demons.”

“I was,” I said through gritted teeth.

“Is it fair to say you were upset when you hurt that girl?”

“She tried slapping me, so yes, it’s fair to say I was upset.” And I was getting more upset by the minute.

“Director Greene has given me access to any reports involving you, so I believe this could also explain your intuition and why you’re seeing sounds, for lack of a better term. All of these…episodes, let’s call them, have been under extreme circumstances when your senses are already heightened. When the burrower escaped, you had been trapped in an elevator for an hour and then were made aware of the Burrower’s presence. During your class, you were paired with someone you don’t get along with, so you were likely anxious.”

“And tonight? I wasn’t in any ‘extreme circumstances’ when I was blindfolded, at least not before the…accident.” I’d been a little annoyed with Rachel’s attitude before then when she basically insinuated that Adam and I were both lying and not trying to fight, but that was Rachel. I was more worried when she
wasn’t
saying something.

“You were blindfolded, Jade, so I’d argue that was extreme.”

I scratched my head. “This sounds like a lot of guessing. Isn’t anything concrete? Isn’t anything certain?”

Doc shook her head. “Not really, Jade. You’re the first person any of us have met with these abilities. There’s a steep learning curve for everyone involved.”