“Can I see her?”
When he nods, my eyes fill with tears. I fight the urge to start sobbing. “When?”
“Whenever you would like.”
I hop out of my chair, ready to go. “Now.”
My father rises from his chair and circles the desk until he’s standing next to me. He looked big when he was seated, but standing next to me, he’s so enormous it’s intimidating.
For a moment, I wonder if I’m supposed to hug him, but something tells me he’s not the hugging type.
“Follow me,” he says.
“What about us?” Gunner asks.
“Wait here,” my father tells him.
I follow my father out the office door and through the chamber where we entered.
When we’re in the main corridor, we head in the opposite direction from where I came with my friends. The hallway we turn down is covered with an underwater ocean mural that makes you feel like you’re swimming in the sea.
My father is quiet. I have so many more questions for him, but I’m not sure where to start. I feel like he knows a lot more about me than I know about him.
“Where did you come from?” I ask.
This time, he doesn’t respond verbally. He transmits his thoughts to me. I come from the same place that you do. All beings originate from the same infinite source.
“You’re from Earth, but you’re not human?”
I wasn’t created in the same way that human beings are created, but I don’t have the time and space limitations that human beings believe they do.
Believe we do? I wonder what that means.
For thousands of years, human beings have been bound by a belief system rooted in materialism. You’ve forgotten your true nature and your power.
I guess he can read my thoughts too, because he just responded to what I was thinking. He sounds like one of those New Age gurus that my aunts worship. Maybe the stuff they believe isn’t as crazy as I thought it was.
It’s the dawning of a new era for humanity. One in which peace and prosperity for all people is possible. Your mission is to lead in the transformation. But you must be aware that the elite who are currently in power will do anything to stop you.
“I don’t even feel like I know where I’m going. How can I lead anyone else?”
To this, my father does not respond. Instead, he says, “Your mother is cooking something special for you.”
My mind has so been distracted with everything that’s happened that I haven’t even thought about food.
“French toast,” he adds. “Isn’t that one of your favorites?”
“Has my mother been able to watch my life like you have?”
He shakes his head. “Not in the same way that we can. She can sense fragments and put the bits and pieces together. But it’s not like the clear pictures that we can see.”
When we stop in front of a large portal entrance, my heart starts to beat more rapidly. I’m nervous about meeting my mother. I’m sure it will be awkward and uncomfortable. But what if she doesn’t like me? What if I don’t like her?
I’ve waited my whole life for this moment. It might be a complete letdown.
When my father places his palm on the keypad and opens the portal, my chest tightens.
This is it. I’m finally going to meet the woman who gave me everything and gave me nothing. The woman who gave me life and then left me before I had a chance to live it.
My parents’ apartment is similar to the one that Falcon and I are sharing with JoJo and Nico, but a little bigger and roomier. Their furniture is ultramodern and looks brand new. Maybe they don’t get many visitors. Or perhaps they’re not home very much.
My mother is in the kitchen area. She looks busy cooking.
When she turns to face me, I’m surprised by how much she resembles my aunts but a decade younger. She’s an attractive blonde. Petite, like me. But there’s a sadness in her eyes that’s so intense it nearly overshadows everything else about her.
Unlike my father, who has kept a physical barrier between us, my mother hurries over to me and embraces me in a hug. I feel an instant bond form between us, even though I don’t know her at all.
When she releases her hold on me, she looks me up and down for several moments. “You’re a beautiful young woman.”
“Good genes, I guess.”
She gives a nervous laugh, then gestures toward the kitchen. “I’m making french toast. I understand it’s your favorite.”
I take a seat at the crystal counter separating the kitchen from the living area. Thankfully, the metal barstool is a lot more comfortable than it looks.
She moves behind the counter and continues to prepare the meal she’s working on.
My father is still standing next to the door, watching us, expressionless.
“We’ll be fine.” My mother gives him a quick wave.
He doesn’t seem convinced. He makes no motion to leave.
“I promise.” She forces a weak smile.
He glances back and forth between the two of us for several moments before he finally turns and exits the apartment.
“He’s very protective,” my mom says. “He’ll be even more so now that you’re here.”
“Aren’t we safe?” I ask.
She nods. “Very. Central Operations has a team of blockers who work around the clock. The US military doesn’t have the ability to penetrate their psychic wall. Not yet, anyway. That’s one of the things they wanted you for. Once you realize the talents you have and what you’re capable of, you’ll be a threat to the status quo.”
“What if I don’t want to be a part of this resistance movement, or transformation, or whatever it is that you’re all involved in?”
“You’re not safe anywhere else. You’re on the government’s most-wanted list. They’ll do whatever it takes to find and capture you. They need you as much as we do. The only difference is that they don’t have your best interests in mind. They don’t love you. They just want to use the abilities that you possess to ensure that they remain in power and continue to have control over humanity.”
I rub my temple. My head is starting to throb. “I didn’t ask for any of this.”
“I know. I’m sorry. When I left you with my sisters, I thought you’d be safe. I wanted you to have a normal life. I made the choice to live my life in hiding. I didn’t want to make that choice for you.”
“It happened anyway,” I say a little too harshly. When I see my mother’s eyes moisten, I immediately regret the tone of my voice. “Sorry.”
“I understand you brought a young man with you.”
I nod. I now realize how much Falcon and I have in common that I never understood before. Neither of us is truly human. He’s a genetically enhanced super-soldier. I’m a human–alien hybrid. We were both abandoned by our parents. Both thrust into environments where we’re expected to become instruments of an agenda that’s not of our choosing.
“Do you love him?” she asks.
The question catches me off guard. I never considered the idea before. Do I love Falcon?
“We don’t choose who we fall in love with,” she adds. “It just happens.”
“My father. He doesn’t seem to . . . show much emotion.”
This time when she smiles, my mother’s face lights up. “Your father cares about you very deeply, even if he is not capable of showing it. He cares about you more than he cares about himself. He’d give his life for yours if he had to without hesitation.”
“Like Nico did?”
She nods. “Your father would give his life for me too. In a way, he already has.”
I frown. “I don’t understand.”
She shifts uncomfortably. Then she clears her throat. “Your father wasn’t a guardian when I met him. He was a soldier in the Dark Army. They’re not allowed to have romantic relationships—and definitely not with human beings. When he made the decision to be with me, he gave up his life as a warrior.”
“Falcon was fo
rced to make a similar decision.”
“Maybe he did it because he loves you.”
I wonder if that’s true. Does Falcon love me? “Why did you tell me not to trust the man of my dreams?”
Her brow is knitted. “I didn’t.”
“The note that you left with this pendant.” I lift the horseshoe from my chest. “That’s what it said.”
She shakes her head. “That’s not the message I left for you. The message I left said, ‘The truth is in your dreams.’”
That changes everything, doesn’t it? “Do you think your sisters altered the note?”
“If they did, it was only because they were trying to protect you. I’m sure they didn’t want you to end up like me. They didn’t understand the life I chose or why I wanted to be with Luca.”
“That’s my father’s name? Luca?”
She places two pieces of french toast on a plate. “Syrup?”
“Lots.”
She pours a generous amount on the french toast slices, then places the plate in front of me with a knife, fork, and napkin.
My mouth starts to water as I take in the aroma of cinnamon and maple.
“Because of the way in which they can communicate with each other, beings like your father don’t use names like humans do. With humans, he uses the name Luca.”
The french toast melts in my mouth. It’s delicious. “Are you having any?”
She gives me a warm smile. “I made it just for you.”
I resist the urge to gobble the food down. I didn’t realize I was so hungry.
“Now what?” I ask between mouthfuls.
“Now you and your friends go into training.”
I raise a skeptical brow. “Training?”
“Finding me and your father isn’t the end, Jericho. It’s just the beginning. You’ll all need to develop your skills in order to lead the resistance movement.”
When I arrive back at the apartment, Falcon and Gunner are seated in the living area. JoJo is standing in front of them, playing the most beautiful music I have ever heard on the violin.
As soon as she notices me, she stops playing.
“Please . . . don’t stop.”
“Can you believe this was here when we got back?” She holds the violin up like a proud parent showing off a newborn baby. “It’s my grandfather’s violin. They bought it back for me.”
“You’re an amazing musician,” I tell her. And I mean it.
“You’re just saying that to get on my good side,” she teases.
“Grab a seat.” Gunner points to an empty spot on the couch right next to Falcon. “We saved that spot just for you.”
“Has anyone told you that we’re going to be starting training?”
The three of them eye each other. Then Gunner says, “First thing tomorrow morning. Bright and early. Apparently, there’s no rest for the weary here at base camp.”
“We’ve still got one night of freedom.” There’s a mischievous glint in JoJo’s eyes.
“What did you have in mind?” I ask.
“How about one night of being normal eighteen-year-olds?” She points to the kitchen. “We’ve got a fridge stocked with all kinds of yummy food. A large-screen TV. And a wide selection of movies. It’s not exactly Netflix, but it will do.”
“I’m not sure I’ve ever been a normal teenager,” I tell her. “But I could try for one night.” I glance over at Falcon. “Have you ever cuddled on a couch before?”
“No. But I’d like to try it for the first time with you.”
I place a soft kiss on his cheek. “I’d like that too.”
I realize this isn’t the end of my story with Falcon either. It’s just the beginning.
About the Author
Raised in a family of paranormal enthusiasts, Karen M. Bryson enjoys writing romantic mystery and suspense with a paranormal twist.
She is a winner of the prestigious RONE Award for Excellence in the Indie and Small Publishing Industry as well as the RWA Lone Star Writing Contest. She is also an award-winning/optioned screenwriter and USA TODAY bestselling romance novelist. She previously wrote using the pen names Dakota Madison, Savannah Young, Sierra Avalon, and Ren Monterrey. When Karen isn’t working on a new book, she can be found spending time with her husband and their bloodhounds.
LINKS
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Alien Hunter Page 17
