Court of Nightfall (The Nightfall Chronicles #1)(29)

I'd thought about that, after the war, after I was older and could see through the propaganda. If I'd been in command, I wasn't sure what I would have done. "But if you could find a way to control them, an army of Nephilim would be a powerful…" The truth pounded into my mind, even as it raced to discover other options. But I knew. I had known for sometime, but feeding on Ragathon confirmed it.

"The weapon isn't a device," I said.

The Chancellor nodded, waiting.

"It's the last Nephilim."





Chapter 13


Girl of Silver


"You're as sharp as your mother always reported," the Chancellor said. "You'll do well here, assuming our deal still stands?"

He waited patiently for me to reply. I was still processing what this meant. What had happened to me last night? The man in my dreams, I didn't make him up. I woke up healed, different, with a thirst for blood and unexplained powers.

I woke up as Nephilim. Which meant I was number one enemy to the Orders. To Jax. To my Grandfather. To everything my parents had fought and died for.

I don't know if I made my decision despite that or because of it, but it changed nothing.

"I will join the Academy," I said. "But first, I have to go home. Just for a few days. I have to get my things. Say goodbye." My voice cracked, and I cleared my throat. "Then I'll come back and begin my training. Deal?"

I held out my hand and he chuckled and reached for it. "Deal, granddaughter."

I had nothing to pack, so I was ready to go that moment. I stood. "I'm ready now. Can someone take me to the plane?"

"I'll have one of the soldiers give you a ride to the airstrip. The airplane's been refueled, checked and prepped for you." He looked at me more closely. "But I think you'll still go through the pre-flight yourself, won't you? You strike me as the type who insists on doing things herself to make sure they're done right."

I nodded sharply, remembering the lessons my dad had taught me. How important it was to check your own aircraft before flying. How you couldn't trust it to others when it was your life in that seat.

He chuckled again and walked me out. "You'll do well here, indeed."

True to his word, he called a soldier to take me to the airstrip. It wasn't a long drive, and we made it in silence, my thoughts spinning in all directions at what I was about to do with my life.

I could feel my body still changing, powers growing in me, hunger growing even faster. A part of me had known, but couldn't find words to describe what I knew.

Now that I had confirmation, it scared the crap out of me.

Nephilim.

Demons.

Blood suckers.

Enemies of the Orders.

The Destruction of Humanity.

A weapon my parents died to keep under lock and key.

And now I was one of them.

***

I stood alone in front of my father's plane, and I fought down the tears the sight pulled out of me. He should have been here with me, going over the pre-flight checklist, his calm, deep voice reminding me of safety measures I had known for years.

My hand caressed the smooth panels as I performed my surface inspection—checking the rudder, the ailerons on the wings. I confirmed that the Chancellor had indeed had both gas tanks filled, and oil levels looked good on both engines. I could do this in my sleep, but still I used the clipboard and checked off each item, as if this was just a normal night. As if I wasn't about to fly home to an empty house with the blood of my dead parents staining the grass.

As I climbed into the plane I found a small gift box wrapped in silver paper sitting on the seat. It had a card with my name on it, but didn't say who it was from. Just, "To Scarlett, thought you might need this."

I opened it quickly, curious despite myself, and found the e-Glass 8. This version hadn't even been released to the public yet, though there were rumors the e-Glass 7 would be out soon. This shouldn't even exist except in prototype. I turned the card over, looking for a hint as to who had left it, but I found nothing.

I couldn't help being excited. I'd been living with the e-Glass 2.5 for the last few years, and it had taken all my hacking skills to keep it functional. This beauty in my hand, sleek, stylish, and more powerful than any e-Glass on the market, would be able to do things I hadn't dared dream with my old one.

I pulled out the chip I carried in my pocket and stuck it in, then slipped it onto my ear, flipped the glass over my eye and pressed the button to turn it on.

A familiar voice greeted me. "Hello, Scarlett. How are you today?"

"Evie! It's been a long time since I've talked to you. What's up?"

"Would you like the chemical breakdown of atmospheric pressure or a scan of the space above us for physical objects?"

I laughed. "We're going to have to fix you, Evie. Make you a little laid back. But that can wait."

"Fix me? I just ran a systems check and I assure you, Scarlett, I am not broken."

Yup, she'd need to be fixed. But it wouldn't be hard. Especially not on an 8.0. "Okay, Evie."

As silly as it was, it felt good to have her back in my life. I knew she wasn't real, that she wasn't human, per se, but she'd been a staple in my life for many years. I found solace where I could these days.