Gameboard of the Gods (Age of X, #1)(74)

“I’m just surprised, that’s all.” Justin could feel it in his chest. He was so, so close. “It’s uncommon.”

“Is it? Go look at your girl out there. She’s sporting a pretty good set of genes.”

And that’s when it hit him. “So did our last victim. And the others.”

Justin took out his ego and pulled up all the data on the case. Mostly, he’d been going by the summary Cornelia had first shown him. Now he delved deeper into Mr. Hata’s file, looking for the number he was certain he would find.

“An eight,” he said triumphantly. “He was an eight.”

Even that gave Leo pause. “Not bad for a castal.”

You’ve got it, said Magnus.

Justin searched through the other victims’ files, a thrill running through him at the breakthrough he’d made. “They’re all eights and nines. And look at their pictures—beautiful and perfect.”

Leo gave up on the door, his own face puzzling out the new development. “Our killer has refined tastes.”

Mae stepped into the room and glanced between them. “What is it?”

“A pattern,” said Justin. “There’s always a pattern.”

He scrutinized Mae, for once with little attraction. His view was detached and objective. Another flawless specimen, in the prime of her life. The image of her screen came back to him, providing another shocking revelation.

“You’re twenty-eight years old. All the victims were twenty-seven and twenty-eight. All were genetic eights and nines.”

“You worried she’s next?” asked Leo wryly.

“No,” said Justin. “But I think something remarkable happened the year she was born. Were you in vitro?”

Mae looked uneasy at the direction this was going. “Yes. So were my brother and sister.”

The answer wasn’t a surprise. In an effort to grasp at any genetic hope, most patricians were conceived in petri dishes using their parents’ healthiest eggs and sperm. “Were you all made in the same place?”

“I have no idea. It was literally before my time.”

Justin barely heard her. He was too excited by the theory developing in his mind. “I would love to know what clever doctor worked on you guys. Leo, they’ve got full gene analyses of all the victims in the case files. Would you be able to tell if they all had the same sort of manipulation done?”

From his eyes, it was clear Leo had picked up on Justin’s train of thought. “Yes. Geneticists who do this sort of thing almost always have their own unique style. It kind of leaves a ‘mark.’ If their conception was all orchestrated by one person, it should be obvious from a side-by-side comparison.”

“You think they were all part of illegal gene experiments?” asked Mae. Her eyes glittered at the thought of this new lead, and then her expression shifted to disbelief. “You think I was part of illegal gene work?”

“No,” said Justin slowly. “I mean, I don’t have proof. But come on, a whole bunch of nine and eight castals born around the same time? It’s awfully coincidental.”

It would also explain that striking appearance he’d observed from the moment he saw her. No Cain anywhere. Features too perfect for a patrician—maybe even for a plebeian. No way was that natural. It was the work of an artist.

Here’s a hot tip, said Horatio. Do not expound on that. Look at her face. She doesn’t like it.

The raven was right, as usual. Mae was horrified. “Eights and nines can occur naturally all the time, even in castes. And if you knew my parents, you’d know my dad would’ve never agreed to anything like that. Don’t drag me into this with your convoluted theories.”

Justin made sure to note her words, that her dad wouldn’t have agreed to it. No mention of her mother. Data for later.

He tapped his ego. “Aren’t you at least curious? Even if no shadowy creature’s coming after you, there’s an awfully big coincidence here.”

“I didn’t have an illegal conception,” she said. There was fire in her eyes, which now favored green in the bedroom’s lighting.

“Then let’s prove it. Give Leo some blood, and he’ll run an analysis for you.”

“Leave me out of this,” said Leo.

“If you’re so sure of yourself,” Justin continued to Mae, “then what’s the harm?”

“Don’t try that ploy with me,” she warned him. “I’ve been watching your games for almost two weeks. You’re not going to lure me in with a dare.”

“It’s not a dare.” Okay, it kind of was. “I’m just trying to do my job for my country. I thought that was your goal too, loyal soldier. On the very, very, very remote chance I’m right, think what you could do for the mission! And if you’re not a match, then you’ll have bragging rights for proving me wrong.”

“Wow,” she said. “That’ll really impress my friends.”

For the first time in their acquaintance, Leo looked as though he might actually like Mae.

Justin scowled. “Fine. Let’s make it an outright wager.”

An odd expression crossed her face. “I don’t really like wagers.”

“Everyone likes wagers. What do you want if I’m wrong?”