Darker (Alexa O'Brien, Huntress #6)(18)

“Open mine next,” Jez said in a hushed tone. “Wait, one sec.” She slipped out of her seat and went to the bar where she proceeded to pour white rum into a glass of ice. I’d never seen her go for a drink that wasn’t sparkly or fruity. She returned to the couch, took a long sip of rum and nodded. “Ok, open it.”

With a small laugh, I clicked on the file. Like Falon’s, it was a rundown on Jez. For the most part, there was nothing in there I didn’t already know. Then, I reached the paragraph regarding her parentage. My eyes widened, and I quickly looked to her for a reaction.

Another silent nod and then she drained the entire glass of its contents. “Looks like my mother’s dirty little secret isn’t really a secret at all.”

“So it’s true?”

“Yep. My father is a demon.” Her emerald green eyes downcast, Jez gazed longingly into the empty glass. “My mother was terrified I’d turn out just like him. She did her best to beat the demon out of me. I’m still not sure it worked.”

I was stunned. Falon had referred to Jez being of mixed blood, but I never would have guessed what he meant. I’d known Jez had experienced abuse in her past, but the raw truth of it was horrifying.

“Jez, I’m sorry. I can’t imagine.”

“No, it’s cool. I’ve had years to get over it. I didn’t even know him. Sometimes though, I wonder how much of him is in me.” She met my eyes then and forced a smile. Raising her glass she added, “I hope that’s all Veryl had on me. I’m not sure there’s enough rum here for me to face anymore of my past. How about you? What does yours say?”

I laughed nervously. “I’m afraid to look. I’m tempted to leave it for last.”

“Just get it over with. It’s going to drive you nuts until you do.”

That was an understatement. It had been driving me nuts since I swiped the files from Veryl’s computer the night I’d killed him. Putting this off might be for the best since I had yet to process the events of the past two nights. Of course, it might be best just to get it over with no matter how harsh.

Screw it. I clicked on my file before I could change my mind. I held my breath as I read through it. Jez leaned in close, reading along with me.

At first, nothing immediately stood out as unusual or unexpected. Once I got past the basics, that started to change. Apparently, Veryl had reason to believe my parents were not the people I thought they were. Instead of good ol’ hard working, taxpaying Mom and Dad, Veryl had them listed as FPA agents.

I sucked in my breath, holding it until I was sure my lungs would burst. I scanned the rest of the document with growing trepidation. The FPA had recruited my parents shortly after my birth. The government organization was after me from the start, somehow knowing I’d been born with a link to dark power. My father was against allowing them access to me while my mother saw no problem with it. This was when their marriage began to break down.

Soon after Katie O’Brien became the lover of werewolf, Raoul Roberts. This turn of events allowed us the opportunity to prevent the FPA’s claiming of the first-born O’Brien girl. By manipulating Roberts’s emotions, the FPA were successful in eliminating the O’Briens. The girls were injured and turned in the process. Alexa fled, certain her family was dead. The FPA took the youngest girl into custody from the hospital. We approached Roberts and succeeded in convincing him to take Alexa into his home, protecting her until she was ready to join us.

There was more, details that jumbled together. I blinked a few times, but the words on the screen remained. My mind was a mess as several thoughts struck me. My parents were FPA. Raoul had been a pawn in Shya and Veryl’s plan to keep me from the secret organization. My mother had been willing to hand me over to be groomed into a good little government weapon. Dumbstruck didn’t even begin to cover it.

“Wow,” Jez said softly. “Our mothers could go head-to-head for the worst parent ever award. I’m sorry, Alexa. Judging by the look on your face, you didn’t already know this.”

“No, I didn’t. I’m not sure if I should be grateful to Veryl for keeping me from the FPA or pissed because I don’t know why he did it.”

“I’m willing to bet the answer is in here somewhere.” Jez gestured to the computer.

I closed the file, going so far as to close the laptop. “It has something to do with whatever Shya’s up to. He’s been collecting people like me for years. People like you.”

We shared a look. There was nobody else quite like us. Even Gabriel and the dreamwalker Shya sought, we all had something to offer that almost nobody else had. What the hell did he want with us? It had to be bigger than merely helping him control the supernatural community. And, if Shya was targeting those with specific abilities, what did Kale have to offer that set him apart from any other vampire?

“My brain hurts.” I rubbed my temples, unable to read through the rest of the files just yet. “I’ll finish going through these at home with a stiff drink in hand.”

“Did someone say stiff drink?” A husky male voice rang out behind me. “Don’t mind if I do.”

Willow appeared behind me with a ripple of air and the sound of feathers being tucked away from sight. He dropped into a nearby chair and promptly offered a hand to Jez in greeting. She eyed him suspiciously while I made the obligatory introductions.