Page 51 of Beta Hybrid

Andrea looks between Cai and me. ‘So, you—you’re mates?’ Her eyes graze over him. ‘Do you like him, though?’

‘Yes, I do.’ I lower my gaze. ‘I love him.’

The rest of the cabin quietens, listening.

‘I didn’t mean to be rude,’ Andrea says hastily. ‘I apologise, Mordecai. I just—wanted to be sure.’ She offers a smile.

Cai inclines his head. ‘No problem. I like to think she enjoys my company.’ He winks at me and I blush again.

‘So, what’s the plan for today?’ I ask Aldrich, hoping to steer away from any awkward topics between my mate and my mother.

The Origin offers a warm smile. ‘Today, we travel to my sister, Gaia. If there’s a way to alter the spell which revived the four of us, she might know it, or have the means to find out. We don’t want to allow Drusilla to make a mess of this lovely world again, nor sacrifice a few to save the many. Nor,’ he adds, ‘would I like to return to my slumber. If there’s an answer to be had, Gaia is where we will find it.’

A heavy pause.

‘And if there isn’t?’ Divina says.

Aldrich inhales the cool morning air. He stares out the window, drinking in the sunrise. ‘Then you will do what everyone before you has done. You will make the best of what you have.’ He sets a hand on Divina’s shoulder. ‘Whether you and Gaia remain united, or not, you have been lucky to have her.’ His gaze finds us. ‘And whatever the result of today, you two should cherish your time together.’

‘Spoken like an old man ready to die,’ I say bitterly.

Aldrich’s mouth kicks up. ‘Not ready. But death in inevitable. It’s how we live our lives that matters, what we do with the time we have.’

Down on the ground, as our two groups merge, I drag Divina into a copse of trees, my vines snaking over my forearms. ‘I want to talk to you,’ I hiss, by way of explanation.

Dawn stretches over the horizon, spilling warm, golden sunlight onto the mountains, its fingers reaching through the treetops. I shrug a jacket on to protect my bare arms from the chill.

Divina doesn’t look her usual, perfect self. Her black hair is mussed instead of perfect, and she’s digging her nails into the sleeves of her lilac dress, looking more like a bereaved school-girl than a Dark, powerful witch.

Which is probably why I’m able to drag her away without her stopping me.

Her dark eyes find my face slowly, as though she’s wandering around in a confused haze. ‘What?’

‘You’ve been lying to me since the moment I met you! And my mate, too! You let Cai bring you into his home, his pack, and every minute, you were deceiving him.’ My words pour out of me, filling the small space between us and the rest of the group. I’ve no doubt they can hear every word. I shake my head, furious. ‘This is all because of you. Because of one pathetic girl who couldn’t live without her mother. Well, I have news for you, not everyone has a mother, and we don’t ruin the world and get others killed for it!’ I’m screaming at her. Heart pounding.

Divina’s eyes grow wide, tears brimming. Her shoulders are stiff, her upper lip trembling. An ember of defiance pulses through her. ‘If you had a mother who you loved more than anything in the world, you would understand.’

For a moment, everything stills.

Then I crack my hand across her face and walk away.

I march past Andrea, my head held high, without meeting her gaze.

‘Zenna—’ she reaches for me.

I yank my arm away and head straight for Cai. Wordlessly, he wraps me in his arms. He doesn’t try to talk to me through the bond, but he sends a wave of love and affection to me which nearly has tears spilling from my eyes.

‘How do we do this, then?’ Cai says to Aldrich.

The rest of the group adjust to the tension. Divina has not re-joined us.

Aldrich’s grassy green gaze finally settles on us. ‘We’ll be travelling in a more traditional way for us Fae.’ A significant glance to Andrea. ‘It’s time you reunited with your husband.’ The Origin instructs us to form a circle, all holding hands.

Andrea holds my right hand. ‘It’s time for you to meet your father, Zenna. And for you to finally get some answers.’ She looks at me, her own silver hair spilling down her back in a long braid. ‘You’re about to find out why your father and I couldn’t keep you. Why we gave you a regular home instead.’

Anger and hate wash over me, but quickly simmer, replaced by sadness, all swirling together in that dark place inside me. That hole of rejection that may never quite heal.

I open my mouth—to say what, I’m not sure—but am distracted by the circle of flowers that float up around us, Aldrich’s green eyes are brighter than stars.

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