Breed of Envy (The Breed Chronicles, #02) (37 page)

“Jade, those treatments are what have kept you alive so far.”

“Yeah, and they’re going to keep me from the one thing I want!”

“Isn’t your health more important?”

I wasn’t sure how to answer that. Staying alive was important. I mean, I couldn’t hunt demons if I was dead. But I wouldn’t be allowed to hunt demons with these…hiccups in my DNA.

When I didn’t answer, Doc sighed. “Look, I’ll call Dr. Hamilton in, or maybe Director Greene. They likely have the answers you need. Or at the very least, they’ll have better answers than the ones I can give you. You can ask them questions and, hopefully, not get only theories as answers. Because that’s all I can give you right now. Theories. Speculation. Educated guesses.”

The last person I wanted to talk to was Dr. Hamilton. Greene was a close second. If I asked them what I needed to know, wasn’t that just bringing attention to the problem?
Then again, it’s Greene. He already knows— or at least suspects— the problem and hasn’t said a word to me.

I gave Doc a jerky nod. “Go for it. Call them in. I guess I need to find answers before…before the Phase is over.” So I knew what I was going to do when it ended. If they weren’t going to let me hunt, then I would have to leave, wouldn’t I? What would be the point in staying if I couldn’t do what I’d joined to do?

Doc nodded in return, then stood from her chair and went to the panel on the wall by the door. I heard someone on the other end—a security guard, I guessed—ask if there was a problem. She quickly told them there wasn’t one but asked if they could contact Dr. Hamilton and Director Greene for her.

A minute later, she walked over to me. “They’ll be here in a few minutes. Why don’t you sit down? You look tired.”

“I’m fine. And I’m okay with standing.” I was tired. Not so much physically, just…mentally. I was weary. I was fighting with Linc again. And now there was a real possibility that, in just a few minutes, I’d learn that I wouldn’t be able to become a hunter, and I couldn’t even talk to him about it.

He’d probably think it was for the best. Hadn’t he called me soft less than an hour ago? Hadn’t this been one of his concerns, that I could be a problem on hunts, because I hadn’t wanted to hurt a baby demon? Maybe he was right after all.

Greene and Dr. Asshat showed up a few minutes later. Greene looked slightly worried and curious, where Dr. Asshat just looked annoyed. His eyes were narrowed and he ran a hand through his hair impatiently. He spared one glance my direction, then shot Doc a rude look. “What is so important that you couldn’t have arranged a meeting instead of summoning us here? From what I was told, Miss…Hall…was uninjured and only in need of a basic scan. I thought you could handle those without supervision, Miss Jones.”

Doc’s cheeks turned pink. She opened her mouth—to apologize to the jerk, I was sure—but I cut her off with, “Don’t snap at her,” and glared at him angrily. Maybe his nickname wasn’t quite as accurate as it had been last Phase. He was still an asshat, but now he was a pompous one. “I was the one who asked to talk to you two.” I rolled my eyes when Dr. Asshat glared at me. “Just forget it. I knew it was a bad idea. Thanks for the scan, Doc. And the help.”

I started for the door, stomping as I went. I’d disliked the guy last Phase, but now I really, really disliked him. And not just for me, but because of how he treated Doc, like she was a lapdog and not a person. I would’ve gladly taken one of Doc over ten of him. Any day of the week. Hell, every day of the week.

“Miss Hall,” Greene said. “I’m sure you wouldn’t have called us if it weren’t important.”

I stopped, slowly turned. “No, I wouldn’t have.” Though my idea of important was likely to be different from theirs, at least Dr. Asshat’s. Crossing my arms over my chest, I glared at Dr. Asshat, then said, “I want to know what’s going on with my DNA. I want to know if—if you’re still going to let me be a hunter.”

For once, Greene actually managed to look surprised. “Why wouldn’t I?”

“Because that stupid demon came after me. Because it…was made to.”

“I apologize, Director. I strictly forbade Miss Jones from discussing the matter with Miss Hall until we knew more.”

“And now we do,” Doc said defiantly. “She has Sercoon DNA, which explains—”

Dr. Asshat cut her off with a nasty snarl. “It explains absolutely nothing without proof.”

“And have you found any?” Greene said. “You were asked to look into the possibility. What have you learned?”

“I hadn’t heard about the C&C until you mentioned it. And before that, we only had the one incident. One incident does not a problem make. I assumed you wanted actual proof.”

“So you never looked into it, as asked?”

“No. I chose to wait.”

“Miss Jones?” Greene said. “I’m assuming you have a theory.”

“Yes.” She kept her gaze on Greene and didn’t look at Dr. Asshat at all. “I believe Jade has DNA that, in these two cases, has either made the demon have an adverse reaction to her, or, like with the most recent hunt, a positive one.”

“I see.” Greene nodded. “And you believe this will prevent you from hunting, Miss Hall?”

“I don’t see how it couldn’t. It doesn’t mean anything good. Either the demons are going to come after me like crazy, or they’re going to like me. And I might like them back.”

Greene nodded again. “Do you also believe, Miss Jones, that these reactions might not be isolated to only the demons, but to Miss Hall as well?”

“That’s something I don’t know.”

Greene looked to Dr. Hamilton, who looked, I thought, like he was sulking. “And now that there has been another incident, do you have anything to add to Miss Jones’ theory, Dr. Hamilton?”

“Without more research done, no.”

“Which is why I had asked you to research it in the first place.” Greene gave him a stern look. “Do you, at this time, believe it is possible that the reactions could go both ways?”

“Yes. I do. And because of that, I believe it would be prudent to keep her away from any more demons until we know more.”

My stomach dropped. “Then change my DNA! Tweak it, or take out the demony stuff! Just fix it!”

“Your DNA is invaluable,” Dr. Asshat said. “Changing it wouldn’t help us any.”

It took a minute before his words sank in, before I realized what exactly he’d said. My blood ran cold and my eyes narrowed. “No, it wouldn’t help
you
, but it’d help me.”

“We could hardly continue to study your DNA if it were changed. This is bigger than you or your wants.”

My hands started to shake. I’d disliked a lot of people over the years, but I’d never really hated anyone. Until now. Until him. “Oh? How do you think your
research
is going to go if I refuse to have my blood drawn or refuse to do your stupid little tests? How’s it going to go then?”

“Surely you wouldn’t—”

“Stop agreeing to them? Why wouldn’t I? My wants are bigger than
yours
.”

“Researching your DNA is a condition upon your staying here, is it not? Refuse that and leave.”

I nodded slowly, even as my throat constricted. “Okay then.”

“Enough!” Director Greene snapped.

Dr. Asshat’s eyes rolled. “She isn’t serious, Director. She needs us.”

“Do I? Really?” I asked, my tone steely. “Because right now, I think you need me a lot more than I need you. I don’t really want to leave, but if my wants and wishes aren’t even a blip on anyone else’s radar, then why would I stay?” I turned away and focused on Greene. “I don’t want to go back to The Pond—I really, really don’t—but I will. It’d only be for a year, until I turned eighteen. I could last that long. And if I have to, I can, and will, hunt on my own.”

“You wouldn’t last a week,” Dr. Asshat said with a sneer.

I glared at him. Sometimes, I wondered if all the jerks in this place were related to Rachel. “Maybe. Maybe not.”

“I said enough,” Greene said again, this time stepping between me and Dr. Asshat.

“Surely you aren’t going to let a child dictate the rules.”

“I’m not trying to dictate anything! It’s my life, for crying out loud, and my DNA. I have a say in those things!” Didn’t I? Even here, didn’t I get
some
say? Maybe I wasn’t an adult, but neither was I a child. I wasn’t an idiot, either. At least not when it came to demony stuff.

Greene held up a hand and turned his attention to Dr. Asshat. “What, exactly, is it that you believe Miss Hall is trying to dictate? None of her requests thus far have been unreasonable.”

“She wants us to change her DNA, just so she can, what? Go after a demon? That, by definition, is unreasonable, and it’s childish behavior considering the ramifications something like that would cause.”

“Seeing as you keep referring to her as a child, I’m surprised you find that behavior strange, Dr. Hamilton. Miss Hall volunteered to let us research her DNA, and she also agreed to the other tests you requested. Yes, having her DNA researched is, as she and all the other Prospects are perfectly aware, a condition to staying here. The other tests were not.” He paused. “Since continuing our research is imperative, I believe you and the other scientists should take her wants and wishes into consideration. She, like many others before her—including yourself, Dr. Hamilton—joined the CGE so she could stand with us in the fight against demons. I’m disappointed you’d think so little of her feelings.”

Dr. Hamilton sputtered. His eyes, for the briefest second, seemed to show guilt, but the look was gone in an instant. Instead of saying anything, he just nodded once.

Doc was standing behind him, still quiet, but she had a slightly vindictive smile on her face that had me fighting a grin or a triumphant ‘I told you so’.

Greene’s gaze met mine again. “Your wants are not bigger than ours, despite what some may believe, Miss Hall. They are important to all of us, but that does not mean your wishes should be discounted. However,” he continued, “until we know more about your DNA and the effects it has on you, as well as demons, I think it best we take precautions to keep you and others safe. I see no reason, at this time, that you cannot continue your studies. Your classes are almost over and summer vacation will be starting soon. No Prospects will be going on hunts during that time, so I assure you, you will not be left out on anything. Our scientists will continue their research over the summer and I will have some of them tasked to finding out exactly what affects your DNA will have on demons.” He cast a glance at Dr. Hamilton, a look that dared him to argue. “And as I’ve told you many times before, we’re all very good at our research. The research should benefit you as well as us.”

“It’ll be a moot point if she leaves,” Dr. Hamilton said.

Doc rolled her eyes. “She’s not going to leave, are you, Jade?”

Part of me wanted to, just to spite Dr. Asshat. But then he would’ve been right.
That
would’ve been childish. I didn’t want to have my goals pushed back, or for them to not matter to anyone but me, but that didn’t mean they had to be put above everything else. Not entirely. “We’ll see how things go over the summer, I guess.”

“Very well,” Greene said. He gave me a soft smile, then turned to face Dr. Hamilton. “I believe you and I need to speak privately.”

Dr. Asshat looked like he wanted to argue. He didn’t move for almost twenty seconds or say anything, but finally, he nodded and followed Greene out. But not without sending Doc and me dirty looks as he did.

“What a pompous ass,” I said as soon as the door shut.

Doc looked…I wasn’t sure. Relieved, in some part, but something else, too. “Are you really going to consider leaving?”

“Maybe. If the other people here share his train of thought, then it’s a definite maybe.”

“Jade, they don’t. You know they don’t.”

“No, maybe they don’t. But he’s clearly in charge of
my
research, and that makes him, whether I like it or not, a big deal.” Silently, I thought maybe I
should
have dictated a few things about any research on me or my DNA, like saying Dr. Asshat wasn’t allowed within a hundred yards of any cell that belonged to me. I shook my head. “Are you going to keep researching it, too?”

“Your DNA? Yes. Even if he doesn’t want me to.”

“Good.” I paused. “Think you could do me a favor?” Her eyes went immediately suspicious. I almost laughed. “It’s nothing bad. At least I don’t think it is.”

“What is it?” Her eyes were still slightly narrowed, and her tone held wariness, but at least she didn’t flat out say no.

“Can you get me a list of the demon DNA I have?”

“I’m not sure that’s the best idea, Jade.”

“And I’m sure it’s not the best idea to put my fate into Dr. Asshat’s hands. I’m not asking for big CGE secrets. Just my secrets.”

“I’m not sure Director Greene would approve, and I think we both know Dr. Hamilton wouldn’t.”

I didn’t care what Dr. Asshat thought, at all. His opinion didn’t matter to me in the slightest, not anymore. Not that it’d mattered that much before now, either. He’d never been nice, and I’d never liked him. But it was my DNA and I had a right to know about it. “Greene asked me about it last Phase, remember?” I pointed out. “I don’t see why he would’ve changed his mind.”

“Alright. I’ll do it. But don’t tell anyone. I don’t know if it’d get me in trouble, but I really don’t want to find out.”

“I won’t,” I said, and I meant it.

“Jade.” She laid a hand on my arm. “What are you going to do with the list?”

“The same thing you are. I’m going to do some research.” It was about time I did.

*~*~*

When someone knocked on my door an hour later, I shoved away from the computer desk and went to answer it. I found Linc standing in the hall, looking as miserable as I felt. Or nearly as miserable, maybe.

“Yeah?” I said, making the impatience in my tone clear.

“Can we talk?”

“I’m busy, Linc.” Not that it’d ever stopped me before, but still. I really wasn’t in the mood for company—even his. Or maybe especially his. Especially now. Doc had just sent over a partial demon list to me (because she didn’t have access to the full one yet) and I’d barely had time to even glance at it before Linc knocked.