Chapter Fourteen

I sat in absolute silence as Hades ran his tests.

He'd already obtained my DNA while I was unconscious —of fucking course— and had sent them to his personal laboratory for testing. Now it was all about those results as he leaned over his tablet, intently reading information that would probably be gibberish to me.

His studious state reminded me of Ryk. Hades was normally the poster child for punk rock rebellion whereas Ryk was always the prim and proper student. Now it was Hades's turn to screw those brows down into a stern frown, going over the results with the intensity of a true specialist. It was kind of impressive to see someone have so much focus on absolutely nothing.

Because what was he going to find that the hundreds of doctors hadn't at the compound?

While he'd given me confirmation he'd save my siblings in the form of a firm nod, Wren had been the one to vocalize it.

"Of course," Wren said immediately after I'd finished pathetically begging, "That's our main intention."

Our.

I pretended that didn't bother me. It shouldn't; considering I'd intended to trick him and capture him myself in the end. I wasn't so much impressed as disappointed that I had let myself get so distracted. I couldn't remember the last time someone had gotten so under my skin, and just the thought was stirring Darling and making me shift uncomfortably.

"Are you sure you're not hungry?" I glanced at where Ryk had joined us.

Clearly they felt safer letting everyone out and about now that I was under wraps, but that unsettled me. Mother would trust me to get this mission done quickly and discreetly. I had already been at The Winged Serpent long enough, hence finally making the move to get Wren in bed, but instead of wooing him and taking off with him, I found myself stumbling after him like a fucking pathetic puppy.

It was taking too long.

Mother would expect me to check in with her after she returned from her break, a break that included Polly being sent to Valhalla— most likely with mother, and most likely to die.

If mother suspected for a moment that I was compromised, she was going to send someone else in to see what happened and report back, which could endanger my siblings if we didn't get them out fast enough.

"Jasper?"

"No," I snapped and Ryk just cocked his head at me curiously, those eyes begging me not to be upset. He was a bleeding heart, just like Rowan, who had yet to come bear witness to yet another offspring he didn't ask for.

No, I wasn't angry with them, not angry at Rowan or Ryk or Yiuwa.

Not even Hades.

In the end, they weren't the ones that fucked me over.

"No," I repeated more calmly and Ryk seemed to relax at that, and I forgot for a moment he wasn't particularly a fan of being yelled at given his past with Aric. I clenched my teeth at that thought, gave my head a shake at something I really did not want to think about when I was trying to remain calm.

"Wren," I said at last, because of course my instincts would go there, and Ryk relaxed further, clearly appreciating the conversation, "Where is he? Is he safe? Has he fed?" Ryk blinked, then glanced over at Hades, who didn't respond. He turned back to me, approaching with caution and he fidgeted when he did so.

He wasn't nervous because of me; his Beast was ruffling his feathers, triggered by the presence of mine. Darling was tamed, for the most part, but had recently been getting itchy whenever we were around Wren. I waited for him to be bothered by Ryk, but surprising, there was no squirming itching sensation to indicate he was aggravated.

If anything, Darling seemed calmer than usual.

You'd think the whole we're captured thing would be alarming to him.

Nope.

Fucker was cool as a cucumber.

"Ah, Stanton said he's doing okay," Ryk answered at last, "He's safe, he's fed, uh, last I checked?"

"Well can you?" I asked. Ryk looked surprised, but was taking out his phone.

I don't think he was expecting me to be concerned and I was angry at myself for immediately thinking of Wren as a way to calm down, only to think of him and immediately worry that he had been fed. Our last appointment hadn't been thorough, so surely he was getting antsy.

I wiped my hands down my face, then just looked at the floor with my fists clenched to my forehead.

I fucked up.

I fucked up so bad.

How was I supposed to remain calm when my siblings were now completely vulnerable?

"How long is this going to take," I demanded at last, hitting my fists against my knees and looking over at Hades, who was still silently scrolling through what looked like charts and graphs and percentages that made no sense to me.

"He's just making sure you're healthy," Ryk said, making me glare at him now and he just held his hands up in surrender, "I'm sorry, but it won't be much longer. There were a few anomalies we couldn't figure out and it's taking a bit longer. It's probably Yiuwa's DNA, because it's the only one of its kind in this existence."

I didn't need him to tell me that.

I knew his father's DNA from the other universe caused problems. Tenjin had told me as much, informing me that my Beast was going to be completely unpredictable, incomparable to other Beasts in this universe, and perhaps even the original strain. It explained why Darling could communicate, not like the Beasts of this world, but in his own way. It explained why Darling had wings, and various other complications I'd experienced over the years.

It wasn't a threat to my life at the moment, not that it mattered.

I didn't care what they found or what they had to say.

I was anxiously glancing at the clock.

I hadn't been unconscious for long, but long enough to lose a big chunk of time that could've been better spent trying to find a way to get Polly, Kali, and Elias out of that compound.

If they were coming for Polly, Kali was instinctively going to fight them and Elias would fight just because Kali was fighting. The soldiers would have strict orders to only take Polly and would be forced to subdue both Elias and Kali, maybe even send them to another compound where I would lose track of them.

If I lost track of them—

"Look," I burst out angrily, making Ryk jump, but Hades didn't react, "I don't give a shit what you find in my blood or semen or whatever you fucking snatched. I don't care whose genetics are swimming in my sac or what amazing wonderful world you're going to sell me. None of that fucking matters until I see my siblings in front of me, unharmed. I told you I would give you the information you want, if you just fucking—"

"And we will do that," Hades said, making me snap around to glare at him, except he was still staring at that fucking screen, "When we have confirmation that you're stable. I know you more than understand my hesitation, considering I also have people I need to protect." I clenched my teeth, but said nothing as he went back to studying the results.

So this wasn't about making sure I was stable, not really.

He didn't trust me, which was fine, that was fair enough, but I didn't have time to play with his trust issues. The clock was ticking, and it literally sounded like each second that passed was a loud gong in my head.

The lights suddenly dimmed and I blinked rapidly, startled. I looked up to see that Ryk had gone to the light switch and dimmed the lights. He returned with a concerned stare.

"I know a migraine when I see it," Ryk answered to my confused scowl, "That's why I asked if you were hungry. You mentioned before that you don't eat often. What about water?"

"My head fucking hurts because I'm sitting on a fucking king sized canopy bed under a diamond chandelier waiting for some fucking mad scientist to tell me I'm not going to kill his family, while my family is sitting under a guillotine, so fucking excuse me if I can't remember the last time I ate," I snarled abruptly. Ryk just nodded, but he wasn't very good at hiding his emotions.

Immediately I saw an image of Aric in his head, of the nasty incubus getting up in his face, calling him an idiot and telling him his bedside manner was absolute shit, which was followed by a routine of abuse. My skin crawled and I felt my fangs throbbing in my mouth as Darling's rage surged as a response.

I quickly had to remind Darling that that particular problem was already taken care of, and we didn't even have to lift a finger. It soothed Darling to a degree to remember the way Ryk and his Beast had launched themselves at Aric and smashed that motherfucker's face in like a jack-o-lantern.

And I was quickly reminded that Ryk wasn't at fault here.

Ryk wasn't the problem. He wasn't hurting anyone, never had, and honestly, despite what he'd done to Aric, I don't think Ryk would ever be able to kill anyone again. It was that exact gentleness and kindness that took some of the steam out of my anger.

"Sorry," I said after a moment and Ryk looked surprised by the apology, which was a grim reminder that he wasn't used to people taking accountability for their actions, so I sighed and pinched the bridge of my nose, "Ah, no, I haven't eaten in... I haven't eaten. Can't remember the last thing I drank that wasn't liquor." Ryk looked at Hades, but didn't get a reaction or acknowledgement, which was a little irritating. However, Ryk somehow got some kind of confirmation from him as he turned back to me.

"I'm going to have our kitchen make you something to eat—"

"Do you seriously expect me to—"

"Yes," Ryk deadpanned and I raised an eyebrow in challenge, but Ryk seemed about done being kind as he folded his arms over his chest, "And I expect you to not only eat everything on the plate, but I expect you to drink at least 700 milliliters of water before you run off to do whatever it is you plan to do to get your siblings back." I stared at him and he stared back.

"What," he asked, cocking his head, "How do you expect to rescue your siblings if you're running on fumes? If you want to rescue them quickly, safely, properly, then you have to be ready to do that. Now, do you have any food allergies or aversions I need to know about before I place an order?"

"Cake," I said immediately without thinking and Ryk gave me a weird look, but I pretended to notice a loose fiber in the blankets, "I just want something sweet." Ryk relaxed and nodded, glancing at Hades one last time before he quit the room.

Now it was just me and Hades.

Who was just a total talker, the guy couldn't keep his mouth shut. His sarcastic ire was known far and wide and it was one of the many things that mother both absolutely loved and hated about him.

Except he was really not saying a single word.

The Great God Hades known for his smartmouth, his fascination with biology on a borderline psychotic level, amongst other specifics, had not a single thing to say to the guy that supposedly shared genetics with him.

Of course, I wasn't particularly bothered by that in the sense that it hurt my feelings. I had never been able to see Hades or his people as family because of the way I had grown up. Milo had given me bits and pieces of information over the years, totally contrary to what we were taught of course. I had listened and watched from afar whenever I delved into memories or thoughts that involved Hades.

And again, mother's weird obsession with him confounded me because she swung back and forth so severely when it came to him. She'd talk about how he saved them when they were young, how she'd seen Hades as being their king, not Zeus. Then she'd turn around and wish she'd pushed him into an acid ocean when she had the chance.

So in the end, I didn't know who Hades was.

And I didn't care.

There was no point in getting involved with him or his family, or anyone else for that matter when my main goal was to get my siblings out from under mother and somewhere safer. From what I'd seen so far, Hades's side was safer... if only a little more. At least I wouldn't have to worry about them being killed or traumatized for the rest of their lives.

Still, there was a strange curiosity that I blamed entirely on Milo for why I couldn't stop glancing at Hades.

Milo gave me that curiosity. He gave me the brief wonders of, do my eyes look anything like this or does he do that same thing with his nose when he's thinking extra hard? Niko did it, I noted in remembrance, and for some reason, the thought made me want to laugh.

I pictured Niko in those mindless brainwashing classes, scrunching his nose up in concentration, brows knitted in a stern scowl that, yeah, definitely reminded me of Hades. He'd go from struggling to read whatever was given to him as an assignment, then eventually give up and start a fight with someone or something. Be it a guardian, another student, or hell, sometimes Niko just smashed his desk in rage for no reason and left the classroom.

Back then he'd been... a wreck.

Mother was pumping him full of something she called ichor, named after the blood of the gods, and her intention had been to aggravate and speed up the process for him to come into his antichrist powers, but when Niko had not only failed to retrieve Seven, he'd actually doubled back and set Seven free. Now that was something that surprised me. Niko didn't connect well with others, because others had difficulty understanding Niko's behavior, and he especially did not tend to the weak, for fear of looking weak himself. Except he'd let Seven go.

I clenched my teeth.

Mother had sent me on an errand in Seattle, then Hell, at the time. By the time I got back, Niko was gone and Micah's brain had let slip some of the few things that had been allowed to happen to him. My instinct was to find the soldiers that had tortured him, but I knew damn well that Niko would not appreciate my interference. If anything, he'd probably kill me for ruining his revenge, so it took everything in my power not to hunt them down myself.

Of course, that didn't mean I let them walk away without commentary.

After bumping into Micah outside Niko's room, I'd gone to the apartment wing of the compound to find the one I'd been trying to keep an eye on.

Mikhail.

He was the one calling the shots when it came to Niko, and I wasn't surprised. The twisted fucker had been stalking Niko since he was a child, and I had gone to mother repeatedly about his behavior once I'd gotten old enough to realize what was happening. Mikhail was nothing more than a predator and he didn't see Niko as a person, but a prize to be won.

Mikhail needed to know he wasn't going to escape his punishment.

I found Mikhail's apartment and didn't bother knocking before I came in. The door came open and there was a mad scramble on the couch, two younger soldiers, a female and a male, both of whom were half-clothed. Both of them snatched up their clothes and hid themselves as I heard a clatter from the kitchen.

I looked up as Mikhail came around the corner, wearing only a pair of black cargo pants and boots, his scarred muscular chest visible, and those gold eyes of his flashing when he saw me. I saw his instant anger at my invasion of his personal space, his immediate rage that I had frightened what he called his pets.

I narrowed my eyes without looking at the younger soldiers.

"Fuck off," I ordered them. They obeyed without hesitation, running out the door like the devil was on their heels. Mikhail watched them go with quiet rage, those eyes swinging back to me.

"Well, it's funny seeing your face around town," he said calmly, coming into the living room and pretending to be casual. His mind was quickly rushing to hide any evidence of what he'd done to Niko, not that he could hide from me. In the process of trying to bury his thoughts, he revealed every single one.

In one fast movement, I had Mikhail by the throat and threw him against the wall, pinning him there. Much to my chagrin, Mikhail didn't react with anything more than a smirk.

"Is that how you greet a fellow soldier," he asked, then paused, "Ah, no, wait, we've both been given clearance, haven't we? Doesn't that make us extra special to Mother?" I gnashed my teeth, because he had a point. Mother liked Mikhail, for some insane ungodly reason. In her eyes, he was a prime soldier. Confident, strong, manipulative, intelligent, and willing to do absolutely anything necessary to get what he wanted.

"I'm not here to kill you," I said through clenched teeth and Mikhail just smiled with an arched brow, "I won't be getting the honor. But when Four finds you..."

"You mean when I find him," Mikhail corrected, making me narrow my eyes as he smiled wider now, like a cat that trapped the mouse, and that made my skin crawl, "What? Do you think I'm going to sit back and let Hades steal my wife?" I curled my lip, picking him and slamming him into the wall again. Mikhail grunted, but it didn't wipe the smug look off his face. I could see his mind having a field day, knowing he could piss me off just by threatening Niko.

"You don't get it," Mikhail chuckled, reaching up to place his hand over mine at his throat, "Four is mine. He was promised to me." I glared at him, because that was the first I was hearing of such an idiotic lie.

"Four is no one's property. He is a person—"

"Oh please," Mikhail scoffed, "Don't feed me your whiny bitch bullshit. Four is property. He was created for a purpose and he has yet to serve that purpose. When he comes into his powers, he will need to be controlled. Mother chose me to be his husband when the time comes." I scowled for a moment, because that didn't make sense, until I realized Mikhail wasn't just talking about marriage.

"Four doesn't have a Beast," I snapped, making Mikhail smile, "He doesn't need a handler."

"Four is a whole new being," Mikhail whispered, making me stiffen as he pried my fingers off his neck, then still holding my hand, leaned into my face, "He will need to be contained. I'm just ensuring that when the time comes for me to call Four home, he will come when I call." I stiffened as Mikhail let go of me and slid past me to head back to his kitchen.

I watched him, tense. I could feel Darling squirming under my skin, roaring to escape and smash Mikhail's face into the nearest wall.

"You're an idiot," I said after a moment, making Mikhail smirk and glance back at me curiously as I glared at him, "If you think you can call Four to you, you're dead wrong. He's a lot stronger than you think he is, and I guarantee he isn't going to come find you because he misses you, asshole. In fact, the only reason I am not killing you with my bare hands now is because I know he wants the honor." Mikhail smiled.

"And I am very excited to watch you eat your words when Four buckles under me," he replied, then turned away with a chuckle, "Again." I actually had to crack my jaw, flex my shoulders back, and try to keep Darling contained. His scream of rage gave me an instant headache and I had to leave.

I came out of the memory at the same time Hades lowered his tablet, and I looked up, anxious that he was finally fucking done. He pinched the bridge of his nose for a second, then glanced up at me.

"So can we get moving now?" I demanded. Hades stared at me. I couldn't quite figure out what his expression meant, and I didn't even bother trying to get in his head again. The last thing I needed was a profuse nosebleed.

"I'm assuming you know you have a Beast," Hades said at last, and I gave him a deadpan stare, so he shrugged and folded his arms over his chest, "You're also vitamin deficient, because you starve yourself—"

"I don't do it on purpose," I said in frustration, making Hades frown, "I don't have time, don't have energy, don't feel like it. I have more important things to do."

"Artificials require more sustenance than the average otherworldly creature. You should be eating two or even three times your weight," he said, then paused to scan me from head to toe, making me frown, "Then again, given how fucking big you are, maybe four times." I rolled my eyes.

I didn't always have a problem eating. Milo had been very good at making sure I ate on time and ate properly. The one thing he always caved into, though, was my sweet tooth. If I wanted a fucking cosmic brownie, Milo would vanish for five minutes and immediately return with a whole box.

Of course, once Milo was gone, what was the point?

Food suddenly didn't taste all that good anymore. Even sweets seemed less exciting.

"You're also severely dehydrated, your blood alcohol level was enough to put even the King of Atlantis down when you first got here—"

"Thanks, it's the imminent danger," I responded, making Hades give me a droll stare and I glared, "Great, sounds like I'm in tiptop shape. Now can we get the fuck out of here and get my siblings?" Hades was quiet for a moment, which annoyed me. I'd heard the guy was pretty talkative, so the silent treatment was starting to get old.

"Listen," I said, rising to my feet and Hades just watched me intently, clearly still not trusting me, "I'm not here because I want you to take care of me or heal me or accept me. You clearly have your own thing going on and that's fine, whatever, but my goal is to get my siblings out of that compound and somewhere safe. I have been repeatedly told that that safe place is here. Am I wrong? Or are you going to help me?"

"What are their names," Hades asked after a second. I blinked, then scowled.

"Their names?"

"Your siblings," Hades tacked on. I frowned.

"Kali, Polly, and Elias. They're the only ones I've been allowed to have contact with," I answered and Hades frowned at that, "Mother won't let me see the younger ones. She barely let me have contact with the ones I've met so far."

"Which ones have you not met?" Hades asked, reaching for his tablet again. Relieved we were finally getting down to business, I answered.

"I haven't met Eleven, Twelve, Fourteen, or Fifteen. If I'm being honest, I don't even know if they're alive," I admitted grimly, making Hades glance at me before he made some notes on his tablet, "I tried to be there when they were created, but she wouldn't let me into the lab or even to come see them after they'd been created. She immediately sent them to separate compounds."

"Which compound are Kali, Polly, and Elias at?"

"The Styx location," I said, making Hades pause, clearly bothered that something like a military compound was existing underneath one of the biggest cities in the realm, "It's about five or six stories beneath the emergency bunker system you installed." Hades frowned, looking up.

"That's way too close to Tartarus," he said and I nodded.

"That was the intention. Mother wanted that compound to be our base for when she overtook the realm. There's even a hidden entrance to take you into the bowels of Tartarus, just under where the Titans are kept," I explained. Hades did not look happy to hear that as he started typing more information into his tablet with renewed speed.

"Where does the entrance to Tartarus let out specifically?"

"It's an empty cell, two cells down from Prometheus and Epimetheus."

"That was Rhea's cell," Hades muttered, making me frown at him as he stared at his tablet, "Rhea and Cronus were both kept there until their deaths."

"Interesting that she has a secret tunnel to their cell," I commented. Hades glanced at me.

"She chose it specifically for that reason. Not sure why that is yet."

"She can't let go of the past," I replied, making Hades pause and look down at the floor, "She talks about the future, but at the end of the day, she's trapped in the past. She just wants to keep repeating the same bullshit her parents did before her, and before that."

"Sometimes the past is all we know," Hades muttered, making me frown, but he shook his head and changed the subject, "Alright, we need more information on the compound before we can go in and get them out. I want all of that information in a bit; I'm going to contact some people I think can help us do this without causing a scene. The last thing we need is alerting Hera."

"She's worried that you've been quiet," I muttered. Hades looked at me.

"She knows how I work," he replied grimly and I grimaced at that, but he looked away, "Let's go ahead and get you something to eat, take a shower, get cleaned up. I'll get my people together to have a meeting and make some plans. In the meantime... If you want to catch up with the other artificials, they're all here." I blinked and looked up.

"What?" I asked for confirmation. Hades frowned.

"Seven, Thirteen, Three, Niko, Five, and Six are all here. When they heard you were at the palace, they asked to visit. They'll be in the lounge room just down the hallway to the right. The kitchen is just past that. Don't rush—" He didn't finish as I shot off the bed and headed for the door. I heard Hades sigh behind me, but I didn't stick around to listen to his bullshit.

I followed Hades's direction, feeling my heart hammer in my chest.

They're here.

They're all here?

All of them?

I heard their voices before I saw them, because the lounge was just an open archway into an airy room. It sounded like a discussion about whatever was on television, mostly between Niko and Three, who tended to argue like a couple of toddlers whenever they got together. Yet the sound of their voices going back and forth assured me they were in well enough health to argue.

I didn't immediately walk into the room, because I hadn't seen them in so long. I hadn't been able to speak with them, have an actual conversation, in so long. I actually felt my breath stop when I came to the edge of the archway, pausing as I listened.

"How is it that the two grown adults are the ones arguing and the actual child is the one behaving?" Came Six's voice, followed by Seven and Five chuckling. Thirteen's giggle chimed in too.

"Daddies told me sharing is caring," Thirteen replied sweetly, "Plus, we're not here to watch TV."

"He's right," Five agreed, "Guys, turn off the damn TV. I know you're nervous, but having Tom and Jerry playing in the background isn't exactly going to make you comfortable."

"Who's nervous," Three demanded, "I'm not nervous; also, I'm trying to change it to something more lowkey."

"How the fuck is Elysium War Lords fucking lowkey," Niko demanded incredulously, "Also, we're trying to make Jasper not run away again. If he heard even one line from that show, he'd fucking quit and go back to Hera."

"Okay, first of all, the show is called Elysium Warriors," Three started and Niko made a noise of supreme disgust, "Second of all—"

"It's literally a reality show about former warriors just finding someone to fuck," Niko exclaimed.

"Isn't... Isn't that kind of what we did?" Seven asked. The silence that followed I'm sure was accompanied by hard stares from the rest of the group, and I tried not to laugh at the image.

I could've peeked around the corner, just to see them, but something stopped me. I found myself unable to move, my back against the wall by the entryway, like some kind of cowardly creep.

I did want to go in there. I did want to see them, hear them, hold them. It was such an odd intensity, and yet at the same time...

Suddenly I was remembering what happened to Niko.

What happened to Six, Seven, Five.

Hell. What had happened to all of them.

My stomach curdled.

What the fuck am I doing?

What was I even thinking of doing?

I immediately turned away from the lounge and doubled back to the room I'd come out of, except I stopped when I realized I couldn't fucking remember what room it was because the doors all looked the same. The last thing I needed was to walk in on someone random. At the same time, I didn't really want to go back to the lounge, and if I wanted to get to the kitchen, apparently I had to pass the lounge, and I couldn't go by without one of them noticing me.

I was a little disappointed, mostly in myself.

I had been instantly excited at seeing the other artificials. From the sounds of it, they were safe and alive. That was all I needed to know, wasn't it? What was the point of them seeing me? I was only a means to get to mother at this point.

Despite growing up in the same environment, despite also being an artificial, I didn't particularly feel like I had the right to be comforted by them. I didn't have a right to be beside them. At the end of the day, the horrible terrible things that had happened to them had been my fault for not protecting them when I should have.

I had let them down in the worst possible ways.

Especially Niko.

In the end, I was a coward. I couldn't face them.

All I could do now was get the rest of them here to Hades. From the sounds of it, they were safe and well and happy. If I could get Kali, Polly, and Elias here, that left me with the younger ones and surely now with Hades's help, I could get them away from mother too.

And then that left me with only one thing left to do on my list.

Kill mother.

"That was fast." I looked up to see Hades coming out of a room, which meant that had to be the one they gave me, so I was relieved I had somewhere to go.

"They're fine," I answered, making Hades frown a little.

"I find it hard to believe Three and Niko didn't talk your ears off, or Thirteen, for that matter," he pointed out. I stared at him.

"They're fine," I repeated and Hades frowned further, "I ate. Are your people here so we can discuss the next steps?" Hades raised an eyebrow.

"They're on their way," he answered and I nodded, "It'll be a couple of hours before they all get here and we can get things set up in the main hall—"

"Fine," I said, approaching him, but keeping a good enough distance that I didn't rankle him, "Tell me where the hall is and I'll just wait there until everyone is here."

"I need to do some rearranging," Hades replied, making me scowl, but he didn't elaborate on that, "Rowan and Yiuwa are in their room, if you want me to take you there." I frowned.

"Why would I want to go there?" I asked. Hades looked at me, then just nodded.

"Yeah, nevermind. Anyway, you didn't eat," he said, making me glare at him, "What? I didn't have to read your mind to know that, kid, I can hear your stomach from here."

"Okay, let's get some things cleared up," I said, making Hades frown as I ticked off my list on my fingers, "You don't tell me what to do. We're not friends, we're not partners, we're not related, contrary to whatever you tell yourself. I'm not hungry; I'm not eating until I see Kali, Polly, and Elias in front of me, alive and well. Also, do not call me kid. I get you're thousands of years older than me, but we're not friendly enough for that kind of shit, so you either call me by my name or don't talk to me at all."

"And don't pretend that my being here is going to make Rowan and Yiuwa overjoyed," I added, making Hades cock his head, "They've got their hands full with you and Ryk. I'm not here to add to your family drama. I'm here to protect my actual family."

"And then what?" Hades asked. I frowned.

"And then I'm going to do what I have to do, that's it. So quit trying to waste time getting friendly with me when we both know you don't give a shit. The last thing you want is another fuck up and trust me, if you're mad at Rowan for his bullshit, you're going to be twice as pissy about mine, so let's do the whole world a favor and keep things professional, hm?"

Hades didn't answer that. He was thinking hard about what I said, which didn't make sense because I didn't say anything that was worth considering. Nothing I said was up for debate.

I felt Darling suddenly surge under my skin. The sensation wasn't aggressive, but I knew what it meant the moment I felt it and I looked past Hades to see Wren coming around the corner at the top of the stairs. Hades narrowed his eyes and turned to see Wren approaching us.

"I see Stanton doesn't know the meaning of grounded," he commented.

"I'm old enough to where that doesn't mean shit," Wren deadpanned, making Hades sigh, "I just want to make sure he's okay; Ryk told me he didn't want to eat." Hades paused at that and I could tell he was considering going after Ryk for sending Wren my way. I was a little irritated as well, because I knew what Ryk was trying to do by sending Wren.

"I ate."

"He's lying."

"I know," Wren replied, making Hades frown as Wren looked at me and I felt Darling tremble in anticipation, "Have you checked on the others? I heard everyone made it to the palace safely." I frowned.

"Yeah, they're doing fine. I'm mostly waiting on Hades's team to arrive so we can go after the ones that are still at the compound," I answered. Wren relaxed to a degree, but he looked behind me curiously before looking at me. It was too quiet for the artificials to have run into me, so he was clearly wondering why at least Niko wasn't chasing after me.

"Let's go ahead and eat in the lounge," Wren said, making me frown, "I told Ryk to just send up a bunch of stuff. I don't think the others have eaten yet either."

"I'm fine," I deadpanned, making Wren raise an eyebrow as Hades folded his arms over his chest, "Take me to this main hall area where I can wait for your team."

"I said it was going to be a couple hours," Hades said, then gestured down the hall, "Go ahead and join the others for now."

"I'm good. If you're not taking me to the hall, then I'm going back to the room," I said, turning to the door and opening it up. I heard Hades sigh heavily behind me and I knew Wren was probably giving him some kind of cute little look that assured him everything was going to be okay. I heard Hades's heavy footfalls leaving, but Wren's were following me into the room.

"I don't need anyone to babysit me," I said, turning to Wren, who paused just in the doorway. He looked at me and I could see him wondering why I was taking an attitude with him, considering we never really snapped at each other, not really. Lots of teasing, but nothing genuinely aggressive.

Except now there was no point in trying to woo him, especially if Darling had taken a liking to him.

Of course, I paused as I remembered the brief memories I had seen in Wren's head. That ring, Milo's ring, in the palm of his hand. The way the light had left his eyes when he'd been so tiny, so fragile, boiling under the desert sun.

But Wren wasn't Milo.

Wren was different.

I wasn't entirely sure what to make of what I saw, but at the end of the day, Milo was Milo and Wren was Wren. And I wasn't supposed to have either one of them.

"I'm not babysitting you," Wren answered at last, making me frown as I glanced up to meet those warm brown eyes, "I want to make sure you're alright." I smirked at that.

"You managed to capture me. I'm not dead. I'm alright." I turned away from him and headed to the balcony doors, if for nothing more than to put space between us and look at anything else that wasn't his face. Every time I made eye contact with him, I could feel a magnetic pull. I could blame it on Darling again, but I knew it was more than that.

"You're still wearing the collar."

I blinked, my hand touching it around my neck without even thinking. I couldn't help a little laugh as I reached up and clicked the buckle. The moment the weight was gone from my neck, I felt strangely naked. Exposed enough to not even be able to make eye contact with Wren as I went to the bed and tossed the collar toward Wren.

"Tell Diego I'm sorry," I said, making Wren frown as he stared at the collar, then back at me, "I already apologized to Beni like you asked. I'm sure he's positively thrilled he was right about me, and that he gets his number one customer back." Wren walked over to the bed to pick up the collar, and I turned away to go back to look out the window at a sea of trees that faded and speckled away into distant lights from Inferi and a nearby fishing village.

"I'm not seeing Beni."

"Ah, well, Titi is pretty nice too."

"I'm not seeing her either."

"Okay, well, have fun with whoever your new server is." I didn't want to picture that, because the moment I had an image in my head of Beni kissing Wren, I felt Darling stirring. I felt the creeping crawling sensation of him reacting to the thought. He was pissed and I could feel that heat surging through my veins, so I cleared my throat, keeping my eyes away from Wren.

"I'm going to shower." I went to move around him to get to the bathroom, but Wren spun around fast and grabbed my wrist, pulling me to a stop. Anyone else would've had their arm torn off, but I simply went still as Wren gripped me tight.

"Please don't," he managed and I clenched my teeth, "Please don't do that. Don't shut me out. You can't be mad at me... for bringing you back here, and I didn't do it because they told me to or because its part of the strategy or whatever bullshit you're probably thinking." I frowned, but didn't dare turn to look at him, even when he tugged on my arm to try and get me to face him.

"I don't... know exactly what it is," Wren said quietly, "Ryk and I were talking, and suddenly I went down, and all I could see was... bits and pieces of memories. Of you. I didn't know who you were when we first met, that much I can assure you, but when I realized who you were, I knew I needed to do something. I needed to get to you. I had no idea where this urgency came from. Where this intense desire came from. It aggravated my heat, my curse, and I... I just knew that every time we came in contact, even if my heat was unbearable, just the slightest touch felt like an oasis."

My stomach churned and I tried to tug my hand back, but Wren held fast and this time, he came around to stand in front of me, staring up at me with those eyes, those beautifully sparkly brown eyes that promised comfort. He took both my hands now, giving them a firm squeeze.

"I don't know what it is," he managed, "I don't know if it's destiny or if it's reincarnation bullshit or whatever it is. I just know that I get restless when I'm away from you. When I'm somewhere else, I'm thinking of you. When I'm asleep, I dream of you. When I'm with you, I feel like I can do anything." His words seared me. I could feel Darling purring deep inside me, thrilled by Wren's confession.

And a stupid, stupid part of me wanted it desperately.

Wren and I had only known each other so long, yet it had felt like we'd always known each other. Maybe he was right and reincarnation did play a role in it, fine, but Wren was the one standing in front of me, holding my hands, staring up at me, telling me he wanted me.

I missed being loved.

I missed being in love.

I missed being held, having someone who could support me when things were hard, but also when things were good. Being able to wake up beside someone, falling asleep beside them. I couldn't remember the last time I had gotten a genuine good night's sleep. It had to have been with Milo, because I just couldn't remember.

Every night was a nightmare. I closed my eyes and I saw the horrors of everything that had happened to him, that happened to the other artificials. It was better to just ignore the desire for sleep, or take small cat naps to avoid that nightmare realm that awaited me every night.

I wanted to remember what it felt like to fall asleep, safe and sound, with someone's arms around me, their heart beating next to mine.

It was why it had been so easy for me to get distracted by Wren.

He was feisty and he was fun, but he was loving and kind. He was Milo, yet at the same time, he was his own person; he was Wren.

For a moment, I wanted that so desperately again. His soft long fingers laced with mine, those brown eyes gazing up at me with hope, his heart hammering in his chest because he was so nervous about trying to make a connection. I wanted to ease that, wanted to lean down and kiss him, take him into my arms and cradle him for eternity.

I want this.

I want to love him. I want him to love me. I want to be... happy.

Except there was the fact that I didn't deserve that.

I didn't deserve any of it. Love, family, comfort, peace, normalcy.

I played a hand in destroying lives.

The only place for me now was in the ground, but not until I took mother with me and not until I saved the rest of the artificials.

I stepped away from Wren and he immediately let go, clearly hurt by my rejection.

"I have things I need to do," I said as Wren swallowed thickly and I pretended his eyes weren't getting red as I cleared my throat and brushed past him, "You should leave." I waited to see if he would say anything, if he would fight me, or get angry, but he just looked at the floor for a moment, then just nodded.

He went to the bed, grabbed the collar, and left the room, slamming the door shut hard behind him.

Inside my soul, Darling screamed in agony.

The sound tore through my head like a spear and I groaned, reaching up to grab at my temples. The lights around me were suddenly oppressive and I shut my eyes, stumbling into the bathroom and shutting off the lights. I breathed out a sigh of relief and just made my way through the bathroom using the dim lights pouring in from the bedroom.

I turned the shower on, stripped down, went inside, and sat on the floor as the steam rose around me.

Finally. Time to get back to work.