Traffic was bad for a weekday night. Alisa searched for a better route on the display on her dash, and she didn’t answer right away. Maybe she was gathering her thoughts, and Freya wondered if what she had asked was something a little too personal. Maybe she shouldn’t pry—
“I think the answer to your question…isn’t just one thing. I had a pretty hard time growing up because of my Gift and my family. Don’t get me wrong—I am very much the spoiled little princess you think I am,” said Alisa with a small smile. “I grew up with plenty of love. I have a great relationship with my dad and siblings and even our extended family. But it wasn’t always like that. When my Gift was discovered, and the details were disclosed, people began to treat me…differently. Among the Vegas, there are quite a few of the Gifted. But I’m the only one who was ever included among the TWMO’s Most Dangerous, and that became
Jester knew he said something very wrong before he even got the last word out. Alisa’s gaze turned hard, and her lips pressed together.“Are you telling me what to do?” she asked, in a tone that clearly indicated that the only correct answer would be ‘no’.So, Jester said, “No.” Then he added, “I’m just saying you should be more careful. Simply leaving the HQ puts you at risk. We don’t know who the spy is inside the AG, much less who could be a threat to you outside.”“I don’t see what the problem is. The Commander gave me permission, and Freya was with me.”“Still. If it’s not necessary for you to go out, then you shouldn’t. If there’s something you need that the HQ can’t provide, then have your PA bring it over, or send someone else to—"“It was necessary,” said Alisa. “I went to House Zagreb for my fitting&mda
“What many people do not know,” Jester continued, and the way he spoke caught my attention, made me curious. He brought up a short video clip that had my mouth dropping to the floor. “Is that Anomalies are not naturally created. They are…manufactured. Well, the ones in Gaia, at the beginning, were.”The video was crisp and clear, and though there was no sound, it wasn’t hard to imagine the grisly noise accompanying those vicious claws and teeth. It was a horde of lizard-like Anomalies rampaging through something that looked like a city street (though it didn’t resemble any city I knew, but then, all the smoke and chaos made it difficult to be sure). They clashed against silver leopard-like creatures and huge black bears in an all-out brawl. One odd thing was that the Anomalies seemed to be wearing some sort of collar, and they had black patterns on their bodies that reminded me very much of the symbols of the Border System Grandpa Al
I like the sea.It was a place my mother loved, so I’ve always thought it was special.Dad told us they first met on a beach in the Wildlands. Something about a malfunctioning Portal and a mutated piglet that stole Mom’s clothes while she was bathing. Mom had mistaken Dad for the thief. “I thought I could face anything,” I remember Dad saying, smiling fondly and a little sadly at the memory, “until that moment. I didn’t know whether I should be glad she was aiming for my head and not…some other vital body part.”They managed to clear up the misunderstanding, though, and two years later they married each other on the very same shore where my mother almost killed him. Dad spent millions on that wedding—since the island is in the Wildlands, you can own it as long as you can sustain it. It’s more of a safety issue than anything, really. Aside from the fact that Breaches are fifty percent more likely to for
I am so happy I could cry.Well, okay, I did cry—just a little. And Jester was so cute making a joke out of it while wiping away my tears.It all feels so unreal. I never expected that Jester and I would reconcile this way.I didn’t think he’d run after me at all. And in the slightest chance that he did, all I was expecting was another apology at best, and getting scolded for walking out in the middle of a meeting at worst.The way that Jester spoke about his past and his identity had sounded like he was trying to build an insurmountable wall between us. Like he was making himself into some untouchable creature that I shouldn’t even consider approaching, because we were too different and I could never measure up to his lofty standards. I’m sure he wanted me to think of him that way, so that I would give up and leave him alone.I admit that it hurt. After spending so much time with him, after putting in so much effort t
Stepping into the Lee’s apartment always makes me think of cozy Sunday mornings. I could easily picture them all in the kitchen, the brothers sitting on the counter, with their mother heaping pancakes and bacon and eggs on their plates. If I were part of the scene, I’d be making coffee (I know I can at least whip up a decent cup). The TV would be tuned into some morning talk show, and we’d talk about our plans for the day—maybe Jester and I could go for a lunch date, and Ms. Lee would go out with her friends, and Rigel would stay home and play holo-games all day.Could I hope for something that normal and carefree in the future? More importantly, would a future like that be possible once we stop the Coven and get through the Wane?“Sorry to intrude, Ms Lee,” I said, when Jester’s mother ushered us inside. She had an apron over her pajamas, and I realized that ordinary folk would have gone to bed already. I remember from the cas
This must be what Jester meant when he said that I should think about what I was getting into by dating him.I suppose, for most people, learning that your boyfriend’s father was some evil overlord who was responsible for the universe-altering disaster that had caused so much carnage that six hundred-odd years into the future, everyone is still suffering from the consequences, would be sensible grounds for breaking up with him. And Jester is expecting—or hoping?—I would choose to do that. Probably for some reason like it being safer for me or some similar shit.Yeah, fat chance.I became his girlfriend barely three hours ago. I’m not letting go so easily.I told him as much.“Alisa,” he said, giving me one of his signature scowls. It’s been getting easier for me to decipher what those minute changes in his scowling face mean—to the usual observer, they would all look the same, but for someone who&rsqu
I woke up at the crack of dawn despite going to bed past midnight. Usually, lack of sleep would make me grumpy, but not today. No, to me, this morning seemed incredibly beautiful. Of course, nothing could compare to the beauty of seeing Jester at my door, waiting for me as if it were the most natural thing in the world. He was already dressed in his uniform like I was, and though I’m sure he must have slept less than I did, he looked sharp and fresh. Like a polished knife, glinting in the sunlight.I wrapped my arms around his neck and kissed his lips. “Good morning,” I said brightly.“Good morning,” he replied, a lot less brightly, though he returned my kiss. He pried my arms from around him, and Jester gave me the first scowl of the day—it just made him all the more adorable in my eyes. He really can’t look ugly, no matter how much he scowls or glares at people. “You are incredibly cheerful this morning.”&
“You are moody,” Jester observed as they walked towards the Commander’s office after being called for. The little ball of sunshine that had given him a kiss this morning now looked like a storm cloud ready to strike. “It’s only been twenty minutes since I left you alone, and you’re already scowling. Careful now, or the others will think I taught you that.”Alisa sighed. “It’s not your fault. It’s because my brother is such a jackass.” And she proceeded to tell him why.Apparently, Spencer (Jester vaguely recalled the young man with an easy smile he had met when they captured Hogar) had been in Hong Kong for the past week. Instead of staying in the family residence, or crashing with his sister (which he usually does, according to Alisa), he had booked a hotel suite on the other side of the city, and hasn’t called or messaged Alisa since Gillespie un-Lar. She could understand if he wanted to stay wit