Chapter 317
After Aurora left, only those of us who would be traveling to Australia remained in the conference room. I wanted to get up and go, but I was so tired, I needed a minute. Brandon ran a hand through my hair and said, “Christian seemed a little disgruntled.”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Elliott chimed in, his voice dripping with sarcasm. “He seemed perfectly gruntled to me.”
“He’ll get over it,” Aaron said, but I didn’t necessarily think that was true, and I didn’t think that he believed it himself. “You guys, we’re about to undergo an extremely dangerous mission. You know they’re going to throw everything they have at us. The Melbourne team is good, but they’re not up to the caliber of what we’re used to working with. We have got to be extremely diligent and not veer from the plan, especially since, as Cassidy noted, we’ll be going into this with no communication system.”
“You were going to explain why you think we’re not ready to go ahead and try to take out Holland and Carter,” Cadence said, and I figured that might’ve been part of the conversation I wasn’t quite tuned in to, but I wanted to hear his answer.
Aaron looked like he didn’t really want to respond to her right then. But after a deep breath, he said, “Well, I know some of you find me to be unreasonable at times….”
“Some of us?” Elliott asked, looking around like all of us would fit into that category. I stifled a giggle.
“All of you,” Aaron clarified. He looked at Elliott sharply, but I could see the mischief in his eyes. “After seeing what happened with Tara earlier today, I at least want to give this idea of yours a chance before I completely rule it out.”
I had no idea what idea they were talking about, but Cadence, Jamie, and Elliott were all grinning like they’d just won the lottery.
“Really?” my sister asked. “You’ve got to be kidding!”
“Shut up before he changes his mind!” Elliott insisted.
“Listen, we will have to do a lot of tissue trials before I let any of you try it, but I do agree with Christian and Jamie’s assessment that it was likely the Transformation serum that had these positive effects on me, while the Retransformation serum is likely what would’ve killed me had I been left to my own devices.” I was starting to put things together now. They had given Tara the Transformation serum to save her, and it had made her stronger and faster, like Aaron. Cadence and the others must’ve wanted to do it to themselves as well. I looked at Brandon, and he seemed to be on the same page. “If we can be one hundred percent sure—not eighty—then I’m willing to let a few of you try it.”
“Who are a few of us?” I asked, thinking he didn’t mean me, but I could hope. Tara was going to be so fast now; I wished I could be like that, too.
“Not you,” Cadence and Aaron both said at the same time, and I couldn’t keep the disappointment out of my expression.
“Cass, we have no idea how you’d react to it. You’re an enigma.” Cadence tried to be sympathetic, and I nodded, but I still didn’t like it.
“Not you either,” Elliott said to Brandon before he could even ask.
If I had been Brandon, I would’ve probably started whining. Who was Elliott to say what he could or couldn’t do? But that’s not my boyfriend’s style. He said, “Fine. I don’t need it anyway.”
I started to giggle, not because what he said was ridiculous but because it was so cute. His dad said, “True,” and I wondered if that was actually the end of the discussion or if Brandon was just biding his time. I knew he’d want to be just as fast and strong as Aaron was if he could be.
“And not you either, Jamie,” Aaron said. I thought that went without saying. “Not initially, anyhow. I can’t mess you up.” Jamie nodded in understanding.
Cadence would be able to do whatever she wanted. Of that much, I was sure. She asked, “So you want us to do trials after we return, and then, once you’re satisfied, Elliott and I can do it?”
I couldn’t imagine what it might be like standing by, watching my sister undergo the procedure, but Aaron confirmed what she had said. “Yeah, I’ll let you guys go first, and then maybe a couple of volunteers. If it seems to pay off, then we can move forward. But you guys do realize I struggled with these new creatures, too, right? I mean, I literally had my throat handed to me.”
The image in my mind was gruesome, and maybe I shouldn’t have said anything, but I reminded him, “That was because you didn’t see her coming.” Bonnie had flung herself into him as he’d entered the room. He had no chance.
“True,” he admitted. “But even at the RV camp, it wasn’t easy.”
“Look, if we can get to Holland, destroy her, that will weaken most of the rest of them. I don’t think Carter’s much of a factor.” Cadence seemed confident, and I raised my eyebrows at her. I don’t know much about the Carter she killed last time, but the one I had just seen was definitely going to be a factor.
“Don’t underestimate him,” Aaron warned her. “He’s craftier than anyone gives him credit for, including Holland.” I felt that what he was saying was accurate, though I wasn’t quite sure how I knew that. “Just because his last scheme didn’t go as planned doesn’t mean he isn’t capable of much more.”
I saw my sister’s forehead pucker at his choice of words, and I thought it was odd as well. What scheme? Was he talking about the Eidolon Festival? Did it have something to do with Drew?
No one asked him, and he told us all to meet him at the airport at 11:45. “Remember, our objective is to save Paul, which means avoiding Holland and Carter. Hopefully, we’ll be able to manage that until we have better chances at successfully defeating her.”
I stood up, but I couldn’t help but mention, “You know she chose the name Asteria not because she fell from a star but because it was the goddess of terror, right?” More information I had unknowingly gleaned on my adventure in Vampireland.
Of course he already knew that. “And Perses for destruction? I know.”
“Well, let’s bring them what they want,” Elliott said, also rising from his chair. “I can be terrifying and destructive.”
We all laughed as we headed out the door, but I knew deep down inside that we were all equally aware of just how difficult this mission was going to be. And I would be at the center of all of it. But then, I wouldn’t have wanted it any other way.
