Chapter 65
I glare at Lily, my fists clenched at my sides. “Explain yourself.”
She doesn’t hesitate. “That mapping machine you and your little band of rebels snuck off with? It’s part of a series. Machines designed to streamline the process of genetic modification.”
My mind races, connecting the dots. “One to map the genes… another to edit them. And then what?” I ask, eyeing her carefully.
Lily’s eye twitches, and I can see she’s annoyed. “Unfortunately, the research didn’t get that far. As you well know, the powers that be didn’t like the direction things were heading and shut the whole thing down.”
I wonder what could have possibly crossed the line at a facility that’s already imprisoning sentient beings and forcing them to breed. By that point, nothing should have been off-limits. Unless... I gasp. “Were you trying to turn regular humans into sirens?”
Lily rolls her eyes, giving me a patronizing look. “I don’t know how to make it any Easter what it is we're doing here, Phoebe. I have spent decades trying to track down where these creatures live and have nothing but sand and seashells to show for it. The only option left was to make our own. I have dedicated my entire professional career to doing just that.”
My stomach turns as I shake my head, trying to process the horror of it all. “But why? What could these powers-that-be possibly want with an army of half-breed merpeople?” Lily’s eyes narrow just slightly, but it’s enough for me to know I’ve hit the target. My stomach drops. “An army. An honest-to-God army. That’s what you’re after, isn’t it?”
Lily lets out a bitter laugh. “Sweetie, that’s above my pay grade. I follow orders, and I’ve been following orders longer than you’ve been alive. You want to know why I do it? Because I have the same drive as you. I feel that same pull to seek out these creatures, to understand them, to—”
“To become one of them,” I finish her sentence, the words tasting bitter on my tongue. “That’s your real goal. You can pretend you’re just following orders all you want, but we both know that’s just an excuse. You want to be like them, and you’re willing to hurt and subjugate the very beings you claim to be connected to. You’re a monster.”
Her smile widens, but it doesn’t reach her eyes. The sight of it sends a chill down my spine. “And you, my dear, are the missing link we’ve both been searching for. Your genetic code is exactly the map we need. With it, we can use Marina’s code to fill in the blanks and fix what’s broken in yours.”
“No,” I blurt out, panic rising in my chest. “We can’t use Marina’s DNA. She’s been in captivity too long; her genetic material is as degraded as mine.” I can’t let Lily dig into Marina’s DNA. It would only be a matter of time before she discovered the truth—that Marina and I are related. And that’s the last thing we need right now. “You’ll need a purer source,” I say quickly, trying to steer her away from that path.
Lily’s eyes narrow into sharp slits, like lasers cutting into me. “Like Wake’s.”
I bite my lip, thinking fast. “Why are you so invested in making me go through with this? Best case scenario, I end up being able to talk to fish. How does that help you?”
She steps closer, her fingers brushing a strand of hair off my shoulder. I flinch at the touch. “Because this is only the beginning, Phoebe. Anything can be replicated... if you have the right data.”
I swallow hard. “And what exactly qualifies as the right data?”
Lily smirks, clearly amused. “Clever. You think talking to fish is selling yourself short. While it might be impressive, I think there’s more potential in you than that.”
I laugh bitterly, the sound catching in my throat. “What, you think I’m going to grow a tail or something? Even if I did, how could I possibly help you from inside the Marble?”
Lily laughs, stepping back. “Oh, I have a few ideas. But let’s not get ahead of ourselves. None of this matters unless you agree to help me.”
The weight of her words presses down on me, my mind racing. “You make it sound so easy. I could die.”
She shrugs. “Or, you could change the course of science forever.”
Funny. I thought I’d already done that. But there’s always another mountain to climb, another line to cross in the name of progress. People like Lily and corporations like Enigma will never be satisfied. Enough will never be enough. They’ll keep pushing until someone stops them. And the only way to do that is from the inside. I can make myself essential to their plans. I have the perfect opening. I just need to find the courage to take the leap.
“I’ll do it,” I say, my voice steady. “Your way.”
A dark smile curls her dark red lips. “Good girl.”
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