“Where do you think you’re going?” Sebastian asked Fletcher as they stood in Hazel’s office. “Or was your plan to just leave a note and not say anything again?”

  Fletcher swallowed. “I am sorry about that, Dad. I didn’t know you were leaving so early in the morning. I did plan to tell you, I swear.”

  His father’s face remained angry. “Sit back down. We’re not through with this conversation.”

  “What’s this about a note?” Hazel questioned, crossing her arms once again as if she hadn’t just been in a total shouting match with Fletcher’s dad ten seconds ago.

  “While Fletcher was back in Alcett for the holidays, he decided to return to Bren’it’p early, and the only notice I got was a note the day he left.” Sebastian’s eyes followed Fletcher all the way back to the chair.

  Fletcher sat on the edge of the seat, unwilling to throw his arms back around the back of it and make himself a prisoner but also unable to think of another way to sit that wouldn’t be uncomfortable with his wrists bound behind him.

  “If only you’d managed to raise him to have an ounce of respect.” Hazel’s glare also drilled into her son, causing him to shirk back a little more. “This wouldn’t have been the day you originally scheduled your withdrawal, was it? Your excuse for canceling it never did sound quite right.”

  “That’s the day.” Sebastian shook his head.

  “Withdrawal?” Fletcher glanced between his two parents.

  His father bit his lip and then sighed in resignation. “That meeting I was taking you to wasn’t with a merchant. It was clear my cover had been blown, so I was pulling us out. We were going to meet with a team of Mixed operatives who would bring us back here to Finnack Mountain Base.”

  “Oh. So instead of getting kidnapped by Addy and her team, I was going to get kidnapped by you?” He once again cursed the cuffs holding his arms back. It was hard to express all his anger in this situation.

  “It was for your own good. And that way I could have handled the reveal.” His father leaned back on the desk. “But it was too late by the time I found your note. Honestly, this is the next best case scenario, because I’m not sure how much longer I’d have made it in Alcett.”

  “That’s your own fault for blowing your cover. Over two decades as a spy among the Humans, and still you managed to screw it up.” Hazel turned her cold eyes to Sebastian.

  “I don’t understand how,” Sebastian confessed. “I even stayed in that horrible apartment to ensure I avoided the surveillance of the newer buildings.”

  Ah. That explained why his dad never moved out of the rundown building that always smelled like vomit.

  “What makes you think it was blown?” Fletcher tapped his fingers against his palms. If his guess was right, then this might actually all be his fault.

  “Well, the poorly disguised murder attempt kind of gave it away.” Sebastian cocked his head as he watched Fletcher fidget in the chair. “Fletcher, are you about to tell me something that’s going to make me angry?”

  Fletcher chuckled nervously. “You’re already pretty mad so I’m not sure I can make it any worse.”

  “Fletcher…” His father took on a disciplinary tone, and he knew that he couldn’t deny it anymore. It’d been hard enough keeping this secret from his dad before, but there was no way he could handle that kind of stress now.

  “Remember that night we were eating out with the Ortegas before I left to Bren’it’p and some officers grabbed me?”

  “You said it was about the incident with the buses.”

  With a sigh, Fletcher confessed everything about what happened with General Taki that night and afterwards, including the journal, pictures, and threats.

  After he finished, his dad scrubbed both hands over his face. “My deities, why didn’t you tell me this sooner? What part of you thought hiding this kind of thing was a good idea? Do you realize how much needless trouble you caused?”

  “It’s not like I knew you were actually a spy yourself. I thought I was protecting you,” Fletcher defended himself.

  “General Taki,” Hazel said slowly, a smile on her face. “You’re lucky he didn’t know who you really were. You’d be dead… or worse.”

  “Protecting me? Is that really your best defense?” Sebastian cut in before Fletcher could respond to his mother’s rather ominous statement.

  “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to cause problems.” He and his father stared at each other, Sebastian’s face still twisted in anger.

  All at once, his dad took a deep breath and closed his eyes. “While you’re in the mood to confess things, will you finally tell me why you came back to Alcett so early? You and I both know it had nothing to do with being homesick. You were bored by the third day.”

  Fletcher balled his hands into fists. That was something he didn’t want to talk about.

  Ever.

  He turned his face away from his parents who both continued to stare at him, trying not to think of Fieva’s teeth on his neck or the feeling of her blood spilling over the top of him. He didn’t want to remember that he’d killed her, taking Ruvo’s mother from him when he was still just a kid.

  A hand grabbed his shoulder, and he looked up to his dad’s soft face and kind eyes. Sebastian bent over and jangled something into the cuffs, setting Fletcher free. He then knelt down by the chair where Fletcher sat.

  “Come on, Fletcher. No more secrets,” his dad said.

  Fletcher nodded. He swallowed against the lump in his throat and quietly recounted the story of the assassination. When he got to the part with Fieva, his voice broke and he placed his head in hands.

  “I-I didn’t mean to kill her. I just acted. I know it was self defense which technically makes it okay, but…” Fletcher buried his fingers into his hair. “She had a son, and I know how much it sucks to grow up without a mom. I didn’t want to take that from him, but I just wasn’t thinking.”

  His father rubbed his back. “It’s alright, Fletcher. You didn’t do anything wrong. Fieva made her choice, and you did what you had to do to keep yourself alive. It’s unfortunate that her decision hurt her son, but you can’t carry that weight.”

  Fletcher did his best to stop the tears that were forming. He was almost twenty-six years old. He was way too old to be crying to his father about anything, but these memories had haunted him for months now, and he needed to hear these things.

  “Oh deities, that’s enough,” Hazel interrupted the moment. “I see how he ended up as such a mess if this is how you parented the whole time.”

  “Hazel—”

  “No. No more.” His mother walked up to them and pushed his father away. She then grabbed Fletcher’s face and forced him to look up at her. “Someone tried to kill you so you killed her. That’s how this world works. Accept it, and move on.”

  Anger flashed through Fletcher, and he shoved her hand away as he stood up. He was no longer her prisoner. A million ideas of what to say crossed his mind, ranging from arguments to insults, but in the end, he just shook his head and walked away. He didn’t have the emotional capacity to deal with her anymore.

  His father caught up to him at the door and pulled him into a hug.

  “Don’t say a word about your Hexing to anyone,” Sebastian breathed in his ear. He then released Fletcher and motioned him onwards. “Go. Addy is waiting out there to show you around.”

  Fletcher nodded and walked out the door. This day had sucked, big time.

  No.

  Actually, the whole past week sucked. What he wouldn’t do to turn the clock back a year and go back to the simple times of teaching and worrying about if his dad was too lonely.

  Sebastian closed the door behind him, and Fletcher glanced around the hallway. He didn’t see Addy or even Nora—not that he particularly wanted to interact with his sister—but he had no idea where to go or what to do now that he wasn’t a full-time prisoner.

  He randomly chose a direction and started to walk, his mind swirling with everything he’d learned over the past few days. His mother was alive. He had a sister. His dad was a spy.

  A spy. Sebastian Anders.

  Now that he thought about it, he could see hints of that from his childhood such as the extended business trips or shady meetings at night, but it was still hard to believe that the mild-mannered warehouse manager had once been a war hero.

  A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.

  Fletcher furled his eyebrows. Why didn’t his dad want him to talk about his Hexing? This was probably one of the only safe places on the entire planet Fletcher could openly discuss such things without being turned over to the Unhumans or executed. But Sebastian knew the Mixed better, and even if he was hurt by a lot of what he learned today, he still trusted his dad. That would never change.

  He came to an intersection with people, but he just kept walking straight. Maybe this would loop around, and he could walk laps for the next few hours while he tried to process the fact that his entire life up until this point had essentially been a lie.

  “Fletcher!”

  Sighing, he turned and forced a smile as Addy jogged up to him. Trailing just behind was the hulking form of Jeric, more or less exactly as he’d been six months ago when the Hexed Humans ambushed the buses. Thinking of that, he made a mental note to track down what happened to Lisa and Nate.

  “Hey, Addy.” He didn’t bother to acknowledge Jeric who seemed thoroughly unimpressed with the situation.

  “I’m sure you’re still in shock from everything your mom told you. I know I was when I learned everything, but I have one last surprise for you.” She cheerfully gestured to Jeric. “It’s Jeric! As hard as that is to believe. But this means we’ve got the whole gang back together.”

  “Jeric,” Fletcher said flatly.

  The man stared right back at him. “Fletcher.”

  He looked just as he had back in August. His crimson hair was cut short enough that Fletcher noticed the obvious lack of Human ears on the sides of his head, instead replaced by the pointy, brown-fleshy dog ears at the top. He looked a lot older than he should given he was Fletcher’s age but appeared to be in his early forties. All his teeth were sharp and fang like, tell-tell signs of a [Bloodhound].

  Addy sucked her cheeks and then blew out a long breath. “Not exactly how I pictured this reunion. I kind of thought you’d be more excited.”

  “I already knew about Jeric.” Fletcher glanced back at his friend.

  “You’re the idiot from the buses,” Jeric concurred.

  Addy glanced between them. It was strange to see both of his childhood friends so… non-Human—Addy especially given she could easily pass for a full [Elf]. Jeric retained most of his Humanity from what Fletcher saw, and he wanted to ask what conversion percentage they were each at, but he then remembered his mother’s guidance and decided against it.

  “It was good to see you,” he said to end the awkward silence resting between them.

  Addy grabbed his arm as he turned to walk away. “Where are you even going?”

  “Nowhere in particular.”

  “Well, why don’t we give you the grand tour? This base isn’t so confusing once you get used to it. And technically you’re not supposed to wander without an escort for security reasons.” Addy started to pull him in another direction, but he kept his feet planted firmly where they were. He had no interest in walking around listening to her chatter away while he tried to comprehend the new world he found himself a part of.

  “I actually was hoping for a little time alone, to clear my head.” He tugged his arm from her grip.

  “Come on, Addy. Let Fletcher sulk.” Jeric grabbed her hand.

  “These hallways are horrible for thinking. At least let us show you the park. That has plenty of good brooding spots. Jeric would know.”

  Jeric said nothing to this, but he did give Fletcher a hard glare—the warning kind. What on earth was that guy’s problem? His former childhood best friend was acting like an angsty teenager who hated everything and everyone he saw, especially Fletcher.

  “Sure,” Fletcher agreed. Getting outside did sound a lot better than blankly wandering the stark corridors of the base, even if it meant enduring more of gloomy Jeric.

  Addy’s face lit up as she released Jeric’s hand and grabbed Fletcher’s instead. “You’ll love it. The mountains are gorgeous this time of year.”

  Fletcher pretended not to notice the flash of jealousy on Jeric’s face as he followed behind Addy. It was a short walk through the base, with Addy giving a partial tour as they went—not that Fletcher bothered to memorize any of it. His mind was still whirling with everything else that happened since the gala.

  Eventually they came to a wide metal door which slid apart from the middle to reveal a grand park, just as Addy promised. The grass was brown and dead from the cold, and a few patches of snow remained piled in corners which saw little sun over the course of the day, but there were trees, walking paths, tables, benches, a playground, a river, gazebos, and anything else that could belong in a picturesque greenspace.

  What surprised Fletcher the most was that there were already people out, families with kids even. It felt like being back in one of the colonies or even Bren’it’p given that some of those he saw were Mixhumans like his friends. It was about half and half for clearly non-Human and what appeared to be pure Humans, a similar percentage to the soldiers he’d seen around.

  “So is everyone who’s in the Mixed military a Mixhuman?” Fletcher asked, finding that the fresh air alone was enough to wipe some of the worries from his mind for a time.

  “No. It’s open to any and all species and mixed species,” Addy answered. “Of course everyone who can has to give five years of military service as part of the conscription law, and given that a lot of those who join us are refugees because of the anti-Mixhuman laws, we tend to draw more from there.”

  “Some of those kids are Hexed.” Fletcher’s eyes followed a boy and girl playing tag, and he noted scales along the girl’s skin.

  “Mhmm. They come from conversion facilities when we raid them to free prisoners.” Addy inhaled deeply. “Nothing like that mountain air. You’re lucky the weather’s so nice. Normally we’re trapped under a foot of snow by this time of year.”

  “Conversion facilities?” Fletcher refused to let her change the subject.

  “The execution factories run by the Unhumans.” Jeric stepped up beside him.

  “I don’t understand. Are they used for conversion or execution?”

  Addy’s smile faltered. “The more radiation a person takes on, the more they convert to their Unhuman counterpart.”

  “I figured as much.” He had to tread carefully so as not to reveal his own Hexing.

  “When a person reaches 100% they become fully Unhuman, and it wipes their Human memories, creating a blank slate of sorts. Since it’s irreversible, it’s the equivalent of death.” Her face was sad. “As the conversion percentage increases, so does the appearance of physical Unhuman traits. Losing part of your Humanity is pretty traumatic, especially for children, so we do everything we can to get them out first.”

  Fletcher knew it was wrong to keep pressing this issue, but too much of him was angry and hurt from everything that happened with his family, and he wanted answers to all his questions. He was tired of dodging around issues.

  “So you must have spent quite a bit of time in a conversation facility to reach what you are now.” He kept eye contact with Addy, trying to keep his face soft.

  “I never went to a conversion facility. I was eighteen when blood testing improved enough to detect as low as 5%—leading to me being discovered—but I was rescued while being transported to the facility.” She held her head high. “I chose to take this amount on in order to gain more [Skills] and levels. Mixhumans are capped at their [Skill] levels by their conversion percentage.”

  Fletcher nodded. He’d heard of the level cap, but he was surprised someone would be willing to sacrifice so much of themselves in order for something as petty as magic powers. He looked at Jeric. “Is that what you did too?”

  “No.” Jeric kept his face even as he stared out into the park, but Fletcher recognized deep set anger underneath.

  He had enough sense to stop asking there. If increased conversion meant increased physical characteristics of the species, did that include aging? It must since Jeric had aged significantly, and [Bloodhounds] had a much shorter lifespan than Humans, only twenty to thirty years or so.

  “Let’s take a walk, Jeric.” Addy looped her fingers through his and smiled at Fletcher. “Meet us back here in half an hour?”

  “Sure.”

  He watched the couple walk away. While he wasn’t necessarily surprised they were together, some part of it felt strange given the visual appearance of a rather large age gap. His heart ached as he thought of Beam, and he wished to have her here, or better yet, be in Bren’it’p with her… assuming she was even okay after the attack. He might never know what became of her.

  Fletcher turned back to the park before him. It was peaceful, even with all the kids running around. His feet wandered wherever they wanted, and he focused on enjoying the scenery instead of delving back into the pit of his mind to churn back through the disaster waiting there. It was cold without a coat, but the discomfort kept him from his worries.

  He was deep into the wooded area when sirens went off, a sound every Human on the planet recognized by now.

  Radiation warning.

  Glancing up through the trees, Fletcher noted the sky quickly gaining a red hue. This Cloud was coming in fast and out of nowhere. The woods weren’t large enough that he’d lost his path, but as he jogged towards the nearest exit, a different sound caught his attention.

  “Help!” a young voice called out.

  Fletcher changed direction and slid down the small mud banks to where a young boy was lying in the snow and mud, a thick tree branch over his legs.

  “I’m stuck,” the boy said. He couldn’t be more than eight years old.

  Fletcher hefted the branch up and pulled him to his feet, but the instant he stood up, he fell back down with a cry.

  “M-my ankle,” he said as tears filled his eyes. “I can’t walk. I’m going to die out here.”

  “No. You’re not.” Fletcher scooped the boy into his arms and stumbled up out of the creekbed.

  “But the doors will be closing in a few minutes, and they don’t reopen until the Hex Cloud passes,” the boy whimpered. “We’re too far away.”

  “Have a little more faith.” Staggering over tree roots and fallen branches with the heavy load in his arms, but Fletcher pushed himself to keep going, keep running.

  The sirens grew louder, and the sky grew redder, bringing back eerily familiar memories from a day sixteen years ago he’d spent most of his life trying to forget. He wouldn’t let history repeat itself. Not this time.

  The boy clung close to him, and soon they escaped the woods. Fletcher hurriedly scanned the scene to see that they were indeed quite far from the nearest door. It was a cruel practice to lock people outside in the Cloud for the entirety of the touchdown, but given the coldness of his mother, he wasn’t altogether surprised by the policy.

  He continued his sprint along the grassy field, begging his body to find greater speed. As they neared the door, he noticed that people were grouped just inside the entrance, urging him onward.

  “Drop the kid or neither of you will make it,” someone shouted.

  Fletcher ignored them. He’d suffer out here with this boy before he abandoned him for his own safety. Besides, he was already Hexed, so he didn’t have as much to lose as those people assumed.

  The sirens were no longer individual sounds, but rather one long, sustained beep, and when Fletcher and the boy were only a couple of yards from the entrance back into the base, the two doors began to slide together.

  They were right. Fletcher and the boy wouldn’t both make it.

  Heaving every ounce of strength from his body, Fletcher threw the boy from his arms, launching him through the narrowing gap and into the crowd waiting there. The effort cost him his footing, and he skidded onto his knees.

  As the doors slid shut, the last thing he saw was the boy being caught by those waiting, and then the metal sides smashed into each other, sealing him off from the base and safety with a final thud. All at once the sirens ceased, leaving Fletcher to face the upcoming radiation alone.