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For reasons, V was immensely important to the Organization. So, it wasn’t unthinkable that she would be something newly engineered. The Organization toyed with all sorts of species, and the target on her back by so many suggested she had power we hadn’t seen yet. I wasn’t sold on the perfect mutation of two theory. V was something different. Something that could be our greatest weapon if employed and trained properly.

I sensed something was left out when I spoke to Phillip upon showing up. I was confident an issue occurred when they were at the underground magic club, and I’d sniff it out eventually. But I trusted Phillip had a good enough reason for keeping it from me, and I didn’t worry too much about it.

But if her abilities were to captivate men with one conversation, neither Phillip or I stood a chance. Because in only hours, it was evident how effective a power it was. She was the only thing I could think about, and I spent all morning awake, ready to go to her—ready to have a reason to spend any amount of time with her.

*

“SEVERAL PLANES? SOeven you guys don’t know what all is out there? Holy shit.” V sat across from me at the table, studying the text in front of her. “Is there a reason for mythology to vary by culture?”

“Different parts of the world see connections to certain planes, and it’s theorized myth stemmed from such things. The Organization only in the last three to four hundred years started to better document it, so it’s been passed by word of mouth mostly. But like I said, it’s not easy to cross between alternate existences.”

V hummed, eyes scanning the page. “And the Organization plans to tap into that, I guess?”

I was surprised to hear her utter what I had yet to mention, and it showed on my face. “Is that what you think?”

Her hazel eyes rose to meet mine, the glimmer absolutely breathtaking. “It seems the most forgone conclusion, yeah? They experimented and built us out of all these other species. I sort of wondered why, but this makes the most sense to me.”

The girl was clever, and I was exhilarated by her strong deductive skills.

Phillip leaned back in his chair, a proud smile tilting his lips. “You’re right. It’s their intention to cross over, and they’ve likely spent this entire time trying to perfect a Hunter who could. Sloan and I, you, we were all steps in that direction, I imagine.”

Though she tried to hide the bitterness in her expression every time Phillip spoke, she didn’t manage to. “So, do you think...?”

I tilted my head in confusion. “Think what?”

“That whatever I am, it’s their hope I’d be the most likely to cross over? I mean, it’d make sense.”

Phillip hummed and I quieted, a little disappointed I hadn’t thought of that possibility. The two of us stewed in her question for a few seconds before Phillip straightened and crossed his arms over his chest, a contemplative look on his face.“I wouldn’t put it past them. They learned their lesson from raising Hunters in facilities. It didn’t work out very well, and a lot of us...well, let’s just say there was more rebellion there than anywhere else.”

Having heard many of his stories about being raised in the facility, one I had the good fortune to avoid, I was plenty informed on what sort of torture could lead all the Hunters kept there to rebel. Many tried and failed to rise up against the Organization, and very few survived long enough to make it out. Phillip had good reason for wanting to burn the entire facility down, but it was shut down before he could. Sadly, I was confident facilities like his still existed. It would, however, take all our resources to find them, and we risked exposing ourselves should we try.

Jaw strained, Phillip continued, “Maybe this approach was easier to control. We know you have, at the very least, vampire abilities since my blood activated yours.”

“And the magic?” she asked to my confusion.

But Phillip quickly shook his head. “It’s not clear what happened, and I don’t want to assume anything right now.”

“What happened?” I asked expectantly.

Phillip groaned. “I’ll tell you about it later.”

I nodded, not in a hurry but curious. “You’re suggesting she may have other genes?”

“Yes,” was all he said, and I left it at that. No point in prying when Phillip would explain later. “Whatever they did to manipulate your genetic makeup, V, it wasn’t something they wanted to risk losing at a facility. Though, I’m not exactly sure why. Maybe they thought you’d be more likely to succeed outside of one. If that’s the case, we’re being watched much closer than I’d originally planned for.”

It meant a team would be reporting our location. Our every movement would be under strict surveillance. The confidence in our escape would be exploited. Eros’s presence suggested a double agent—top-level—so our current location was already compromised.

“Shit,” I muttered.

“Schiesse,” Phillip agreed, jaw clenching in anger. “Then he’s going to be here soon.”

I looked up and nodded, eyeing the windows and front door. For someone like Eros, the barriers wouldn’t take longer than a day or two to infiltrate. If our guess was right, he may already be close to getting through them. “Or he’s already here. May be a better idea to lay a trap to get an advantage.”

“Or orchestrate a distraction,” Phillip mused, retrieving a blood bag and tossing it over to me. “We’ll set the trap, but if it comes to it—”

“I’ll get V out.”

Phillip nodded his thanks, blazing eyes straying over to V. “She’s our top priority.”