Read Online FREED (Angels and Gargoyles Book 2) by Brenda L. Harper - Free Book Online
Authors: Brenda L. Harper
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the gargoyles then?”
Donna turned slightly, her eyes moving to Demetria. “We don’t have time for this debate,” Demetria said, coming to stand in front of Dylan. “We need to move.”
“We’re not going anywhere with you,” Wyatt said.
Demetria didn’t even acknowledge Wyatt. Her gaze stayed steady on Dylan. “We need you,” she said simply. “Luc and Lily are very powerful. But Lily is getting weaker, and that is causing them to lose control over their people. Very soon they will be weak enough for us to attack.”
Dylan’s gaze shot to Wyatt. “What do you mean attack?” she asked, even as she saw the question forming on his tongue.
“I don’t know how much you know,” Demetria said. “But Luc and Lily are the leaders of the legion that turned on the humans. If we can destroy them, we might be able to save the surviving humans and protect them long enough for them to replenish their species.”
“But they have too many Redcoats on their side,” Wyatt said.
“Yes,” Demetria agreed. She continued to study Dylan. “And if they were to get you, Lily would become strong again, and we would never have another chance to attack. The humans would be annihilated.”
“Then what are you waiting for?” Dylan asked.
Silence fell. No one seemed to want to be the one to speak next. Even the gargoyles had turned and were studying everything but Dylan’s little group. The only sound in the cavernous room was Ellie’s quiet sobbing. Sam looked over at Dylan, his gaze making her blush for reasons she wasn’t even ready to consider. There was curiosity in his eyes that made it clear he had been closely following the discussion despite his attempts to calm Ellie. Bobby seemed more interested in something stuck under his fingernails. It was Carver who finally stepped forward, marching past the gargoyles and walking up to Wyatt’s side.
“Isn’t one of you going to tell her?” he asked.
There was no emotion in the question. Not even curiosity. Just a sense of exhaustion.
When no one spoke, Carver moved closer to Dylan. She looked at him, then at Wyatt. Wyatt wouldn’t meet her gaze.
“They need your help,” Carver said, taking Dylan’s hands. It was the first time he had ever touched her in any way. It was odd, the cool wetness of his palms. After coming from a place where touching was uncommon, Dylan found herself a little overwhelmed by his touch. Or maybe it was just because of the touch she had so recently shared with Wyatt.
“Why?” she asked.
Carver shook his head. “I’m not sure about the specifics,” he said. “But you are special. You are a hybrid of an angel and a human. That is what they were making at Genero. The angels were infected by a disease that no longer affects humans. To cure it, they had to create a hybrid, a child that was a mix of both races. That way the child would have the same genetic code as an angel, but the elements of the human that would eradicate the disease.”
Dylan shook her head. All of this was a little above her level of education.
“You are the perfect hybrid,” Donna said. “Most of us did not reach the perfect combination of genetics. Some had too much human in them and did not manifest gifts. Others manifested too many gifts, or were corrupted in some way with too much angel genetic material.”
“Which are you?” Dylan asked.
Donna smiled that sweet smile Dylan remembered from their shared childhood. “I am mostly human with just enough angel to make me a really good friend when you get injured.” She touched Dylan’s arm lightly. “But you…you are—”
“Perfect,” Demetria said.
“They need to use your gifts,” Carver said.
Demetria studied Dylan’s face, that familiar sense of dominance suddenly weighing heavy on Dylan’s shoulders. She stepped back, moved away from Carver’s touch, from Donna’s expectant gaze, from Wyatt’s guarded indifference.
“No,” Dylan said. “I won’t be used.”
“You don’t
Donna turned slightly, her eyes moving to Demetria. “We don’t have time for this debate,” Demetria said, coming to stand in front of Dylan. “We need to move.”
“We’re not going anywhere with you,” Wyatt said.
Demetria didn’t even acknowledge Wyatt. Her gaze stayed steady on Dylan. “We need you,” she said simply. “Luc and Lily are very powerful. But Lily is getting weaker, and that is causing them to lose control over their people. Very soon they will be weak enough for us to attack.”
Dylan’s gaze shot to Wyatt. “What do you mean attack?” she asked, even as she saw the question forming on his tongue.
“I don’t know how much you know,” Demetria said. “But Luc and Lily are the leaders of the legion that turned on the humans. If we can destroy them, we might be able to save the surviving humans and protect them long enough for them to replenish their species.”
“But they have too many Redcoats on their side,” Wyatt said.
“Yes,” Demetria agreed. She continued to study Dylan. “And if they were to get you, Lily would become strong again, and we would never have another chance to attack. The humans would be annihilated.”
“Then what are you waiting for?” Dylan asked.
Silence fell. No one seemed to want to be the one to speak next. Even the gargoyles had turned and were studying everything but Dylan’s little group. The only sound in the cavernous room was Ellie’s quiet sobbing. Sam looked over at Dylan, his gaze making her blush for reasons she wasn’t even ready to consider. There was curiosity in his eyes that made it clear he had been closely following the discussion despite his attempts to calm Ellie. Bobby seemed more interested in something stuck under his fingernails. It was Carver who finally stepped forward, marching past the gargoyles and walking up to Wyatt’s side.
“Isn’t one of you going to tell her?” he asked.
There was no emotion in the question. Not even curiosity. Just a sense of exhaustion.
When no one spoke, Carver moved closer to Dylan. She looked at him, then at Wyatt. Wyatt wouldn’t meet her gaze.
“They need your help,” Carver said, taking Dylan’s hands. It was the first time he had ever touched her in any way. It was odd, the cool wetness of his palms. After coming from a place where touching was uncommon, Dylan found herself a little overwhelmed by his touch. Or maybe it was just because of the touch she had so recently shared with Wyatt.
“Why?” she asked.
Carver shook his head. “I’m not sure about the specifics,” he said. “But you are special. You are a hybrid of an angel and a human. That is what they were making at Genero. The angels were infected by a disease that no longer affects humans. To cure it, they had to create a hybrid, a child that was a mix of both races. That way the child would have the same genetic code as an angel, but the elements of the human that would eradicate the disease.”
Dylan shook her head. All of this was a little above her level of education.
“You are the perfect hybrid,” Donna said. “Most of us did not reach the perfect combination of genetics. Some had too much human in them and did not manifest gifts. Others manifested too many gifts, or were corrupted in some way with too much angel genetic material.”
“Which are you?” Dylan asked.
Donna smiled that sweet smile Dylan remembered from their shared childhood. “I am mostly human with just enough angel to make me a really good friend when you get injured.” She touched Dylan’s arm lightly. “But you…you are—”
“Perfect,” Demetria said.
“They need to use your gifts,” Carver said.
Demetria studied Dylan’s face, that familiar sense of dominance suddenly weighing heavy on Dylan’s shoulders. She stepped back, moved away from Carver’s touch, from Donna’s expectant gaze, from Wyatt’s guarded indifference.
“No,” Dylan said. “I won’t be used.”
“You don’t
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