hoping Charity was wrong.
“Are you disappointed Ari’s not coming?” Charity’s eyebrows drew together and her fair skin paled even more as she studied Hunter.
“Of course not. At least we won’t have to hang around waiting for her to show up.”
Charity blinked at him in surprise. “That was harsh, Hunter,” she said, her voice tinged with a coldness that neither of them were used to.
Hunter shook his head. “I’m sorry Charity. I… don’t know what’s wrong with me.” His voice softened as he met her eyes.
“Well, just for that you get to tell Nev and Livi she isn’t coming. I don’t want to.” Charity sniffed, turning toward the two girls as they bounced into the room.
Nev glanced at her and then at the doorway, confused. “Where’s Ari?” Livi asked.
Hunter sighed, rubbing the back of his neck as he nodded at Charity. “Yes ma’am.”
****
Ari jumped out of Beep and marched toward the plane, watching as the door opened and her current step-father appeared in the doorway, framed by the light behind him. He wasn't a big man, and Ari towered over him in her boots. "Franklin," she said coldly as she climbed the stairs.
"Arianna. It took you long enough." He stepped back and let her through.
She didn't glance at him and didn't respond. Instead, she moved to the middle of the jet and perched on one of the plush leather seats that faced the giant TV screen along one wall. She was greeted by her grandfather’s scowl on the monitor.
"What's the mission?" She didn’t bother to say hello.
"Upstate New York. Troy and his partner were following a lead on the Carules Prodigy and walked into an ambush. They have valuable intel that we don't want to fall into Carules’ hands."
"How do you know they're still alive?" Ari asked.
"We've got eyes on them from the warehouse across from where they're being held."
"Have you sent anyone in yet?"
"No. We're waiting for you." Ari nodded. It was just as well. Fewer people to rescue.
"What kind of intel do they have?" At this Richard hesitated, and Ari sighed, annoyed, as she leaned back into the seat. "Troy knows who I am, doesn't he?"
He didn't immediately answer. "I believe so."
"Then why on earth did you send him into an ambush?" She fought to keep her voice level.
"I didn't know it was an ambush!" He slammed his fist on his desk. Clearly he wasn’t fighting to keep his voice level.
She shook her head in frustration, already knowing the words that would come out of his mouth next. "Arianna, we don't know what he could have told them. You can't leave anyone alive."
"If they have any information, it'll be out already anyway. There's no point in killing everyone there," she argued.
“No one has left the building.” Franklin jumped in, panting like a lap dog waiting for his treat.
Ari sighed. Did these men not live in the same technological age as she did? “Don’t they have cell phones? Or email?”
Richard’s face darkened. He was tired of her questions. It was easy for him to send her in to kill everyone. She'd like to see him do it sometime and see how he handled it.
“Your job isn’t to worry about what they may or may not have done. Your job is to eliminate the threat.”
“My job is to find the Prodigy and kill him to end the war. Everything else you send me to do is just a perk for you. It will be a rescue mission. I'll get them out, but that's it." She folded her arms across her chest, leveling her brown eyes on him, her voice final.
Richard looked over her head and she turned to see Franklin standing behind her, sparks tingling off his fingertips. He didn't bother with spells, instead swinging his hand and catching her cheek with his palm, the sparks on his fingertips scalding near her hairline. She felt the pain as if from a distance, but she welcomed the flames in her blood as they boiled to life, propelling her to her feet. Moving so fast he didn’t even see her until it was too late, she caught his hand when he raised it
“Are you disappointed Ari’s not coming?” Charity’s eyebrows drew together and her fair skin paled even more as she studied Hunter.
“Of course not. At least we won’t have to hang around waiting for her to show up.”
Charity blinked at him in surprise. “That was harsh, Hunter,” she said, her voice tinged with a coldness that neither of them were used to.
Hunter shook his head. “I’m sorry Charity. I… don’t know what’s wrong with me.” His voice softened as he met her eyes.
“Well, just for that you get to tell Nev and Livi she isn’t coming. I don’t want to.” Charity sniffed, turning toward the two girls as they bounced into the room.
Nev glanced at her and then at the doorway, confused. “Where’s Ari?” Livi asked.
Hunter sighed, rubbing the back of his neck as he nodded at Charity. “Yes ma’am.”
****
Ari jumped out of Beep and marched toward the plane, watching as the door opened and her current step-father appeared in the doorway, framed by the light behind him. He wasn't a big man, and Ari towered over him in her boots. "Franklin," she said coldly as she climbed the stairs.
"Arianna. It took you long enough." He stepped back and let her through.
She didn't glance at him and didn't respond. Instead, she moved to the middle of the jet and perched on one of the plush leather seats that faced the giant TV screen along one wall. She was greeted by her grandfather’s scowl on the monitor.
"What's the mission?" She didn’t bother to say hello.
"Upstate New York. Troy and his partner were following a lead on the Carules Prodigy and walked into an ambush. They have valuable intel that we don't want to fall into Carules’ hands."
"How do you know they're still alive?" Ari asked.
"We've got eyes on them from the warehouse across from where they're being held."
"Have you sent anyone in yet?"
"No. We're waiting for you." Ari nodded. It was just as well. Fewer people to rescue.
"What kind of intel do they have?" At this Richard hesitated, and Ari sighed, annoyed, as she leaned back into the seat. "Troy knows who I am, doesn't he?"
He didn't immediately answer. "I believe so."
"Then why on earth did you send him into an ambush?" She fought to keep her voice level.
"I didn't know it was an ambush!" He slammed his fist on his desk. Clearly he wasn’t fighting to keep his voice level.
She shook her head in frustration, already knowing the words that would come out of his mouth next. "Arianna, we don't know what he could have told them. You can't leave anyone alive."
"If they have any information, it'll be out already anyway. There's no point in killing everyone there," she argued.
“No one has left the building.” Franklin jumped in, panting like a lap dog waiting for his treat.
Ari sighed. Did these men not live in the same technological age as she did? “Don’t they have cell phones? Or email?”
Richard’s face darkened. He was tired of her questions. It was easy for him to send her in to kill everyone. She'd like to see him do it sometime and see how he handled it.
“Your job isn’t to worry about what they may or may not have done. Your job is to eliminate the threat.”
“My job is to find the Prodigy and kill him to end the war. Everything else you send me to do is just a perk for you. It will be a rescue mission. I'll get them out, but that's it." She folded her arms across her chest, leveling her brown eyes on him, her voice final.
Richard looked over her head and she turned to see Franklin standing behind her, sparks tingling off his fingertips. He didn't bother with spells, instead swinging his hand and catching her cheek with his palm, the sparks on his fingertips scalding near her hairline. She felt the pain as if from a distance, but she welcomed the flames in her blood as they boiled to life, propelling her to her feet. Moving so fast he didn’t even see her until it was too late, she caught his hand when he raised it
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