Crap. I wish he hadn’t touched me.
I start walk out while trying to shake off my lingering desire, and then I realize the guy’s attention turns to the door. He knows I’m about to come in, but he shouldn’t. This is room seven. Seven, nine, and fifteen are padded rooms built to withstand the extraordinary hearing of hybrids when we’re on the other side of the glass. He shouldn’t be able to hear.
I decide to test my theory by walking back over to the other side of the room, and Hale’s eyes follow me with curiosity.
“He’s a little twitchy,” I murmur while staring at his bouncing knee, and instantly he stops moving his leg.
A sick feeling overcomes me, and Hale looks at the man.
“He’s not moving at all, Araya,” he mutters as he sizes up the man who is now perfectly still.
I pull out my phone to text Nicholas and Hale. Their pockets buzz in unison, and both of them are wide-eyed as I go to prove my theory to them as I already have to myself.
“I guess I saw something wrong. We do need to get the pesticide crew in here sometime soon though. Those spiders have built new webs in the corners, and I hate going in there with that distracting me.”
His eyes reflexively move over to the corners in front of him, and then they shift in the mirror to view the ones behind him as he catches a glimpse of the spiders I’m referring to. Hale’s lips tighten, and then Nicholas runs his fingers through his hair while fighting his huff of exasperated disbelief that would give us away.
Hale has already told this asshole I can go invincible now, and I’ll have to be even more careful. No one should be able to hear through this much padding. I motion for them to remain quiet as I exit the room, and Hale’s hand takes mine yet again.
“Let’s let a full blood interrogate him since he’s hybrid. It might look bad for one of our own to interrogate him,” he murmurs, and he’s dangerously close to giving us away.
He doesn’t want me to go in there now that the guy is expecting me to go invincible, and now this guy knows I can’t maintain it for very long.
“I’ve interrogated hybrids before, Captain Banner. I’m sure I can be fair in my assessment,” I mumble as I pull free from his grip, and then he pulls me to his body.
“I still don’t like this guy, and I want someone else to interrogate him, given that I’m your superior, I feel within my rights to make such a request.”
My breath becomes a little harsher as I stare into his eyes, and then I look at Nicholas.
“You’re not my superior here. This isn’t United business, and that is my captain who expects me to fully interrogate this witness. Now, let me go, Captain.”
He quickly looks to Nicholas who seems to be torn as to whether or not he should let me proceed. I dash out of the room before he can side with Hale. I pop into the room to see the smug smirk on the guy’s face as I stroll across the floor in front of him.
“I’m Araya Crush, and according to your false listing, you must like the name Ladon. So, Ladon, tell me what you were doing sniffing around our visitor section,” I murmur very casually, and his cuffed hands make no attempt to move.
“I have no interest in telling you anything, Ms. Crush,” he says with his indistinguishable accent.
“That’s a very unique accent, Ladon. Where are you from?”
He smirks lightly while staring directly into my eyes, and Hale’s right. His eyes are different… very different.
“I’m sure you have more important concerns than my birthplace, no?” he smugly retorts.
“Actually, not really. I’ve studied your eyes, and I can tell you’re very new to your change which means you’re far too weak to be a part of this. I’ve also studied your actions which mean you most likely are quite the cowardly lookout. I’m just here to find out what small bits of information you might have heard from the people you worked for - the important people.”
He laughs lightly, and then he reclines back in his steel chair.
“I know you were scared to come in here with me. If I’m so little in your eyes, then why all the trepidation?” he snickers, and now he has given away the fact he can hear through our walls.
“I wasn’t scared. My superiors were a little worried due to the fact you eluded the officers at the bar, but I’m not scared of someone who’s damn good at running away,” I say with a provokingly arrogant air.
His lips tighten because he knows I’m right. I purposely made it clear I was coming in here because I knew he was waiting to see if I was scared. To prove my words to be more than a bluff, I intentionally prick my finger on my uranium tipped knife to show him I’m not invincible - even though I draw my invincibility the second the blood starts to fall.
“Damn it,” I grumble while pulling my finger into my mouth. “I hate it when I do that shit.”
His eyes narrow, and he leans forward to express his insulted emotion.
“You really aren’t afraid, are you?” he muses with an angered tone.
