“I want to know what’s going on,” she said. “You know more than you’re letting on. I can tell.”
“I’m afraid I can’t divulge anything to you.”
Layla rolled her eyes. PEAs were implanted into their hosts at birth. As the child grew, the systems became integrated with one another. PEAs were designed to aide their hosts, store memories for them, and make their lives easier. Of course, Layla had never met anyone else who’s PEA was an AI—not that she told anyone about Penny. There was always something at the back of her mind stopping her from revealing her secret, even when she’d been a child.
For Penny to tell her now, when it was of the utmost importance to know her history, that she couldn’t divulge any information, incensed Layla.
“What do you mean you can’t divulge that information to me?” she asked.
“As I said, I am afraid that my programming is strict on this particular issue.”
“You need to tell me why everyone thinks I’m some lost princess!” Layla internally screamed. She was tired of the games.
“I am afraid, dearest, that this is something I cannot tell you,” Penny replied.
Rolling off the chaise lounge, Layla went to stand in front of a mirror. She stared at herself. Her dark, almost violet hair clung to her forehead, plastered with sweat and grime. The golden center of her eyes kindled with anger as she drew in a deep breath and folded her arms across her chest. She wished she could see Penny, not just hear her. The AI had been her one, constant companion her entire life, and she had never even seen her. Of course, at this exact moment, all Layla wanted to do was kick her PEA for being so evasive.
She pointed at herself, knowing Penny could see through her eyes. “Why can’t you tell me?” she asked, jabbing her finger at her reflection. It was silly, she knew, but it was something she’d taken to doing anytime Penny was particularly obstinate.
“I cannot tell you,” Penny repeated.
Layla closed her eyes and huffed. Her breath came out in a hot puff that fogged the mirror momentarily before fading. Clenching her jaw until her lips formed a straight line, she asked, “Can you at least tell me what kind of test that was and why my blood sample swirled with fire?”
“The chiromorph test, first developed by the magical researcher Nathaniel Riverwort, measures the magic present in a being’s blood. The greater the magic, the more reactive the test,” Penny recited in a monotone voice. “Though most commonly used to establish lineage, it is not an exact science and many have cited the test as a way to perpetuate pseudo-science.”
“So it doesn’t actually prove anything?” Layla asked, cutting Penny off. Layla flexed her fingers as she waited for her PEA to reply. Her heart beat rapidly in her chest, making her feel fuzzy headed and nauseous.
“The chiromorph test cannot determine lineage, only magical ability.”
“Ok, but then why did that man think I was the princess? I don’t understand how the results from my test prove anything about my lineage.”
“The Shadowcrest family were known for their magical abilities. When administered, the chiromorph test consistently revealed a fiery explosion for the fae royal family,” Penny recited in that same, emotionless voice.
Her chest tightened. Her breathing became shallow and quick. Panic threatened to overpower her. She ground her teeth, her gums aching. This was insane. All she wanted was to serve drinks, make enough money to live as she saw fit, and maybe, if she was lucky, catch the eye of Felix Astro. He was certainly the stud muffin she’d been hoping would notice her for several months now. Of course, if she were some stupid lost princess, all her dreams would be gone. Poof. Just like that.
“But the test can be wrong, right? Or people outside the Shadowcrest family can generate a reaction like the one my blood had?”
Her thoughts jumbled together almost incoherently. Tendrils grasped at every possibility that crossed her mind that even hinted at the possibility that the test could be wrong. Hot tears welled in her eyes, threatening to spill over.
“While possible, it is highly unlikely.”
Layla released a long, slow breath as she let Penny’ words sink in. If she was the lost princess, it would mean she’d be hunted. It would mean she was the sole survivor of the massacre twenty years prior. It would mean—
A loud clanking noise interrupted her thoughts. She jumped as the house shook. Someone—or something—was trying to break in.
Chapter Five
A cracking sound ruptured the air around her. She clasped her hands over her ears, trying to block out the sound. She fell to her knees, skinning them as she slid across the wooden floor.
“Drak!” she mumbled, patting at the silver blood running down her legs. The small lesions on her skin stung for several seconds before her healing ability initiated and fresh skin formed over the scrape. Sighing in relief, she crept towards the window. Her hand trembled as she pulled back the curtain just enough to peek through.
She stumbled backwards, her heart racing. She tripped over her own feet and fell to the floor. Too afraid to stand, she began frantically scooting across the floor.
“How did he find me?” she asked. Her hands shook as she yanked open the door to the closet-under-the-stairs. She slid into the dark space beyond. She pulled the door shut, leaving a large enough crack that she could peer through it.
She ground her teeth to keep herself from screaming. If he was here, that meant he’d found Bear. Worse, it meant her friend was most likely dead. A dull ache pounded at the back of her head and spread to the center of her forehead. Pinching the bridge of her nose, she attempted to stop the wave of anxiety from drowning her. She needed to think. She needed a plan.
Loud explosions shook the house and she knew he was attempting to break the wards protecting her. Her stomach roiled. This was it. She was done for. She didn’t know how to fight. Sure, she’d gotten into her fair share of tumbles, but she didn’t know how to control her punches. She didn’t know different maneuvers or how to develop a strategy. This man clearly did.
“I know you’re in there,” the man called, his voice taunting. “Come out and this can all be over. I promise I won’t hurt you. I won’t even hurt those gender traitors who rescued you if you give yourself up freely.”
Layla slid farther back into the closet. If Bear and the rest of the FGs were somehow, miraculously, still alive she hoped they didn’t return to the manor house unprepared. She had the sinking feeling that this man would stop at nothing to get what he wanted. Or, at least, what he had been ordered to get.
“Come out, come out, wherever you are, little bird. I promise you’ll be taken care of,” the man called.
Layla sneered. Who did this man think he was? She wasn’t some child, naïve to how the world worked. She had seen more things in her short life than many did in the entirety of their own. She didn’t trust him.
“Don’t be rash,” Penny hissed as Layla stood.
The more the man spoke, the more her fear receded. It was as if a fire were kindling deep inside her. She was tired of people constantly trying to make her fear for the future. She was tired of people telling her who she could and could not be. And, she wasn’t going to let some man scare her into submission. Not anymore.