Hybrid Aria by Jessica Hall
Chapter 56

Aria's POV

I tried to fight it, tried to hold my breath, but the wolfsbane burning my flesh had me screamingonly to inhale its toxic gas. Just as I passed out. Reid's voice popped into my head, he sounded weakand in pain.

"Keep fighting, stay alive so we can replace you.” His words giving me comfort as I succumbed to thedarkness.

When I came too, I was strapped to a gurney. I turned my head to the side to see Lily in the cage.She was awake and observing everyone walking around the room. I rolled my head to the other sideto see Wendy strapped down along with David. Amber was missing. I tried to ask Lily where shewas, but my voice was completely gone. I must have breathed in more than I thought. Lily wascovered in burns, the skin on her face all blistered. Her hands blistered, but I was surprised to seeshe was awake.

The only conclusion I could come to was that her wolf kept her alive, I just hoped Amber was stillalive. Wolfsbane was extremely potent, and I am surprised by the amount that has been used on usrepeatedly that we were all still alive. I was immune to death, but the rest of them, they weren't. Iheard Wendy awaken beside me. She looked over at me panicking when she realised we werestrapped to tables like some science experiment. Whatever was coming next, I knew it wasn't goingto be good.

I tried to look around. We were in the same room only the table was gone and, in its place, the threegurneys we were placed on.

"Where's Amber?” asked Wendy. I shook my head, not knowing when Lily spoke.

“They took her,” I looked at Lily, her blue and gold eyes gleaming back at me, but she didn’t lookscared or sad. She looked angry. I wasn't sure if I was looking at Lily or her wolf, it was hard to tellthe difference with her eyes remaining like that. Her voice did sound different though older then thesix-year-old girl she is.

The door opened and in walked Kade. A woman walking in with him. Her red hair tied tightly in abun on top of her head, glasses perched on the end of her nose, she was around my age. Shecarried a small case in her hands and a clipboard.

“Start with the Hybrid,” he said, looking towards me and pointing. She nodded her head and walkedover, standing beside me. I wondered how she could justify doing whatever it was she was about todo, to women and children; did she feel nothing towards us. I couldn't imagine watching a child andother woman being tortured, I wondered how she sleeps at night. Peacefully or restless? Do her sinsweigh heavily on her? She opened the box pulling out two syringes one filled with a green liquid.The other was empty. She jabbed the empty syringe in my arm before drawing blood. Her eyes metmine, and hers quickly darted away guiltily, yes, I knew she didn't have a clear conscience and thather sleep haunted her. I could smell her fear and something else. Guilt.

When she pulled the syringe out, she handed it to Kane before Picking up the syringe with thegreen liquid in it.

"What is that?” I asked my voice croaky, praying to god whatever they were about to give mewouldn't hurt my baby. I don't know why I turned so maternal all of a sudden, but as soon as sheneared my arm panic for my baby kicked in, fear consumed me but not for me but for the babygrowing inside me. I squirmed trying to get free.

"Oh, it's a mutation of your father's blood, I have been saving it waiting to catch another Hybrid, Iwant to see if I can make you shift” Shift? Hybrids couldn't shift, was he insane? I had no doubts hehad a few screws loose. Just as she stabbed it in my arm, Wendy blurted out the one thing I washoping to hide from them.

"Stop, she is pregnant, use me,” The woman looked up concerned, her finger hovering above theplunger that could kill my baby. I was too scared to move in case I accidentally injected myself. Kadewalked over, lifting up my shirt, revealing my bump. He pulled a stethoscope from his pocket andpressed it against the centre of my stomach and listened. I knew what he could hear, the slowthumping of its heartbeat. He looked up, surprised. He nodded at her. “Remove it.” The womanlooked relieved. She pulled it from my arm, and I relaxed. My fear dissipating but only momentarily."Grab a bigger syringe, I want you to inject it into the foetus.” She looked appalled.

“What?”

“You heard what I said, now get a bigger needle.”

“I can't, I won't do that.” I watched as he grew angry, he reached over and grabbed her leaningcompletely over me.

“Either you do it, or I will inject you with it.” She shook her head before he let her go. I startedstruggling against my leather cuffs. Wait leather? This will be a piece of cake. I watched as her handsshakily drew out a bigger needle, she put it in a vial drawing out the green liquid. Her hand shakilymoving towards my stomach. Fucking leather, are they for real, we managed to get out of steelbraces did they really believe wolfsbane would weaken me that much? Just as her hand went to jabme, Wendy started yelling at her to stop pulling against her restraints before coming to the sameconclusion I did. I felt the needle press but not break the skin on my stomach before I moved, thecuff ripping from the chain that held it to the table. I grabbed her hand, her scream echoing off theglass windows.

I sat upright, just as we heard an explosion, the entire building shaking.