Garrett crouched down and shot up into the sky, flapping his prosthetic wing in time with his one functional wing. He didn’t get a lot of vertical lift, but he was able to get off the ground under his own power, unlike the last time she’d seen him, when she’d had to lift him up into the air and drop him so he could glide. Once he was aloft, he flapped both wings and climbed higher.
He circled a few times and then landed again. The wing retracted until it looked like he was wearing a large black leather backpack.
“That’s so cool,” Bryn said. “You could wear it all the time, if you wanted.”
“That’s the idea,” Garrett said. “I have something else to show you. Follow me.”
What else could he have to show her? She trusted him but wasn’t sure why he was leading her to the back side of the bleachers. What she saw took her breath away.
“Dad?” Her father stood there, leaning on a cane with some sort of black plastic brace on his right leg. He looked oddly weak, but the smile that lit up his face was exactly the one she remembered. Running to him she threw her arms around him. “I’ve missed you so much.”
He hugged her one-armed and lifted her off her feet. “Bryn,” his voice broke as he said her name.
Tears streamed down Bryn’s face as her dad set her back down. She kept her eyes on his face, not wanting to look at his leg. “I’m so happy to see you.”
He kissed her on the forehead. “I was getting ready to storm the campus if they didn’t let us out to visit you.”
Bryn laughed. Wait a minute. “Us?” Was her mom here, too?
“Hey, baby.” Her mom stepped out of the shadows.
“Get over here,” Bryn said, holding one arm out so they could have a family hug.
Her mom laughed and joined them. “Garrett managed to get us day passes out of Sanctuary. He’s a good friend.”
“Yes, he is.” Bryn stepped back and looked for Garrett who stood off to the side, smiling. “Thank you.”
“You’re welcome. And you don’t have to stay hidden back here. You can go to your room or hang out on the bleachers. Mr. Stanton knows they’re here.”
She had no idea how long her parents would be allowed to stay, and she didn’t think her father would want to make the trek across campus to her room. “I’m good with staying here.”
“There’s an office for the referees over this way,” her mom said. “We can sit in there and have some privacy.”
“Sounds good.” Bryn followed her parents to the small office. Her dad actually moved at close to a normal pace, which made his injury a little less unsettling. Once they were seated in the small office, her mom said, “How’s your senior year shaping up?”
“Seriously?” Bryn laughed. “I’m okay. I’ve been worried sick about you guys. I don’t know why they wouldn’t let you come visit or me go visit you.”
Her dad frowned. “Ferrin kept interrogating all of us, making us drink those stupid potions where you spill your guts and then feel lightheaded afterward. I understand that they’re trying to root out anyone who might want to attack the campus or start a war, but he seems to be going overboard.”
“He does love to exert his power,” Bryn said. “Which is why I can’t believe I’m stuck in this crap-tastic marriage contract with Jaxon. I was sure he’d find a way to outmaneuver mom’s parents.”
“Please tell us that Jaxon is not the complete jackass his father is,” her mom said.
“He’s not. He’s crabby and snotty, but he’s also noble and loyal and he can be kind when he doesn’t have his Blue panties in a bunch.”
“Do you like him?” her dad asked.
“I don’t hate him like I used to. Which may not sound like a lot but I’m trying to look on the bright side. I hope one day we’ll become friends, but that’s probably the best I can expect.”
Her mom and dad exchanged a look and then her dad said, “We could leave. Go back to living the way we did before, alone in the human world.”
“Tempting offer, but I don’t think that would work.”
“We made it work before,” her mom said.
“That’s because you two were running away to be together. You gave up everything for love. I understand that, but I don’t have love, and I probably never will. But I do have flying, and friends, and dreams of becoming a Medic.”
“Is that enough?” her mom asked.
Part of her brain screamed no. “It kind of has to be, since I don’t have a better option.”
“I can’t believe I’m about to say this, but what happened with Zavien?” her dad asked. “He’s the lesser of two evils and he liked you.”
This was going to be awkward. “We dated before I realized he was already promised to someone else…who happened to be one of the leaders of the Rebels.”
“Then I’m guessing she’s dead,” her mom said. “The Directorate wouldn’t let her live after the damage she caused.”
“You’re right. She’s gone,” Bryn said. “And they interrogated him the same way they did you guys…probably worse. He didn’t have a clue what she was up to. It blindsided him just like the rest of us.”
“So Zavien could be an option again,” her dad said.
“Not after what happened between us.” Bryn sighed. “He really let me down. Finding someone else is a nice fantasy. While I don’t have the warm fuzzies for Jaxon, I do respect him.”
“Does he feel the same way about you?” her mom asked. “There have to be other Blues that lost their intended mates. Maybe he could be with someone else.”
“Maybe, but I’d appreciate it if we could change the subject because I prefer to live in denial.”
“Okay,” her dad said. “We just want what’s best for you.”
“Tell me about Sanctuary,” Bryn said.
“It’s coming together,” her dad said. “The remaining hybrids and throwbacks are going out of their way to fly under the radar. Everyone is being painfully polite and respectful to the Directorate and the guards they’ve stationed there to keep tabs on us.”
“I’m amazed at the supplies and building materials that have been donated. It’s not like we’re living in luxury, but they added on to the original Miner’s Hall, turning it into a community center with cots and an industrial-sized kitchen. Everyone is allowed to stay there until enough houses are built. There were dozens of old cabins that we helped fix up and they’ve started new construction which is designed to resemble the existing cabins.”
“So it will be a Stepford town, like Dragon’s Bluff, where all the buildings match?” Bryn asked.
“Pretty much,” her mom said. “So anyone who doesn’t want to live in a semi-rustic-looking log cabin is out of luck. Honestly, I’m just grateful that we have heat, indoor plumbing, and food. We camped in the woods for weeks before they opened the Sanctuary, and I’d hate to live that way for the rest of my life.”
“I still don’t fully trust the Directorate’s motives,” her dad said. “They’re almost being too civil.”
“I think they’re trying to bring everyone back into the fold. The Rebel attack took them completely by surprise. If they make the hybrids and throwbacks feel welcome and semi-respected, then there’s no reason to start another war.”
“We raised a smart girl,” her mom said. “I’m sure that’s why they are doing it.”
“I was stunned to find out that there were other hybrids,” her dad said. “Here I thought we were the lone rebels.”
“You were the only rebels out in the open,” Bryn said. “It’s nice to know that I’m not the only hybrid, but it’s terrifying to see how many other hybrids were sort of insane.”
Her mom nodded. “I never really understood the bloodline tests the Directorate based their decisions on, but now I understand why they’d be cautious.”
“You have to wonder about nature versus nurture,” her dad said. “How many of those hybrids would have been normal if they hadn’t been raised to hate the Directorate?”
His question reminded Bryn of the first time she’d met Jaxon. “Funny, but Jaxon was raised to hate me. After we were forced to spend time together and ended up helping each other, he saw that I wasn’t the evil person his father claimed I was.”
“I can only imagine what Ferrin said about me,” her mom said.
“You don’t want to know. I suggest avoiding him at all costs,” Bryn said. “But I think you’d like his wife Lillith. She’s really nice.”