I nodded. Kitten did, as well. Neither one of us spoke. It wasn't that I was intimidated by Mia—okay, I was—but because I was awed by her. She was fluid and graceful, lithe, as she moved. What's more, she was lethal in a way I hadn't realized before. Every few seconds, she dropped her hands to her side and fingered the hilt of a blade strapped to her waist.
“You're here at this hour because most A.I.R. agents work at night. Yes, some work during the day, just like cops, because law is needed even in the daylight. But our sun is too strong and too damaging for a lot of otherworlders, so most crimes happen at night. You need to learn to embrace this hour.”
I nodded again, even though a part of me wanted to leave the room. Sure I was fascinated by what she was saying—I hadn't known aliens were sensitive to our sunlight—but I resented being taught this way, as if we needed permission to take our next breath.
Kindness wouldn't have killed her.
“While your regular classes will begin later today, you will first watch videos of alien crimes. You will watch how A.I.R. agents successfully—and at times, unsuccessfully—hunted and fought their targets. Watch closely. Learn.”
“Have you killed?” I asked, finding my voice.
She nodded without hesitation. “Many times.”
“Do you regret it?”
Again, she didn't hesitate. “I don't regret a single action I've taken. It will be best for you if you come to terms with what you must do now rather than later. Emotions will weaken you. They will distract you.” She shoved back the sleeve of her shirt, revealing the length of her arm.
The first thing I noticed was a tattoo of the Grim Reaper's scythe. It stretched across her arm from wrist to elbow, a black talisman. The second thing I noticed was the long, puckered scar that slashed beside it.
“Ooohh,” Kitten breathed.
“Predatory other-worlders,” Mia said, “will not hesitate to kill you. Or your family. Do not hesitate to kill them first.” She dropped the sleeve and lifted a remote from the granite counter behind her, then pressed a button. Images began flashing over the far holoscreen.
Violent images. Bloody images. People fighting creatures I'd never seen before, in ways I'd never seen before. My mouth dropped open. It was a lethal dance of blades and guns and fists. Of teeth and claws and fury.
Of crimson blood, of black blood.
A couple of times I heard Kitten gasp. I glanced over at her, if only to escape the screen for a moment. Her face was pale. She'd been so happy at the prospect of fighting only a few hours earlier. Probably before she realized that death would come of it. Maybe hers.
I wasn't horrified like I probably should have been. Scared, yeah. That, I had in spades. Who wouldn't, with new knowledge of alien powers—mind control, walking through walls, teleporting. Not to mention the guns and knives, claws and teeth.
Like I'd told Ryan, I was willing to do anything to protect my mom from these things. I wanted, finally, to be a girl she could be proud of. I wanted to make up for all the times I'd told her that her job as a waitress was meaningless and that what she did for me wasn't enough. I'd only ever caused havoc and emotional pain to those around me. If I decided to see this A.I.R. thing through, could finally change that. Excitement bubbled inside me at the thought. For once, I could be a hero.
Doubts, though, were excitement crushers. What if I was one of the ones kicked out after the first month? No one but Mia had wanted me in the first place. I mean, really. Should I put all my energy into something that would most likely be taken from me?
I just didn't know.
Suddenly the woman named Siren, the one with the sweet voice, came onto the screen, capturing my full attention. She walked toward a group of other-worlders, humming under her breath as if she hadn't a care. The pale-skinned, pale-haired creatures were smiling as if they were entranced. When she reached them, she went silent, jumped up, higher and faster than I'd ever seen anyone move, and she attacked with a single knife.
They were dead in seconds.
Then Mia's beautiful face came onto the screen. It was night and she stalked toward a giant, muscled man with yellow scales instead of skin. He did not have a nose. Ah, an Ell Rollis, I thought, recalling the description Kitten had given me. The Outer had a little boy by the throat and was squeezing. The boy was flailing.
Mia approached them silently. When she reached them, she raised a knife. It glinted silver in the moonlight. Without a word, she reached around the monster and slit its throat. Just like that. One minute he was alive, the next he wasn't.
Kitten gasped again as the giant tumbled to a bloody heap, releasing the boy along the way. I never got to find out what happened to that little boy because the screen went blank.
Real-life Mia stepped in front of the screen. For a long while, she didn't speak. She regarded us intently, studying. Then, slicing through the silence as deftly as she'd sliced the alien, she said, “Think you can handle this life?”
Could I?
Kitten gave an uncertain nod.
“Yes,” I said, suddenly knowing it beyond any doubt. I could. The real question was, would A.I.R. let me?
8
We spent two more hours in orientation, going through some tests to determine if we had the smarts to graduate high school early or needed more classes and exactly what level of instruction we'd require. Of course, we weren't told our grade. We had to wait for that.
Afterward, Mia escorted us to our next class. The room was an exact replica of the other—except this one had other girls inside. My nervous system kicked into gear, as if it was the first day of high school all over again. Would they like me? Would they instantly hate me? How long had they been a part of the school?
Would I cause my brain to bleed by asking myself too many questions?
“Everyone, I need your attention. I'd like you to meet Kitten.” Mia urged Kitten forward with an insistent push. “And this is Phoenix.” She shoved me forward, as well.
I stumbled to a stop and gave a little wave. “Hey.”
“Hey,” I heard from several of them. Some of my nervousness eased. Obviously they didn't plan to ignore me.
“This is Alien Anatomy 101,” Mia said. “Mishka Le'Ace will be your instructor. Everyone calls her Le'Ace.”
I didn't mean to, but I yawned. I was not used to lack of sleep.
Mia's eyes narrowed on me. “Am I boring you, Miss Germaine?”
My cheeks heated as everyone's attention focused on me. “No.”
“You're boring me,” a clipped voice said.
From the corner of my eye, I saw a woman step forward. I turned and faced her, immediately seeing it was the beauty from yesterday's interview, the one with the most exquisite, perfect features of any human I'd ever seen. Probably in the entire world.