Dark Empathy by Archibald Bradford (inspiring books for teens TXT) 📕

didn’t miss the way Rebecca flinched at the oblique reference to her lying lover.

“B-Bethany.” The Lapine blurted.

“What?”

“The old woman kept calling her that: Bethany.”

Miranda nodded with satisfaction.

“And that brings it full circle! Bethany Sinclair. Former owner of a warehouse in Oakridge, now a heap of ash, and supposedly deceased for the last eight years, according to her citizenship papers. Clever bitch was using her real name as an alias.”

Once again she saw the Lapine flinch, and she sighed.

“Alright, I have enough to send up the chain.” Once again the normally gruff woman softened her demeanor for the traumatized bunny; “When’s the last time you ate anything kiddo? You’re looking rather peakèd.”

“I’m not hungry.”

The reply was automatic, and immediately belied by a faint gurgle from the Lapine’s knotted stomach.

“I’ll get you something.” Christine offered before turning to head to the hive’s kitchen while Cordelia hugged Rebecca from the side again.

Seeing that the two sisters Lapine’s best interest at heart, Miranda turned to the Hornet queen.

“I need you to get a message to Commander Dawn Morrow at the Bastion, tell her everything we know.”

The Hornet nodded.

“My sweets know every Undine in the city. I’ll have one or more of them here within the hour.”

Miranda ran a hand through her hair as she looked to her grim-faced bond-mates.

“The challenge for us then is finding a way of infiltrating this operation. Without setting off any alarm bells.”

“You could pose as a customer. It is a tool store right?” Jezebel said with one dainty finger on her chin.

Miranda reached out and stroked her damp green hair for a moment before shaking her head.

“No dice baby, she may have been half-blind when we raided her warehouse, but the men with her weren’t, we can’t risk them recognizing me. And given the fact that they used Tenebrae in the past, we can’t trust them not to snatch up any monsters that we send in to poke around.”

Thought they spoke quietly, Rebecca had excellent hearing, and her stomach flipped on itself at what she heard.

“T-Tenebrae?” She gasped; “Car- Bethany created… Tenebrae?”

Miranda winced at their carelessness, having been too distracted to remember how good Lapine hearing was.

She looked to the bunny, but despite the horror in her eyes, she couldn’t bring herself to lie to her.

“Not directly, but I’m afraid so kiddo. This woman is seriously bad news and she keeps even worse company.”

She left out the part involving Evadne and Jonathan, since it was privileged information and would only add to the Lapine’s already troubled mind.

But while Rebecca’s mind was troubled, something else had taken root in it.

Anger.

Genuine rage that beat her other feelings into submission.

Messing with lost-tech was bad enough, but turning a monster girl into Tenebrae was the most despicable thing a human could do.

The fire that had started in her belly quickly spread and her back straightened as she stood from the circular couch to face the operative.

She took a moment to draw her forearm across her face to wipe away the last of her tears before setting her jaw.

“I’ll do it.”

Miranda’s eyes narrowed, but it was Cordelia that responded, having stood when the bunny did.

“Do what?”

“I’ll find out whatever you need to know.”

The brunette’s eyes boggled.

“Absolutely not!”

The senior Aegis operative shook her head in tandem with the baker.

“Miss Rebecca, while we appreciate the offer, I’m not comfortable sending a civilian into-”

“Who else could find out what you need to know?” The bunny demanded.

The people in the hive went silent, surprised at her vehemence.

She drew in a deep breath to steady her nerve before she pressed her point.

“Carol trusts me. Or at least she has no reason not to. I’m just a courier to her.” Her throat closed momentarily when she realized how true the statement was, but she swallowed and quickly continued on; “And besides, if I don’t show up, or just suddenly disappear, then she’ll definitely know that something is up, right?”

“She… has a point.” The Wolfen murmured.

Her bond-mate frowned, but didn’t say anything for a long time, simply staring at Rebecca, measuring her resolve.

“You do understand that if you make one misstep, one mistake, this women or one of her cohorts will very likely kill you?” She said seriously.

“I… I understand that. But someone has to stop her, and if not me, then who?”

Miranda’s answer was as immediate as it was blunt.

“Trained operatives who are fully prepared for the kind of undercover work that you are proposing.”

The bunny’s lip trembled as she yet again felt the sting of rejection from the Aegis, but she raised her chin and set her jaw.

“Are any of them sleeping with your prime suspect?”

The operative opened her mouth to argue, only to close it helplessly.

But Cordelia had been holding her tongue for long enough.

“No way!” She leaned in and shifted forwards a bit, placing herself between Rebecca and the Aegis; “Becks, you can’t be serious, this is way too dangerous! Please, just let them-”

“I know!” The Lapine interrupted her sharply; “I was there when she told her men that if I found out what they were doing she’d kill me!”

“Then why are you doing this?!”

“Because she isn’t going to find out! I’ll play the stupid little bunny, I’ll even fuck her again if I have to! I will do whatever it takes to keep her from hurting anyone else!”

Cordelia released Rebecca’s shoulder, her hands balling into fists as she held them to her chest.

The Lapine’s determination continued to surprise her.

“Arlight, enough.” Miranda said; “If we are going to do this, IF. It isn’t happening tonight. Or even tomorrow.”

“But-”

“But nothing, I can’t authorize something like this alone, I’ll need to contact the council. And you need