Page 77 of Remnants
“O.” Dane frowns. “This isn’t like donating blood where O can be used for other types, is it?”
Kellan snorts. “If he could have, he would already have your gift. He had plenty of opportunities to get your blood when you’d been fighting him.”
Jackson shrugs. “He might not want to be the lab rat.”
We all look to Reid, who also shrugs. “It could be a few things. What Jackson said because he would always choose to have someone else suffer or the fact that his body can only handle five to seven gifts at a time depending on their strength. I doubt he wants to purge one of his current gifts for it. Or he may not trust his blood with the other gifts in there to work right.” He pauses, pondering. “His copies are also mere imitations of the original gift. They aren’t as strong as the original and have their own flaws. There’d be a high risk his gift might not be compatible or work right when synthesized. He would want the original.”
“What happens if he gets the wrong blood type?” I wonder aloud.
“It makes him sick,” Reid supplies. “I saw it once. The scientist got the paperwork mixed up, and when he tried the blood, he immediately retched it back up.”
“That’s a weakness,” Jackson points out, but Reid is unconvinced.
“I’d hardly call a minute or two of him getting sick a weakness. You won’t kill him in that time. Not withhisgift,” he points to Kell.
Jack shrugs. “It’s something.”
“I agree,” Aiden adds. “You’ve listed a few limitations to his gift that we’ll keep note of in case they can be of any use. If we’re ready, let’s get to Harvey. There’s a text waiting for his response.”
Chapter twenty-one
Raegan
Aidenslidesaphonewith a text conversation on the screen across the table that’s pushed up against the bars. Harvey has a small table and chair on the other side where he sits and leans forward to read it. “What does it mean?” Aiden asks after a minute passes and he says nothing.
I eat another spoonful of the soup Aiden had picked up on our way here from the kitchens, apparently having requested it at some point after I’d woken up. I’m fucking grateful for it. By the time we’d walked to where Harvey’s being held, a throbbing headache and body aches hit me all at once as an annoying reminder that I need to get back to bed. I’d shivered one time, and Jackson had stuffed me in his hoodie while Aiden laid his jacket over my lap, tucking me in.
Kellan had insisted on bringing me back to the Loft, but I’d argued I needed to eat my soup anyway.
I have until the bottom of this bowl to listen in before I think he’ll drag me away whether I like it or not.
I’m sitting on Aiden’s right, while Reid is across from me, glaringhard at the phone. I take another look at it, but it’s just a running line of numbers.
Harvey stares at it like it’s a death sentence.
“It’s my new assignment,” he says, fearful. He drops his head into his hands, scrubbing through his blond hair and then dragging them down his face.
“I take it that’s a bad thing?” Kell quips while leaning an arm into the bars a couple feet behind Reid.
“That depends,” Reid answers instead, his eyes finally rising to watch Harvey. “How many of you are there, again? Did I hear fourteen?”
“Ten left,” Harvey replies, still focusing hard on the table.
“And he knows the Guild now knows about you?”
Harvey jerks his head in affirmation.
Reid leans back in his seat, turning his head to Aiden. “There’s a small chance it’s a new assignment. A bigger chance it’s Harvey’s grave.”
“Can someone explain the numbers first? I feel like we’re still twelve steps behind whatever conversation the two of you are having,” Dane says.
Reid looks to Harvey, but when he still looks torn between terror and nausea, he answers instead, “It’s a code. The first six digits are coordinates. Two more for the month. Two for the day. And four for the time.”
“And the last five?” Aiden prompts while eyeing the screen.
This time, Harvey replies, “The last numbers are code for letters, spelling out the name of the assignment. It can be any number ofdigits, depending on the length of the person’s name.”
“So, who is it?” Dane asks.
