Page 111 of Interion

“I suppose this makes Natali the worst mother in the world.”

“She's always been the worst mother in the world. Finding the papers wasn't a surprise at all—I kind of expected something like this from her,” my friend said, shrugging. “It's obvious she never wanted children. She never really cared about us. I mean, sending a Christmas card or a birthday present doesn't make her a real mother.”

The bubble burst and the paper scraps rained down on me. Breno didn't seem to notice.

“Did those papers say who the sperm donor was?”

“Yes, the name listed is Julius Ballard. I searched the nation's identification system, but nothing came up for Julius, so I think he's a foreigner. He must be someone with a high level, since I surpassed my mother's number—she's at 650—and Dominic was born with 640.”

“Probably. Or your genes were also modified to make your level high,” I replied thoughtfully. Genetic technology was something the Drutes used, but it was dangerous and could go wrong. Defective children were incinerated at birth, and there were plenty of them—but I avoided saying that to Breno. “If you didn't find anything in the birth records, maybe you can find something in the army enlistment files, since they recruit people with high levels.”

Breno clicked his tongue and shook his head in frustration.

“I searched for a long time, Kay. Eventually I gave up. I realized that whether I find him or not won't change the fact that Dominic and I don't have a father. The search was more out of curiosity—I really don't care.”

I rubbed my hands over his as I turned the matter over in my mind. There had to be some loophole in this agreement. Knowing Breno as I did, he would never let his brother become a Pillar. Breno was a show-off, a womanizer, and a troublemaker, but he always put Dominic above everything, including his own fate. We'd talked about it at length, and I'd listened to every one of his venting sessions.

After a while, Breno changed the subject and told me his brother was progressing quickly with the blocking gift, which reminded me of the question I'd wanted to ask him back in the auditorium.

“Speaking of Dominic, where is he?”

“Oh, he insisted on coming along to find out my score, but he had to leave early because he had combat class.” He smiled slightly and looked toward the east wing of campus, where the freshmen stayed. “He also asked me to tell you that he prefers your hair braided, but that you're still beautiful with it down.”

I twirled a strand around my finger and pressed my lips together to keep from smiling like an idiot.

“Apparently, the charm with women runs in the blood,” I said, staring at Breno.

“And the bad taste in women too,” he grumbled, looking away. I cleared my throat to change the subject before the awkwardness settled in again.

“My father was also a blocker,” I said, surprised I could speak without feeling my chest tighten.

“Was?” Breno's eyes widened. “High level?”

“Yes, very high. I don't remember the number—back then I didn't know exactly what it meant—but I remember he was respected. I'm not sure if this means anything to you, but he was known as an attack blocker.”

Breno's eyes widened even more.

“Attack blocker?” His hand squeezed mine. “You've got to be kidding me. Attack blockers are legends, Kay! They were the elite of the fae millennia ago.”

“And what's the difference between them and you?” I asked, confused.

“The difference is that they create power fields that can move, expand, and contract at will.” Breno created a barrier around us and moved his hands as if trying to push it, but nothing happened. “See? Mine doesn't move. It's static—it only protects. But an attack barrier? Legend has it they could crush a person by contracting. They could throw people across the room and grind fae bones to dust from the pressure of the walls closing in.”

“And how does someone become an attack blocker?”

“We don't know.” Breno shrugged but went on eagerly. “There's research on it, but no one's reached a definitive conclusion. Some stories say blockers like that are high level, but since there wasn't a sonar to measure back then, no one can confirm anything. Other books claim they're normal blockers who use a type of hand movement that creates patterns, allowing them to control the energy, but no one's discovered those patterns. And there are other theories that say an attack blocker is simply born that way, as if it were a specific gift—a variation of normal blocking. I always believed it was the third option and that this type of blocker went extinct over the years. I'd give anything to talk to your father and ask.”

I looked down at our hands, trying to hide the sadness that had washed over me. I had no idea my father was different in this way. Truth be told, I didn't know anything about him.

“Yeah, I'd give anything to talk to him one last time too.”

Breno stared at me for a few seconds. I didn't meet his gaze—my eyes were watering, and I didn't want him to see this weakness. Then, unexpectedly, he put an arm around me and pulled me against his chest.

“I'm sorry, Kay. It was inconsiderate of me to complain about my family when you lost yours. I'm really sorry about your family and everything they did to you in the forests.”

I wiped my eyes on the sleeve of my sweater and stayed curled up at his side.

“Don't apologize, it's okay. The fact that I don't have a family doesn't invalidate your pain over Natali.”