Nancy’s gaze turned cool. “You’d be surprised what people in love do when they have a few moments of privacy. And really, it only takes a few moments.”
And suddenly, the fact that we were able to share a bathroom also made sense. Was Nancy hoping that Daemon and I would cave to our wild-monkey lust and bring little Daemon babies into the world?
God, I thought I was going to hurl when she confirmed it.
“After all, we haven’t stopped you from spending a few moments here and there alone, have we?” Her smile officially creeped me out. “And you two are young and so very much in love. I’m sure you’ll make use of your free time sooner or later.”
Sergeant Dasher hadn’t mentioned any of this during his sales pitch about protecting the world against an alien invasion or curing diseases. Then again, there were many sides to Daedalus. He had said that.
Daemon opened his mouth, no doubt to say something I’d kick him for, but I cut him off. “I have a hard time believing you’ve had that many people who just…well, you know.”
“Well, in some cases, the pregnancies were purely accidental. In other instances, we assisted the process.”
Air came into my body but got stuck in my lungs. “Assisted?”
“It’s not what you think.” She laughed; the sound was shrill and nerve-racking. “There have been volunteers over the years, Luxen and hybrids who understand what Daedalus is truly about. In other cases, we did in vitro fertilization.”
The knots moved up my throat like bile, which was a bad thing because my mouth was hanging open. Nothing there to stop it from spewing out.
A muscle in Daemon’s jaw was working overtime, thumping away. “What? Is Daedalus moonlighting as Match.com for Luxen and hybrids?”
Nancy sent him a dry look, and I couldn’t stop the shudder of revulsion. In vitro meant there had to be a female hybrid to carry the baby. No matter what she said, I doubted all of them were willing.
The pupils of Daemon’s eyes had started to glow. “How many of them do you have?”
“Hundreds,” she repeated. “The younger ones are kept here, and as they grow older, they are moved to different locations.”
“How are you controlling them? From what it looked like, you barely had any control over Micah.”
Her lips thinned. “We use trackers that usually keep them where they are supposed to be. However, from time to time, they find ways around them. The ones who aren’t controllable are dealt with.”
“Dealt with?” I whispered, horrified at where my imagination took that.
“The origins are superior in almost every way. They are remarkable, but they can become very dangerous. If they have not assimilated, then they have to be dealt with accordingly.”
My imagination had been dead-on. “Oh my God…”
Daemon slammed his hand down on the table, causing Archer to move forward, hand going to his weapon. “You’re basically creating a race of test-tube babies, and if they’re not acceptable, you kill them?”
“I don’t expect you to understand,” Nancy replied evenly as she stood and moved behind her chair. She gripped the back. “The origins are the perfect species, but like with any race of being or creature, there are…duds. It happens. The positives and potential outweigh the nastier side.”
I shook my head. “What exactly is so positive about this?”
“Many of our origins have grown up and have assimilated into society. We have trained them so that they will reach the height of success. Each of them has been tailored from birth to assume a certain role. They will become doctors of unequaled abilities, researchers who will unlock the unknown, senators and politicians who are able to see the bigger picture and will bring about social change.” She paused and turned toward where Archer stood. “And some will become soldiers of unprecedented talent, joining the ranks of hybrids and humans, creating an army that will be unstoppable.”
Tiny hairs on the back of my neck rose as I slowly twisted in my chair. My eyes met Archer’s. His expression was emotionless. “Are you…?”
“Archer?” Nancy said, smiling.
Taking his hand off the handle of his gun, he reached up to his left eye with two fingers. He made a pinching motion and a colored contact lens popped out, revealing an iris that was shiny like an amethyst jewel.
I sucked in a sharp breath. “Holy crapola…”
Daemon swore under his breath, and now it made sense why it was only Archer who guarded Daemon and me. If he was anything like Micah, he could handle whatever we threw at him.
“Well, aren’t you just a special snowflake,” Daemon murmured.
“That I am.” Archer’s lips quirked into a half grin. “It’s a secret. We wouldn’t want the other officers or soldiers to be uncomfortable around me.”
Which explained why he hadn’t gone all superhuman on Micah and had shot him with a tranq gun instead. A thousand questions rushed to the tip of my tongue, but I was struck silent by the implications of what and who he was.
Daemon folded his arms as he focused on Nancy again. “Interesting reveal and all, but I have a bigger question to ask you.”
She spread her arms wide in a welcoming way. “Go ahead.”
“How do you determine who brings the babies into the world?”
Oh God, my stomach tensed even more, and I bent over, clutching the end of the table.
“It’s simple, actually. Besides the in vitro, we look for Luxen and hybrids like you two.”
Chapter 14
Daemon
We had to get out of there. Sooner, not later. That was all I could think about.