A Shade of Vampire 31: A Twist of Fates Read Free Page A

possible they’re from Aviary.” Shayla shrugged.
    During the League’s excursion there, everybody’s focus had been on the trees—because they had seen the IBSI loading them onto a cargo ship. Then, of course, the IBSI had gassed the area where the trees grew. But it was possible that there were other types of plants that had also been retrieved from Aviary. Maybe even from a different part of the land. If my speculation was correct, we had to hope that either those plants were in ample supply in Aviary and had not been damaged like the big broad-leaved trees, or that the IBSI had a huge stash that we could eventually find and steal.
    But it was one step at a time for now. We had to fix Grace first before thinking about expanding to anyone else.
    “Well,” I sighed, realizing that there wasn’t an awful lot more I could experiment with on my own. We needed the missing ingredient. It could be any number of things and I wasn’t going to make any headway just standing here staring at the tubes. I put the tubes safely in a drawer before muttering to Shayla, “We’ve got to pray that Ben, Derek and Ibrahim hit a stroke of luck.”

Derek
    I didn’t take Mrs. Thornton’s words lightly, but I was still wondering what we could actually do with the information she was giving us. She had told us that there were people in high places within the IBSI who were not happy with their jobs and what they felt forced to do on a daily basis, while living in constant fear of taking a wrong step and being targeted for assassination—both them and their families.
    If Atticus had murdered his own wife, what mercy would he show to others who weren’t even related to him?
    Ben voiced my thoughts. “I repeat my father’s question,” he said, visibly agitated. “What can we actually do with this information? If you want things to change, you need to help us change them.”
    “It is not my place to name people, especially when nobody has told me outright,” she replied, her grip around her glass tightening. “But I will tell you this: if the League could make a statement, expose the IBSI to the public in such a way that not even the most brainwashed civilians could turn a blind eye, it would give IBSI members who are on the fence a powerful force with whom they could align without fearing for their safety. I’m certain many would jump. Hell, even my husband would’ve swallowed his pride and jumped, if he saw a way out for himself and us. I’m sure of it.” Her voice dropped. “This world needs a new guardian.”
    Ben, Ibrahim and I exchanged glances. It was clear that this was all she was willing to say. I guessed that was understandable. She had just lost her husband and now she was alone in the world with her two daughters.
    “Okay,” I said, clenching my jaw. “I understand. Although any further information you could give us on these potential supporters would be extremely useful, I appreciate your courage in contacting me in the first place—”
    “But there is something that we need you—desperately—to help us with,” Ben cut in, before I could go on to ask the question myself. “Do you know anything about FOEBA?”
    She frowned, then shook her head. If she was unwilling to out the frustrated members of the IBSI to us, she would hardly be willing to spill the beans about FOEBA. Though, from the genuine look of confusion on her face, I believed that she was telling the truth.
    “Do you know Dr. Finnegan?” Ben pressed.
    “Finnegan,” Mrs. Thornton repeated, a spark of recognition flaring in her eyes. “Yes… The name rings a bell. My husband knew her… And—ah, yes—I’m quite sure she even came over for dinner with her family a few years ago.”
    “Do you know where she lives?” Ben asked.
    At this, Mrs. Thornton faltered.
    “Please, Mrs. Thornton,” Ben said, leaning forward, his intensity boring into her. “I have a daughter, about the same age as yours. Unless you can help me find the scientist,