The Reckoning by Kelley Armstrong Read Free Book Online Page B

Davidoff wanted to include werewolves and vampires.”
    “V-vampires?” There were vampires ? I was still getting used to the idea of werewolves.
    “The others outvoted him on that point, but he got his way with werewolves. With all of you we were messing with things we knew nothing about, but more so with werewolves.”
    He handed me the bread and pointed at the toaster. “Werewolves and vampires are different from the other supernatural races. They are much, much rarer and we consider them—as they consider themselves—a breed apart. You won’t find a single werewolf or vampire in our group or the Edison Group. The Cabals won’t hire them. Our special hospitals won’t treat them. I know that sounds like segregation, but it goes both ways. Our doctors don’t know enough about werewolves to treat them. And they aren’t interested in coming to our doctors or working alongside us. We are as alien to them as they are to us. That doesn’t mean there’s anything wrong with them. They’re just better off—and happier—with their own kind.”
    I shook my head. “Derek’s happy where he is.”
    “Derek’s a good kid, Chloe. He always has been. Responsible, mature…Kit used to joke that, some days, he’d rather have a dozen of Derek than one of Simon. But the wolf is coming out now, and he’s struggling with it. I always told Kit…” He exhaled and shook his head. “The point I’m making is that I know Derek seems like a normal kid.”
    Normal? I could have laughed at that. I don’t think anyone ever mistook Derek for a normal kid.
    “But you need to remember that Derek is different. You need to be careful.”
    I was sick of hearing how dangerous Derek was. Different, yes, but no more than a dozen guys I knew from school, guys who stood out, didn’t act like everyone else, followed their own rules. He could be dangerous, with his superhuman strength. But how was he any worse than Tori, with her uncontrollable spells? Tori had a track record of trying to hurt me, but no one except the guys had ever warned me away from her.
    Unlike Tori, Derek was struggling to control his powers. But no one even recognized that. They didn’t see Derek. All they saw was the werewolf.

Nine
    G WEN ARRIVED FOR TRAINING after breakfast, and Margaret was supposed to show up at any moment. Simon and I were in the hall when Gwen popped in, cell phone in hand.
    “Is Tori with you guys?” she asked.
    “I think she’s still in bed,” I said. “She didn’t want breakfast. I’ll go get—”
    “That’s okay. I just got a call from work. Someone called in sick and they need me to mind the gallery. Tell Tori I’ll be back around four.” She started to leave, then stopped and turned to Simon. “Yesterday, when Andrew said I was a witch, you looked surprised. You couldn’t tell?”
    “Uh, no.”
    “Cool. Guess that part of the modification worked.”
    “Huh?”
    She smiled and waved us into the parlor, then she plunked into an oversized armchair, kicked off her shoes, and tucked her stockinged feet under her, obviously in no hurry to get to work.
    “I can tell you’re a sorcerer just by looking at you. It’s a hereditary trait. Sorcerers can recognize witches and vice versa. Andrew said they wanted to get rid of that when they tweaked your genes.”
    “Why?”
    “Political correctness run amok. They say witches and sorcerers developed the trait as a defense mechanism.” She grinned. “Know thy enemy.”
    “Enemy?” I said.
    She looked at Simon. “What have you heard about witches?”
    “Um, not much.”
    “Oh, don’t be polite. You’ve heard we’re inferior spell-casters, right? We hear the same about sorcerers. It’s a silly rivalry, rooted back in the Inquisition. Both races are good spell-casters, with their own specialties. Anyway, Andrew says the Edison Group got the idea that if they could do away with that internal radar, we’d all just get along.”
    She rolled her blue eyes. “Personally, I