Daughter of Zeus ✔

11

Kressick knew if he remained patient, Ada would realize his help was invaluable. She was the type of person to be approached cautiously. She was sensitive about being helpless. After what she'd gone through, Kressick could sympathize with the feeling. However, her abilities made her far from helpless.

Every day, she perfected her skills, learned new talents. He had witnessed some of her power usages while posing as her mother's boyfriend. Lately, Shylar's reports kept him abreast of any changes in Ada's life. The newest development Kressick heard from Shylar was her ability to levitate metal objects.

While observing through her hotel window, he'd watched her place both hands on either side of a metal paper weight. She then emitted an electrical field, causing the paper weight to hover.

Kressick was impressed. After learning of her new trick, he assumed a stoic face in front of Shylar. In truth, Kressick was fascinated with her. If not a bit scared.

No one cares what I do, because they don't know.

Her parallels with Adina were almost too much to bear.

The doorbell signaled Ada's arrival. Kressick smiled and deactivated his wristlet. Updating his contact could wait until later.

"Door open."

The door dissipated, revealing Ada.

"Hello," she said.

She wrung her hands, the only acknowledgment of how she'd ditched him.

"Hello. Please, come inside."

She sat next to him on the couch. They got the formalities out of the way—how are you doing, where are you staying. He could tell Ada detested every minute of it.

When he offered to help with anything she needed, her tense attitude changed instantly. A ghost of a smile lit her face. Big smiles were rare with her, he remembered.

"I can't---it's----I need---"

Kressick stopped her. "I know what you think you need."

"You do?"

"I can't help you with this."

"You just asked what I needed," she said, tone incredulous.

"Yes, but this is different."

"How?"

Please, just end it.

Adina's plea echoed in his mind. Kressick pinched the bridge of his nose, staving off a pain he had carried for decades. He had to tell Ada the truth. He could still save her.

Gently, he informed her, "Hurting Moretz in any way will be impossible for me to assist with." He considered how to carefully word his next statement then settled on being as blunt as possible. "He's my son."

A change lit the room, and the lights around him glowed a bit brighter. Still, Ada sat, appearing relatively calm, if not somewhat stunned at his revelation. He decided it was safe to continue speaking.

"I know you blame him for August's death, but the truth is, he left to keep you safe. Sammies pursued him, as they do with any special citizen, and he had to adopt a new persona."

"Is that what he told you?" she mumbled, her gaze shifting until she stared into the corner of the room.

"It's what happened. When I had a family of my own, a widespread purge of Specials occurred, and I was forced to abandon my loved ones or have us all captured. Your father hated me for a long time, but in his adulthood, I found him again, and he forgave me. Just as, in time, you'll learn to forgive your father. This government drove our family into a cycle of hiding and despair."

Her snort of disbelief discounted Kressick's story, but he went on, undeterred. "I'm sure you have questions about your abilities, and there are negative effects to consider. Our abilities result from electronic stimuli, and the chance of a change in personality is a big possibility."

"Our abilities?"

He went on. "After manifestation, each descendent in our family may undergo not only physical changes, but actions and thoughts change as well. Men submit to dramatic transformations, but women are also impacted." She sat, waiting, so he went on: "Knowing this, I built a sort of dam in yoru mind when you were 12. After what other women in our family had done," he left Adina's name out of the explanation, "I was afraid of your potential to do harm."

After his speech, she said nothing. He noticed the cresting blue hue of her eyes and slowly edged back from her.