[There are no records on file that indicate a catastrophic systems failure should the Host disclose nanites to another. However, security measures would be in effect should the individual then disclose the knowledge of nanites to another, which would be in line with the Atlantian goal of keeping information about their race and their advantages a secret.]

Leta found herself releasing a deep breath that was a mix of relief and panic.

“Leta?” Allister tilted his head, a cautious frown on his face as he took in the range of expressions that had been playing across her face. “Are you well?”

“Yeah, um, I’m fine.” She ran a shaky hand through her hair to calm herself, taking a deep inhale through her nose and blowing it out of her mouth. She was aiming for calm and serene, but her nerves weren’t having any of it.

“Okay, what I am about to tell you can only be talked about in my presence, alright?”

She looked between the two men, who were now both frowning with arms crossed. “What is it?”

“I’m very serious; you cannot, under any circumstances, talk to anyone about what I’m about to say, not even between each other. Once this conversation is over, we never speak of it again, do you understand? If there is even so much of a whisper, the Golden Rule could take effect.”

They were both straight-faced now, their posters tightening from relaxed conversation to ridged alertness. They shared a look that said nothing and spoke volumes at the same time before turning back to her.

Allister replied slowly. “Aye, lass. If it's so secretive, we’ll not breathe a word.”

With a nod of agreement for Atreus, Leta took a deep breath before speaking.

There was no turning back now.

“You guys call our abilities talents and talk about them like it's some sort of magic that we control. But it’s not magic. It’s not a blessing from ancient gods. It’s not a curse or a blessing, for that matter. It’s a result of an ancient technology.”

And so she told them the truth.

She told them about the nanites.

She repeated what Gada had told her of the Atlantian history that first day and the story of how she got her system.

She told them about her abilities and her limitations.

She talked about her ability to absorb inert nanites and how she grew stronger each time. Everything.

By the end of her story, it was an hour or so till midday, and Atreus and Allister had yet to blink. They hadn’t moved since she started speaking, almost as if they were characters in a movie that someone had paused.

The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.

“I’m not sure if the Blessed are after me because of the System or if they think I’m a Queen like you guys did, but they’ve really gone out of their way to try and catch me. And, well, that’s everything.”

Utter silence blanketed the room. The only noise was the slight whine of the machines and the muffled sounds of a sparring match.

It felt like an eternity later when Allister raised one slow finger and asked, “Aliens?”

Leta’s eyes jumped between the two, both hoping for and bracing against their reactions.

“Yes.” She drew the word out a full five seconds, waiting for a response that hadn’t come.

Atreus took a deep breath and let it out on a sigh. His voice dripped with skepticism as he spoke. “Alien tech? That’s what you think?”

“It’s crazy, I know,” Leta said quickly. “It’s absolutely insane. But then again, the Arisen would have been insane and crazy for me just a few days ago. I don’t expect you to believe me, but it is the absolute truth. Look, I don’t care if you don’t believe me. I just need you to know because I’m not a Queen, so I’m not going to have the powers that a Queen would have. You guys are the leaders of the Sect, and you can’t make good decisions if you don’t have all the answers. Just take it into consideration in the future, please?”

Atreus’s nose flared with his exhale, wishing that Judge De Mar was here to taste her words. It was a ludicrous story, but he when presented with a problem, he couldn’t shove something off the table until there was evidence to prove her wrong.

And really, the more evidence they gathered, the more it pointed to her story being true.

The strange powers.

The unspeakably fast healing abilities.

The lack of ability to bolster forces with a wave of her hand.

All of it pointed to something else, but at Queen, wasn’t it.

He shook his head.

Until he had evidence to prove that she was crazy, he couldn’t rule it out.

“For now, we will keep this information between the three of us and will not speak of it again, even among Allister and myself. We have more pressing issues to attend to.”

“I’ll say.” Allister snorted. “The entire city is steps away from martial law after last night. The Costez government isn’t taking responsibility, but all the evidence at the hospital points to them. Greece is on edge, as are their allies. Everyone in the city is going to be looking over their shoulder. All that paranoia and panic is like an engraved invitation for the Blessed. Plus, with Tariq in town, things are going to be tense.”

“Tariq?” Leta asked.

“The name of that Loupgarou you met. Athletic? Dark hair, dark eyes? Pretty boy.” Allister scoffed, “We’ve run into him once or twice. He’s up there in the local Blessed hierarchy. Most Loupgarou you can converse with when they aren’t furry, but they’re average at best regarding prowess. But this Tariq? He’s different. Smart and capable enough to control one of the largest packs in Europe. He’s built differently from the other Loupgarou. After a few years, the beast inside starts to eat away at the person they once will until they’re beasts no matter what skin they are in. But not him. He’s held onto his humanity. He’s got all the ferocity of a berserker with the strategic mind of a master chess player.”

“He’s given us our fair share of black eyes,” Atreus added, his face sullen as if giving the man any compliment physically hurt him. “But by their nature, the Blessed are very territorial, which means getting them to agree to something, or better yet, follow orders, isn’t easy. Tariq has the know-how, but he doesn’t have the manpower by himself. However, without backup, we’re basically on an even playing field now.”

“Tariq mentioned that my existence was bad for his master. Who’s that?”

“Alrich, most likely.” Allister ran a hand over his face as he felt an oncoming headache, the thought of a creature enough to give him a migraine. “He’s a Vampire that came onto the scene somewhere around the French Revolution era. If Alrich has set his sights on you, we’re in deep shit.”