Hybrids Read online

  Copyright

  Hybrids

  © 2016 Shelly Morgan & Geri Glenn

  All rights reserved.

  Hybrids is a work of fiction.

  Names, characters, businesses, places, events, and incidents are either the products of the author’s imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental.

  This book or any portion thereof may not be reproduced or used in any manner whatsoever without the express written permission of the publisher except for use of brief quotations in a book review.

  Edited and Formatted by Rebel Edit & Design

  Cover Design by Wicked by Design

  Table of Contents

  Title Page

  Copyright Page

  Dedication

  Prologue

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Chapter Ten

  Chapter Eleven

  Chapter Twelve

  Chapter Thirteen

  Chapter Fourteen

  Chapter Fifteen

  Chapter Sixteen

  Epilogue

  Acknowledgments

  About The Authors:

  Dedication

  We’d like to dedicate this book to all our readers.

  When we started our individual writing, we never dreamed to have such dedicated fans. And because of all of you, we were brave enough to delve into a space we had never gone to before.

  This book was so much fun to write and it was a real treat to be able to write side by side. Thank you for believing in us and giving us the courage to not only continue writing our own books, but to co-write a book that is so different than anything we’ve written before.

  We love you all.

  Prologue

  Father Martin

  -

  Nineteen years ago, I unwittingly embarked on what turned out to be the most important mission of my life.

  I had just graduated from the seminary, taking the position of head clergy at a large convent, secluded high in the Rocky Mountains. I’d been there less than three weeks when I’d gone out for a hike and stumbled across a pregnant woman and her lover. They were filthy and bloodied, and the woman was heavy with child. After providing them with the basic necessities of a meal, a shower, and clean clothes, I was shocked to see the pair that stood before me. The woman’s beauty was breathtaking with her blonde hair and skin that glowed with a light I’d never seen in my twenty-seven years on earth. The man was dark and terrifying, but beautiful in his own way, with black eyes and dark hair. His tan skin was covered in tattoos of ancient runes and symbols. They were not human. She was an honest to God angel, and he was her fiercely protective demon lover.

  At first I thought the church was testing me. I mean, come on...an angel and a demon? In love? It was unheard of. It was forbidden. But I learned quickly that it was no test.

  I’m not sure why I didn’t run for my life at that point. The angel had been tossed from heaven, her wings torn right from her back, so there was no question where God stood in this whole scenario. The demon was terrifying, watching and questioning every little move I made, but I couldn’t forsake them. I was a priest, after all, and I believed that every being deserved love and a chance at redemption.

  After getting to know the pair, I quickly decided that I would do everything I could to help them. Watching the giant demon caress the swollen belly of the beautiful angel gave me faith that any evil could be overcome, and a belief that God did indeed work in mysterious ways. I had no doubt that He was the reason I was the one to find the pair in their greatest hour of need.

  I kept it a secret from everyone I knew when I escorted them to an old barn at the back of the convent property. The barn itself was drafty and dusty, but while not a holy place on it’s own, it stood on holy ground. I could only pray the place would mask their position from the underworld, which they informed me was actively hunting them. The barn gave them refuge, and a safe place to give birth to their child. But, when that day came, the demon paced as the angel labored, only to give birth to not one child, but two—a boy and a girl—Cyrus and Joey.

  The twins were only minutes old when the demon soldiers swarmed the barn. The newborn babies were thrust into my arms and I was told to flee. Demons attacked me as I tried to escape, and I fought them off with everything I had in me. I believe that the reason we made it out of that barn alive that day was that God made it so. I believe he fought alongside us and made sure we made it to safety.

  Sadly, the young lovers did not make it, and the demons eventually disappeared. I was left with two very beautiful babies and no idea what any of it meant. I prayed often as I tried to figure out what to do. After introducing my new charges to the nuns of the convent, I started my research, wanting to find out just what the heritage of these babies truly meant.

  I scoured the bible and picked apart the words of every ancient scroll I could find, and it was in one of those scrolls that revealed the truth. Those innocent children were part of a prophecy that was long lost and forgotten, and whether the prophesy was good or evil, remained to be seen. The cryptic passages spoke of a powerful goodness, but a great evil as well. From what I could decipher, the children—both bearing the blood of a full-fledged angel and a powerful demon—could go either way.

  I made a decision that day. Instead of fearing the prophecy or what the beings could potentially become, I took it upon myself to teach them...to train them. They would know of this world and what it held. I would tell them everything I knew about where they came from, and teach them of both heaven and hell. I would educate them as best I could and see to it that they became powerful guardians of this earth, and any dimensions in-between.

  In the years following their birth, the twins were everything I could have ever wanted them to be, and more. Both were strong and kind, quirky and goofy. They were full of love and goodness, empathy and nurturing, but they both had an edge to them, that I knew from experience, was inherited from their father. Some would have been afraid of that edge, but I taught them to embrace it. It was a part of who they were, and who they needed to be to fulfill their destiny. As long as they didn’t let it take over their heart and good intentions, they should never shy away from the power it could bring.

  Living in seclusion made school an issue that could only be solved with homeschooling. The nuns and I did our best to tailor each lesson to fit them, along with what they would need to face during their lives. We also made sure to include the basics, such as science, history, and math. They learned scriptures from ancient books, both good and evil. Joey and Cyrus were incredibly smart, exceeding far beyond the level of most children their age.

  It wasn’t until they turned twelve-years-old that we started their physical training. Mixed martial arts had always been a passion of mine, and I taught them everything I knew—shaping their bodies to be strong, resilient, quick, and unbeatable. I did what I could to help them hone any special skills they got from their parents. Both their mother and father were very powerful beings; able to summon weapons, read minds, and move faster than the human eye could see. We still had much to discover about the gifts the parents had passed down to their children, so I worked to help them use what they learned of themselves.

  At the age of fifteen, I began sending them out on small missions against lower-level demons causing mayhem on earth, trying to gain power. Each mission, I was with them. They did well on their own from the very start. They were able to slay the demons themselves—with little support from me—relying only on each other and
the training I’d provided.

  By the age of seventeen, they were going out on those missions alone. I always worried when they left the convent, but I had faith in their strength and the power of goodness they held deep within. I taught them everything they needed to know, but the rest would have to be up to them.

  Now, at the age of nineteen, I feel confident that they can handle this mission. It will be the most important mission they have been on to date. They will need to submerse themselves with humans their own age by going to college. They must find out what is going on in the town of Jerseyville.

  I’ve gotten word that strange events have been taking place there recently. There have been unexplainable deaths, and lots of them. But, most importantly, there have been sightings of demons in their true form. Bodies of the deceased have been turning up with satanic symbols carved into their bodies. Women are being raped and beheaded, and people—humans—are not acting like themselves. The twins will need to find out everything they can to stop it before it gets even more out of control. I just hope that what I’ve taught them, along with the faith I hold in them, is enough to get them through this—enough to get us all through what may come to pass.

  Chapter One

  Cyrus

  -

  “Come on, Jo, let’s move!” I call out to my twin sister, Joey, through our new house. It’s the first day of our mission and we’re already running late. Not only that, but I’m excited. I’ve never been to an actual school before, and the fact that we get to go to college as a part of this mission is a bonus. I can’t wait to sit in real classes with real students. The goal is to blend in, talk to people, and get information as to what the hell is going on around here.

  This mission is our biggest one yet. Our previous ones in the past were important, but never anything that took us away from the convent for more than a day or two. While other kids our age were growing up in normal homes, living normal lives, me and Jo grew up in a convent with a badass priest who took care of us, trained us to fight, and slay the evil spirits of the world. We’ve trained our entire lives for this.

  Nothing about our upbringing was normal. In fact, we’re not even human. I like to think of us as hybrids because there’s no one else like us, at least as far as we know. Our mother was an angel; a fierce and beautiful protector of the world. Our father was a demon that was second in command of the Devil’s secret police. In everything that we’ve learned at the convent, there has never been a couple quite like them in the history of time. This has left Joey and I with a lot of questions and few answers, but the most important one being...: if our mother was good, and our father was evil, what did that mean for us?

  Nevertheless, they gave us some pretty cool powers. For example, I have the power to conjure any weapon I want with a simple thought, but Joey cannot, so she keeps a full arsenal hidden on her body at all times. She has the ability to control people’s thoughts, but I do not. We each have our own powers, but besides being able to communicate our thoughts, we only have one that we share, and that is our flawless appearance. Whether we got that from our mother or father, we wouldn’t know. We’ve never asked Father Martin, and he’s never discussed it.

  “Yeah, yeah. Don’t get your panties in a wad,” she calls as she steps into the living room. Shaking my head, I hold up two sets of keys; one for our bike, the other for our truck. When we were sixteen, we were sent out to look for a demon that was hiding in an old junk yard. After we slayed him, we came across an old, broken down bike. I took it back to the convent and restored it with the help of Father Martin. Joey had driven me crazy, insisting I show her how to ride it, and she’s been riding ever since.

  We got the truck on a different mission, where a demon was working at a large corporation. We suspected he was trying to work his way up the corporate ladder while bringing in more demons to take control of the company. We stopped him before he could carry it out, and for our hard work we kept the truck he left behind. Father Martin didn’t think there would be any harm in it, so we fixed it up. Now we have two kick-ass rides.

  She looks at each set before snagging the keys to the truck. I assumed she’d take it, but sometimes she surprises me. Smirking, I turn to follow her out of the house. “Don’t want to mess up your hair, Sis?”

  She smiles sweetly, but when I reach her, she jumps on my back and wraps her arm around my neck. Sometimes I forget how strong she is. Chuckling and grunting, I struggle beneath her grip, trying to throw her off.

  “Care to say that again, Bro?”

  Gritting my teeth, I gasp out, “I’m...so-r-ry.”

  Laughing, she tightens her hold. “I’m sorry, I couldn’t hear you. What did you say?”

  With one final struggle, I dislodge her from my back. Taking in a much needed breath, I glare at her. “I said I was fucking sorry, okay? Now can we fucking get this show on the road?”

  “That’s what I thought you said. Let’s go.”

  Shaking my head, I follow her out to the garage. She climbs up into the truck as I fire up the bike, and we head off to start the first part of our mission—College.

  After a quick five-minute drive, we pull into the parking lot of the school’s administration building. I can feel the stares of the other students like laser beams, following us up the sidewalk. I’ve been around humans before, but never so many at one given time.

  I feel a glimmer of excitement take hold at the thought of being here, able to do what I want, when I want. Everywhere I look I see half naked-women, and every fucking one of them are looking at me. I think college is going to be a whole lot of fun.

  I also notice that I’m not the only one being ogled. Every set of male eyes are on Joey, and that I do not like. Her long dark hair and piercing violet eyes are stunning. I mean, she’s my sister, but even I can see that she’s beautiful, and it seems like every fucker with a dick on campus thinks so too. Fuck.

  I know Joey is more than capable of handling herself against these horny fuckers, so I’m not worried. But, I am worried about one of them trying to worm their way into her panties and fucking around with her heart. We’ve spent our lives learning and training. Anytime we did go out, it was on supervised missions, then straight back to the convent. So, to be honest, we’re both still virgins. I intend to rectify that as soon as possible, but I’ll be damned if I let any guy touch my sister. Fuck, thinking about it now makes my fucking blood boil.

  Growling at a group of guys drooling over her, I pull her close while we walk and whisper, “You feel like a fucking zoo exhibit?”

  “I think we’re just going to have to get used to it.”

  I lock eyes with a guy practically panting after her. I glare as I place a kiss on the top of her head, hoping he’ll get the hint that she’s off limits.

  -

  Joey

  -

  Once inside, we take a seat by the door as we wait for the female student in front of us, currently speaking with the receptionist. We did all of our paperwork online to get set up for our classes, but we still need to get our student passes.

  I notice right away that the girl seems off. Her stance is ridged as she glances around the office, never making eye contact with anyone. Strange. Growing up, I’d found that not only could Cyrus and I communicate telepathically, but that I myself have the ability to control people’s thoughts and emotions. Using the nuns as my guinea pigs, I had gradually developed that ability to the point where I am now able to pick through people’s thoughts and find out important bits of information, though that task is much more difficult.

  Closing my eyes, I focus all my energy on her. What are you hiding? What are you scared of?

  Just when I feel like her mind is bending, I get interrupted by the door next to us slamming hard against the wall. I’d been concentrating so hard that the sound has me jumping out of my seat.

  Cyrus reaches out with his hand to catch me, looking at me curiously, but I’m unable to dwell on it for long because the new presence in the room is sc
reaming at me. I can’t make any of it out, but I give up altogether when I look into the blackest pair of eyes I’ve ever seen. The man they belong to is tall, at least six-foot-five, and has a five o’clock shadow on his square jaw. He looks both menacing and gorgeous. If I weren’t what I am, I would probably cower at his size alone, but what really has me captivated is his eyes. When I say they are the blackest eyes I’ve ever seen, I don’t mean that they are so dark that they look black. I mean, they are actually the color black. I’ve never seen eyes like his on a human before. Maybe he’s not human?

  With that thought, I shake myself and force my body to turn away and look at Cy. He must have come to the same conclusion as me because he’s looking at him like he’s a threat, with his shoulders squared and fists clenched.

  What’s wrong? I ask, using my mind to talk to Cy.

  He just gives his head a quick jerk, keeping his eyes narrowed on the man.

  I look back to the gorgeous, scary man in time to see that he’s staring a hole into the back of the girl who is still talking to the receptionist. His eyebrows are drawn down, looking pissed and confused. Immediately, the girl stills and stops speaking. She seems to be even stiffer than she was before the mystery man walked in. Maybe she knows him?

  Before I can think too much about it, she slowly turns around. She looks directly at mystery man, but I don’t see any recognition. Then she turns to look at me, with a look of...relief? I’m not sure. Then she looks to Cy, staring at him for a long moment. I would swear she’s looking at him with longing. That’s strange.

  After what feels like minutes, she shakes her head and walks quickly past the newcomer and out the door.

  “I can help whomever is next.” The receptionist says kindly.

  Tearing his eyes from the door that the girl just left through, Cyrus stands first and reaches out his hand for me in a protective gesture. Sparing one more glance at the mystery man, I see a look of anger on his face before he turns around and storms out of the office. I want to go after him to make sure he’s not following the girl, but I can’t leave. I’ll have to find her later to make sure she’s all right.