Chapter 431: Walking blood bank.

Alessa suddenly jumped up from her chair like she’d been zapped. She grabbed her head with both hands, swaying slightly. "Whoa, whoa, hold on. My brain is officially melting. Is the room spinning, or is that just me?"

Ignoring Alessa’s dramatic moment, Tori slowly turned her head toward Hunter. Her eyes locked onto his with an intense look that said one thing loud and clear: I know what you are. You’re a hybrid.

Hunter immediately folded his lips into a tight line, staring straight ahead. Great, he thought, feeling a sudden drop in his stomach. My secret’s out. Or almost out. He had hoped to keep his identity hidden forever—or at least until he was ready to reveal everything himself. And this was only if it was necessary to come out. Otherwise, he was taking the secret to his grave.

The Grand Elder cleared his throat softly, raising a calming hand. "I do plan to tell the public if we come across a big number hybrids," he said smoothly. "Should the time come, I want to do it gently. You know... in a way that won’t make normal humans scream, panic, and start hunting them down as if they are beasts."

Holly let out a sharp chuckle. "Right. Very thoughtful. But have you considered the tiny, horrifying possibility that the Somnivores might send their own hybrids over to our side just to wreck the place on the day of the meeting?"

"It’s definitely not impossible," Zyra chimed in, leaning against the table. "And if chaos breaks out, they’ll just turn around and blame it on the humans because hybrids look very human."

A soft, electronic chime sounded in Zyra’s mind.

[Host, if that turns out to be the case, I can do more than just identify them. I can craft special devices for you to detect them instantly.]

Without missing a beat, Zyra looked around the room and announced, "I’ve already created a solution for that so you don’t need to worry yourselves on matters to do with hybrids." She didn’t want Hunter harmed or outed in anyway by these sisters. They seemed like people who had their own agendas, so she didn’t trust them.

Tori narrowed her eyes at Zyra, her curiosity piqued. "You know, I’ve been wondering about you. How on earth did you get this powerful so fast? I’ve seen the videos of you casually controlling king beasts, and you practically brought down Trinity, Julia and Sabrina. What’s your secret?"

Zyra just shrugged, looking completely unfazed. "It’s all in the blood."

Holly smirked. "Oh, right. The famous Scorpion dark blood flowing through your veins."

Before Holly could even finish her sentence, Tori’s elbow flew out and met her sister’s face with a dull thud.

"Ouch! Hey!" Holly yelped, rubbing her cheek.

"You were not supposed to spill that info, you big mouth!" Tori snapped sharply.

"Why are you hitting me?!" Holly complained, glaring back. "It’s practically an open secret! Everyone here knows the Scorpion lineage has dark Somnivore blood in it. How else do you explain her controlling beasts and building an entire alien city without even going through an awakening?"

Derek blinked, looking back and forth between them like he was watching a chaotic tennis match. "Wait... hold on. Are you saying Zyra is a hybrid or something?"

Alessa slammed both hands down on the wooden table, making the glasses rattle. "Who cares?!" she yelled. "I don’t care if Zyra has blue blood, white blood, or neon purple blood! I don’t care if she’s a damn hybrid or a space alien_ she’s one of us, period! If you dare try anything, I will end you right here."

Tori burst out laughing at Alessa’s outburst. "Relax, Alessa. Contrary to the fake news the Johnsons have been spreading, having dark blood is actually a huge advantage among soul maidens. It makes us way stronger. In fact, dark blood is in ridiculously high demand among regular humans because it can be used in some medicinal recipes and slow down aging."

Tori then turned, pointing a finger straight at Zyra. "But... if a soul maiden uses that power for evil, well... you can imagine the nightmare. So be careful out there, Zyra. Right now, you’re basically a walking, talking rejuvenation blood bank. People would pay billions just for a cup of your juice."

Zyra shuddered slightly. "Thanks for the warning."

Hunter loudly cleared his throat, eager to derail the conversation away from hybrids and blood types before someone pointed a finger back at him. "Ahem! Is anyone else wondering how we’re actually going to find this Hollow Cradle? We need to find it because it links to aunt Zena."

"We’ve searched for years and found zero clues," Tori admitted with a sigh. "Not a single lead. But now? A golden opportunity just handed itself to us."

The Grand Elder hummed thoughtfully. "The Somnivore-human meeting."

Tori nodded. "Bingo."

Zyra clicked her tongue, her mind moving at lightning speed as she realized what they were driving at. "Wait. You plan to just straight up ask the Somnivores where the Hollow Cradle is?"

"No," the Grand Elder replied simply. "I plan to ask them if they have Zena."

"And Ava," Zyra added quickly. "And anyone else that is missing."

Holly snorted. "Oh, please. They’re just going to lie to your faces and deny knowing where anyone is."

"Oath sap," Hunter said with a smirk.

At the exact same instant, Achilles blurted out, "Truth-telling water!"

The twins looked between Hunter and Achilles, completely lost. "What?"

Zyra smiled wickedly, clearing up the confusion. "We’re going to spike their drinks at the meeting. One sip, and they won’t be able to hide their real intentions."

Holly clapped her hands together once, her eyes lighting up. "Ooh! Sneaky! Elder Kaelion, please put me on the diplomatic envoy! I want front-row seats to this!"

The Grand Elder shook his head. "Not a chance, Holly. You are like a walking uncontrollable grenade. But... Tori, you are welcome to join if you wish."

"I’ll think about it," Tori replied with a smirk.

With the plan set, the tension in the room eased, and people began to disperse, chatting loudly as they headed for the exit. Zyra waited until the room cleared out a bit, then stepped up to Tori, blocking her path.

"Hey, Tori," Zyra said, leaning in with a curious grin.

"Hold up a second. I’ve got a few questions for you."

"Of course you do." Tori said simply. "I don’t know where your father is, if that is something you plan to ask me. He could be dead or alive but I wouldn’t know because I only care about finding Zena. If you want my opinion, I think he is dead."