Free Destined for Dreams: Book One by Ginna Moran Page A

Soto nods. “Why yes, anything.” She really does have him wrapped around her finger.
    “I’ve only been submerged in the supernatural world for a few years and I’ve only heard rumors about the Creature Council after I lost my brother to an HPA agent. Can you explain the structure more?”
    I’m glad she asked. I was wondering the same thing.
    “Is that what you really want to know?” the human woman asks. “You’ve been staring at me like I have two heads.”
    I chuckle.
    Jacqueline links her fingers together before meeting the woman’s gaze. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to stare. I just didn’t expect there to be a human on the council—I don’t know if you read my file, but I’ve had some bad luck with them.” If I had eyebrows, I’d raise them.
    The woman presses her lips together. “It’s that kind of attitude that is hindering the supernatural race from melding back into human society.”
    I almost feel bad for Jacqueline. “Forget I asked,” Jacqueline says. “I have no other questions.”
    “Oh, Veronica, you know she didn’t mean anything,” the girl with jet black hair says. She looks at Jacqueline. “How much do you know about the HPA and its board?”
    Jacqueline swallows. “Only that they want to eradicate all supernatural creatures by any means necessary.”
    The girl smiles. “That’s only partially true.” She nods at Veronica. “Veronica was a lead scientist for the HPA and worked on an experiment using DNA from supernatural creatures to create a virus to make humans less susceptible to illness and cancer. Things went wrong when the HPA took extreme measures to capture different creatures and of course people were going to fight back. After an attack on their facility, killing nearly all their scientists, the founder of the HPA put together the board with generous financial sponsors and now spends all their efforts on wiping out all non-human people.”
    Veronica folds her hands on the table. “As Ana mentioned, the HPA was headed in a direction I couldn’t live with. I lost my husband and son to them.”
    Jacqueline covers her mouth. “How awful.”
    “We live and learn,” Veronica says. “I was only able to leave because one of my patients helped me. I was able to find protection here and eventually a spot on the council.”
    “We’ve been around much longer than the board,” Mr. Soto says. “We have no qualms against humanity and you shouldn’t either.”
    A silence falls over the room and I draw into myself. I’ve never heard about half the things they said. They make the HPA sound corrupt and violent, but really, most of the agents and scientists are conditioned to fear supers and follow orders. Being stuck in Jacqueline’s head has given me a different perspective. Maybe I’ll be like Veronica when I get my body back.
    “Yes, Mr. Soto,” Jacqueline says quietly.
    He claps his hands and pushes from the table. “Well then, let’s go ahead and introduce you to everyone you’ll need to know to fit in around here.”
     
     
    NADIA
     
    We’ve been waiting for over an hour and I’m about to give up on Jacqueline when she pushes through the door with her brows knitted together and a frown on her lips. She jogs down the steps, her messy hair bouncing with her sudden movement, and then she fakes a smile.
    “You don’t look very happy,” I say.
    Jacqueline crosses her arms and then looks between Alyssa and me. “I’m so embarrassed. I didn’t know a human was on the council. I wanted to crawl in a hole and die when she practically yelled at me for being surprised.”
    I grimace. “I should’ve warned you.”
    Alyssa grabs both our arms. “Enough talk. We only have a few minutes to get out of here.” She half drags us to the back gate. “We have a few hours to do whatever we want.”
    “Are you sure we won’t get caught?” I ask.
    “Shhh.” Alyssa holds her index finger over her lips.
    Jacqueline steps closer to me and her arm shakes as she