Fledgling

Shori and Wright fly to Iosif’s compound, as Iosif plans living arrangements. Once there, they meet some of Iosif’s symbionts who all recognize Shori but whom she cannot remember. Iosif shows Shori around his home and advises her to treat her future symbionts—as she will need more than just Wright—with respect and trust in order to keep the peace. He tells her that Ina saliva contains an addictive chemical that keeps symbionts alive and healthy; once bitten, without it, they die unless another Ina claims them. Shori meets her brother, Stefan, and his symbionts as well. The man whom Shori killed in the cave, Hugh Tang, was one of Stefan’s symbionts. Stefan tells Shori about her three mothers—the Black human woman who donated her DNA (Jessica Margaret Grant) and the two eldermothers who conducted the genetic experiments. Shori asks if these experiments could be the reason why her family was murdered, but Stefan and Iosif reject this idea because the experiments would have benefited all Ina.

Shori is overwhelmed by all the new people and information in the compound. She notices she feels uncomfortable in Stefan’s extended presence, and Iosif tells her that this is why older Ina males and females must live separately; their pheromones can distract each other. Still, Iosif wants Shori and Wright to live with them because he fears for his daughter’s safety. Shori remains unconvinced but agrees to return to Iosif’s community in a week.

On the way home, Wright angrily confronts Shori about his lack of freedom, the “harem” he unwittingly joined, and his jealousy toward future symbionts (84). They have sex and discuss what they learned from Iosif. Over the next week, Shori visits the other people she bit and breaks their connections, convincing them that their encounters were dreams. She visits Theodora, feeds from her, and asks her to join her growing family. Theodora still doesn’t understand her attachment to Shori, but she is lonely and wishes to join. Shori shares what she knows of her own past and memory loss. She plans to return for Theodora in a year when she is more settled, but the latter is impatient and wants to leave immediately. Shori agrees to return for Theodora in two weeks.

When Iosif does not come for Shori and Wright as they agreed, Shori fears the worst. She searches for his hidden compound by scent and eventually finds burnt rubble similar to the ruins of her original home. She smells dead human and Ina flesh, and discovers that her father, brother, and their symbionts have all been murdered. As Shori grieves and continues to search the rubble, she runs into Brook, one of Iosif’s symbionts, and Celia, one of Stefan’s—both of whom she met the previous week. Celia attacks Shori, assuming she is responsible for the fire because she killed Hugh Tang. Shori learns Brook and Celia escaped the fire as they were away visiting relatives. She convinces them that she had nothing to do with the fire. Brook reveals that Iosif owned another house where they could regroup. As they rendezvous with Wright, Shori worries about Brook and Celia as they need an Ina to survive—inadvertently making her responsible for them.

When the group arrives at the second house, Brook and Celia accept Shori’s invitation to join her new family. Brook explains that Ina females have stronger venom than males because the Ina are a matriarchy. Once a male mates with a female, which requires feeding from her, he becomes addicted and is no longer fertile with other females. Shori recognizes that keeping Brook and Celia is beneficial because they know more about Ina life. She tries feeding from Celia, and the experience is uncomfortable for both of them; switching Ina hosts feels unnatural but is necessary for symbiont survival should their original Ina die. After Shori does the same with Brook, she returns to Wright. Suddenly, she hears people outside and smells gasoline.

Shori runs outside and finds human men pouring gasoline all over the house. She stealthily kills one man and takes his gun. Wright, Brook, and Celia run from the house as Shori kills two more men. Wright and Celia take the fallen men’s guns and begin shooting the rest of the men. When they hear police sirens, the men run away, and Shori and her symbionts flee in their cars. After some distance, they stop at a supermarket to buy supplies. Brook suggests that they are only alive because Shori does not have to sleep during the day like other Ina; she was awake to sense danger. Still, Brook seems uncertain as to whether or not Shori will be able to take care of them because of her amnesia. They use Wright’s money to buy clothes and food, while Shori feels frustrated and helpless by her own ignorance and growing responsibility.