As always sorry for the delay. I hope you enjoy this next segment :)


Chapter 6

Alek's POV

I carried Amy into my room, gently laying her on the bed, checking her head for any serious damage. There was a small gash just above her temple, but nothing that would require serious medical attention. Chloe hovered nervously in the corner of the room, trusting me to check her best friend was okay, well as okay as she could be. I then gingerly removed the tiny dart from her arm and stormed back into the living room. Valentina hadn't moved from her seat, but she was now reclined and relaxed, waiting for the onslaught of questions, but not really caring about the answers.

"What the hell was that?!" I hissed, holding the dart inches from her face. Jasmine came to stand beside me, her arms crossed, her face a storm.

"I may have left out the last bit. Although the council needs to consult the archives, they have always been prepared for the possibility of this happening. The compound used in that dart has been passed down for generations and every district council has a supply for the chance that the Daughter of Sekhmet might be found in their area, for the exact reasons I told Amy - she's volatile, untrained and unpredictable. All it does is dulls her powers, until we know what we need to do."

"You drugged her!" I yelled. "Do you know how epically stupid that was? She doesn't trust us, and now she has the perfect evidence to back that up! How do you think she'll be when she wakes up, or do you just plan on drugging her until you decide what to do?"

Valentina rose, and using all the authority, condescension and superiority that only adults can muster, "Yes, that is exactly what I'm going to do if I have to, and you will not interfere." And then she left. We heard the study door slam and the lock click into place, signalling the end of that particular argument.

I slumped down on the couch, feeling drained. Jasmine slowly lowered herself next to me.

"Chloe's never going to agree to this." She said quietly, her voiced pained and sad. "But if mum has decided that's what we're gonna do, we have to." It clearly hurt her to say that, but her submissive nature really pissed me off.

"No we don't." I said, and she winced at the thinly veiled anger in my voice. "I'm not Valentina's minion, I don't have to what she says without question like a mindless drone, and I certainly won't betray Amy's trust like that."

"Since when have you cared about Amy?" Jasmine asked, her voice amused but marred a little by defensiveness. Clearly, I'd struck a nerve. "I think I remember on several occasions you referring to her as 'annoying', 'fickle', 'useless' and I'm pretty certain at one point 'literally the biggest waste of space you'd ever met'."

I winced, knowing perfectly well of the several slurs I had made against Amy, most - if not all - of which had been entirely undeserved.

"Yeah, well I've seen the light. She's deserves better than being some drugged up science experiment, which is exactly what will happen if the council have their way. They'll see her as a project, 'The Daughter of Sekhmet', and forget that she's a person and deserves way more respect than that." I sighed, knowing I wasn't mad at Jasmine, but at the system that although generally good, had some glaring prejudices that we had both been brought up not to question. And before we found out Chloe was the Uniter, well really right up until we'd found Amy in the warehouse, we had both done just that; followed unquestioningly. But I couldn't do that anymore. That inexplicable protectiveness I'd felt over Amy earlier was back, and I knew, no matter how illogical, I was going to do whatever I thought was right to keep her safe. And I knew in my gut that allowing the council to have full reign over her life was not safe for her. She needed to maintain some level of control over her life, or she'd be the lab test of the council until the day of reckoning, whenever and wherever that might be. And I would not let that be her life.

There was a long silence between us, both of us trying to sort through our confused and jumbled thoughts. Eventually Jasmine whispered, "I don't know how we can help her." I looked at her and saw the fear and frustration in her face; she was on my side, on Amy's side.

"We talk to Amy, see what she wants and then go from there." I said.

Amy's POV

I felt like someone had filled my head with rocks, too heavy to move and blindingly painful. I cautiously opened my eyes, attempting to create a slit as small as physically possible to be able to assess where I was and why I felt like I'd had my brain beaten up.

"I wouldn't do that just yet if I were you." Alek's voice drifted from my left. "It'll feel like the worst hangover you've ever had times by… God knows how much, but I'm guessing a hell of a lot. Valentina said the compound was designed to knock out your specific band of demi-god, so we're not entirely sure on what the aftershock'll be like. And before you yell and curse, or pout and glare, I had no idea she would do that." The last part was entirely sincere and just a bit panicked, as if he was genuinely worried that I wouldn't believe him.

I sighed, keeping my eyes closed, but turning my head towards him. "I know, roofies just doesn't seem like your type of move; would damage your ego too much if extreme drugging was required for you to get a girl into bed." I smiled slightly as I spoke. This small pocket of normality, of our pointless banter, was nice even though I knew it would last only these precious few seconds.

He chuckled softly, "Ahh, you know me so well after so little time." There was a short silence, which finally Alek broke, "Amy, I'm gonna be honest with you, not that Valentina will be happy to hear that I have been. Her plan is essentially, keep drugging you until you realise that they wont let you go or until they figure out how much of a threat you are to the Mai. But that's not right; frankly it's just plain creepy. But they're not seeing you as you, they're seeing you as essentially an unstable weapon - it could be useful, but will be disposed of if concluded to be dangerous to the Mai." I flinched at the last part. "Sorry." Alek added awkwardly, noting my reaction.

"Don't be." I said, braving opening my eyes a fraction. It hurt, but not so much more that sitting in the dark of my own head was worth it. I opened them fully, to see Alek's worried and grim face staring back at me. "This was never going to be a happy fluffy rainbows-and-kittens conversation. But Alek, I can't stay here. I'm not a thing and by staying I take away all my leverage. Once I'm outside of the council's control I have something to bargain with."

Alek continued to stare, letting the silence drag out. I couldn't read his expression to see if I had any chance of finding an ally here.

Sighing, he dragged his hands through his hair, "I know. But I honestly don't see any way of this playing out without the council winning. They are ruthless when they feel they need to be, and two teenage Mai, the Uniter and you are not enough to stand a chance against them." He leaned his face into his hands, his elbows resting on his knees. He had a point, but little chance was better than none at all, and I had no other option. We sat in silence, both trying to think desperately of some sort of escape route. Finally, a scenario began playing in my mind.

"I may have an idea." I said.


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