79
"You're positive they didn't find him?" Hershel's voice was strained with anxiety, and Tolan didn't blame him. He stared at Jaqah as well as they waited for an answer, and the Captain of the Guard sighed.
"I'm sorry. Our forces combed over that entire area, but the only people we found were slave traders. From what we gather, they sold all the slaves prior to our arrival."
Hershel's expression was tight, and Jaqah called out to another guard down the hall. "Tomsi, will you take Hershel to the Ruler directly, so he can question them about what was discovered?"
The guard turned and nodded, and Hershel turned to follow the man down the hall. Jaqah turned her attention back to Tolan who was standing nearby. "Did you need something else, Tol?"
"What exactly happened this morning, Jaq?"
She sighed, pressing a hand to her head as she began walking away. Tolan followed behind as the captain spoke bitterly. "A headache...one that's just been going on the whole day."
"Did Theo really find the slave trade?"
"Oh yeah, he found it all right. No one even knew he had been looking into it...but apparently, he's been following leads for months. The Rulers woke up this morning to a note telling them to be on stand-by because he was going into something dangerous, and you can imagine how they took that. I've never seen a force of guards pulled together so quickly, with dragons to boot."
"Dragons?"
"The Guardian was here, out in the central gardens. Apparently, Theodynn summoned him to the fortress and told him to wait for his signal. We have those other dragons trained on fortress patrol as well, and we packed as many guards onto them as we could. Then we just had to wait."
"Theo summoned them?" Tolan guessed.
"Yep. From what I gather, he allowed himself to get caught and taken into the midst of the trade, and while they were all gloating over his capture, he signaled the Guardian and we made short work of their whole center of operation."
"Smart plan," Tolan mused. Jaqah turned and raised an eyebrow, and the lanky man sighed. "He's an idiot, using himself as bait...but it sounds like it worked."
"It did work," Jaqah agreed. "But then we had the whole cleanup to orchestrate and we had to march all the criminals back to the fortress, prepare enough cells to throw them in, and now I get to figure out the best way to do their trials."
"You're making it sound like taking down the trade wasn't a good thing."
"Of course it was a good thing, but there was no planning!" Jaqah snapped irritably. "If Theodynn would have worked with us, we could have been prepared. We could have positioned the troops closer, organized them better so we didn't leave the Central Fortress so exposed while we were gone, pre-planned for where we would put apprehended criminals. We've never housed this many in the dungeons before...we didn't even have enough bedrolls. They'll be eating mush to boot, because we don't have the supplies to feed them much more than that."
"Not sure they deserve bedrolls or fine meals," Tolan pointed out as he scanned the Captain of the Guard. "Jaqah...are you feeling all right?"
"Ancients, if one more person asks me that..." Jaqah muttered. She seemed pale, and as Tolan saw one of her hands go subconsciously to her middle, he blinked.
"Wait...you're not..."
"I'm fine, Tolan," Jaqah said, turning to glower at him with a look that warned him to stop talking. However, if anything, her vehement response only solidified his suspicion.
"You are, aren't you?"
"Did you come to me to ask something specific about the trade raid, or were you just wanting to interrogate me?" she demanded, moving down the hall again.
"It makes sense, in hindsight," Tolan mused numbly as he followed. "The other guards were talking just last week about how many sick days you've been taking this quarter. How far along?"
"Tolan..."
"It's Ret's, isn't it?"
Jaqah stopped dead, refusing to look at him. Her expression was as stony as ever, but he could see a little fear there as well. Tolan stepped closer.
"Jaq...does he even know?"
"Like I said, I'm free to answer questions about the raid." Her voice was clipped, and Tolan wondered how hard to push her. Seeing how angry she seemed to be, he finally let it drop.
"How are Cole and Keyda handling the news? That Theo went behind their backs?" he asked carefully. Jaqah seemed to relax somewhat at the change of subject, though she rubbed her face with one hand.
"How do you think?" she asked.
"What about Theo? Maybe Hershel should be talking to him about what they found at the trader camp, if he led the whole thing."
"Theo's gone," Jaqah admitted.
"What do you mean?"
"Well..." The captain of the guard glanced around, as if seeing if anyone else was around to overhear. The gesture only made Tolan more concerned, and he stepped closer as Jaqah lowered her voice. "After we all got back to the fortress, he gave up his title and vanished."
Tolan just stared. "What?"
"He said he's not going to Rule. Gave Cole and Keyda his armband and transported to who knows where. He's been gone for hours, and they don't even know whether looking for him would make it better or worse."
"That's insane," Tolan argued. "He just singlehandedly took down the slave trade..."
"I know. I was just as shocked. Keyda wanted to send out a group of guards to look for him, but they're also worried about word getting out that he gave up his title. They're really hoping that he just said it in the moment, and that he's not serious about it."
Tolan sat and processed that, wondering what on earth Theo had been doing in the days since he had last seen him. Obviously, he had gone against Tolan's order to stop investigating the slave trade, leaving Tolan to wonder how on earth Theo had managed to find it when he was rarely even allowed out of the fortress. However, Jaqah's next words put all the pieces into place.
"Personally I think a lot of his breakdown has to do with the fact that his girlfriend turned out to be a trader all along."
Tolan looked up to meet her eye, and Jaqah's expression was grim. "Rook's a trader?" he asked.
"From the looks of it. I guess it was her job to get him out there, and from the slander the other traders have been screaming at her all day, it seems she didn't realize Theo had backup planned."
Tolan was quiet for a minute. When he spoke, he kept his own voice soft. "Did you find the leader of the Slave trade?"
Jaqah shook her head. "Based on what the other traders said—the ones who would talk, at least—the leader's name is Quazier, and no one in our dungeon fits his description.
"What about a short man with an earring? He'd have healing tattoos...and glowing chains around his wrists."
"Um, no. No one with that description. Why?"
"We told you already that Pippa and Raiyn were at the trader camp—Fluff managed to get away, but she said the trade leader and another coward named Imgloss used her to hitch a ride out of harm's way. They must have managed to slip through the cracks if you don't have them."
"I am glad you found Pippa," Jaqah pointed out. "We have parties going out right now, looking for the leader. They don't know to look for the other one with glowing tattoos, but I could send more out."
"That would help. And if you do find them, Jaq...I want to deal with them directly."
Jaqah frowned, no doubt picking up on what he was saying. She finally nodded. "I'll certainly keep you in the loop, Tol."
"Thanks. And if it's not too much to ask, I have one last request," he said. Jaqah raised an eyebrow.
Rook had dozed off, but she came too as she heard a key in the lock of her door. She looked up, her heart pounding as she wondered who it would be. The figure came into the cell, and for the quickest of seconds she thought it could be Theodynn. When they came fully into the room, however, she realized she was wrong.
"What do you want?" she asked bitterly, glowering at the lanky guard. Tolan's expression was as stony as ever as he stared at her. She was sitting on her bedmat with one arm cuffed to a chain.
"I knew you were going to be trouble," he said at last. Rook scoffed.
"Did you come to gloat?" she asked. "Because I'm really not in the mood."
"Who are you?" He didn't sound like he cared very much about what she was in the mood for. Rook supposed she couldn't really blame him.
"Would you believe an innocent party?" she asked, leaning back on the stone wall as she stared at him. He didn't look amused, and she scoffed. "No? Well, it was worth a try."
"You were around Theo for weeks," he pointed out. "Why today?"
"What are you talking about?"
"Don't play dumb. Who are you, and what were you after?"
"So...is this an interrogation, or an execution?" Rook asked tiredly, studying the katanas still positioned on either side of the guard. "Unless you just brought weapons because you're afraid of what a chained-up girl half your size could do to you."
"I suggest you answer my questions," Tolan said in that no-nonsense way he had. Rook scoffed, breaking eye contact.
"I already told the other lady who questioned me: I don't know where Quazier is. If you let me go, I promise I'll hunt him down and put a sword in his middle for you. How he managed to get out of this, while all the rest of us—"
"You think I believe you don't know where he is?"
"I don't care what you believe, sir," Rook said. "Believe whatever you want...I'm telling you I don't know where he is. He was supposed to be in the camp for the hand-off. How he made it out of there without anyone knowing is beyond me."
"The hand-off?" Tolan scoffed. "That's what you're calling it? When you stabbed Theodynn in the back?"
"Stabbed him in the back?" Rook sat up, turning to glower at him again. "Oh yeah, he was a real victim this morning, beating all of us to a pulp while gloating about his perfect plan that sank us all. You can tell that perfect prince that if he wants to come hash it out, then he can do it himself instead of sending his sour-faced—"
"This talk has nothing to do with Theo," Tolan cut in coldly. He hesitated for a moment, and then put a hand on the hilt of his katana. "I honestly don't even know where he is right now."
"Yeah right," Rook sneered. "Like you aren't all having a party up there...a big old feast for finally taking us all down. Well, go on up and enjoy yourselves. You all won. What's the point of you coming down here, if not to rub it in my face?"
Tolan's expression was pensive as he stared at her. "Theo left," he said at last, studying her carefully. "He got back from taking you all down, gave up his title, and vanished."
Rook froze. She looked for any indication that the man across from her was lying, but his expression didn't change. "That's the most idiotic thing I've ever heard," she said at last.
"I need to know who you are, and what exactly you were trying to get out of using him."
"He can't give up his title!" Rook snapped. "That's not even allowed...is it?"
Tolan scoffed. "It's not really up to you," he pointed out dryly.
"He's the only one in you bunch of morons who's going to make any kind of difference!" she said, moving forward. "What? You stripped him of his title because he dared leave his fortress prison? Are you all insane? He won!"
"No one stripped him of his title," Tolan corrected. "Now answer my question...who are you?"
"I'm the girl Quazie sent to put him six feet under," Rook snapped. Tolan's expression clouded, and she laughed without humor. "That's right...you're looking at the Inner Ring's best assassin...and your precious Theo's not alive because I'm bad at my job. He's alive because he's way better than you all give him credit for." Rook moved forward, the chains dragging on the ground of the cell. "When I failed to kill him, they sent me right back to the fortress to patch it all up by saying I was some overbearing lover...but he wasn't having any of it. So I promised him I'd help take down the slave trade...and that finally seemed to get his attention." She kept waiting for Tolan to interrupt, but he didn't. Rook continued, her voice rising. "After that, I was told to just keep him off the scent...and it was supposed to be easy. Do you have any idea what the last few weeks were like, trying to keep him distracted? He found every hole and picked at every lead...made connections that he didn't even realize he was making, not to mention he missed all of the evidence I tried to plant to lead him astray. And then, it was supposed to be so simple—just get him to the camp to meet the buyer, and be done with it. But wouldn't you know, he somehow manages to bring an entire army with him without me even realizing!" Rook was shaking with anger, and she wasn't even sure why. "So yes, I'm the bad guy, all right? The one who's been lying to him from the get go...but he's no saint. The whole time, he was two steps ahead...something I would have never expected from him, considering what people say about him. Considering what even those closest to him seem to believe—"
"What changed between three weeks ago and today?" Tolan cut in, staring her down. "Why not get him to the camp sooner?"
Rook scowled. "The buyer didn't want him, before now. I guess a few days ago, he made a deal that Quazier just couldn't turn down and I was given new orders."
"Who is the buyer?"
"I don't know. Quazier doesn't really let anyone else talk with them. We get the slaves ready for transport, and then we made ourselves scarce. Old Quazie did all the talking...it's him you want, if you need info about who put money in our purses." Rook paused a moment, and then she snorted. "You know, the buyer was supposed to show up at the Ravine today to collect the Prince...but he's probably gone by now. Too bad...you could have intercepted him and figured all our little secrets out, huh?"
Tolan's expression was dark. "Did Theodynn know that?" he demanded.
"Not that I know of, but if I've learned anything today, it's that I don't have any idea what's going on in his mind." Rook leaned back against the stone wall. "What idiot gives up after getting everything they ever wanted?"
The guard didn't answer, seeming to be lost in thought. After a moment, he turned to leave and Rook scoffed softly.
"What? No goodbye?" she asked bitterly. The guard didn't answer as the door shut, and she listened to the key twist. Then, she was left alone once again to pick over everything she had just learned.
"Okay, yes...we'll be in touch." Nya hung up the phone, and Mia looked up from her laptop.
"What did they say?"
"There's already an inquiry," Nya admitted. "Another missing person case that was filed earlier today that they think is connected to Colby and Dani."
"Really? Who?" May asked from her place scrolling on her tablet.
"M Openheimer." Nya took a seat, and Jay raised his eyebrows where he was sitting next to her.
"Amber's friend?"
"Apparently he and Amber were visiting Julien Cyrus in Metallonia for spring break. The Police said that all they know right now is that Amber, M, Julien, and possibly Colby and Dani got together to go camping and never came back. They're currently sending search parties into the Metallonian wilds near where they were last seen."
Mia stared at her mother, and Nya buried her face in her hands. Jay reached out to put a hand on his wife's shoulder. "I already told Borg I was taking the week off. We can catch a train to Metallonia and help in the search."
"I guess this happens all the time," Nya said, her voice breaking. "Tourists go off the path and think they can just explore on their own, not realizing how dangerous Metallonia is..."
"There's no way anything happened to them." Mia stood up. "If they've got Amber with them, then they would be fine. Also, I can in no way see Julien agreeing to go backpacking, camping, or anything outdoors...but if he was with them for whatever reason, then they've got a genius to help them out of whatever they got into."
"I'm sure you're right, kiddo," Jay offered, but his smile didn't look all that convincing. Mia clenched her fists as she turned and stormed out of the room to make more phone calls.
The sniffer howls were close, but Theo ignored them as he sat on the lip of the plateau. The Ravine looked smaller than when he had first come here. There were still tents, though many had been bowled over or torn down in the arrest of the traders and confiscation of anything valuable. The moon was nearly full, casting strange shadows from the crippled village, and Theo studied the area for any signs of life. He hadn't seen anyone since arriving, however. It seemed that they either had managed to catch every last trader, or the ones that went free knew enough to stay away.
A crisp breeze whipped by, and Theo shivered. He was hungry, and it was getting cold, but he didn't know where to go. That was the most crippling feeling of all, he decided. Who could he even go to now? His parents would be in no state to talk to him, after his fight with his father. No doubt they would either chastise him further or try to get him to take back his title. However, he wasn't going to. He had fought for years to prove that he was good enough to Rule someday...but he was wrong. Even now, staring down at the village full of criminals he had managed to take down, all he could think about was the fact that he had found a lot of traders and still saved no slaves.
He shifted on the ledge, wishing he could transport to Ninjago. He realized that more than anything, he wanted to talk with Amber. She would tell him he was an idiot, but she listened to him. However, he didn't want to go there while on probation and get her in even more trouble, or she'd likely be more angry than sympathetic.
The scuff of a foot indicated that someone was behind him, and Theo's hand went to the hilt at his side.
"If you try to attack me, it won't end well for you," he said. Part of him wondered who it was, but mainly he wished they would just go away and leave him alone.
"I'm not here to attack you."
Theo froze, but his hand left his hilt as he turned. Tolan was standing at the entrance to the tunnel, his arms folded as he studied Theodynn. The young man scoffed, turning away.
"Tolan. How'd you find me?"
"Took a lucky guess." The man came over and Theo refused to meet his eye as the guard took a seat. "So...this is it, huh? The thing we were searching for all these years."
"I guess." Theo looked out at the scene as dust blew across the abandoned village. A thought came to mind and he turned to his old bodyguard. "Why aren't you out looking for Pippa?"
Tolan's expression was stony as he kept his eyes on the Ravine. "We found her."
"You did?" Theo blinked. "Is she okay?"
"She showed up at the Western Fortress, banged up but hopefully not too bad." Tolan's fingers were on his hilt, rubbing the leather the way he did when he was thinking about something he didn't like.
"I'm glad she's back," Theo offered, not sure what else to say. "Where was she?"
Tolan exhaled slowly, looking over at Theo at last. "If what she was saying is right...she was right here."
"What?"
"There's a lot we don't know...gaps in her story. But it seems she, Raiyn, and Teag were taken by slave traders."
"Teag?" Theo shook his head. "He's missing too?"
"Pip said he was sold to whoever this mysterious buyer is. Raiyn is still missing." Tolan sighed, turning back to scanning the village. "I can't believe you found this place, Freak."
"I didn't find it. The traders brought me here, and I managed to escape with the help of an army." Theo pulled up his legs so he could rest his chin on his knees. "It was Rook. You were right about her, Tol. Turns out, she was one of them this whole time. I thought we were coming here together to pull the trade down...but really, she was just hoping to cash me in for a nice profit."
Tolan didn't answer for a moment. "You risked everything, coming here on your own."
Theo scoffed bitterly. "Save it. My parents already made it clear—"
"Thank you."
Theo blinked, thinking he heard the man wrong. However, in studying Tolan's expression, he realized that the guard looked pensive. "What?" he finally asked.
"Without you, I don't know what would have happened to Pip. Whether you meant to use yourself as bait or not...you had a back-up plan, and you took the trade down. Yes, it all could have been better planned, with more preparation, and less secrecy...but you did it." Tolan sighed, long and slow. "I know I told you not to look into it anymore, but I guess what I'm trying to say is that I was wrong."
Theo furrowed his brow. Tolan wasn't meeting his eye, and Theo couldn't remember the last time Tolan had admitted being wrong about something. "Are you all right?" he finally asked.
Tolan scoffed. "If you had stopped looking for the center of the trade, who knows when we would have found it. Maybe someday, your parents would have stumbled across it. Maybe some trader would have slipped up and exposed it, years down the road. But at that point, there would have been a lot more victims who would have suffered in the meantime. Your way was risky...but it worked." Tolan's grip tightened on his hilt as his expression darkened. "I guess it's easier to realize that, when it was almost my daughter who would have had to pay that price for waiting any longer."
"I...I didn't ever find Pippa," Theo admitted. "Are you sure she was even here? We scoured this whole place—"
"The coward of a leader used her to escape. He forced her to transport with him and Imgloss, apparently."
"Imgloss?"
"I was surprised too. It seems that after Hershel dealt with him, he slunk down here and got involved in all of this madness." Tolan's knuckles were white. "I'm almost glad he's an Ancient. Gives me the chance to run him through multiple times."
"We sent people out looking for the Trade Leader," Theo realized. "I don't think anyone knows to look for Imgloss."
"I let Jaqah know. I have half a mind to go searching, myself. But I had to find you first."
Theo scoffed, turning away. "You'd be making more use of your time looking for criminals. I know I'm an idiot, but I really can take care of myself, Tol."
"I didn't come find you to protect you, Freak. I came to apologize." Tolan was looking at him at last, his expression hard to read. "If you hadn't shown up here when you did, I don't know what would have happened to Pippa today. I was wrong to treat you like you couldn't handle this."
Theo's eyes filled with tears, and he turned away so Tolan wouldn't see him cry. For a few minutes, they sat silently, with Theo trying to decide whether to talk or transport somewhere else to regain his privacy.
"I gave up my title." The confession slipped out, and Theo continued to stare at the ground as he waited for Tolan's answer.
"I heard about that. You're not really going through with it, are you? Jaqah's keeping it on the down low, but—"
"They might as well let people know." Theo's expression darkened under the tears. "I'm not taking it back."
"Freak...I don't get it. This was a victory..."
"I don't have what it takes, Tolan," Theo cut in as he wiped at his face angrily. "I can't ever be Ruler—I'm too stupid."
"You took down an entire underground criminal ring while keeping the assassin charged to kill you at your own beck and call...and you managed to pull the whole raid off right under her nose. That hardly makes you stupid."
"Assassin?" Theo's expression clouded. "Rook wasn't—" Suddenly, another wave of understanding rolled over him, and he groaned as he buried his face in his hands. "That first night! She really was trying to kill me."
Tolan raised an eyebrow, and the ground rumbled as Theo's face burned with shame.
"This is what I mean!" he said at last, shaking his head miserably. "I don't ever see things the way they are. I constantly read into things wrong...tripping up on what any normal person would see a mile away. A Ruler can't do that, Tol. I don't have what it takes."
"You're just trusting," Tolan offered quietly. "That's not—"
"But I trust all the wrong things. If I took the throne, the whole realm would fall apart within a few years...all because everyone would know I'd believe everything they'd say."
"Then don't believe everything everyone says."
"So trust no one?" Theo scoffed. "That doesn't sound like a good way to run a realm, either. The fact of the matter is that I can try all I want to figure out who's right and who's wrong and who's lying and who's not...but if I know anything about myself by this point, it's that I'll be wrong about whatever I decide."
His guard didn't respond right away. Eventually, he leaned back as he continued to study his charge. "What would you even do, Theo? If you're not going to become Ruler, then what?"
Theo sighed, his expression hardening with resolve. "In a few months, I won't be on probation with Ninjago anymore," he said at last. "I think I'm going to move there, full time."
Tolan didn't seem to be expecting that. "You're just...gonna leave?"
"My grandfather is getting old. With Amber going to university this fall and my parents here in this realm, there's no one there to really check in on him. If I move in, I can be there for him, in his old age." Theo shrugged. "Who knows? If my parents haven't discovered who the slave buyer is by then, I can look into it on that side."
"How would you research the buyer from a different realm?"
"The buyer is from Ninjago." Theo looked up to meet Tolan's eye. "I don't know how, but I'm certain they are. I'm not sure how no one in that realm realized that someone was buying Oni, and I really shudder to think what someone would be doing with them." Theo's expression hardened. "I'll have to talk to Tobias about taking the matter to the council, since I haven't been able to get ahold of Amber. Once they know about it, hopefully they can track down the buyer. Who knows...Amber may insist on doing it herself. She's always been better at defeating villains than I was."
"Again, you took down the slave trade today," Tolan pointed out dryly.
"My parents and their army took down the slave trade. All I did was get hoodwinked into coming here and made a last-minute dragon call."
"It was not last-minute. You had that all ready—"
"What are you trying to do?" Theo demanded, looking over at his guard. "Why do you care, if I won or lost? Why do you care if I'm the Heir anymore? If I'm in Ninjago, you won't have to waste your time keeping me in line. You should be thanking me for facing the truth and giving up my title now, before you waste any more years of your life babysitting me."
Tolan's expression didn't change. "You think I consider guarding you a waste of time?"
"You've only told me it was a million times." Theo pushed himself to his feet, feeling raw inside. "You're not changing my mind, Tolan. I'm not cut out to be the Ruler."
"You could do it, Theo. You—"
"Do what? Push pencils? Fill out paperwork, officiate meetings, and plan festivities?" Theo turned to glare at his guard. "That's not being a real leader, Tolan...that's just being good at busywork. There's no point in me taking the job if I can't do all of it, or other people are going to have to constantly pick up my slack. If I can't measure up, then it's time I bow out and let someone who can do it all take my place."
"Someone like who?" Tolan asked softly.
"I don't know...maybe Myrah will get a promotion." Theo shrugged angrily. "At this point, anyone who doesn't believe everything anyone ever tells them would be a step up."
"Theo..."
"I'm not talking about it anymore." Theo moved to leave, heading back to the tunnels.
"All right," Tolan called. "Then don't talk about it. If you've made up your mind, then it's done. But if you're not coming back to the fortress tonight, at least tell me you're going to go somewhere safe where you'll get a good night's sleep." Theo's steps slowed, and Tolan continued from behind. "I know you can handle yourself, Freak...but your parents are terrified right now. At least let me go back and let them know you're taking care of yourself."
"I'll go back to the fortress," Theo said at last. "But I don't feel like talking anymore tonight." He didn't wait for a response before heading into the blackness of the tunnels, his aura whipping around him for a transport. As angry as he was, and as much as he didn't want to risk running into his parents, his bed was sounding good right now.
Except, he thought darkly as the winds picked up around him. There's one last thing I have to do tonight.
80
Waiting was a part of life, and was often a part of a leader's routine. Waiting for reports, waiting for meetings to begin or end, waiting for results. Generally, Myrah was used to waiting, but tonight she felt ready to pull her hair out as she paced the halls. She had nearly been in a conference with Tala by the time the servants from the West had caught up to her, and she had come back as quickly as she could. By the time she had arrived, Hershel had apparently left to the Central Fortress and Pippa was sleeping. Syn had filled her in on what they knew, but it was hardly enough information to satisfy the Western Leader. She had thought about riding out to join Hershel at the Central Fortress, but she feared missing him on the trip and getting there only to find out he had returned to the West already. So, she was forced to wait.
She turned another corner, the urgency making her hands buzz. Not knowing whether or not Raiyn was safe at the central fortress or still in the hands of criminals made her want to tear the realm apart. Picturing her sweet, big-hearted son at the mercy of brutes and thugs made her heart pound with fear and fury. Seeing the state Pippa had been in did nothing to calm her mind's wildest fears. Feeling like the stone walls were closing in on her, Myrah exhaled shakily and headed for the stables. There was something comforting about being around hoofers, and at least by throwing herself into their care she could try to escape the concern clawing at her from inside.
The sun had set, so she travelled across the Fortress Grounds in the dusk lighting, reaching the stables quickly. She went inside, ready to scrub down her hoofer, but she stopped when she saw who was already there.
"Hershel."
The word was weighted, and her husband turned. He seemed to understand that her greeting was full of questions, and when his expression fell, Myrah felt her chest tighten. A stable boy took the hoofer from Hershel to scrub it down and put it away for him, and Hershel came across the stables to reach Myrah.
"He wasn't there," he said, confirming Myrah's worst fears. For a moment, they just stared at each other, and then Myrah moved past him for her hoofer.
"Then where do we check next?" she demanded, her voice firm with determination even though her hands were shaking. Hershel reached out and grabbed her arm, and she turned to see him staring at her miserably.
"They think he was sold with the rest of the slaves. They did manage to take down most of the traders...but there was no sign of Raiyn or any other victims. According to the traders they captured, they had just sold all of them a few days ago." Hershel swallowed, his expression tightening. "They went and questioned some of the traders while I was there, and they admitted that there was a small child that was sold to the buyer with all the others."
Myrah's fists clenched. "Then we find the buyer," she said. "We can't just sit here and wait."
"They think the buyer is in Ninjago."
"What?"
"The Realm Cole is from. They don't know how they are getting here, or why they would want Oni, but I guess they found enough evidence to point to that conclusion."
"Then we've got to get to Ninjago. There's no time to waste." Myrah urged, but her husband was still hesitating. "Hershel?"
"I want to get there as much as you," he promised miserably. "But there really isn't a way to make the jump. There are few that can transport between realms, and apparently, Ninjago is very particular about who it lets in. Cole promised that they're already making arrangements—"
"Particular? They don't get to steal my son and then be particular about who they let come look for him!" Myrah snapped. "Surely we can find someone who would transport us! Iona could do it, couldn't she? Or Theo..."
"Iona can't leave this realm, as an Ancient," Hershel cut in. "And Theo's gone."
"Gone?"
"He...well, they said he gave up his title and disappeared after taking down the trade."
Myrah stared, her mind spinning. "That doesn't make any sense."
Hershel nodded. "I know. None of this makes any sense."
"So what do we do?" she demanded. "Sit around and wait for Cole and Keyda to figure out where our son is? What if it's too late by the time they—"
"They've sent for Tobias—he's technically the go between for the realms. They're sending him to Ninjago to explain the situation, and then they're going to go to figure out where Raiyn and the others are. They said that we can go with them when they make the jump so we can help in the search."
"Then what do we do in the meantime?" Myrah's tone was harsh, but she regretted it as she watched Hershel's expression crumple.
"I don't know." His voice was soft, and Myrah sagged.
"They're going to be sorry they ever touched our son," she said at last. Hershel didn't answer, but she realized how exhausted he looked. Realizing grudgingly that there was nothing more they could do that night, Myrah reached out to put a hand on Hershel's face. "You look ragged."
"I'm fine."
"No. We need sleep." It wasn't at all what she wanted to do, but as she studied her husband, she knew it was the right choice for the moment. "Get some rest, Hershel. We'll go to the Central Fortress again tomorrow and possibly to the other realm—we'll need our strength."
"Is this all my fault?" The question escaped as Hershel looked up to meet her eye. Myrah blinked, and Hershel's brown eyes held her gaze miserably. "Pippa made it sound like she transported to the trader village on accident...but it could have been Raiyn. It...it had to be Raiyn, transporting to find Teag..."
"Hershel..."
"And Teag was with the traders...so they ended up with the traders..."
"We don't know what happened," Myrah urged, but tears were already falling down Hershel's face.
"Teag was with the traders, Myrah. They found him...and they knew he had powers. Whoever has him now..." His voice broke as he shook his head. "And now they have Raiyn as well. If he's powered, too..."
"We're going to find them," she insisted. She pulled him into an embrace, trying to support him even though her own assurance was crumbling.
"It's my fault." Hershel was shaking, and Myrah shook her head as she held him.
"It's not your fault," she murmured.
"If I had realized about Teag sooner, I could have found him. I could have stopped all of this—"
"He made his own decision to leave, Hershel."
"And it's my fault Raiyn is the way he is." A sob wracked his body. "What will they do to him? To both of them?"
Myrah continued to cling to him, but she couldn't answer him any longer because she knew her own voice would break and give her away.
The shackle wasn't the hard part. The lock on the door wouldn't even technically be the hard part...the hard part was going to be the fact that the hallways were patrolled and she couldn't for the life of her keep track of how often footsteps passed her cell. The doors to the cells were thick and wooden, but the hinges looked old, and she knew that they squealed each time the door opened. There was a small, barred window in the door, but the wooden cover was locked overtop making it impossible to see out and determine where the guards were in the dungeon.
Rook sagged against the stone wall, glowering at the door in the darkness. Part of her wanted to just give up any hope of escape. It was almost easier that way—to sink into despair and wait for the end to find her. However, a stubborn flame burned inside that refused to let her give up until the last possible second.
The assassin was wondering what time it was when she heard the window cover over her door creak open. Rook froze—she hadn't even heard any footsteps approaching. She moved quickly to put her wrist back into its shackle, hoping that they wouldn't be able to tell from the door that the shackle was technically useless now that she had picked the lock. She waited for someone to speak, but there was no sound.
"Who's there?" she finally demanded, an uneasy feeling starting in the pit of her stomach.
"There you are." The voice was soft, but Rook swallowed as she recognized it.
"Theodynn? What are you—"
"Come over to the window."
The young woman remained rooted to her bed mat. She couldn't make him out in the darkness, and something about this felt like a trap. "I'm shackled to the wall," she finally said, wondering if this was some kind of test. She heard the prince scoff softly.
"Then take it off."
"I'm locked to the wall," she repeated.
"I thought you were supposed to be some impressive trader," he responded back coolly. "You're telling me you can't even pick a lock?" She glowered at him in the darkness, waiting for him to leave. However, there was no sound of footsteps, and after another minute he spoke again, his tone patronizing. "Well? Did you manage it, or do I need to go find you a key?"
Rook pulled her wrist out of the shackle, dropping the metal cuff so that it clattered loudly on the stone floor to let him know she got it. "What do you want?" she demanded again, making no move toward the door.
"Come over to the window."
"Why?"
"Do you really think you're in a position to be arguing right now?"
Rook wanted to continue in her defiance, but it was clear that the prince wasn't leaving. She finally pushed herself to her feet, padding over to the window of the door. "I'm here," she pointed out when she reached it, squinting out at Theodynn in the dim hallway lighting. "What do you want?"
"We have to talk."
"About what?" she asked, her tone guarded. Had he come down here to gloat? Or was this some kind of trick to land her worse off than before? "And why are you whispering?"
"Because no one knows I'm down here."
Rook frowned at the confession. "You snuck down here? How?"
"It wasn't that hard. My sister and I learned how to transport in and out of the dungeons long ago, playing cops and robbers and prison escape. The dungeons were basically empty back then, and we had to entertain ourselves somehow, since we were rarely allowed outside."
"You didn't come down here to give me more life story," Rook pointed out, still keeping a few feet back from the window of the door. "What are you really doing here?"
"Like I said, we need to talk. But not here."
"What?"
Rather than answer, purple light illuminated the hallway, and Rook realized he had summoned his aura. She could finally make him out through the metal bars in the door, and she furrowed her brow as she watched him push his non-glowing hand through the bars. "Grab on."
Rook stared at the offered hand. "What are you doing?"
"Come on Rook...don't you trust me?"
The assassin's stomach twisted as she stared at the hand. She couldn't figure out what he was trying to do, but all she could think about was when she had asked him the same question the day before. And then I stabbed him in the back, she thought as she studied the hand cautiously. This is a trap.
"Fine," Theo said as her hesitation stretched longer. "You can wait in here and rot, if you want. Pretty sure your trial is going to be in the morning, and I don't think my parents are going to be that merciful. After all, they know what you are, and what you did."
Rook's heart pounded with fear. In the morning? They were already going to put her on trial? Her mind raced with a million questions and fears. Would the leaders execute her, for what she had done? She reached out at last, grabbing the prince's hand where it was waiting through the bars. She heard him scoff slightly.
"Hold on."
"What are you—"
Her words were cut off as she felt a strong gust of wind, and then there was a flash of light. Moments later, she came to with her hands and knees on the ground, and with her mind swimming, it took her a while to realize she was kneeling on sand, not stone. She blinked rapidly in an effort to clear her vision, and she realized that she was outside, in a landscape washed with moonlight.
Rook looked up in disbelief, but then her stomach rolled painfully. She grabbed her middle with a grimace, fearful that she was suddenly so nauseous.
"Transportation sickness. It'll fade in a minute."
The assassin looked over to see the Prince standing a few feet away, studying her with a lax expression. Her heart pounded. "You transported me?"
"I told you, we couldn't talk in the dungeon." He shrugged before turning to look out on the landscape. Rook followed suit, and it finally occurred to her that they were on the plateau lip overlooking the Ravine. The same place they had fought each other, hours before. She was shaking as she tried to make it to her feet.
"Why did you bring me back here?" she demanded, her voice pinched with fear. Was he planning on killing her himself, after all? Executing her right here, on the very spot she betrayed him? She cursed herself for her stupidity—maybe his parents wouldn't have executed her, so he smuggled her out here in the dead of night to get revenge himself.
"Would you relax? I'm not going to hurt you." Theo's tone and expression was stony as he turned to look at her again. "I'm letting you go."
Rook stared. For a minute, neither of them said anything as her mind tried to make sense of what he said. She finally started laughing bitterly, shaking her head. "Yeah right," she hissed, looking around for guards in the bushes. "You'll shoot me down if I run."
Theo shook his head, though his gaze was still hard. "I'm letting you go, Rook."
"That doesn't make any sense!" she shouted back. "You expect me to believe—"
"I promised I wouldn't let you go to prison...remember?"
Rook's words died in her throat as Theo cut her off. She realized that he looked angry—his stance was stiff, and his fists were clenched, but his tone was even. The assassin swallowed, but she did have a distant memory of him promising her that she wouldn't get locked up.
"You promised to help me take down the trade, and I promised that you wouldn't go to prison. You kept your side of the bargain, whether you intended to or not. I never would have found this place with your 'help.'"
"You can't be serious," Rook muttered as she studied him. "You'd never keep that promise. Why are you—"
"Just because you're a liar doesn't mean I am," Theo's voice gained an edge, and Rook wished she at least had some kind of weapon on her. The Heir continued bitterly. "We had an agreement, remember? I thought the agreement was that we worked together to take down the trade...but now I realize what it really was. I wanted to take down the trade, but you were really just after freedom. So congratulations...looks like we can both get what we want."
"What are you talking about?"
"You wanted to be free from the trade, didn't you?" Theo fired back. "That's what you made it sound like, when we fought here earlier today. That's why you lied to me, manipulated me, and tried to serve me up on a silver platter. So here you go—I'm giving you what you want. The trade is gone, so you're free. You're welcome."
"I don't believe you for a second," Rook said, backing away. There was something off about him, something that still wasn't right. He might look calm, but she could tell that inside, he was raging. It was only so long before he snapped and attacked her. She had lost even when she had been fully armed. She wouldn't stand a chance against him now.
Theodynn scoffed. "Fine. Don't believe me. You can sit here for the rest of your life, looking over your shoulder for the catch, for all I care."
"There's no reason you would do this!"
"We had a deal, didn't we?" Theo's gaze was dark. "Our relationship was just business, after all. You help me, I help you. Well, you helped me, Rook...even if it was against your will. I'm just returning the favor."
"You're just trying to get into my head!" she shouted back. She was trembling, her mind trying desperately to see the angle he was coming from. Somehow, this was his great revenge, but she had to figure it out in time. He was once again two steps ahead, and if she didn't catch up, she knew she was going to pay for it. "You're not letting me go...you people have just been toying with me all day, lying to me to try to get under my skin. Telling me you're letting me go...telling me that you gave up your title. Like you would..."
"You know about that?" Theo's expression wavered, and he turned as he scoffed. "Ancients, word does travel fast."
"You aren't giving up your title!" Rook shouted back. "You can't—"
"I already did."
She stared at him, and then she couldn't help but take a step closer as she accused him. "What about all the things you were going to do? What about the schools you were going to create in the Central Fortress? What about giving orphans a better chance in the world, and—"
"I'm sure my parents will take care of all of that," he said aloofly.
"Those were your plans!" Rook accused. "Why are you giving it all up?" He shrugged apathetically, and the assassin felt ready to strangle him. "You're doing it wrong!" she finally accused, nearly in tears. "You won!"
He looked back at her then, laughing once without humor. "Won?"
"You beat me...you won. You're not supposed to be giving up, or—"
"What exactly did I win?" Theodynn cut in, his tone dark as he studied her. "Are you really so much of a child that you can't tell the difference between a game and reality?" Rook wasn't sure what to say in response, and Theo took a step closer to her. She immediately took a step back, and the prince continued coldly. "Did you think we were just playing chess? That you were on one side, and I was on the other? Maybe it was all just a fruitless game...but we were both lying to ourselves if we thought we were the ones moving the pieces."
"What are you talking about?" Rook demanded though she continued to back away as aura flickered around Theo's fists.
"My whole life I've felt like I've been forced to move one space at a time, you know. Here I was, thinking it was because I was the King...but I was never the King. I was always just a pawn." His eyes flashed angrily. "Evynn's pawn, and Phos's.. then Matilda's, and then the Island's. Even in the times when I wasn't in danger, people were still using me. Province leaders, village leaders...even villagers themselves. None of them ever saw a king. They all only ever saw someone they could manipulate."
Rook's back hit the stone wall behind her, and she was having to decide whether it would be worse to try to escape through the claustrophobic tunnels nearby or stay here with the young man with blazing hands and eyes.
"Even my family—those closest to me. My parents, Tolan...Haiven. They saw me as someone who needed to be controlled or changed. The only person who seemed to think I was a king was you. But that was just a lie—because in the end, I was only a pawn to you, too."
He was still coming closer, and Rook felt rooted to the spot. Her mind screamed at her to try to run, but how was she supposed to outrun him? He had already proven to be able to transport wherever he wanted. He had aura, and other abilities that she didn't know about. He could talk to dragons, break through chains, cause the very ground to shake...there was no escape. Fear caused her to freeze solid, and Theo stopped when he was right in front of her, the aura making his pale skin look gaunter than usual as he glowered at her.
"But the irony is that you were never in control, either. We were both just pawns on opposite ends of the field, stupid enough to think we were the ones calling the plays. You like to pretend that you're in charge, but you haven't been in charge of yourself since you joined the traders. The trade leader—Quazier, or whatever his name is—was the one calling the shots. He's the one in charge, Rook—he's the king, and you're just his stupid pawn."
Rook's fists clenched, and Theo sneered at her as he gestured around them, his voice growing louder and echoing down the nearby tunnels.
"So here we are! Two pawns staring at each other with nowhere else to go. Frozen in place, because there are no more moves for us to make, while the people who are actually in control continue the game without us. So I'm letting you go, because there's no point in you sitting in a jail cell. You're not dangerous...you're just a lackey for the people who actually pose a threat. My parents will find Quazier, I'm sure. Someday, this game will end one way or the other, but our part in it is over."
He was uncomfortably close now, and Rook closed her eyes as she waited to see what he was going to do. Theodynn grabbed her hand roughly, and Rook flinched as he forced something into it. However, then he released her. Rook opened her eyes and realized Theodynn was backing away at last. The aura had faded in his eyes and hands, but the anger was still clear in his expression.
"I don't care where you go, or what you do now. I would advise you to stay away from the Central Province. For one, I can't promise my parents won't lock you up again if they catch wind of you...and for another, I never want to see you again."
Rook just stared at him, but in the next instant, winds whipped around him and he disappeared in a flash of light. Suddenly she was alone on the bluff, trembling in the moonlight as she tried to process what had just happened. In her numb disbelief, she looked down at what he had shoved into her hand. It was a chess piece, and she exhaled shakily as she made out the features of the ebony pawn.
81
Mia stared at her computer screen, wishing she could use it to find answers. But she knew she couldn't really search Where the heck is my brother? In the search bar to figure out where Colby was. Her parents had left early that morning for Metallonia. May had debated whether to go with them, but Mia had refused. Despite what her twin now thought, it wasn't because Mia didn't care about her brother. She just couldn't shake the feeling that searching through the Metallonian wilderness wasn't going to give them any answers.
Mia wiped at her face and finally clicked on her Vistacloud bookmark. Maybe she could put in some kind of announcement to her followers? Let them know that her brother was missing, and crowd-source for a solution?
The website loaded, and Mia blinked as she realized she was still logged into Amber's account, rather than her own. As she stared at the Oni's smiling profile picture, Mia felt a twist of guilt in her gut. Not only had she made the account without Amber's permission, but now that the Oni was missing, it felt more wrong than ever. I should just delete it, Mia realized, though the thought made her twinge with stubbornness. She clicked on the feed so she could scroll through the posts one last time, but she blinked in surprise when the most recent post loaded on the screen.
Metallonia was definitely the right choice for a vacation. So excited to explore such an incredible place with all my closest friends and take a much-needed break from my hectic life!
"What?" Mia mumbled, rereading the post three times. It occurred to her how similar the post was to Dani's—it even seemed to have been made on the same day. But the difference was that Mia was completely positive that Amber had not written this post.
"May!" she shouted. "May, you have to come read this!" There was no answer from the hallway, and Mia turned to face her open door. "I'm serious! This is really weird, and I need you to come look!"
Eventually, her long-haired twin came into the room, scowling at her sister. "I'm packing for Metallonia, which you would be doing too if you cared—"
"I didn't post this!" Mia cut in, moving her chair so that May could see the computer screen better. "It's on Amber's account, but I didn't post it!"
May blinked and came forward, leaning over to read the post. Mia watched her sister's expression as May's eyes went across the words over and over, and the older twin finally huffed. "Well...maybe she decided to take over her own social media presence. Maybe that's why she never called to yell at you."
"But I have all the account information! She would have had to talk to me to get the password and stuff."
"She's with Julien. That boy could crack into websites when he was like ten. It wouldn't be hard for him to get her access."
"So Amber asked Julien to hack into the social media account I set up for her, and she left literally everything the same and just decided to start making her own posts? Does that sound like Amber?" Mia pointed out dryly. May's expression flickered.
"Well...I guess that Amber probably would have picked a different profile picture. She never really liked this picture—she said she hates pictures of her laughing."
"Which is stupid because she looks so charming, but that's beside the point," Mia said. She scrolled down, looking at the other posts. "None of the other posts have been touched at all. Like she didn't even take down the post about going to the dance with Patrick, and all the pictures that the tabloids stole."
"Maybe the tabloids having those pictures didn't bother her as much as we thought it did?" May suggested, but it sounded like she didn't even believe herself.
"Just face the facts, May! Something really strange is going on here!" Mia scrolled back up to the latest post. "And like, try reading this in Amber's voice, would you?"
"What?"
"Like, picture Amber saying this."
May furrowed her brow. "It doesn't really sound like her," she realized.
"Exactly. Now picture me saying this." Mia said. Her twin turned to look at her, and Mia met her eye grimly. "This isn't Amber talking...this is someone mimicking the way I talk. They're mimicking the way all of Amber's other posts sound, but none of those sound like her either. They sound like me, because I'm the one who wrote them."
"But why would someone hack into Amber's social media account and post this? That doesn't make any sense."
Mia stared at the screen, her eyes resting on the picture of Amber laughing. "Maybe they want us to think that they got lost exploring," she realized.
"You're saying that someone is planting false trails?"
"I'm saying that there is no way in heck that Amber and the others got lost in a wilderness situation. The girl can transport, for crying out loud. If something had happened, she should have been able to get them out of it." She turned her swivel chair so she was facing May again. "And you cannot convince me that Julien willingly went backpacking into the Metallonian Wilds. He hates the outdoors. There's no internet, he gets sunburned, he's afraid of bugs..."
"He's not afraid of bugs...he's allergic to bites and stings. He needs to be cautious."
"Running out into the wilderness doesn't sound very cautious though, does it?" Mia demanded. "May...things are not adding up, and if we're going to find our brother, we need to figure out the bigger picture."
May sighed, rubbing her face. "But what if they really did just get lost, Mia? It's not impossible—remember a few years ago when Amber and all her friends got trapped in that cave? She tried to transport them all then and got landed in the hospital. It's not impossible for them to make dumb decisions that they can't poof their way out of. They already have."
"But can you really see our brother doing something dangerous? He still wears kneepads while riding his motorcycle."
"He does not."
"Well...he did up to a few years ago."
May sighed, and Mia watched as the older twin pulled out her phone. She typed into it and held it up to her ear, waiting for it to ring. Mia wasn't sure who she was calling, but she waited to see what her sister would say. After a moment, someone must have answered because May cleared her throat. "Yes, hello. My name is May Walker and I'm calling for more information about my brother Colby, who went to your institution this last week for a tour of some kind?"
"Put it on speaker," Mia hissed. Her sister rolled her eyes but obliged, and a monotone voice came through from the other side.
"Yes, Mr. Valker arrived on Monday and was engaged in various activities vith ze Rushford Institution of Fine Art until Zursday evening. Ve have not seen nor had any correspondence vith him since."
"I'd like to speak with the last known person to have talked with my brother," May said.
"Your brother vas last seen at ze Artisan's Ball on Zursday evening. It is unknown who his last contact vas at ze party, but ze curator spoke to him briefly before he left and Mr. Valker mentioned his intentions to explore Metallonia vith friends before heading back to Ninjago."
"I would like to speak with the curator, then," May said, her hair starting to float from static electricity. "Are you him? Or can you transfer me to him?"
"Mr. Rushford is a busy man, and he has already given a statement to ze Metallonian Police force about everything he knows about ze disappearance of Colby Valker."
"But—"
"Ve here at ze R.I.F.A. are doing everything in our power to assist in ze search and rescue of our newest intern. Rest assured zat no stone is being left unturned."
"I am hardly resting assured," May said flatly. "I want to speak with the curator directly! If he really were doing all he could..."
"We understand zat you are concerned, but ve can hardly give continuous statements to all concerned parties. Ze Police Force is on ze case, and you vill have to put your trust in zeir ability to trace your loved one."
"Excuse me, but—"
"Good day." The man hung up, and May looked up to meet Mia's eye.
"Tell me that wasn't the most suspicious phone call you've ever made," Mia pointed out.
"I mean, I guess I can see his point...but something does feel strange about all of this."
"See! I'm not making it up!"
May didn't answer as her fingers tapped on the phone case. She began typing again, and Mia furrowed her brow.
"Who are you calling now?"
"The MIRI. If Colby and Dani really did get together with Amber and Julien, then they might have more information."
Mia frowned, but she went quiet as the ringing cut off.
"Hallo?"
"Yes, hello," May said. "I was calling to speak with an intern of yours—Julien Cyrus. Is he available?"
"I'm afraid zat no one has seen Julien Cyrus since Friday. He mentioned his intentions to explore Metallonia viz friends who came to visit him, and no von has seen him since."
Mia blinked as she listened to the voice, looking up to meet May's eye. Her twin's expression was grim, and she knew that May had come to the same conclusion she had. The voice sounded exactly the same as the one who had just hung up with them at the RIFA.
"Do you have any idea where exactly he went exploring? It's very urgent."
"Ze M.I.R.I has already given a full statement to the Metallonian Police Force. Ve understand you are concerned, but ve unfortunately have no more information to give zan zat."
Mia was ready to start a real interrogation with the man, but May cut her off.
"I see. Well, thank you for your time." This time, the Walker woman hung up the phone, and Mia scowled.
"Why didn't you press harder? That guy sounded exactly like—"
"I know." May slid her phone into her pocket, pushing herself to her feet. "We aren't going to get anywhere with phone calls, Mia. I'm going to go finish packing, and I suggest you get online and get us some tickets to Metallonia."
"Mom and Dad are already in Metallonia—"
"They're off with the police, scouring the wilderness," May said. "You and I need to go right to the source—to the R.I.F.A. And we aren't leaving until someone talks with us in person and gives us some real answers."
Mia's expression broke out into a smile as she stood as well. "Now that sounds like a plan!" she said. "But what if they refuse to talk with us in person? If they were that guarded on the phone..."
"We aren't going alone," May cut in. "I think we're going to need a little legal support."
Julien woke to the sound of the door closing. He jolted upright, his glasses hanging by one ear as he looked around and tried to orient himself. He had fallen asleep on the work table, and he rubbed his cold cheek ruefully as he turned to see who had caught him dozing. His blood ran cold as he realized that Zerek was the one standing in the doorway, and Julien turned back to the table without saying anything at all.
He had worked on his project for hours—in fact, he had been working on it all day without any breaks other than to visit the cramped bathroom on one side of his private laboratory. It was a strange workspace—on one half, there were tools and tables and shelves with everything he would need to complete a robotics project. On the other, a simple bed was up against the wall next to the small area holding a toilet and sink. The worst part about the area was that there was a one-way mirror along one wall of the laboratory—no doubt so that Zerek could watch Julien's work from the other side. With no way of knowing when the sociopathic android was watching and when he wasn't, the young scientist had forced himself to remain busy. Up until now, at least, when Zerek had caught him sleeping on the job.
Zerek didn't say anything, but the sound of his footsteps coming closer made Julien break out into a cold sweat. He tried to hide his unease, though he knew that the android could probably pick up on it regardless. Julien pulled a circuit toward himself, studying the wiring that he had finished before falling asleep and hoping that he hadn't done it wrong in his tired stupor. He had already had to restart the circuitry alone three times today.
As Zerek hovered silently behind him, Julien finally forced himself to speak. "Would it be possible to get wire made of Chronosteel?"
Zerek didn't answer right away, and Julien forced himself not to turn as he continued to solder pieces of wire. However, he couldn't quite keep himself from jumping as Zerek's hand clamped down on his shoulder.
"Perhaps," the android mused in his Metallonian accent. "But for now, you should get some sleep, Julien."
Julien urged his hands not to shake as he grabbed a few wires from a nearby pile. "I'm making ground on my project. I thought that's what you wanted."
"I do vant you to complete zis project as soon as possible...but even a mind as great as yours is not infallible...not ven it is so very human. Your mind needs rest to function properly, or else you are sure to make costly mistakes."
"I am doing fine," Julien assured quietly. Zerek's grip on his shoulder tightened.
"You have done good vork today. I vill have a staff member bring you your nightly tea."
"No." Julien stiffened as he stopped working on the circuit in front of him. "I am not going to let you drug me every night, Zerek. I will not drink it anymore."
"Mmm." Zerek was quiet for a few minutes, and then the door opened. Julien glanced over and noticed the man with sunglasses holding a tray carrying a single teacup and scowled.
"I said I will not drink it!
"You need your sleep, Julien. Your vork is very important."
"Then let me sleep without it. I do not appreciate being drugged into complacency." His hands were shaking badly now, though he wasn't even sure if it was from fear or anger.
"A human mind functions best ven it is allowed to rest in deep, uninterrupted sleep," Zerek said as the staff member drew closer. "I doubt your ability to sleep vell naturally, considering ze situation you find yourself in. Stress and anxiety have a tendency to keep people from sinking into ze most beneficial layers of rest."
"At least let me try," Julien said, staring down the cup of spiked tea as the staff member reached the table.
"I am afraid zat I cannot entertain such an experiment...not ven everyzing is finally on ze move," Zerek released Julien's shoulder at last as he reached over to take the cup from the man with the tray. "I am making ground in my study of oni power, ze authorities have officially picked up on my trails, and you are finally vorking on a mechanism zat vill allow me to obtain pure elemental power. You see, having come so close, I do not vish to experience any more delays...and human error, in my experience, causes so many delays." He stepped to the side so that he could be seen at last, and Julien wouldn't meet Zerek's eye as the android held out the teacup. "I need you at your prime, Julien, as I am planning on using your machine for tomorrow night's experiments."
Julien looked up at last, not bothering to hide his horror. "What? Zerek, there is no way I can finish it by tomorrow. It is barely—"
"I have seen you vorking, and I know you are getting close."
"Not close enough to warrant use!" Julien pushed himself to his feet, and it was then he realized how badly his back and neck ached. "I have yet to reach a point where the machine can run for more than a minute before combustion."
"A minute is longer zan a few seconds, vich is all it vorked before today."
"But it is still not operational!"
"I trust zat you can get it to ze point of being operational."
"That is an unfounded trust!" Julien snapped. He wasn't usually one to yell, but he couldn't help but do so now. "I will not allow you to connect this machine to Colby...not so soon, not when it is so experimental and I have no way of knowing how his body will react to it. I still don't even know how to connect it to his element, let alone—"
"You vere able to power it before vith oni power...if I remember correctly," Zerek cut in, his gaze lingering on the small machine on the table. "Amber helped you vork on it. Her power vas able to travel zrough metal circuits."
Julien swallowed, glancing back at his machine himself. "Yes, but Oni power and elemental power are not the same. Oni power is energy—like electricity, or fire, or...or some other form of energy. Elemental power is much more concise, with the different elements reacting differently, and—"
"But zere is a link between zem," Zerek mused, stroking his chin as he continued to study Julien's project. "If you could get ze machine to ze point zat it could vithdraw Oni power, surely it vould only take a small leap to get to vere it could vithdraw elemental power."
Julien bristled, but he couldn't necessarily deny Zerek's hypothesis. "I do not know," he finally muttered.
"Very vell. Tomorrow, get ze machine functional to ze point zat it could vithdraw Oni power, as ve already know how to connect to zat. Zen from zere, ve vill move forward."
"Oni power? You think I would be any more willing to let you experiment on Amber than Colby?" Julien hissed, supporting himself against the table as he trembled.
"Not Amber," Zerek countered conversationally. "I have ozer more expendable vays to research ze effect of your machine on Oni power vithout getting her involved. Zo, I do believe our Xinta guest vill be very beneficial to us in ozer vays."
"What are you talking about?" Julien asked darkly.
Zerek merely chuckled as he once again held out the tea. "Drink up, Julien. Ve have much to do tomorrow."
"I already told you—"
"Please do not try my patience, Julien. I do not vish to get Agatha involved...it is a vaste of my time to have to constantly strong-arm you and ozers, just as it is a vaste of your time to be defiant just to be forced into compliance. You know zis."
Julien didn't respond for several minutes, but Zerek didn't say anything else as he stood there in silence, the cup still stretched out. At last, the younger scientist sagged in defeat and moved to accept the cup. "Even with sleep, there is no way I can make the machine operational by tomorrow night," he muttered, staring down at the murky liquid.
"I know you vill do your best," Zerek offered, though there was a bit of an edge to his voice. "You know vat is on the line."