94
Theo slipped off his hoofer, nodding at the Dragon Guard members standing near the entrance of the village. The nodded back, though they seemed a little confused. Theo didn't blame them—it had been a long time since he had come here.
"Stay here, Dragon," he murmured to his hoofer, who snorted before shuffling off to the water trough nearby. Theo then headed into the village, but it wasn't long before he was accosted by a group of children.
"I told you it was Prince Theo!" Luz pointed out.
"What are you doing here?" Jaiym asked.
"Are you here to talk to Haiven?" Inna added, clasping her hands as she stared at him wide-eyed.
"I'm here to talk to Tobias," Theo corrected, purposefully avoiding looking toward the pathways that would take him to Haiven's home.
The children all sagged in disappointment. "It's been so long," Inna pointed out. "When are you going to get back with Haiven, already?"
"Go play," Theo ordered, moving past the children as he headed for the hovel that Tobias Bentworth lived with his family.
"Wait, Theo!" Jasper called, jogging to catch up. "Tobias isn't here!"
Theo's pace slowed. "He's not back yet?"
"Nope," Luz agreed as the other children caught up.
Theo exhaled slowly. Tobias was only supposed to pave the way for his parents to get to Ninjago smoothly. He should have returned by now, and it was frustrating that the ambassador had delayed his stay in the other realm for whatever reason.
"Why do you need to see Tobias?" one of the children asked.
"I need to get some information to my parents," Theo admitted, pulling out the scroll he had written earlier. It contained everything they had learned from the traders about the buyer, and Theo was irked that there was no way he could get it to them. After all, the sooner he passed off the information, the sooner he could walk away from all of this and move on.
"Hershel?"
Theo looked up at the call, and the children around him moved out of the way so that Iona could make her way over. The elderly oni's expression clouded as she caught sight of Theo, and she huffed.
"When I saw all the children surrounding someone, I was sure..."
"Hershel is in Ninjago with Myrah and my parents," Theo offered, pocketing the scroll again. "He's looking for his son. I'm not sure when they'll be back."
"That is unfortunate," the Ancient Xinta murmured. "I have important information to get to him about Raiyn."
Theo frowned. "Wait, what info do you have about Raiyn?"
Iona leaned heavily on her cane as she studied Theo closely. The two of them had never really seen eye to eye, and he wondered if she would even bother telling him. "He's sending out distress signals," she said at last.
"Who?"
"Raiyn," Iona explained with exasperation. "He's sending out distress signals. From the looks of it, he's in a dire situation."
"Wait." Theo stared at Iona. "You know where Raiyn is?"
"No...but he's been trying to tell me. He's got powers...and not just any powers." She licked her lips before sighing again. "The more I see, the more I realize he's got more island in him than I thought. It was the only entity I've ever known that could send messages through dreams, but here he is..."
"You're saying little four-year-old Raiyn can connect to dreams?" Theo demanded, his blood running cold at the mention of the island. Iona must have sensed his fear because she looked up to glower.
"The boy isn't dangerous—he merely inherited the power that Hershel carried at the time he was conceived. I need to let Hershel know about this—if Raiyn is sending these messages, it means that he's alive." Her expression darkened. "Though based on the state he was in...I don't know how much longer that will be the case."
Theo's heart raced as he thought about his own dream. "So he really is in a vengestone cage somewhere?"
Iona looked up, her expression suddenly sharp as she met his eye. "You've had the dreams as well?"
"I didn't think it was real..."
"What did he say? When he spoke to you?" Iona demanded. Theo tried to think back.
"He said Teag was in trouble," he offered.
"That is what he told me as well. I tried to ask him where he was, or to perceive it for myself, but he couldn't tell me."
"Tent-men," Theo murmured to himself, remembering what the child had screamed at him. "But I don't know what that means. Though, if he's with Teag, then he really was sold. Which would mean that this 'Tent-man' he's so afraid of could very well be the Buyer himself..."
"Sold?"
"That's why he and Pip were missing," Theo offered distractedly. "They were taken by slave traders...same as Teag. We managed to get Pippa back, but Raiyn and Teag were taken by the Buyer. We think they're in Ninjago now...that's why Hershel and Myrah are there with my parents. So they can find them." He pulled the scroll out of his pocket, feeling more anxious than ever. "But we can't get any information to them. Not until Tobias gets back."
"Another realm...that is why I could not sense his power signature anywhere in this one," Iona murmured. She seemed lost in thought for a moment, but then she looked up to meet Theo's eye again. "Can you not transport there yourself?"
"I've been banned."
"So it's impossible?"
"Well..." Theo sighed. "I'm just not supposed to right now."
"You must go," Iona insisted, leaning heavily on her cane as she eyed him seriously. "That poor boy doesn't have long...none of them do." Her expression suddenly became grieved. "I would go myself, but as an Ancient, I am bound to this realm and cannot travel to any others. It is up to you to reach them in time."
"I..." Theo trailed off, feeling lost. "I want to help them," he finally offered. "But I think I'll do more harm than good by getting involved."
Iona's eyes narrowed. "You are their only chance," she countered. "Raiyn cannot reach those without powers...he cannot call to his own parents for help, you realize. If he's a realm away, then it would explain why his connection to us is so weak. If you were to go to the realm he was in, he could send you a clearer message. You must go!"
Theo looked back down at the scroll in his hand, and he could feel the communicator sitting heavily in his pocket. He didn't have a lot of information, but what if the little he did know could help find the missing oni sooner? Could he really risk waiting until Tobias got back? Knowing how flighty the ambassador could be, he could be gone anywhere from a few more hours to another couple of days.
Maybe they're already on the trail of the buyer, Theo pointed out. Mom and Dad could have met up with Amber and they could be saving the missing oni right now. If I go and I didn't need to, I'll only cause more problems for everyone. If I make the council angry, I could jeopardize the entire search, not to mention my own chances to move there in the future.
But if this information could be the tipping point for finding Raiyn and Teag before something terrible could happen to them, and I choose not to go to Ninjago with it...could I ever forgive myself?
"I've never seen you so conflicted about doing something that would help someone else," Iona pointed out, and Theo looked up to see her studying him closely. "What happened to the boy who did whatever he felt was right, no matter the consequences?"
Theo glowered. "I don't have enough information," he tried. "I can't make an educated decision about what's right in this situation..."
"That never stopped you before."
"What am I supposed to do?" Theo snapped. "My whole life, people have gotten after me for being impulsive...for jumping into things without realizing the whole story. For acting on what I feel, rather than seeing situations for what they really are. In fact, you're one of the people who—"
"Perhaps...but now seems like a bad time for you to second guess your intuition." Iona's gaze was piercing. "Yes, your decisions are not always made with the big picture in mind...but everything you do, you do from the heart, Theodynn. You've got to act on what you truly feel is the right thing to do...or all could be lost."
Theo's mouth felt dry. His logical side told him to walk away from this. To give Iona the scroll and the faulty inter-realm communicator and tell her to give them to Tobias when he got back so he could safely transport them to Keyda and Cole without causing anymore problems. Then Theo could wash his hands of this whole thing, and he wouldn't be jeopardizing their standing with Ninjago and its council.
But despite the arguments put forward by his logical side, Theo couldn't stop thinking of Raiyn sitting in that cage. He had assumed that the dream was just his own guilty conscience, punishing him for not finding the slave trade sooner. However, if that really was Raiyn...and he was begging Theo to come help him...
Tent-Men kill Teag!
The scroll crinkled as Theo's fist clenched around it, and he finally looked back up to meet Iona's eye. His mind was still revolting against the decision he was forming, warning him that it was probably going to end up falling apart, just like everything else he did. But at this point...the losses of not getting involved seemed worse than putting himself on the line again.
"I...may have a way to try and find the buyer," Theo said at last. "I have an informant, but I don't know that I can trust her. In fact, I know I can't. But besides Raiyn, she may be the only link to really figuring out who bought all the slaves."
"An informant you cannot trust?" Iona repeated with a frown.
Theo didn't answer right away, studying the Ancient in front of him. The longer he looked at her, an idea began forming in his mind. "She's lied to me before," he offered carefully. "I would need to know I could trust her this time...but there's only really one way I could do that." He took a deep breath. "Iona...I'm going to need your help."
They took a cab to the closest city and then took the bus the rest of the way to the hospital, as it was cheaper that way. As the bus bounced along the rural roads they were passing, Mia glanced over at Ashley. The redhead had listened to their interactions with Matilda several times, and it seemed she was going through it once again. The fact that Ashley's expression looked like a storm cloud the whole time wasn't exactly promising.
There was a buzz of electricity, and she turned to look at her sister. May's own expression was stormy, and she was bouncing one leg frantically as she sat with her arms folded. "You okay?" Mia finally tried. May inhaled sharply, and finally shook her head.
"That was humiliating."
Mia slumped in her chair. "She was ready for us."
"That was more than just ready. I...I think I believe her."
Mia shot up in her chair, turning to her sister in shock. "She's a criminal, May!"
"I'm not saying I like her, or even trust her!" May snapped. "She's a terrible woman, and no doubt she purposefully is supporting Colby's art just to spite us...but I'm not sure that she has anything to do with the fact that he's missing."
"Of course she does! What, our brother shows up and meets with Matilda O'Keefe and then goes missing hours later? It has to be connected, May!"
"But she would know that people would make that connection. It just...what if someone's trying to frame her?"
"That's not a bad point." Ashley finally spoke up, looking up from Mia's phone. "This does seem strange. I've been wracking my mind on what Matilda could possibly gain from everyone going missing, and I can't think of anything. She stands to lose more from this whole thing than she does to gain from it, as she is the obvious suspect when anybody looks at the disappearances with a foul play view."
"If you were there, you'd know!" Mia snapped. "She's done something with Colby...she's tied up in this. The way she talked..."
"I listened to it several times," Ashley pointed out, pulling the earbuds from her ears. "She's definitely up to something, but I just don't have enough pieces to figure out what. She was goading you that whole time, though...and that doesn't seem like something someone would do if she were completely innocent." Ashley scowled. "There's something here...something about the way she was talking that sticks out, but I just can't put my finger on what it is exactly."
"She was a horrible hag the whole time," Mia muttered, folding her arms crossly. "Lying about Colby, lying about us."
"That's where we may have to get her," Ashley mused. "We have to follow up with everything she said. If we can catch her in a lie, even one, then we'll have enough evidence against her that we could get the Ninjago City Council involved."
"Well, that's easy. Everything was a lie."
"We need specifics," Ashley pointed out. She leaned forward, studying the twins. "Some of it could be easy to prove, though. That painting she had...did Colby really enter art in that Charity Auction?"
Neither twin said anything, and Ashley furrowed her brow.
"You don't know?" she realized.
"I've never seen that painting in my life," Mia tried.
"But that doesn't really prove anything," May added softly. "We didn't exactly look at everything Colby made, and the painting said Ninjago High on it. He probably made it at school."
"Then maybe we can get ahold of his art teacher," Ashley pointed out. "What about that other thing she mentioned? The Young Artist competition thing? She could just be making things up to make it sound like she understands Colby as an artist, when it's really just a cover."
"Well, if he won something, I'm sure he would have told us," Mia muttered, her insides squirming.
"He didn't even tell us when he got elemental powers," May countered. "He doesn't really share much with us."
"But surely you'd know if he entered in the competition at all?" the redhead pressed. The Walkers fell quiet again, and Ashley leaned back in her chair. "Look...I'm not saying that Matilda was right in goading you...but it's only helping her case if she knows more about what Colby's been up to than his own sisters. Is there anything you know about Colby's art that could help us?"
"It's not good enough to get into the RIFA," Mia pointed out. "Even that Misha girl agreed."
"But had Misha even seen his art? Or was she just thinking it unfair that he skipped the portfolio entry because he had a benefactor?"
"Why are you taking Matilda's side?" the twin snapped as she glowered at the redhead.
"I'm not," Ashley promised. "But I am a lawyer, remember? We have to think about things from every angle. Do you have any proof that Colby isn't as good at art as Matilda says? If she's hiding behind the front of a talent scout who discovered someone really good—good enough to warrant her spending money to put him through school—then that will only hold up if other professionals think Colby is as good as she does. If he isn't as talented as she's trying to make him out to be, then we can prove that she had to have another motive besides being an impressed investor. The hard thing is that art is so subjective. Do you have proof that Colby isn't considered a good abstract artist, besides your own opinions?"
"It doesn't even look like anything...just swirls or boxes or lines." Mia complained. "That should be proof enough."
Ashley hesitated, and she finally sighed. "We should be almost to the hospital by now," she pointed out. "Let's divide and conquer, okay? May, I want you to go online and research the RIFA's abstract art wing. How new is it, really? Maybe try to do some prying in chat rooms or something to see if Mr. Rushford really is looking for abstract artists, or whether Matilda just made that up. Mia, I need you to get ahold of Colby's art teachers from high school and find out everything you can about these competitions he was apparently a part of. When we get to the hospital, I'm going to see if they'll let me talk to Dani, if she's up to it. She would know if there was foul play, after all—either they went hiking in the wilderness, or they didn't."
"I know they didn't, though," Mia pointed out. "Somebody posted false stuff on Amber's profile, remember? And she can transport..."
"At this point, we really don't have enough evidence to rule anything out...including the fact that they really could have just gotten together to go exploring, and something went wrong," Ashley pointed out apologetically. "But I promise, we aren't going to leave any stone unturned."
Mia sighed, having to accept Ashley's plan as the best they could do at the moment. However, she couldn't help but turn to glower at her sister again. "I can't believe you think Matilda could be telling the truth about anything, after what she said about us," she pointed out angrily.
May's expression clouded, and she finally looked up to meet Mia's eye. "The thing is, Mia...you haven't exactly been a saint where Colby is involved."
Mia bristled. "What is that supposed to mean?"
"What's the last nice thing you've said to him?" May demanded. Mia stared, but her sister's expression was serious as she held her gaze. "I know you're worried about him right now...but what's the last nice thing you said to Colby before he went missing?"
Mia immediately thought back, trying to prove her sister wrong. However, after a minute, her eyes filled with tears. "That isn't fair!" she pointed out. "I was angry about his elemental powers...it's not my fault that happened right before he disappeared!"
"But even before all that happened!" May insisted. "Before you even knew he had the element of water, when was the last time you were nice to him?"
"When's the last time you were?" Mia threw back.
"Water..."
Mia nearly didn't hear Ashley, but then the redhead spoke louder.
"Colby got the element of water recently, right? Like...it wasn't that long ago."
The twins turned to face her, and Mia huffed. May was the one who answered, though she also looked confused. "Yeah...he's only had it a month or so."
"Why?" Mia demanded, wondering if Ashley was going to lecture her as well. She had her defense at the ready, but the redhead just shook her head as she put in her headphones once again.
"Just a thought. Sorry...I've got to think about it some more." She went quiet as she pushed play on Mia's phone, no doubt listening to it for another time. Mia was still trembling with defensive anger, but when she turned to continue her argument with May, she realized her sister was already deep into the RIFA website to investigate their abstract art wing. With her options being to move on and start her own research or try to pick the fight back up, Mia finally turned back to Ashley.
"If you're using mine, can I borrow your phone?" she asked. The redhead nodded and passed it over without looking at her, her expression pensive as she listened to their interaction with Matilda. Mia accepted the device and immediately began looking up contact information for Ninjago High art teachers.
95
Staff members met Zerek at the door from the garage under Estyeer. "Vat is ze progress?" the scientist asked as he entered, carrying a brown paper sack with him.
"Ve ran ze protocol on ze Master of Vater, but ve vere unable to achieve any results," Twenty-four offered.
"You mirrored ze experiment vith Teag exactly?"
"Yes."
Zerek frowned, mentally accessing the Estyeerien mainframe so he could download all footage taken of the experiment his staff members had conducted in his absence. They were all silent as he watched the footage, and he finally nodded slowly.
"Ze outcome is as I hypothesized," he mused. "Elemental power cannot be accessed as easily as oni power, and ze machine does not draw it out. Yet, it is the power zat I know can be transferred from person to person, or object to object. So vat is it zat makes it move?"
"Production of further power extractors is underway," Seventeen offered. "We have four zat have been completed, but ve have run out of parts."
"Ve need more chronosteel," Zerek guessed, and the staff member nodded. "Very vell, I vill contact ze mines. Four extractors should be enough for vat ve can do at ze moment."
"Vould you like us to continue our experimentation vith ze Master of Vater?"
Zerek frowned in thought. "How is he holding up?"
"He has anxious spells anytime he is not drugged. His mind seems to be in a state of continuous crisis, which has started taking a physical toll."
"It has been too long." Zerek's expression flickered with displeasure. They had made great leaps forward where Oni power was concerned, but the whole point of setting the current plan into motion was to capture the elements in the midst of their transitionary state. Progress would need to be gained in that side of his research, and soon...or all could be lost.
His staff members continued to wait for their next instructions, but Zerek dismissed them as he reached the laboratory on the eastern wing. The door clicked open as he pressed his badge to the key port, and he headed into the laboratory alone.
Julien Cyrus was seated on his cot. He didn't look up as Zerek approached, and the android scanned the young man's vital signs. Today, he was not anxious, nor did he even seem fearful. It seemed he had reached a state of numb resignation in the absence of Agatha.
"I brought you something," Zerek pointed out as he made his way across the room. Julien didn't look up, and Zerek place the brown paper sack on the cot next to him. "Ze staff reports you aren't eating. Perhaps you will find zis more palatable."
Julien made no move to take the food, and Zerek lowered himself down onto the cot as well as he continued conversationally.
"I vas in Bembay today, and I researched ze best food in ze area. Zis is from ze most popular chain. It is not fresh, as it vas a long drive back to Estyeer...but I hypothesize it vill taste better to you zan ze food we have been preparing."
Julien didn't reply, but his stomach growled loudly enough that Zerek could hear it, affected by the smells coming from the paper bag.
"Eat vile ve discuss, Julien."
The young scientist made no move to obey, and Zerek merely smiled as he turned to study the laboratory. Defiance was an irritating trait to some, he knew...but in his research of humanity, he knew such defiance usually came strongest before a person became fully broken in.
"Agatha is no longer in Estyeer. Vould you like to know vat happened to her?"
Julien's fists clenched, and Zerek went quiet, waiting for the young man to respond. The minutes stretched on, and finally, Julien let out a shuddery breath.
"What did you do to her?"
"I let her go."
"Then she's dead..."
"No. She vas alive, ven I left her."
Julien's lax expression crumpled. "So she's dying? You would not have let her go...not when she could expose you."
"You are correct to assume I vouldn't have released her vith any incriminating memories of me or her time of Estyeer," Zerek pointed out. "Zat is vie I had Amber erase such memories from her mind before she vas discovered by ze search and rescue teams."
Julien finally looked up then, his eyes wide with horror. "What?" he whispered.
"It vas a risk," Zerek mused. "I vas not sure if I could trust Amber to do as she said...I had no vay to monitor ze process. But in interviewing ze elemental master's friend, it seems ze Xinta has kept her vord. Time vill only tell if she vas as thorough vith Agatha, but I am fairly certain she vas. Amber vas...highly motivated to make sure ze process vas a success, after all."
"How? I do not understand..."
"Mental manipulation is von area Xinta are rumored to excel in," Zerek offered. "Legend says zat's how ze Oni Generals of old vere able to control Metallonian laypeople and force zem to become an army. I vas unsure if ze legends vere true, but Amber does possess ze skill." Zerek smiled softly. "It vas quite an intriguing process to vitness, and I plan on going over ze data collected. Perhaps it vill be possible to automate such a process, if it vere powered vith enough collected Oni energy."
"Now you're after mind control?" Julien shook his head in disgust, his gaze full of hatred. "Why?"
"Not control," Zerek countered with a frown. "I have plenty of obedient staff members to do my bidding, vith ze option to create more. Vat I vould be interested in is a vay to access human memory and zot process. It is von zing to study ze human brain...but it vould be anozer to enter it."
Julien's heart rate was increasing, and his breathing was shallower. Zerek turned and smiled to put the young scientist at ease. "Zere is no need to fear, Julien. Such projects vould be interesting to pursue, but ve have much more vork to do on our current endeavors before ve can invest efforts in such secondary ventures."
"There is no we," Julien said, his voice gaining strength. "I cannot keep doing this, Zerek...I will not help you hurt people."
Zerek merely smiled. "You have been such a help already, Julien. I never got ze chance to tell you how successful your machine vas in collecting Oni aura." He sent a mental message through the mainframe, and a minute later, a staff member entered the laboratory with Julien's power extractor. The young scientist turned, and Zerek motioned for the staff member to bring it close.
"You see?" he offered, and Julien swallowed hard. The bars of light on the side of the battery made it clear how much energy it now contained.
"How did you fill it that much?" Julien finally demanded.
"It vas all from a single Oni...can you believe it?" Zerek said as he studied the battery fondly. "Zey have so much promise as a renewable power source, if a single child could create so much power. Don't you think?''
Julien was pale, and he shook his head. "You...you sucked this much energy out of person?"
"An oni, yes."
Julien put a hand to his mouth, seeming nauseous. "What happened to them?" he finally asked, though his voice wavered with fear.
Rather than answer, Zerek turned to the staff member holding the machine. "Vat is ze state of our Oni guest, Fifteen?"
"His vitals have stabilized, zo he has not yet regained consciousness."
"Mmm...not as fast of a recharge as I vould like," Zerek mused. "Next time, I vill take less, and ve vill see if it vill cause overall recharge to occur faster in ze long run."
"How can you treat this so callously?" Julien's tone was accusatory as he glowered. "You've nearly killed someone...and you treat them like...like a faulty machine."
"You know vie," Zerek pointed out as he finally stood. "I am not held back by ze same emotions as you, Julien. If you vere free of such moral binding, you too vould realize how remarkable zis discovery is...how it vill impact ze future of our realm."
"You are killing people! You should know that is wrong...even if you have no emotions to connect with them!"
"It is not my intention to kill anyvon. My intention is progress...and it is a road zat has alvays come vith sacrifice," Zerek pointed out unapologetically. He motioned for the staff member to carry the Power Extractor to a nearby table. "I am going to leave zis vith you, Julien. I need you to adapt it to be able to extract elemental power. All our trials vith ze Master of Vater have failed."
"You have been experimenting on Colby?" Julien demanded, getting to his feet. "How dare you..."
"It does not vork...does not affect him in any vay. I need you to change zat."
"No! I am done working for you, Zerek."
"I vondered if zis vould happen, vonce ve released Agatha," Zerek mused, studying Julien closely. "It is in your best interest—"
"You do not have my best interest in mind! You are psychotic, and I cannot—"
"Julien, calm—"
"I am done!" Julien roared, his thin frame trembling as he glowered at Zerek through his glasses. "Kill me if you have to...but I will not continue helping you."
Zerek studied Julien closely. "You vill fix ze machine, Julien."
"I just said—"
"Believe me ven I say it is in your best interest." Zerek pushed himself to his feet, and his tone must have finally hit home with the young scientist, because Julien paused. "Make it so ze machine can safely vithdraw elemental power directly...or zere may be casualties in my impending experimentations."
Julien stared, and then he was bolting for the machine. Zerek held up a hand, and the staff member easily stopped the scientist in time. The young man cursed as he was apprehended, his arms forced behind his back.
"I have studied your machine extensively," Zerek pointed out, amused with Julien's attempt. "Ve have already built four more zat are fully functional. Zere is no point in trying to destroy it, Julien. I am giving you ze chance to create a safer model, but if you compromise it, zen I vill have to use your original design."
"If I do nothing, I can still protect Colby," Julien pointed out, the bright laboratory lights glinting off his glasses. "You said the original machine has no effect on him."
"Yes, it is true zat it is not functional against human subjects yet...vich is vie I need you to fix it. However...ze subject of my next elemental extraction venture is not human, Julien."
The younger scientist's expression crumpled with confusion, but just then, Zerek's phone rang. He pulled it out, and smiled as he realized who it was. He pushed several buttons on the screen as he answered the phone and put in on speakerphone so the caller's voice would echo in the small laboratory.
"Hello, Doctor Zerek. This is Zane...the car you sent has reached the MIRI and they told us you wanted us to call you when we were on our way to Estyeer."
Zerek kept his gaze locked on Julien, and he watched as the blood drained from the young man's face. Suddenly, the staff member seemed to be holding Julien up more than he was holding him back, and Zerek smiled softly.
"No!" Julien suddenly shouted, finding his voice as he called out desperately. "It's a trap! Do not listen to—"
"I'm afraid I pushed ze mute button," Zerek cut in, turning the phone so that Julien could see the screen. "He cannot hear you."
Julien went to say something else, but the staff member had received Zerek's mental order, and the android holding Julien clamped a gloved hand over his mouth. Julien began to fight in a rare rage, but he was no match for the solid android in his weakened state.
"We will reach Estyeer in a few hours. Thank you again for being willing to talk with us. We are eager to find our son."
"And I am eager to vork vith you," Zerek offered as he unmuted his phone. "I do zink much vill be accomplished by this visit. Goodbye." He hung up the phone and slipped it into his pocket with a smile. "Is it not funny, ze vay fate plays out? I've been puzzling all veek how ve vould make gains in extracting elemental power...and today, ze androids zat raised you reached out to me. I vasn't planning on bringing zem to Estyeer zis early...but ven opportunities arise, I have learned ze importance of making ze most of zem. If I am being honest, I am interested to see vat such a powerful extractor of energy vill do to an android. Theoretically, it could have dire consequences, if it is not programed to seek elemental power specifically." Zerek walked toward the door, content knowing that Julien knew what was on the line. "You heard your 'fazer', Julien. Zey vill be here in a few hours...so I vould hope you vould make ze most of zat time. Oh...and do not forget to eat. It vould be a pity to vaste such highly acclaimed food."
He didn't allow Julien to answer before he left the laboratory to prepare for the coming guests, confident that the young scientist would do as he was told.
Theo took a deep breath as he stared at the door that Jaqah had led him to. After a moment, he finally knocked.
"Come in," Syn's voice came from inside, and Theo turned the handle. Inside the room, Syn, Tolan, and Pippa were eating. He knew that they would be headed back to the west soon, and he began wondering if he should just let them go without bothering them anymore.
"Theo-boy," Syn realized, and she pushed herself to her feet. Before Theo could react, Syn had reached him and wrapped him in an embrace. Theo stiffened, trying to remember the last time someone had hugged him. "Thank you for saving Pippa," she murmured, and he could tell her voice was thick with emotion.
Theo cleared his throat. "I'm not sure how much I really helped her..."
"She wouldn't be here right now if it wasn't for you," Syn countered, giving him a squeeze. Theo didn't answer, and the short woman finally pulled away. "Now...what did you come to say?"
Theo hesitated a moment before glancing at Tolan. "Can...I talk with Tolan?"
If the guard was surprised by the request, he didn't show it. He set the bowl of stew down and followed Theo out into the hall. Syn and Pippa both looked confused, but luckily, neither of them demanded to take part. Tolan shut the door gently before turning to face Theo.
"What's going on?"
Theo didn't answer right away as his heart started pounding. He's going to think you're crazy, his mind warned. But then again, what else is new? "I think I know how to find the Buyer," he finally offered, though he stared at the floor as he said it. It was easier to get the words out if he didn't have to see how Tolan would react to Theo admitting he was coming back into the fray.
"How?" The guard's tone was as hard to read as ever, and Theo took a deep breath, still avoiding meeting Tolan's eye.
"It would be risky," he admitted. "But I think we could pull it off." Silence fell, and Theo waited for the guard to question how risky, or point out that if Theo knew it was risky, then it might not be worth it. He waited for the guard to say that Hershel, Myrah, Cole, Keyda, and Amber would be a far capable enough team to find the buyer...and that if Theo tried to force his way into all of this again, he'd be more likely to create problems rather than solutions. Theo pulled his defenses to the forefront of his mind, wondering which defense he would have to use to convince the guard to let him do this.
"What do you need me to do?"
The response took Theo off guard, enough so that he couldn't help but look up at last. The guard merely raised an eyebrow, and Theo blinked. "Um..." he mumbled, not even sure what to say. After a moment, he realized that Tolan was still waiting for his answer, and Theo cleared his throat. "Well...I need you to talk to Jaqah. For the plan to work, we're going to need Rook."
Here, Tolan's expression finally flickered. "Are you sure we can trust her?"
"No." Theo sighed. "I'm really not sure, Tol...but there may be a way that I can determine whether or not she's lying. It's going to sound a little crazy...but...I really think it could work to help us find Raiyn and Teag and all of the others." He forced himself to keep eye contact now, wondering if Tolan would back out now that he knew Rook was involved. The guard did seem to be thinking hard about it, and he finally nodded slowly.
"I trust you, Freak. What's the plan?"
96
The hospital waiting room wasn't as full as Mia had thought it would be, but then again, she supposed it made sense that most everyone would have headed back to the wilderness to search for those still missing. The younger Walker twin bounced her leg as her cellphone rang, trying to stay positive. May had finished her research on the train—it seemed that the abstract wing of the RIFA was relatively new, and that Mr. Rushford was reported to have been searching for new talent for it. There was no way to prove he had asked Matilda to do so, but already, it wasn't boding well that the woman hadn't been as dishonest as they had thought.
Now, Mia waited on her own as she tried to contact Colby's high school teachers. May had left with their parents to go back to the wilderness to look, and Ashley was upstairs, hopefully talking with Dani.
"Hello?"
"Hello, is this Ms. Recelli?" Mia asked.
"Yes. Who is this? Why have you called me so many times?"
"I'm sorry for the overbearing phone calls, but my name is Mia Walker, and I'm trying to get information about my brother Colby. He's...he's missing right now."
There was a pause, and then the woman's tone was kinder. "Oh...I'm sorry. I thought you were a scammer. I had heard that Colby Walker was missing...but why do you think I would know anything about it?"
Mia took a deep breath. "I know it doesn't really make sense, but we think it has something to do with his art. I've been trying to contact his art teachers and ask if they could tell me more about his art."
"Hmmm, I guess I can tell you what I know, but your brother isn't actually my student this year. I teach junior art methods, and I believe he's a senior."
"That's all right, as long as you're familiar with his work," Mia assured. She was glad she had finally found an art teacher who had taught Colby at some point. The last two people she had managed to get ahold of knew him by name but had never worked directly with him. "I would like you to be completely honest with me. Would you consider my brother talented?" There was a long pause, and Mia leaned forward. "It's all right if the answer is no—I'm just trying to collect more professional views about his work."
"Well..." Ms. Recelli sighed. "I wouldn't say Colby ISN'T talented...but he's what I would call a lazy artist."
Mia raised her eyebrows. "Really?"
"I was able to talk him into creating realistic work on occasion during my class, and there was definitely skill there when he would. But most of the time, he would turn in abstract work. Shapes, swirls...I've never understood that branch of art, anyway, so it was almost tragic that someone as talented as Colby would go the route of creating easy, meaningless works of art."
Mia sighed in relief. Hearing an art professional admit that her brother's abstract work wasn't very good was a relief, both for her own conscience and because it mean that Matilda was lying.
"Thank you for your time, Ms. Recelli."
"I really mean no offense to him, though. Your brother is a sweet boy...I really hope that he makes it home safely."
"Me too." Mia hung up the phone call and took a deep breath. There was only one more art teacher on the list, and she figured she might as well call him. Better to get as many opinions on their side as possible.
The phone only rang once or twice before someone answered it. "This is Derek."
"Um... Mr. Pauls?"
The man chuckled. "Yes, this is Derek Pauls. Who's this?"
"My name is Mia Walker..."
"Walker? Like, Colby Walker?"
Mia nodded, then realized that he couldn't see her. "Yes. He's my brother—that's why I'm calling, actually."
"Has he been found? I haven't seen as much on the news, but—"
"Um, no. We're still looking." Mia's leg continued to bounce as she moved the phone to her other hand. "I was just wondering if I could ask you some questions about Colby's art?"
"What about it?"
"Uh...was he any good?" she asked. The man didn't answer, and she cleared her throat. "I know it sounds strange, but we need to know if Colby's artwork would be considered professional quality."
"Professional quality? I'm not sure most high schoolers can truly claim to have professional quality art. They just don't have enough experience yet."
Mia sagged in relief. "That makes sense. Thank you for your—"
"But that doesn't mean that Colby isn't talented," the teacher cut in. "He didn't always have the greatest confidence, but his work was very good, considering he was only in high school."
Mia trailed off, her stomach twisting. "It was?"
"He has a real knack for abstract work, though I'm not surprised you wouldn't know that. Colby himself didn't believe it half the time. I blame the other art teachers here at Ninjago High. They're all talented in their own fields, I guess, but they don't understand abstract work, and they were hard on him for creating it."
"But...but it's just lines and swirls," Mia managed.
"Good abstract work is more than just splats of paint, Mia. There are plenty of amateurs that throw paint on a canvas and think that's enough...but true artists understand the more key concepts of art and utilize them. Things like balance, movement, and emotion. Colby had a good grasp of those kinds of things...but he didn't have the confidence to defend himself or his work. It took me all year just to convince him to enter his pieces into art shows."
Mia's heart began to pound as she gripped her cellphone tightly. "So...he entered into art shows? Do you know if he entered anything into one in Metallonia...it was like a charity auction, or something?"
"Oh yeah...I was excited to get my students involved in that one. I thought it was a great way to marry art with community consciousness and—"
"But did Colby enter?" Mia snapped.
"He did," Mr. Pauls confirmed. "It was really a great painting...he worked on it a week straight. Personally, I think it's one of the better works of art that went to the auction."
"Do you know who bought it?"
"We weren't told any specifics," the teacher admitted. "We just knew which pieces were sold because they weren't returned to us."
"And Colby's wasn't returned?"
"No. It was definitely sold, which was the only reason I could convince him to enter the Ninjago Young Artist Competition. It was a confidence boost for him, knowing that someone in the world liked his work enough to buy it."
Mia felt cold, and she swallowed hard. "So... he did enter that competition?"
"After a lot of coaxing. You didn't know he did?"
The young woman chewed her lip before answering. "He...didn't really talk to us about his art," she admitted.
"Probably was afraid of letting you guys down if he didn't win anything," the teacher mused.
"Did he win anything?"
"Yeah, he did. Give me a second...I can look up the exact award." There was a minute pause, and then Mr. Pauls continued. "Here it is—'Acclaimed Abstraction.' Not first place, or anything, but considering that this was a realm-wide competition for everyone twelve to twenty, getting an acclamation award is still a big deal. It means your work was judged to be in the top 3%."
Mia stared at the tile floor, not sure what to think. At last, she found her voice. "So... you're saying Colby is a good artist? Good enough to get into the Rushford Institution of Fine Arts?"
"Well, I don't really know much about that school, other than it's pretty competitive," Mr. Pauls admitted. "I can't really say. If they go off of GPA, then maybe not, because I know Colby struggled in any class that wasn't art related. But if they go off talent specifically and actually appreciate good abstract work, then I'd say he's got a shot."
Mia went quiet. After a minute of silence, the man on the phone spoke again.
"Are you still there?"
"Thank you for your time," Mia offered, but her voice came out small. She didn't wait for him to reply before hanging up the phone and sliding it into her pocket. For the next twenty minutes, she battled with herself. Maybe Matilda paid off this Mr. Pauls person...but even she had to admit that it was a long stretch. But there's no way Matilda wasn't lying! she thought angrily. She knows more than she's letting on...I know it! However, knowing it and proving it were starting to be harder than ever to connect.
A redheaded young woman came through the door of the waiting room, and Mia stood quickly. "What did Dani say?" she demanded as she walked over to meet Ashley.
"I almost didn't get to talk with her," the young lawyer mused. "Her family was being super protective, but Dani insisted that she would talk with me."
"But what did she say? Was Matilda lying? Is Colby—"
"She can't remember."
Mia blinked in surprise. "Can't remember what?"
"A lot," Ashley said as she plopped down in one of the chairs in the room. Her expression was troubled as she leaned back. "The last thing she remembers is being in a hotel room with Colby, five days ago. She can't remember anything after that."
Mia stared. "But...there's no way! That's so suspicious...either someone's done something to her, or she's lying, because..."
"Mia, calm down." Ashley met her eye. "I know it's strange, but I don't think she's lying. We've both known her long enough to know she's not the type to lie, and besides, when I asked her about Matilda, she freaked out."
"What did you say?"
"Matilda claimed that Dani stormed the luncheon and rescued Colby, more or less, and that they left to 'salvage their trip.' When I asked Dani about it, though, she was completely shocked. She doesn't remember anything about Matilda, or meeting up with Colby, or going hiking at all. But..." Ashley trailed off, and Mia leaned forward.
"But what?"
"She mentioned that she thinks it's her fault," Ashley finally said carefully.
"What do you mean?"
"I guess Amber and that guy she's always around...M? That's his name, right? I guess they were having some difficulties and Dani told M to come to Metallonia to meet up with Amber to make amends. She remembers that much, and she said that originally, the plan was that she, Colby, and Amber would spend some time exploring Metallonia after Colby's tour of the museum. The stuff with the RIFA ended up taking longer than expected, but even though Dani doesn't remember going off on an adventure, she doesn't seem to think it strange that they were out exploring Metallonia with everyone. The only thing that really caught her off guard was Matilda's involvement."
"Surely, she'd remember that," Mia argued.
"I don't know." Ashley's expression flickered. "I asked the doctor about it, and he says that it isn't strange for there to be memory loss in these kinds of conditions."
Mia shook her head, tears stinging her eyes once again. "But Matilda has to be lying!" she snapped. "I know she is! And if Dani can't prove it, then—"
"I know how you feel," Ashley promised, looking up at her. "What did Colby's high school teachers say?"
Mia shrugged bitterly. "Some say he's good, some say he's not. I can't get a good reading on how talented my brother supposedly is."
"But did he enter the auction and the competitions that Matilda mentioned?"
Mia turned away, scowling. However, even without her answer, Ashley seemed to realize what it meant.
"So...we're back at square one." There was a glimmer of defeat in the lawyer's tone, and Mia whirled on her.
"We can't give up!"
"No one is giving up," Ashley assured as she pushed herself to her feet. "But maybe it would be best if we go to the wilderness and help everyone look, just until we can think of what to do next. Maybe when Pix and Zane check in from their time at the MIRI, we can find more clues to follow."
Mia folded her arms. "I know she's lying, Ash."
"I know. But until we can prove it...we might as well see if we can help in the search." Ashley paused. "Just in case."
It was harder to pick locks when both hands were attached to wall cuffs. It was an uncomfortable position, to be forced up against the wall with both hands over her head. It had been hard to sleep, but it seemed that they cared more about the fact that she didn't escape than they did about her comfort.
Not that I escaped the first time, Rook thought bitterly. He let me go. Which is why it was so STUPID that I decided to come back.
She closed her eyes, trying to decide if it would be better or worse just to get her trial over with. However, as she heard people talking in the hallway outside of her cell, her heart fell. Had they decided on her fate already? She wasn't sure where to look when the door finally opened. She waited for someone to come in, but no one did right away. When the figure finally did step through the door, Rook's blood ran cold.
"Surprised to see me?" Quazier asked as he grinned at her. His jewelry glinted in the light of the torch he was carrying, and Rook trembled as he came toward her.
"What are you doing in here?"
"I'm here to issue punishment, rookie. You know what happens to traders who leave the beaten path."
"There's no way they would have let you in here!" Rook snapped. She arched her neck to see if there was anyone else she could call to in the hallway, but then the door slammed shut, and she heard the sound of a lock turning.
"You've been a naughty girl, Rook," Quazie mocked as he drew closer. Rook glowered at him, but with her arms cuffed above her, she couldn't move away. He grinned at her, and she noticed him fingering the hilt of the knife he always carried on his belt. "I told you that they didn't care about you...and now you're going to die because you picked the wrong side."
"Get away from me!" Rook screamed, her mind swirling in denial. There was no way they would have let Quazier in here...there was no way he would have gotten that knife. Right?
"It looks like you've finally run out of options, sweetheart. At least this way, you can finally be with your parents in the Departed Realm."
He drew his knife, and Rook thrashed in her restraints. "Quazier is in here!" she screamed, willing the guards in the hallway to come. "Somebody stop him!"
"No one's coming, Rook...you've alienated everybody. Now there isn't a soul in the realm who cares whether you live or die." Quazier drew back the blade, and Rook froze.
"Wait—"
Her words were cut off as the blade finally plunged downward, and she screamed. She waited for the pain from the lethal blow...but there was only darkness.
"Rook?"
The new voice sounded far away, and Rook's head swam as she woke up. After a moment, she finally opened her eyes. She stiffened as she realized that there was someone in the cell, but it wasn't Quazier. Rook swallowed as she met Theodynn's eye, realizing that her experience with the slave trader had been nothing more than a nightmare.
Rook looked away from the young man squatting a few yards away, taking in the rest of the cell. The only other person inside was Tolan, and he was fixing Rook with his usual unreadable expression.
"What do you want?" she finally asked, trying to shift her position. Her lower back had fallen asleep, but there was no way to stretch it out. Neither Theodynn nor the guard answered, and Rook blew her hair out of her face. "Is this my trial?"
"No. You have to wait for my parents to get back before you'll get put on trial," Theo pointed out dryly. "I'm not the Heir anymore, remember?"
"Then what are you doing down here?" she demanded. There was the tiniest glimmer of hope, but she tried to squelch it, especially when she watched Theo and Tolan make eye contact.
"You said that you've seen the Buyer," Theo pointed out at last, turning to meet her eye again.
Rook frowned, shifting again. "Yeah, but I thought you didn't believe me," she pointed out bitterly. Theo scoffed.
"Why should I believe you? You lied about everything else."
"Not everything," Rook muttered. "But if you think I'm such a liar, why talk to me at all?"
Theo didn't answer right away as he studied her. "If you're telling the truth about the buyer, then I need your help to find him." Rook looked up in surprise, but before she could answer, he continued. "But I need to know that I can trust you, because I can't afford to get stabbed in the back this time. Not with what's on the line."
Rook studied his face. "Then it sounds like you'll have to trust me," she pointed out. "But for the record, I'm not lying."
Theo pushed himself to his feet, shaking his head. "The thing is, I can't just take your word for it."
Rook huffed, feeling her hope fade again. "I don't get it," she pointed out. "Do you trust me, or not?"
"Not in the least."
"Then what's the point of even coming down here?" Rook snapped.
Theo studied her a little longer before answering. "Because there is a way for me to determine if you're telling the truth without just having to take your word for it."
Rook stared at him before glancing over at Tolan. Both men were looking at her in a way that made her stomach clench. "What are you going to do?" she finally demanded. "Torture me?"
The surprise on Theodynn's face was somewhat of a relief, and he shook his head. "No."
"I was going to say...torture didn't seem like your style," Rook muttered, though she still eyed him with mistrust.
"I have connections with someone who will be able to tell without a doubt whether or not you're being honest with me," Theo explained.
"That makes no sense," Rook pointed out. "How could someone—"
"I'm going to ask you some questions, and I need you to answer honestly," Theo interrupted. "Then we're going to go on a little trip and meet my connection. She'll know if you're lying...and if she finds out that you were—"
"Ask me whatever you want! Do you really think I'm going to lie to you, after coming all the way back here? What could I possibly gain from lying?"
"That is the question," Theo pointed out. He seemed to be thinking, and then he lowered himself down to the floor. Rook watched him suspiciously, and then the young man nodded at Tolan. "You can release her now."
Rook furrowed her brow, but the guard didn't argue as he came over and unlocked the wall cuffs that her arms had been in. Rook's arms dropped, and she couldn't help but gasp in relief. Her shoulders ached, and her fingertips tingled as blood flow returned to normal. She looked at Tolan suspiciously, but he moved away to go stand next to where Theodynn was sitting. The guard had been silent during the whole exchange, but she didn't miss the way he was holding his katana hilt now that Rook was somewhat free. She wanted to be relieved that they had released her from her shackles, but there was a tension in the air that made her wary. "What questions do you have, then? I'll tell you the truth...whether you feel like you can trust me or not."
Theo frowned in thought, and he finally tilted his head. "What was your nightmare about?"
"What?"
"You were having a nightmare, when we first came in," he pointed out. "What was it about?"
Rook clenched her jaw, but there was a challenge in Theo's gaze. "I dreamed you sent Quazier in to kill me," she admitted at last, holding his stare. Theo's eyebrows raised in surprise, and she waited to see what he would say.
"Why did you really bring Quazier back?"
"I already told you: I wanted to take down the king piece. We're on the same side, Theodynn—"
"The only side you're on is your own," he countered coldly. "What I don't understand is what you thought you'd gain out of coming back here. Did you think you could hand over the trade leader and we'd forgive everything else you'd done?"
Rook took a deep breath, exhaling slowly. "I...made the wrong choice before. I was hoping this could show you that I'd realized it."
"So you were hoping to get a clean slate out of all of this...even after you tried to hand me over for a hefty profit."
"I was wrong to do that!" Rook snapped. "That's what I'm trying to—"
"You only think it was wrong because you got caught," Theo pointed out. "Had everything gone to plan, would you have regretted handing me over?"
"Yes." Rook maintained eye contact, willing him to believe her.
He just scoffed. "I guess we'll have to see," he murmured.
"I was in an impossible situation!" Rook argued, pushing herself to her feet. Tolan's grip tightened on his katana hilt, and Theo cautiously stood as well as he studied her warily. What on earth did they think she could do, anyway? She had no powers, no weapon...she was at their mercy. Why did they insist on treating her like some rabid sniffer? "Everyone breathing down my neck...telling me not to mess up, or else."
"You didn't seem very regretful when you thought you had won," Theo argued darkly. "I wouldn't expect so much gloating from someone who wasn't committed completely to the choice."
"It was just a show—"
"Everything is just a show with you, it seems." Theo threw up his hands in frustration. "That's the problem when you're an accomplished liar, Rook...you're never really telling the full truth. Even now—"
"I'm trying to!" she snapped, her fists clenching. "I had my back up against a wall, all right? If I didn't get you to the Ravine, Quazier was going to oust me. My options were to take you into custody, or face the wrath of you and the whole royal family when you found out that I wasn't who I said I was. The only way out I could see was..." She trailed off suddenly, and finally broke eye contact. She could feel the flush running up her neck as well as Theo and Tolan's eyes staring at her.
"Was turning me over to the Buyer?" Theo guessed. Rook hesitated; she wasn't sure whether to let him believe his accusation, or actually tell the full truth. The thought of confessing her true plan filled her with humiliation, but after a moment, she steeled herself.
"No." She took a deep breath before forcing herself to face him again. "I thought that I could avoid the consequences of both sides, if I could get you to love me." Silence fell, but Rook found she couldn't let it linger too long. She rushed on, her face still burning. "But that night we played chess—you made it clear you didn't. That's when I realized you weren't going to take my side. You wouldn't protect me from Quazier, nor would you have any reason to keep any of your promises, the second you realized who I actually was. The only chance you would have thought me worth saving was if you deeply cared about me...and you didn't."
She stopped talking, waiting for Theo or Tolan to reply. They both were studying her intently, but neither spoke. Tears stung her eyes as Rook huffed, angry that they wouldn't even respond to the truth, now that she had risked the humiliation to offer it.
"So I brought you to the ravine," she continued. "I turned you over to save my own neck, because I was sure it was the only way I wasn't going to get run through...because even if you didn't kill me yourself or lock me up for my lies, someone else would. Either Quazier would send someone, or Ottan would."
"Ottan?" It was the first time Tolan spoke, and Rook scowled.
"So surprised? He had his finger in the slave trade pot, and he told me what he would do to me if I messed everything up. Not that I thought I could do more to the trade than ruin Quazier's coveted shipment. Even with all the time you and I spent planning on taking down the trade...I never actually thought it would be possible to eradicate it completely." She shook her head. "But then, you did just that. All at once, it was all over...and I had landed myself on the losing side. And as bad as that was, you just had to go and make it that much worse by letting me go."
"Worse?" Theo's tone was hard to interpret, and she turned back to glower at him.
"You kept your promise," Rook pointed out angrily, her voice just a whisper. "After everything I did, you let me go. And I realized that if you were willing to keep your promises then, after you knew exactly who I was and what I did to you..." Her voice broke. "Then you would have sided with me, if I had chosen to betray Quazier instead of you. If you were willing to let me go after you knew I was a traitor...then you wouldn't have locked me up if I had confided the truth in you that night."
Rook laughed bitterly to keep her from crying anymore. Bad enough she was having to admit all her flaws—being emotional about it was worse. This was the first time she had cried in front of the Prince, and she wiped her face as she forced herself to continue.
"I made the wrong choice," she repeated simply. "But I didn't think I could trust you...not with who I really was. I should have known you were more trustworthy than Quazier, though. Through all these years, he's made so many promises...but there are so few he's ever kept." She grimaced in anger. "He probably wouldn't have even kept his promise that I would go free after turning you over, even if everything had gone smoothly. At the first sight of trouble, or the first time he needed something done he didn't want to be bothered with himself, he would have tracked me down and dragged me back into it all over again." Rook threw her hands up in defeat and leaned up against the back wall of the cell. "So, to answer your question...that's why I tracked him down. That's why I threw him on the back of a hoofer and dragged him back here to the fortress. Of everyone who got caught...of everyone who got screwed over in all of this, he's the one who really deserved to get dragged through the mud."
The silence returned, but this time, Rook didn't bother trying to fill it. Crying had left her drained, and she took a shuddery breath as she watched to see what they would say. Tolan was the one who spoke first, his hand still resting on the hilt of his katana.
"You didn't have to bring him all the way back," he mused. "You could have took him down without taking the credit—left him tied up somewhere for us to find, or given us an anonymous tip. I just don't really understand what you hoped to gain by turning yourself in along with him."
Rook shrugged, but this time, she found she couldn't meet Theodynn's eye. At last, the Heir spoke up.
"What does the Buyer look like?"
Rook frowned, not sure whether to feel relieved or hurt that he didn't even bother commenting on everything else she had just told him. "Yellow skin, grey hair. His eyes were weird...I can't put my finger on what was off about them."
"They looked like mine?"
"No. Well, yes...kind of. But they were grey..." Rook shuddered. "He didn't really blink. And something about him just felt cold, and dangerous."
"He threatened you?"
"No. He was polite...almost too polite. That made it almost worse. He wasn't like Quazier, or Ottan, or others I've known. He didn't seem to think it necessary to make me fear him...like there was no need to prove how powerful he was. But I knew he was powerful...there was just something about him..." Rook shivered again, and finally blocked the memory out again.
"Do you know what his name is?"
"I don't remember him introducing himself," Rook said. "But it was a long time ago. Maybe he told me...but I just can't remember."
Theo looked lost in thought, and he finally shrugged. "Well, if he did tell you, we'll know soon enough." He gestured to Tolan, who came over with a length of rope. Rook narrowed her eyes as he approached, but she didn't fight the guard as he bound her wrists together.
"I still don't understand how you think you can prove if I'm telling the truth or not," Rook pointed out.
"I'll explain later," Theo offered aloofly as he turned to leave the cell. "For now, we've got a hoofer ride ahead of us."