103
An idea nagged at the back of Julien's mind the second his mind drifted out of sleep long enough to latch onto it. As his eyes opened, he realized he was staring at the ceiling of his laboratory prison. For a moment, panic seized him, but then a familiar voice spoke to calm his fears.
"I am still here, Julien."
The young scientist turned to see Zane still sitting next to the machine. Somehow he had ended up on his cot, and his father smiled gently as if he could read his son's mind.
"I moved you so you could get better rest."
Julien didn't answer as he sat up and turned to face the Nindroid. The thought in his mind continued to bounce around, and Zane frowned.
"What is it?"
"Are elemental and Oni power considered opposites?"
Zane blinked in surprise, but Julien could see that he was thinking seriously about the question. "In some ways, I suppose," the nindroid offered. "There has not been much scientific study done on elemental powers, and next to none on Oni power. I have spoken to Cole and Keyda about it before, and they mentioned what they were taught by Oni healers."
"What were they taught by Oni healers?" Julien asked as he stood and came over to the table with his father. It felt like the machine was staring at him from its place on the table, and Julien felt the anxiety from the previous days leak back into him.
"They said that Oni Aura is emotional, while elemental power is physical. I am not sure whether they should be categorized as opposites, or merely two sides of a whole." Zane shrugged. "It is something I have always wanted to research more into, if I am being honest. Why does it matter if they are opposites?"
Julien stared at the machine, the bars on its side glowing just as brightly as ever with the Oni power it was storing inside. "Zerek wants the elements," he said at last. "But even though we know that chronosteel can house elemental power, and vengestone can block elemental power, I have made no progress with the metals alone in isolating and withdrawing the elements."
"It is difficult, what he is asking," Zane agreed, his expression clouding. "I know it is technically possible for elemental masters to transfer their own powers into others, as that is how I obtained my element from the Master of Ice before me." The Nindroid fiddled with a wrench on the table. "Regrettably, I must confess that I have no idea how to initiate such a transfer. I suppose I always thought that I would figure it out eventually...when I would pass on the element to you."
Julien's throat tightened, and he kept himself from looking at his father. Gaining possession of the element of ice was never something Julien necessarily wanted—in his mind, Zane did a perfect job at containing and utilizing the element for the realm's greater good. Other elemental masters had to pass on their elements as age became a detrimental factor...but considering that Zane was a nindroid, and thus ageless, Julien had always told himself that it would never become necessary for him to pick up the mantle. His father had brought the topic up on occasion, but when Julien shut him down each time, the Nindroid eventually stopped talking about it.
"A voluntary elemental transfer might help Zerek obtain the element of ice from you, but I doubt that Colby would ever be willing to relinquish his willingly." Julien swallowed hard. "For one, he has made it clear he does not want to give it up. For another, I...I do not know what state he is currently in, or if he would have the mental capacity for a transfer, even if he was willing or did know how to do it."
He could feel Zane's eyes on him. "What has Zerek been doing to Colby?"
"I do not know," Julien whispered, his stomach clenching painfully. His father put a hand on his shoulder.
"We will stop Zerek," he promised.
"The only way he will stop is if he gets what he wants," Julien countered, wiping at the tears that had begun to form. "We have to crack the secret of how to withdraw the element."
"Well, I have been working on possible solutions while you were sleeping," Zane offered, turning to a variety of circuits he had lined up on the table. "Unfortunately, I am afraid that all have failed my mental simulations. There is something missing—the key to locking onto the element."
Julien took a deep breath. He wasn't sure if Zerek was listening from the other side of the one-way mirror. Even if he wasn't, Julien knew the scientist was probably recording Zane and Julien's work in some way. The young scientist didn't want to voice his ideas aloud, knowing that it would only give Zerek a new direction to travel in...but they also couldn't afford to hesitate.
"What if...what if the opposite powers can draw each other, like opposite poles on a magnet?" he finally said. The idea hung in the air, and Zane leaned forward.
"You mean...use Oni aura to draw out elemental power?" the Nindroid asked. Julien nodded once, and Zane rubbed his chin in thought. "I have seen elemental power and oni power interact with each other in the past, such as in battles," he admitted. "Based on my observations, one power does not seem to have tendencies to draw OR repel the other."
"Perhaps not in isolation, but what if elemental power was interacting with metal charged with Oni aura? If you take a normal metal and imbue it with charge, you can magnetize it. What if there was a way to do something similar to chronosteel or vengestone? Not to create magnetic fields...but maybe to create something similar to them...something that would have similar push and pull when put in proximity to the opposite force?"
Zane was quiet, and Julien reached out to grab the machine.
"In history, there have only been a handful of times where elemental powers were pulled completely from elemental masters against their will. One was when you and your team had your powers stolen by Chen, using methods of sorcery. The other was when Wu and Garmadon used blades of chronosteel to withdraw the elemental powers of criminal Masters. It is the latter that I researched earlier in Zerek's personal library. Again and again, I came to the conclusion that the only reason it was possible for them to do so when others could not was because of their relation to the First Spinjitzu Master. I think I was right about that...but I wonder if it is not just the virtue of having such a powerful father that made it possible. What if...what if it was because of the Oni power they possessed that they were able to turn the chronosteel blades into something that could withdraw elemental power?"
Silence fell, and Julien risked glancing at his father at last. Zane was quiet, but then he reached out to grab a scrap of chronosteel left on the table. "I have been experimenting," the nindroid admitted at last.
Julien felt goosebumps rise on his arms. "Experimenting how?" he demanded.
"With the reaction between elemental power and chronosteel," Zane explained, turning the small chunk around in his hand. "I can hold it without it affecting the element inside of me. It differs from vengestone in that way. If I try to force elemental power into it..." Zane's hand crackled with ice, and Julien reached out to grab his arm.
"Careful!" he warned. Zane turned and smiled gently.
"Do not worry; the chronosteel accepts the power that I force into it, but it does not try to draw further power from me."
Julien hesitated as he heard that. Zane set the chronosteel down on the table. "I know you cannot scan object energy like I can...but the power in the metal fades after I put it down, like a coal leaving a fire. It seems like it can hold elemental power...but unless it contains the very source of the power—like the time blades did— the chronosteel does not remain energized. The energy escapes." Zane hesitated before reaching out for the machine in front of Julien. "Based on what you are saying, there could be a different reaction between my element and this alloy if we add the variable of Oni power." Zane began lifting the lid of the machine. "If you are correct, then the chronosteel in here that is packed with Oni power should technically have an effect on my elemental power."
Julien reached out and slammed the lid of the machine closed. Zane turned to him, and Julien trembled as he fixed his father with a fierce look. "We are not going to experiment on you to test my theory," he hissed. "There is no proof of what I am hypothesizing!"
"It is the only way we will know," Zane pointed out. "We have established that lives are at risk if we cannot solve this puzzle."
"But I will not risk your life in experimentation," Julien snapped. "There has to be some other way we can figure it out."
Zane smiled sadly. "This is the only way, Julien... and the only reason Zerek is allowing me to stay. He is allowing us to experiment now on our terms, but if take too long, I am sure he will force us to experiment on his."
Julien kept his grip on his father's arm. If they began testing on Zane, and something went wrong...
"We will be careful," the Nindroid pointed out gently. "I am not saying we should take unnecessary risks, but there are ways that we could gather evidence for your theory."
"This machine is able to suck large quantities of energy extremely fast," Julien warned. "I saw it drain a large-volt battery in less than a minute."
"I am not saying that we should hook me up to the machine—based on my scans and what I have been told it is capable of, I would assume that would end poorly," Zane agreed. "I just mean we should direct our attention to the oni-power-charged chronosteel core and see if my element will react to it that way."
"I...we can't risk it. Father..."
"It will be okay."
Julien's words died in his throat as Zane reached out to squeeze his hand. The young scientist sagged in defeat, and Zane turned back to the machine. He lifted the lid once again, and Julien reached out to grab the machine. "Let me. It is...finicky."
Zane nodded, and removed his hand so that Julien could carefully dismantle the outer shell. Eventually, he managed to expose part of the chronosteel core, and Zane frowned as he studied it.
"Interesting."
"What?" Julien asked, wondering if they would be able to deduce enough through observation that further experimentation wouldn't be needed.
"With the vengestone shell in place around it, the Oni power remained compacted in the chronosteel. But now that you have exposed the core, the power is slowly diffusing."
"That is why I incorporated the vengestone," Julien admitted. "It lines the chronosteel in the circuits as well, guiding the power directly into the core." He frowned at the partially dismantled machine. "I am surprised that the power would be leaving the core—chronosteel is notorious for hoarding power."
"The power is not diffusing quickly...but it seems we were right to assume that chronosteel cannot permanently contain power without containing the actual power source."
Julien wondered briefly what would have to be done to imbue chronosteel with an Oni's power source, but then he shuddered. From what he knew, an Oni's power source was part of their physical makeup. He doubted it could be removed.
The two scientists studied the interior of the machine for a little longer. "What now?" the young scientist finally murmured.
Rather than answer, Zane lifted his hand. Ice began to crackle around his fingertips, appearing as if from thin air. Julien watched the process—it was something that he had grown up watching, but it never ceased to fascinate him. Elemental power was something that did not seem to follow the scientific rules he had studied all his life...but Julien had long since decided that the mysterious forces must follow their own kind of scientific rules.
Zane kept his elemental power circling his hand as he drew closer to the core. As he approached it, Julien realized he could see little pieces of ice floating in a systematic way through the air...as if they were being drawn into the piece of exposed core.
"How interesting," Zane said thoughtfully as he moved his hand slightly closer. "I can definitely feel a pull, as if—"
Zane's thought was cut off as his hand suddenly lurched forward against his will, closing the few-inch gap between his frosty fingers and the exposed piece of chronosteel. For a moment, Julien couldn't process what had happened. Years of experience assured him that Zane knew what he was doing, and that this must be part of the nindroid's planned experimental process. However, that trust faded quickly as Julien realized his father was shaking, a strange hum coming from him as his blue eyes flashed erratically.
"No!" Julien managed, the fear choking the yell as he grabbed Zane's forearm with the intent to pull it from the machine. As soon as he clamped onto the Nindroid's cold metal skin, however, a freezing shock shot up his arm and into his body. The young man lurched backward, his legs giving out. His body smacked the unforgiving floor, and he would have thought he was unconscious, except that his eyes were still open. The pounding of footsteps echoed on the tile under his face, and he could hear robotic voices giving orders. His limbs felt lax, and his lungs tried desperately to fill.
Insulation needed for extraction
The android is to be moved into the stasis room for further testing
Julien wanted to scream at them to stay away from his father, but his vision was already fading.
Defibrillation advised—subject is experiencing cardiac arrest.
Move.
The last voice was Zerek's, and Julien was distantly aware of his body being rolled over. His consciousness felt like it was sliding away, the sound of tearing fabric and monotone voices fading into a mindless hum. Just as he had lost all connection to reality, another explosive shock rocketed through his body. Pain registered in Julien's mind, as well as Zerek's voice.
Julien...
He was barely aware of the fact that he was breathing again before he blacked out.
The door opened, and Theo wished he could walk into the room with his head held high. He wanted the confidence of someone who knew they were in the right...but confident wasn't something he was going to be able to muster. So rather than walk into the guarded room with the self-assurance of a king, he walked in feeling like a child who had to face the consequence of a mistake.
Rook was sitting on the bed, and he couldn't interpret the look she gave him as she watched him come in. The door behind him closed, though Theo knew that Tolan and others were standing right outside. For a few moments, Rook and Theo just stared at each other...but the young man finally glanced away at the bowl of food on the floor.
"Not hungry?" he finally asked.
"How long do I have to stay in here?"
Theo ran his hand through his hair, feeling guilty about the numb way Rook was talking. "Not much longer."
"Because you're throwing me back in the dungeon?"
"No." Theo hesitated a little longer before coming over. He wanted to sit down to talk, but there wasn't any furniture except for the bed that Rook was already sitting on. So instead, he stood awkwardly in front of the bed. Not sure how to continue the conversation, he glanced back over at the bowl. "You really should eat something. I can send for a new bowl."
"Why? Is it going to be awhile until I get to eat again?"
"I just think it's been awhile since you ate last," Theo countered. Rook huffed, not meeting his eye as she looked out the window. Her hair was down—it was the first time Theo had ever seen it not pulled back into her usual bubbly braid. He thought about mentioning it, but decided against it. It probably wasn't an appropriate time for small talk.
"You were right." Rook's voice was soft as she stared out the window, and Theo frowned.
"About what?"
"The view of the sunrise is really good from this room," she mused. "This is the same one that I stayed in all those days ago...isn't it?"
Theo glanced at the window. "Yeah."
"Why put me in a room, instead of the dungeons? Is my trial today?"
"I thought you deserved a good night's sleep after...after visiting Iona."
Rook snorted. "Well, the nightmares made that impossible."
Theo felt another twist of guilt. He thought about apologizing, but he had already apologized. Besides, he wasn't here for them to sit and blame each other for things. "I need your help," he finally admitted. Rook's expression flickered, and she finally looked up at him. As she met his eye, he realized how different she looked, and not just because her hair was down. The Rook from a few weeks ago was collected and cocky, rarely without a grin and a mischievous glint in her eye. The woman sitting on the bed now seemed distant and haunted, barely able to maintain eye contact for more than half a minute.
"What help?" she asked, her brow crinkling.
"We've established that you know what the Buyer looks like," Theo pointed out. "One of the only people who do...and I think of everyone else who would know, you would be the most likely to help me find him." Theo took a deep breath. "I need you to come to Ninjago with me."
Rook stared. "You...what?"
"The Buyer is from my father's home realm—Ninjago. We have to go there and stop him as soon as possible. From what we know, he acquired powered Oni the last time he was here, and if what Quazier was saying was true—"
"You talked to Quazier?" Rook's expression darkened. "What did you promise him in return for his compliance?"
"I managed to get him talking," Theo said, trying to gloss over his conversation with Quazier. "He mentioned that the Buyer was after powered Oni, which leads me to assume—"
"What did you promise him?" Rook's eyes blazed with some of her old fire, and she leaned forward as her expression became fierce. Theo blinked in surprise at the outburst of emotion.
"I promised I wouldn't drive my sword through his gut," Theo said, studying her closely. "Threatening him seemed to be the only way to get it through his head that I wasn't negotiating for the information he had."
Rook's eyes darted across Theo's face, as if she were trying to decide whether she could trust him. "You sure you didn't promise he could have revenge on a certain assassin of his who went awry?" she asked softly. Understanding finally dawned, and Theo took a step closer as he shook his head.
"Of course not, Rook."
"It would have been a smart trade," Rook muttered bitterly, hugging herself. "You got what you needed out of my head already, after all. What else do you really need me for?"
"The procedure with Iona was merely a way for me to know if I could trust you," Theo reminded. "You passed the test. Now we have to go to Ninjago to find the Buyer—you're the only one who can identify him."
"Quazie could, since you guys are such good friends now."
"I'd hardly call us friends," Theo pointed out flatly. "He wouldn't last more than an hour on this kind of mission—if Tolan didn't run him through, I might. He's not exactly the type of person I would want to trust with anything important."
"And I am?" Rook's question hung in the air as she pushed her hair out of her face. "The girl who was willing to trade your freedom for mine?"
Theo rubbed at his face, and he finally shook his head. "Look, this isn't about me or you anymore. This is about the missing Oni. Two of them have unlocked powers...and they're children. If the Buyer is the kind of person I expect he is..." Theo trailed off, horrifying memories clawing at him. Rook watched him closely as he shuddered, and then he forced himself to continue. "The trade happened days ago. While I've been brooding, the Buyer could have done any number of experiments on them. With there still being no word from my parents, I can't wait any longer. I have to get involved."
Rook was quiet, her expression calm. "Welcome back, Theodynn," she said at last as she shifted on her place on the bed. "I was wondering how long it would take you."
Theo frowned. "What?"
"I was afraid I killed that passion—that urgent drive you always had to help people. But hearing you talking like this...it's proof, isn't it? That you're back in the game?" Rook said. Theo wasn't sure what to say, and a rare smile tugged at Rook's mouth. "Good. If our side doesn't have a king, then we'll have lost before we even started, right?"
"Don't," Theo snapped. "This isn't chess, Rook...this is serious. People's lives are on the line."
"Which is why it's important we win." She shoved her dark hair out of her face again.
Theo huffed. This argument wasn't worth it—they were drifting from the point. "When we get to Ninjago, we'll meet up with my parents and join the search that I'm sure they've already started. My sister Amber has done some research as well. They may already have suspects. If you can help us correctly identify the true Buyer, I'll have my parents take your cooperation into consideration when they hold your trial."
Rook laughed once, though it was without humor. "Are you... negotiating with me?"
"I think you'll find it in your best interest," Theo tried.
Rook shook her head. "You really think I need your promises?"
Theo frowned. "I'll keep my word. If you help us, then—"
"I didn't think you wouldn't," Rook countered, her rust-colored eyes fixed on his. "I meant do you really think you needed to promise me things for me to help you?" Theo went quiet, and Rook finally moved to get off the bed. She stood and faced him. "I'll do what I can to help you."
"I...um. Good." Theo nodded once, and Rook's mouth quirked up in a smile.
"Not expecting that?" she guessed. "I suppose I can't blame you. I...tend to have a habit of looking out for myself first. If I help you, I would hope that you would do one thing."
Theo eyed her warily. "What?"
"Would you just..." her expression flickered again. "Would you be willing to believe that I'm not the same person who betrayed you?"
Theo's expression darkened, and Rook nodded as she saw it.
"It would probably be harder to believe that than get your parents to go easy on me in trial, huh?"
"None of this has anything to do with us," Theo said at last. "What happened was...all of that is behind us now. All that matters at this moment is that we can find who the Buyer is."
"No." Rook came closer, and Theo resisted the urge to step back and give up ground. He tensed as she approached, but luckily, she stopped a few feet away. "I get that the Buyer is important...I get that we have to find all those Oni. But what happened between us is not behind us."
"Rook—"
"You can't just bury all of this and ignore it, letting it fester until it explodes," Rook pointed out. "You already did that, with that other girl..."
"Rook."
"I will help you find the Buyer...but we have to figure out where we stand. Because right now I'm having to guess and it's driving me absolutely mad."
"Where we stand?" Theo felt himself getting angry, and he clenched his fists to keep his voice calm. "What are you even getting at?"
"I can't figure you out!" Rook shouted, her expression becoming miserable. "Do you hate me? Want me dead? You should, after what I did, but then you let me go. Then I came back and you threw me in the dungeons, telling me that there's no way you can trust me, but the next thing I know you're involving me in a process that will prove that you can. I'm bouncing between a cell and the room with the 'best view in the fortress'...you're aloof and distant, and yet promising me mercy for help that you could force me to provide regardless. What's your game, Theodynn? Where do we stand? Because if you're going to make me think that there's even a chance that you could forgive me, and down the line you're just going to rip that away..." She grabbed the hair on her head, her expression twisting. "I can't deal with these mixed signals anymore!"
"You're one to talk about mixed signals!" Theo snapped before he could stop himself. He had promised himself and Jaqah that this conversation would be strictly business, and he wouldn't allow it to get heated. However, he couldn't help but shout back at the woman yelling at him. "You tried to kill me that night in the south...you tried to run me through, and then showed up on my doorstep the next day under the pretense of being in love with me, and then told me that what you really wanted was to dissolve the trade. But ultimately, it was all a lie...and now you're desperate and emotional. Who's the real Rook, huh? Have I ever even met her? Does a real Rook even exist, or have you spent so long lying to everyone and telling them what they want to hear that you don't even know who you are?"
Rook looked like he had slapped her, and she stumbled back a step. Theo buried his guilt in fury as he glowered at her.
"You sold me out without a second thought—"
"No. I sold you out with plenty of second thoughts!" Rook cut in, the tears leaking from her eyes now. "I hated myself for the decision I made, but it was the only one I thought I could make!"
"We were literally working on defeating the slave trade together!" Theo shouted. "All you had to do was tell me, and we could have stopped them together, and you would have had the freedom you claim you wanted—but instead, you delivered me up for the biggest payday of your life." Theo pointed an accusatory finger at her. "Quazier is down in that dungeon, raving at me for playing with your emotions. But you're the one who was kissing me one night and stabbing me in the back the next! You made me think that you were someone completely different...and then—"
"Don't you think I wanted to be the person I told you I was?" Rook cried, her voice becoming hoarse. "Don't you think I wished that my lies could have been the truth? That I could have been strong enough to escape from the traders when I was young, instead of being under Quazier's thumb for all those years? I wish I had escaped...I wish that I became some vigilante fighting against the trade. More than anything, I wish I realized that I could have trusted you with who I really was. But I was so sure that the second you found out, I would end up in the dungeons or worse."
"If you had told me what your true situation was, I would have helped you," Theo countered darkly.
"I know that now!" Rook's voice broke as she threw her hands up in the air. "But at the time, you spent every moment talking about how evil the traders were...what you would do to them once you found them. How was I ever supposed to tell you that I was one of them? That I helped sell people to the highest bidder...the very thing that you detest more than anything? You would have hated me!"
"I hated you a lot more, once I became one of the people sold to the highest bidder!"
"I didn't think you would actually get hurt," Rook said, wiping miserably at her face. "I know that sounds like a weak argument...and it's because it is. But you had fought and defeated me multiple times. I convinced myself that we would sell you, get the profit, I'd get my freedom, and you'd defeat the Buyer with ease. You have power, he doesn't. He's slow, and older, and you're young...I told myself that you'd be fine at the end of it. You'd hate me, sure, but you'd hate me no matter what, once Quazier told you who I really was. By the time you got back home, I'd be long gone with a new name and a new life, and our paths would never cross again."
"Or he could have wrapped me in vengestone, dragged me to who knows where, and strapped me to who knows what to experiment on me," Theo hissed hatefully. "For all you know, the Buyer could be someone like Evynn, who cuts us open to see how we work...or maybe he's like Matilda, and he's buying as many oni as he can to get rid of us slowly!"
Rook's expression clouded. "Who—"
"The point is, you had no idea what kind of fate you were sealing me to, and if you had actually cared about me at all, you wouldn't have been willing to risk it!"
His words echoed in the room, and they were followed by silence. Rook stared at him, and Theo sighed angrily. He tried telling himself it didn't matter. It didn't matter what Rook had tried to do. It didn't matter if Rook had ever cared about him or not. The silence stretched longer, and Theo finally huffed before turning to leave. He reached the door before Rook spoke up.
"I don't know how to care about people." Her tone was soft and full of bitterness, and Theo hesitated in spite of himself as she continued. "My whole life it's been do or die. Either I'm on top, or I'm on bottom. Either I pretend Quazier sees me as an equal and do his dirty work because I'm a trusted partner, or I have to admit that I do what he says because I know he and his gang are stronger than me and I'm scared of him. I sell the Oni lower on the food chain so that I can prove that I don't deserve to be down there with them, getting shipped off to who knows what fate." Her voice started to gain strength. "I know I screwed up, Theo. I...I felt safe around you. I felt safe in the lie...but then Quazier threatened to take that away. I panicked, and I did what I've always done. I put me first."
She paused, as if waiting for Theo to reply. He didn't even turn, reaching out to grab the doorknob. He could hear Rook groan behind him.
"I don't blame you for hating me...but I hate it. I hate that you hate me because I just wish...I don't know. That things were different. That I had been different. I don't know. But if you're going to drag me to this other realm to help you, I need you to believe that I'm doing it because I want to change. I want you to believe that I've changed...that I'm helping you as a way to make up for what I did wrong, not because you've promised me something in return."
Theo kept trying to get himself to turn the doorknob. He had said what he needed to say, and now he needed to leave. However, he found himself frozen in place as different thoughts whirled around his head. Without turning, he finally spoke again. "Why did you kiss me that night, if not to manipulate me?"
"I..." Rook trailed off. He heard her take a deep breath, and then she continued. "It was my last shot."
"Last shot at what?"
"If you had kissed me back, I wouldn't have taken you to the Inner Circle. I would have told you everything."
Theo's grip on the doorknob tightened. "What was the point of that kind of test?"
"My choices were to turn you over, or let Quazier expose me in revenge for not turning you over. If he had exposed me, I would have been imprisoned, or exiled, or killed. I...I thought that the only way you would protect me was if you loved me."
"So it was just another way to protect yourself," he pointed out numbly. "You didn't mean it."
Rook didn't answer, and Theo finally turned the doorknob and headed out of the room without turning back to look at her.
104
"In my opinion, you're the best in the field, Charlie. You're the one who defended the Oni against Matilda all those years ago...surely you think that all of this is more than just a coincidence?"
Ashley shifted in her seat in the hospital waiting room as she waited for the lawyer on the other side of the phone to answer. Charlie Coon had been a graduate student when Ashley had applied for the Ninjago City University's law program. They met when Ashely had taken one of Charlie's graduate-taught classes, and after witnessing his take down of Matilda O'Keefe three years earlier, Ashley had made a habit of going to him whenever it felt like she had hit a wall in her own work.
Charlie's sigh crackled over Ashley's cell phone. "Look, Smith..."
"I know that tone," she interrupted, her brow furrowing. "You're not seriously siding with Matilda, are you? You're the one—"
"Matilda O'Keefe is a real piece of work—I'm not suggesting otherwise. But you called me to ask if you thought you had enough to put together a case, and I'm sorry, but you've got basically nothing."
"Charlie, she was goading the Walker twins on when they went to ask about their missing brother. Matilda was the last one who had seen him. She claims that his girlfriend burst in, but Dani—the girlfriend—remembers nothing. Things aren't adding up!"
"I understand that there are a lot of mysteries in the situation, but if you tried to put a case together, it wouldn't hold water. You have circumstantial evidence at best...and even that is paper-thin."
"It doesn't make sense that she would have supported Colby. She hates us...Charlie, it would be the same as her paying off your law-school debt after you made her lose her court case. There's no motive!"
"I think most people would agree that it's a strange situation...but Matilda has done nothing wrong, Smith."
"Not that we know of, but—"
"Exactly. You can't base a case around something you can't back up. As awful as she is, the law is going to side with Matilda unless you find hard evidence. Innocent until proven guilty, remember?"
Ashley scowled, not saying anything.
"Look. There's a reason lawyers are encouraged not to get involved in personal cases. I taught all about it in my class, remember? How being connected to a situation can make us bias against facts, because we start looking at what we WANT to be true, instead of..."
"I get it," Ashley spat, sinking down into her chair. Deep down, she had already come to the same conclusion that Charlie had, but she had called him in a last-ditch effort to solve this mind-numbing puzzle. Even now, everyone else was out scouring the desert, looking for any sign of the other missing hikers. But with every passing hour that they stayed missing, Ashley's suspicions deepened. She had tried to question Dani again, but her family had transferred her to the Ninjago City Hospital, claiming that they needed to get out of "this barbaric country" as soon as possible. From what Ashley had seen, Dani had been against the idea, wanting to stay behind so that she could help look for Colby, Amber, and the others once she recovered. In the end, the doctors had agreed to the transfer as long as Dani could continue to be monitored in a hospital environment, and her family had whisked her back to Ninjago City.
At the moment, Ashley was waiting for the other found hiker—Julien's girlfriend. The fledgling lawyer had hoped that Agatha would be able to tell her more about what had happened, but last she heard, Agatha was still fighting for her life. With the info she could gather from nurses and Agatha's loved ones here at the hospital, the beautiful scientist had been poisoned by a snake bite and was currently battling acute kidney failure.
"Are you still there?" Charlie asked
"Yeah, just thinking about how everything is working against us," Ashley muttered bitterly. "If nothing else, that alone makes me think there's more to this whole situation than an unlucky turn of fate."
"Call me again if you find more evidence, all right? I'm not saying there ISN'T anything dodgey going on, but you'll need something more concrete in order to form a case."
"Right. Thanks, Charlie."
"Any time, Smith."
The phone call ended, and Ashley wiped at her face. For a moment, she allowed herself to stew in self-pity, but then she shook her head. "The Smiths never quit," she reminded herself, pushing herself to her feet. She walked over to the nurse running the check-in desk. "Excuse me, I was wondering if there has been any change in Ms. Agatha Axel in room 332?"
The nurse pursed her lips, having already given Ashley the speech about how classified information can only go to family members. After a minute, she seemed to decide that she didn't want to fight that battle and typed into her computer. "I'm sorry, she is still not in a state to take visitors at this time," the receptionist said at last, and Ashley nodded to herself.
"All right. I'll be back later, then." The lawyer turned and headed back to the waiting room.
Theo stormed down the hall, furious at Rook for forcing him into that kind of conversation and furious at himself for losing his temper. Tolan and Jaqah had warned against him going to talk with her, and when he came out of the room with his fists clenched and his expression dark, Tolan had merely raised an eyebrow. Now, the bodyguard trailed behind him as Theo headed to his room to pack.
"So she's not coming now?" Tolan asked.
"Oh, she's coming," Theo snapped as he threw open his door and to grab the duffel bag he always packed. After looking for it for a few minutes with no success, Theo remembered that he had left it behind in Ninjago after transporting home after his last visit. He sighed heavily, but he supposed that he could just stop by his grandfather's home and use the same packed duffel rather than packing something else. Though it was hard to know exactly how long they would be gone.
"And you're prepared for—"
"Look, I have to find Raiyn and Teag before it's too late," Theo snapped, turning to face his bodyguard. "I know Rook lied, and is part of the whole reason that they're even missing, but she's also the only one who is going to be able to recognize the Buyer."
"I was going to ask if you're prepared for the Council," Tolan corrected. "They're not going to be happy with you showing up out of the blue, from what I've heard about them."
Theo sighed, grabbing a small bag to put a few essentials. "I'm actually pretty much past caring about what the council thinks."
Tolan smirked. "Good."
Theo stuffed a few last things into the smaller bag and slung it over one shoulder, and then he turned to face his bodyguard. "Look, Tol...I know you were planning on coming, but—"
"No 'but'. I'm definitely coming, especially if Rook is."
"After what Pippa's been through, you should be around for her and Syn. As it is, you've already had to get tied into all of this Rook stuff and interrogation and—"
"I'm coming." Tolan's tone made it clear there was no room for argument.
"Then you're going to have Syn after both of us," Theo pointed out.
"Don't worry about Syn—I already filled her in. She wants Hot stuff and Raiyn found as soon as possible...in fact, if we weren't worried about Pip transporting after us, Syn would probably be joining us on the search."
Theo took that information in stride and finally sighed. "I feel like I'm always pulling you into this stuff."
"I feel like you don't realize that I signed up for this." Tolan raised an eyebrow. "I know what I got myself into...and I've known you long enough to know what you'll continue getting me into. If I cared, I wouldn't have stuck around all these years."
"Is that supposed to make me feel better?"
"The truth usually does, with you."
Theo finally smiled a little. "When can you be packed by?"
"When do you want to leave?"
"As soon as possible. There's not really any point in dragging it out—the council will be just as mad at me popping into Ninjago now as they will be if I did it tomorrow."
They left Theodynn's room, heading toward the barracks.
"I have stuff I keep here," Tolan pointed out. "Give me thirty minutes to—"
"Prince Theodynn! There you are!" A boisterous voice cut into Tolan's words, and Theo looked up in surprise to see Tobias Bentworth coming down the hall. Theo wasn't sure whether to feel relieved the ambassador had finally shown up or irritated that it had taken him this long.
"Where have you been?" Theo demanded. The ambassador looked out of breath as he ran to catch up.
"Ninjago...I got wrapped up in the search, given my expertise of the Metallonian Wildlands..."
"Metallonia?" Theo asked, trying to keep up. "That's where they think the Buyer is from?"
"Buyer? Oh...oh, no, actually..."
"Wait, the accent," Theo cut in, frowning in thought. "That makes sense—the Buyer must be from somewhere outside of Central Ninjago, if Rook said it sounded like an accent. Of all the surrounding regions, Metallonia could have the most—"
"Prince Theodynn, I have dire news. Well...perhaps dire gives too grim a connotation, but I also wouldn't classify it as good news..."
"Wait...what news?" Theo asked, focusing on the man in front of him. Tobias's expression was crinkled in an uncharacteristic display of discomfort, and Theo began to have a bad feeling.
"Princess Amber is missing." The ambassador's word's came out slowly, as if expecting Theo to have a dramatic reaction. If anything, Theo barely reacted. He stared at Tobias, and the Ninjagoan cleared his throat. "Um...Prince Theodynn..."
"When?" The question came out surprisingly clear, and Tobias tugged at his mustache.
"Last Friday. She and a group of friends went hiking in Metallonia, and something must have gone awry with the—"
"No." Theo brushed past Tobias.
"Theo..." Tolan called after him, but Theo ignored him as he charged down the hall. It didn't take him too long to get where he was going, and the guards at the door looked up in surprise as he came storming over.
"Move." Technically, Theo didn't have the authority to command the guards since he gave up his title, but it seemed they didn't feel like arguing with him. One quickly unlocked the door while the other stepped to the side. By the time Theo was entering the room, Tolan and Tobias had caught up.
"I assure you, there are multiple search parties combing the area where Princess Amber last was," Tobias offered. The guards stopped the ambassador at the door, though they let Tolan pass, and Tobias blinked in confusion. "Prince Theodynn?"
"What's all the commotion?" Rook asked. She was sitting on the ground now, her back up against the wall with the window behind her. She eyed Theo's angry expression warily before glancing over at Tolan.
"When did Quazier make the deal with the Buyer?" Theo demanded. Rook's brow furrowed, and the young man tried not to yell as he repeated himself. "The Deal concerning me—when did the Buyer hire you guys to take me?"
"I...um...give me a second." Rook still seemed lost, but she frowned in thought. "Quazie came to me on...Saturday. That's when the transport came too, I think, because he said that they made the deal that day." She glanced up to meet Theo's eye. "Why?"
Theo turned away, his hands shaking with anger and urgency. "I'm so stupid," he hissed. "I should have seen this coming."
"What's going on?" Tolan demanded. "Seen what coming?"
"It's the Buyer!" Theo snapped, whirling on his guard.
"What about him?"
"He has Amber...he has to. What are the chances she goes missing the day before he puts a bounty on my head? I should have realized this could happen...if someone's willing to pay a fortune for powered Oni, it'd be a lot easier to nab one in your home realm than trying to catch one in another." Theo shook his head as he made further connections. "I'm an idiot...I sent her into this by having her research for me!"
"What research?" Tolan asked.
Tobias called from the doorway, where the guards were still barring his entry. "Based on evidence, she wasn't taken—she and her fellow travelers went missing while exploring Metallonia..."
"She didn't go to Metallonia to explore!" Theo snapped, whirling on him. "She went to research the Buyer for me!"
"I...well." Tobias blinked. "That information has not come up yet in the investigation."
"That's because I told her not to tell anybody!" Theo said, his guilt compounding. "She went to Metallonia so Julien could help her figure out where the chains originated from."
"Julien? You mean, Julien Cyrus? The son of the famed Nindroids of Ninjago?" Tobias asked. "He...is also currently missing."
"What chains?" Tolan added, studying Theo carefully.
"The vengestone chains I found while I was out exploring the trader caves the night Rook tried to kill me!" The yell echoed off the stone walls, and Theo could feel everyone staring at him. Eventually, Tobias broke the silence.
"So...you believe Princess Amber's disappearance was foul play?"
"It had to be," Theo said, feeling nauseous. "Amber's a Xinta. She defeated Evynn...there's no way she would disappear hiking in Metallonia. She can transport, for crying out loud."
"Well...in full disclosure, you are not the only one to suspect foul play," Tobias mused from the doorway.
Theo glanced up and sighed as he realized that Tobias was still being blocked from entering. "For Ancient's sake, let him in," he told the guards. They obeyed, and Tobias straightened his ostentatious necktie as he walked into the room.
"I know there are a few young ladies looking at the disappearance from every angle...and even I have found a few peculiarities in this 'case of the missing hikers' mystery."
"What are you talking about?" Tolan asked, sounding like he wasn't sure he really wanted to know. It was no secret that Tolan wasn't fond of the eccentric ambassador.
"Take the survivors, for instance," Tobias pointed out as he stroked his beard.
"Survivors?"
"There was a whole group who went missing," the ambassador explained. "Recently, two of them were found in the desert, wounded and malnourished. The one young lady was said to be dealing with complications of a Metallonian Rock Viper bite, which is strange, given where she was located."
"Get to the point," Tolan urged exasperatedly.
"The point being, I myself lived in the Metallonian Wilds for about eight months while doing wilderness survival training. I became well acquainted with all of the country's venomous snakes...as well as its venomous bugs, venomous plants, venomous bears..."
"What in ancient's name is a venomous bear?" Tolan muttered.
"Oh, well, in short, it's a regular bear suffering from a rabid state due to interaction with one of several of Metallonian's venomous—"
"Why was the snake bite strange?" Theo urged.
"The snake bite, right." Tobias turned his attention back to Theo. "You see, Prince Theodynn, it's still early in the season for Rock Vipers," Tobias said. "Fifty years ago, the Metallonian Wilds would be crawling with them by now, but weather patterns have shifted since then. It stays colder for longer in Metallonia nowadays, and given that snakes are cold-blooded creatures, I would assume that most Metallonian Rock Vipers would still be in hibernation for another few weeks. Even if the young lady did come across one, I find the forearm a strange place for a bite. The viper could have locked onto a leg, or an ankle, given that their two-inch long fangs can easily pierce through clothing. Or if she was on all fours, it would have gone for the eyes." Tobias shuddered hard. "They have a sweet spot for eyes, those Rock Vipers."
"Who was she? The girl who was found?" Theo demanded, not sure whether or not to include Tobias's knowledge of snakes in the evidence he was collecting.
"There were two who were found. Agatha Axel is the one suffering from the viper venom. Luckily, the other survivor seems to only have suffered from dehydration, malnutrition, and acute amnesia." Tobias frowned as he stroked his chin. "I say luckily, but as someone who has dealt with the migraines of dehydration, I suppose that it's actually—"
"Amnesia?" Theo snapped, a further sense of dread creeping into his theories.
"Well, yes. You see, that's the strangest thing of all—the girl woke up in the hospital after she was found and claims that she has no idea how she got there. Last she remembers, she was visiting Metallonia with her boyfriend, and the next things she knows—"
"She doesn't remember anything?"
"Well...nothing since Friday."
Theo didn't realize how light-headed he felt until Tolan was steading him. "Theo, you look like you're about to pass out," he pointed out. "When's the last time you ate something?"
"We have to go now!" Theo's eyes blazed with a sudden light, and the fortress around them groaned as the ground shifted and rumbled. Everyone seemed surprised at his vehement outburst. Surprisingly, it was Rook who spoke next. She had remained silent as she watched the discussion from the floor, but now she pushed herself to her feet as she shoved her hair out of her face.
"You heard the Prince," she said as she eyed Tolan and Tobias. "Let's go."
She really shouldn't be here. After her confrontation with the Walker twins, she really should be lying low. Relaxing in her Metallonian Mansion...maybe taking a day to shop or visit various art galleries. However, as Matilda's car pulled into the garage at Estyeer, she forced those thoughts aside. Nobody had the right to tell her she was overreacting. She got out of her car, grabbing her clutch in one hand and her cup of chain-restaurant coffee in the other.
Her high heels clicked on the stone floor as she entered the building, and almost immediately, Zerek's sunglassed staff met her.
"Ms. O'Keefe," one droned. "Dr. Zerek vas not expecting you today."
"No, I suppose not," she snapped back. She drew herself up, looking at the man coldly. Perhaps if she was a different kind of woman, she would apologize for coming with no notice, but she had long ago sworn off apologizing for anything. "I am here to see my son."
Neither of the staff members said anything, and Matilda sighed dramatically.
"Can neither of you tell me where to find him?" she snapped. "Or is Zerek going to tell me I am not allowed to see him? If that is the case, you may tell him—"
"Dr. Zerek is fully engaged in another matter," one of the men cut in. Matilda stiffened—she hated being interrupted. However, when the man continued, she relaxed a little. "Follow me. I vill take you to his cell."
"Cell," Matilda repeated, her nose wrinkling. There it was—the headache pulsing behind her eyes that she just couldn't seem to get rid of. She sipped at the caffeinated drink in her hand, hoping that the low-quality coffee could at least benefit her in that way. Matilda followed the men down the tacky corridor, grimacing at the furnishings. "Honestly, Zerek should have consulted me about the interior design of this place. I feel like I've been shot back in time five decades every time I come down this dreadful hallway."
"Room nine." The men in front of her stopped walking, and Matilda frowned as she looked at the door they were gesturing to.
"So, Marty is in there?" she demanded. They nodded slowly, and she shifted her weight to her other foot and took a long drink of coffee. "He's...unarmed, I hope?" She smirked a little, but the men's expressions might as well have been carved from stone. Matilda's smile faded, wondering if they knew she was stalling.
I'm not stalling, she corrected. I'm merely...preparing.
She gestured impatiently for one of the men to unlock the door, as if they were the ones holding her up. One moved to swipe the locking fob with a keycard, and the light by the door handle lit up green. As he turned the knob, Matilda asked herself one last time if there was really any reason to be doing this.
This is to make sure Zerek is keeping his word, she reminded herself. This is to make sure that he isn't lying to me, just like he's lying to the rest of the world. With that thought firmly in place, she marched through the door.
"I already know you won't be happy to see me," she said as she came into the room, wanting to at least be the first one to speak before the torrent of slander that was sure to come. However, she realized with a start that Marty wasn't on the bed, like she thought he would be. She frowned, turning to find him in the room. It didn't take long—the cell was rather small, after all. But rather continue her prepared speech, Matilda gasped. Coffee splashed out in every direction as her cup hit the floor.
105
"Dr. Zerek, Matilda O'Keefe is here," one of his staff informed him as he reached the hospice wing.
The lead scientist frowned. "Vat has brought her to Estyeer?"
"She insisted she visit her son."
"Intriguing," Zerek mused, but he didn't dwell long on the thought. The door opened, and he scanned the room's inhabitants. Teag was the only one awake, staring fearfully. Zerek ignored the Oni, though the fact that the boy's vitals seemed stronger was promising. The Master of Water was unconscious, being kept on the anesthetic.
The bed at the far end of the room was connected to monitors, and Zerek lowered himself into the seat as he scanned the sleeping young man. The heart rate pinging on one monitor was regular, if not very strong. It was set to alarm at any sign of arrhythmia, but it seemed the defibrillation Zerek had administered had corrected the natural rhythm. Though, the worry Zerek had was less to do with Julien's heart, though an important organ for survival, and more to do with the state of his brain. There would be no way to know how much Julien's mind was affected by the shock until he awoke...but the fact that he had not done so already was concerning.
Zerek studied Julien's still form a few minutes longer before turning to the nearest staff member. "Vat is ze state of ze android Zane?"
"His own system is still struggling to reboot. From vat ve have vitnessed, it has restarted ze process several times. Our estimate is zat he vill return to consciousness naturally in four hours. Any change to his internal structure vill need to occur before zen."
Zerek nodded slowly, his gaze still lingering on Julien. "And ze machine?"
"Ze full diagnostic review has been completed, on both machine and android. Ve can say viz certainty now zat ze element of ice vas successfully extracted."
A smile stretched across Zerek's features at last. "Very good. Is it vell contained vithin ze chronosteel core?"
"Ze element's power is continuous vithin ze chronosteel. Ze Oni power slowly vanes each time ze core is exposed."
"Because ze oni source is not vithin ze core," Zerek mused, thinking back on the conversation he had overheard between Zane and Julien. "It vill make it easy to isolate ze element vithin ze chronosteel, if all ve must do is vait for ze Oni power to naturally dissipate." He leaned back in the chair, calculating. "Ze copies of Julien's prototypes are ready for use, yes?"
"Affirmative."
"Prepare von for ze extraction of ze element of vater, and begin research on how to create small-scale versions of ze machine. Ze smaller it can be made vile still being functional, ze better."
The staff member nodded and then left for the robotics labs, and Zerek mentally logged into Estyeer's mainframe. He scanned the results of the various tests his staff had done on the machine and the androids, spending a few minutes calculating success ratios and what would need to be done before the androids would be allowed to wake from their stasis. Eventually, he allowed his mind to go back to the unexpected news that his staff had originally brought up.
"Vat is Matilda up to?" he murmured to himself, checking into the security cameras. It didn't take long to find her, and he raised an eyebrow as he realized that she seemed to be storming through the hallways toward this wing of Estyeer. The android pushed himself to his feet, studying the unconscious scientist one last time. "Begin ze surgery I have outlined for Julien Cyrus," he ordered. "I vill be back later to oversee its completion."
With the confidence that his orders would be followed perfectly, Zerek moved to leave. He sensed Teag shrinking away from him as he passed, and he smiled again. It was good that the young oni had survived the last draining. His energy would be needed to power the next elemental extraction.
The lead scientist hadn't made it far down the hallway before Matilda arrived to confront him. She was trembling with anger, and the android met her gaze calmly. "Vat brings you to Estyeer?" he asked.
"What is your game, Zerek?" the woman demanded.
"Zere is no game," the android promised, studying her closely. "I am doing vat ve set out to do, and ve have recently made great leaps toward our goals."
"No game?" the woman hissed. "Then please, explain to me why my son is still at Estyeer? If it was safe for you to release those two women, then it is safe to—"
"The young Openheimer vill be released as soon as ve have solid evidence zat Agatha Axel does not have any memories of zis place," Zerek explained calmly.
"Which will be when?" Matilda yelled. "I found him passed out in that cell you put him in, with that hideous jumpsuit hanging off of him...he's obviously lost weight, and based on what your staff could tell me, you've been starving him. Zerek, he's going to be dead by the time you let him go at this point!"
"Ve are monitoring his healz," Zerek assured with a shrug. "He should last at least a few more days, as long as ve provide him vith vater. Ze human body can last longer vithout food zan—"
"He was passed out on the floor, looking like he's moments from entering the Departed Realm! You had better start feeding him, or—"
"Loss of consciousness is a common side effect of malnutrition and dehydration. Ze state he is in vill assure zose who find him zat he has been fighting for his life in ze vilderness."
"Stop treating this so lightly," Matilda hissed.
"Stop treating zis so dramatically," Zerek offered.
Matilda flushed red. "How dare..."
"Ve must continue in our plans ze vay zey are, Ms. O'Keefe. Your son vill be released if and ven I know zat his knowledge of Estyeer vill not incriminate us. You should be on board vith such a plan—if your son is released as he is right now, zen he vill be able to tell ze whole vorld vat you have been involved vith all over again." Zerek raised an eyebrow. "Bad enough he ruined your reputation vonce...at zis point, I am unsure you vould escape incarceration."
"Are you threatening me?"
"Not at all. Just pointing out vat is on ze line for you, Matilda."
Zerek's scans proved that Matilda's heart rate was escalated, and her skin flushed with rage. It was interesting to him how invested she was in one prisoner, when it was clear she didn't care for any of the others. All just because of the connection they shared—the human familial label.
"Just make sure he's released today, Zerek."
"No." Zerek met her furious gaze calmly. "I vill release him ven it is safe for me to do so."
"You sociopathic—"
"I am surprised zat you are so against zis, in all honesty. It is hardly any different zan vat you did several years ago: Locking up a young man for a prolonged period of time, vitholding food, and eventually being villing to sacrifice his life if it helped boost your agenda." Zerek shrugged thoughtfully. "Yes, Zeodynn survived ze fire, but it vas not your intention zat he vould. I am happy he did, all zings considering. Zeodynn is much more valuable zan your son, after all."
Matilda's fists clenched, as he could see her trembling with anger. "How dare you," she whispered. Zerek merely raised an eyebrow.
"Shall I have my staff escort you back to your car? Or is zere somezing else you vere hoping to accomplish during your visit here at Estyeer?"
Matilda was trembling, and she drew herself up to full height as she stared him in the eye. "I could ruin you."
Zerek smiled thinly at the threat before voicing what the woman surely already knew. "Not vithout ruining yourself."
As desperate as he was to find his sister and discover the whereabouts of the Buyer, the second Theodynn appeared at his grandfather's house, he was overcome with a feeling of exhaustion. Part of it was probably due to the fact that he had transported both Tolan and Rook with him, but part of it was the mental load of realizing everything that was at stake. He leaned against one wall to keep his balance, and nearby, Tolan was orienting himself while Rook looked a little ill. No doubt she had transportation sickness once again, not to mention that the interior of his grandfather's house was probably jarring in its newness.
"Are you all right?" Tolan asked, and Theo looked over to see his bodyguard studying him carefully.
"Fine," Theo assured, forcing himself to straighten. He didn't have time to be tired, not with what was on the line.
"Theo?" His grandfather's voice came from the other room, and in a few moments, Lou walked into the front area. The retired performer studied the newcomers with surprise, but then his expression relaxed into a smile. "I hoped you would come, when you heard."
"Papa Lou." Theo crossed the room and embraced his grandfather, who hugged him tightly despite his age. Then Theo pulled away, staring at Lou intently. "Where are my parents?"
"Metallonia. They left with the two other Oni who came with them to search for Amber."
"We'll be heading there ourselves," Theo admitted.
"I figured you would, if you came," Lou agreed. The elderly man's expression drifted to the two other Oni in the room. "Now, let's see...I believe I remember your bodyguard from your birthday party...but I don't think I've met this particular young lady before."
Theo ignored his grandfather as he pulled away and headed for the phone. "Is Dad carrying his cell phone? He only ever uses it when he's in Ninjago, and he always forgets to take it with him."
"Theo, who is this?" Lou insisted, gesturing to Rook.
"Nobody. Is Dad—"
"Theodynn." Lou's voice was sharp with reproval, and Theo sighed. He turned to face his Grandfather, glancing at Rook before answering.
"That's Rook. She's an...associate. She's here to help us find the Buyer."
"Associate. I suppose I'll take that," the young woman muttered.
Lou's expression made it clear that he could see through Theo's thin explanation, but he let it go. "Cole made sure to take his phone; they're waiting for news from the council about any leads to the missing Oni. The two that came with your parents were adamant that they find them as soon as possible; I guess that their son is—"
"It's all connected, Papa Lou," Theodynn cut in, reaching the phone at last as he tried to remember his father's phone number. "The Buyer that has Hershel and Myrah's son and all the others has Amber too."
Lou blinked in surprise. "What do you mean?"
"I mean that he's managed to get ahold of Oni in multiple realms," Theo said darkly as he typed in the number. After the phone rang a few times, his father picked up. Theo hadn't spoken to Cole since their fight, and he steeled himself for the conversation. Get over it, Theo...Amber's on the line, and you don't have any time to waste.
"Pop?" Cole's voice came over the phone, and Theo took a deep breath.
"Dad, it's me." Silence fell, and Theo resisted the urge to fidget as he continued. "I'm at Papa Lou's, but I'll be coming to Metallonia soon. I...I know the council isn't going to be happy with me being here, but Tobias is flying in separately and said he would go talk to them on my behalf. I think I know what happened to Amber. Well...I think her disappearance isn't a coincidence."
"You...what?"
"I brought Tolan and Rook with me," Theo blurted, his grip on the phone tightening as the confessions came rushing out. Better to get it all out now rather than have his parents discover things later, after all. "I know you and mom probably wouldn't be happy about that but she's the only one who's seen the Buyer and she agreed to help us find him so we can find the slaves and Amber because I know he's got her too and I know we don't have a whole lot to go off of right now but I'm pretty sure based on Rook's description of accent that he's Metallonian and now that I'm here Raiyn could send me further dreams that could help me find him faster but—"
"Theo, slow down. I can't—"
"We can't afford to slow down because Amber is on the line!" Theo shouted into the phone. "I don't care if you're mad at me for coming, or for bringing Rook, because if you thought for one moment that I was going to sit and wait while Amber is missing then—"
"We knew you'd be coming," Cole cut in. "Do you have something to write with?"
Theo blinked at the question. "I...what?"
"I'll give you the coordinates of where we are in Metallonia so you can meet up with us as soon as possible. Do you have something to write the coordinates down?"
Theo's throat tightened unexpectedly, and after a moment he fumbled around for a pen and a scrap of paper. "Um...yeah, just...okay, I got something."
For the next few minutes, Theo jotted down the address his father gave him and mentally planned their trip into Metallonia.
"We did try to reach you about Amber, I promise," Cole said after their plans were completed. "We couldn't get the call to go through."
"I think something is wrong with our inter-realm communicator," Theo admitted. "I couldn't get it to go through to Amber's communicator or the council. I gave it to Tobias—he promised he'd take it to Borg to get it fixed."
"All right. We'll expect you guys on tomorrow's earliest train, and we'll be at the train station to wait for you."
"All right," Theo agreed, feeling a little less anxious now that the next part of their plan was figured out.
"Theo?"
"Yeah?"
"We're glad you're here."
The lump in Theo's throat grew larger, and he cleared it before answering. "Yeah. I'll see you guys soon." He hung up the phone, willing himself not to lose control of his emotions in front of the other three people in the room.
"You should get some rest," Lou said, speaking up in the silence that followed the phone call.
"I've got to order train tickets, and get things worked out with a cab..."
"Nonsense. I'll order the tickets—you and your friends need to get some rest. You look haggard, Theodynn." Lou came to put a frail hand on Theo's shoulder with the kind of smile that let his grandson know there was no point arguing.
"Are you sure?" Theo mumbled, but he already knew the answer.
"The beds are made up. If you're catching the early train to go investigate all of this, you're going to want your minds sharp. Go get a few hours of sleep. You won't do Amber any good if you're trying to run on fumes."
Theo glanced over at Tolan and Rook, feeling stuck. After a moment he gestured to the bedrooms at the back of the house. "Tolan, take the room on the right. Rook on the left. I'll use the couch."
"No chance," Tolan said, at the same time Rook said, "I'm not tired."
"You go sleep in the guest bedroom," Lou urged, guiding Theo down the hallway.
"But—"
"I'm sure your associates are fully capable of figuring out their sleeping arrangements."
Theo gave Tolan a firm look, but he already knew that his bodyguard wasn't going to sleep at all. Not with Rook on the loose like she was. However, the earlier exhaustion was making itself known again, and Theo stopped fighting as Lou gently pushed him into the familiar guest bedroom.
"Wake me up an hour before it's time to go," Theo said, and Lou pat his back.
"We will."
Theo watched his grandfather leave the room before facing the bed. He promised himself that this would just be a quick power nap, but he was asleep almost as fast as his head hit the pillow.
Rook used to boast that she enjoyed being outside of her comfort zone. However, she was beginning to realize that what she actually enjoyed was being in new or difficult situations that she still felt very comfortable excelling in. In the last few days she had truly faced things outside of her comfort zone—things like getting her brain examined, admitting that she actually cared about someone, and now appearing in the middle of a completely unfamiliar place in another realm entirely. Deep down, the prospect of being in a new realm was a little exciting, but she found herself too anxious about how she fit into this plan to actually be able to savor it.
Associate. Better than Assassin, I guess. But why lie? Was it just not worth the time to explain the full story?
Rook watched as the elderly Asahkar led Theo into another room, ordering him to sleep. It was no small feat, forcing Theodynn to make a decision for his own self-care. The second that they were out of the room, Tolan turned his attention to her.
"You put one foot out of line..."
"And I lose the foot, right?" Rook guessed, folding her arms with a scowl. "How many times do I have to tell you? I'm on your side."
"That's what you made us think last time."
Rook blew a few strands of stray hair out of her face. She had pulled it back into her normal braid. "Any chance you'll go get some shut-eye and leave me alone? Or are you going to just sit and stare at me while we both wait for Theo to sleep?"
"You could get some sleep, even if I don't," Tolan pointed out. "Can't promise the chance will arise again."
Rook wasn't sure if he was being serious or not, but by now, the elderly man had returned. He smiled as he looked at each Oni in turn.
"Now, I'm afraid I only have one other bed, but—"
"The lady can use it," Tolan offered easily enough. Rook frowned at being called the lady. What was it about this old man that made it so no one wanted to tell him who she really was?
"Very gentlemanly of you," the elderly man smiled. Rook flinched as the man came over and took her arm. "I'll show you the room. I'm afraid my home is rather small, so it won't be much of a tour."
"Oh. Um..." Rook went to deny him, but then gave up the attempt. What was the point? She might as well sleep, if they weren't going anywhere for a few hours. She allowed the man to lead her into the room opposite the one Theo had gone into.
It wasn't a large room, but there was a large window on one side that seemed to give it more space than it had. The man released her arm so he could go close the thick curtains to block out the waning sunlight. Rook stood next to the sunken bed, her eyes darting around the room. Her gaze fell on a row of pictures on the wall, and she found herself drawn to them.
"These paintings are very well done," she murmured in spite of herself. The elderly man turned and smiled.
"They're photographs. I forget that Oni haven't ever seen photographs before."
Rook didn't answer as studied the various figures smiling from within the frames. There were several people she didn't recognize, but her eye was drawn to a picture of a young oni boy wrapping a younger girl in a huge embrace. The girl had yellow skin with oni eyes, and Rook studied the horns on her head before allowing her gaze to flick back to Theo. It was strange to see him so young, and stranger still to see his entire expression lit up with a huge grin.
"This is Theodynn and his sister," she pointed out. The elderly man had made his way back over.
"Yes. I took this on one of their visits when they were younger."
"He seems happy."
"He used to be like that all the time, if you can believe it." The man's tone became wistful. "It's just in the last few years or so some of that light has seemed to go out." He shuddered. "Horrible things have happened to this family, you know. Horrible, dreadful things that should have never happened...and I think it all finally caught up to him."
Rook wasn't sure what to say. She glanced at a few other pictures of Theo and his family at different stages, and her gaze lingered on the yellow-skinned xinta. "He's close with his sister, isn't he?"
"Oh, they were inseparable as children," the man laughed. "Amber was joined at his hip the moment she was born. They didn't really have many other friends growing up, you know. I'm not exactly sure what the situation was like in the Oni Realm, but from what I gather, they were kept cooped up in the castle more often than not. They were each other's best friends." The man tugged at his mustache, his expression becoming misty. "Amber missed him terribly when she first came here, though I don't think she ever admitted as much to him. I'd wager Theo missed her just as terribly...but he didn't come visit very much, always wrapping himself up in all his Heir responsibilities."
Rook hugged herself, studying each of Theo's grinning portraits. "Well, maybe he'll have more time to visit now that he's not the Heir."
The old man turned in surprise. "He's what?"
"He gave up his title," Rook offered. "After...there was..." she trailed off. "It's a long story," she finally said, turning away.
The man frowned, his eyebrows knit together. "It's about that young woman, isn't it?"
Rook's heart pounded. It seemed the man was apprised of the situation after all, but didn't seem to realize that she was that young woman that made Theo feel like he had to give up on his future. "Well, after what she did, I guess he felt like he didn't have a choice," Rook offered. She tried to keep her expression neutral, but inside she waited to see if the man would make the connection regardless and turn on her like everyone else had.
"Oh, Theo." The man shook his head with a sigh. "I've got nothing against the girl—she was nice enough when I met her. But I would suspect that ultimatum won't be the first thing to get in the way of them having a healthy relationship."
"Wait, what?" Rook turned to face him, and he offered her a sad smile.
"She broke his heart, when she insisted he give up his title if he wanted to marry her. Last I heard, he was trying to prove he had made the right decision in choosing his title over her, but it seems he's changed his mind."
Rook's heart pounded as she tried to keep up. She realized that the man wasn't talking about her—he was talking about Theo's old flame. The one who had thrown a rock at him. Rook wracked her brain, trying to remember what she knew about that situation. The morning she had led Theo to the trader camp, he had mentioned something about that breakup, but she had been distracted by the impending betrayal she had to pull off. She remembered him talking about how breaking it off had led him to be further dedicated in his role as Heir to the Oni throne...but she had no idea that the young woman he had been with had tried to get him to give up his title.
"I guess if he was willing to give up his title for her, he must have decided what was more important to him," the man continued. He finally shrugged. "I'm sorry, here I am dithering on about things you probably already know, when you're meant to be getting some rest." He looked up to meet her eye, and Rook stiffened as he took her hand kindly. "Thank you, for helping Theodynn, and for coming to find my granddaughter. I myself haven't been at ease with this idea that she went missing accidentally. I'm afraid my family has had too complicated a past for that."
Rook nodded stiffly, and he smiled one last time before heading out the door. Rook watched it close and suddenly felt hollow. That night we went to see the Xinta, when my mind was invaded...didn't somebody mention that someone named Haiven was there? And that Theo had been talking with her? Ancients...why can't I remember. That was his old flame, wasn't it? Haiven?
Rook took a seat at the edge of the bed, staring at the portraits of Theo with his family.
If the only problem in the way of them getting bound was his title, and that title is gone now...is that what they were talking about? Are they...getting back together? The thought made Rook's stomach clench, which was both confusing and infuriating. After all, it made sense that they would get back together. That Haiven girl was obviously not over him, if she was going to chuck rocks at his head everytime she saw him with another woman. And Theo still cared about his old flame, too. Rook had seen that much herself.
So what if they get back together? It's not like you ever had a chance, anyway.
The thought left her feeling cold, and she tried to argue that she had no real investment in Theodynn...not like that, anyway. All those feelings had been faked during their false relationship, and she was barely even willing to admit that she cared enough about him to care that he hated her. So why did it make her feel empty to think of him and his old flame back together, living some rural life in that strange hidden village in the middle of nowhere?
Just get some sleep, Rook, she ordered herself as she laid down. You're not here because he likes you. You're not even here because he trusts you. You're here because he needs you for something...and once you finish this job, you'll probably never see him again.