“Look,” I say patiently, “I didn’t exactly break Braden’s Guardian promise. I got the prophecy by getting around the promise. I tried to break it, but I couldn’t. Maybe if I have more time to practice I’ll be able to, but I didn’t need to break the promise to see his memory.” Actually, I wanted to go further but it was putting too much stress on Braden’s body and mind.
“Oh, well good. At least one thing in this world should remain sacred.” A visible weight slides off his shoulders. I really don’t know what to make of his odd reaction. Apparently satisfied with my limitations, he perks back up and motions for me to sit down. I just barged into his house unannounced, but he doesn’t seem to care. Updating his Destroyer notes is always more important than anything else to him.
Pushing a lock of meandering white hair off his face, he presses his fingertips together—a signal that teacher mode is fully charged—and says, “So why did you bring me this? My promise is still in place, so I don’t know what you expect me to tell you about it.”
I fold my legs under me, knocking my knee against the corner of his desk in the process. I rub my knee absently as I think. “You’re always saying these cryptic things to me like how there’s more to my purpose than I think, and about there being more to being the Destroyer than I realize. Do you know what this prophecy means?”
He doesn’t say anything. The way his hands suddenly ball into fists and drop to the desk alerts me to the reason for his silence. His promise is holding him back. Having him try to write something down isn’t going to help either. Blinking, nodding, shaking his head, nothing I can think of will get him around his promise. His frustration pulses against mine, giving me an idea.
“Time to play twenty questions, Mr. Walters. I’m going to listen to your emotional responses to each question. I’ll feel your frustration when you can’t answer me, but want to. Okay?”
“It’s worth a try,” he says.
“Do you know what the prophecy means?”
His first response isn’t very encouraging. Confusion, frustration, and annoyance drift away from him. “That’s too general of a question, Libby. You’re going to have to be more specific.”
“Okay, how about we go through it line by line then?”
Taking the paper back, I read the first few lines aloud. “Her birth will be the beginning of our destruction, an unseen threat to everything we are. Okay, the first line is pretty clear, but the second, this Idris guy acts like my whole goal is to wipe out the Guardians. Is that true?”
Mr. Walters actually attempts to say something, but all he manages is to make his lips quiver. Frustration is definitely mounting in him. I realize the problem with this tactic right away. Obviously he wants to answer me, but I don’t know what answer he’s trying to give.
“This isn’t working, Mr. Walters. How about if the answer is yes, think about something happy. If it’s no, think about something sad.”
“Okay. Ask me again,” he says.
“Is my whole purpose to destroy the Guardians?”
A low hum of sadness buzzes around me. No.
“But it’s part of it, right? I have to get rid of the Guardians, or at least get them out of my way before I can do whatever I need to, right?”
Mellow pleasure drifts across my skin like feathers. Yes.
“Okay, next lines. Power and Talent greater than anything seen by this world will blossom in her hands. Alone, she will unlock the deadly secrets of this age. The first line’s obvious. I’m the most powerful person on the planet. I’m more interested in the secrets. We’ve figured out what the Guardians are doing to the Ciphers. Killing innocent people sure sounds like a deadly secret, but is it the only one?”
Grief and sadness. I wonder if he’s thinking about his sister who has been in and out of the hospital lately. Either way, it’s a no.
“There are more deadly secrets?” I ask.
Happiness. Yes.
Great. I was really hoping for a no to that one.
“Next stanza. Her assault will begin slowly, one small prick, one gained asset, but will grow to a raging onslaught. Her might will slice into our ranks where we think we are safest. My strength has certainly been growing slowly. I thought maybe that might even refer to Milo, rescuing one Cipher from them, then Dean. I was wondering about whether the second line might be talking about us going after the Ciphers in the Guardian’s own Compound. What do you think?”
His emotions seem neutral, leaning slight toward pleasant. Maybe yes? It’s seems like the most obvious connection, but maybe that’s why he’s not very quick to agree with me. That could mean something else entirely. Whatever it means, going straight at the Guardians has never sounded like a great option.
“Moving on, then. One will try to take everything from her and fail, but she will learn the secret of his betrayal. This one really bothered me. It could mean a lot of different things. Someone will try to take everything from me. What does that mean? My friends, my life, my power?”
I listen when I mention each one, but I get the same reaction as last time. Neutral. He doesn’t have anything specific he wants to pass on. Being warned that someone, not necessarily a Guardian will come after me is useful, I guess.
“That’s not the right question, Libby,” Mr. Walters says suddenly.
I have to reread the line. What they try to take would be good to know, but knowing someone was going to try to kill me wouldn’t be nearly as helpful as knowing who was planning to come after me. It strikes me as significant that the prophecy doesn’t say it will be a Guardian. All through the prophecy Idris says we, us, and our. But when he mentions this person he only says one. Someone outside of their ranks. Someone close enough to me to make an attempt.
“It will be one of my own friends, won’t it?” I ask quietly.
Fierce happiness blasts against me. A very emphatic yes. My stomach drops even farther. No timidity in his answer. Somehow he knows this one without a doubt. “Who?” I ask.
His last answer fades. “We don’t need the game for this answer. I can tell you who I trust the least without being blocked by any promises. I know Lance has turned on you once before, but I also know from experience how intense Guardian training can be. I believe him when he says he merely reacted out of instinct. He has the longest and strongest connection with you. I don’t think it will be him. I think Milo and Braden are the least trustworthy of your young friends.”
“Okay, I can see you doubting Braden, even though I think you’re wrong, but Milo? Seriously?” I want to argue that Braden couldn’t possibly betray me because he’s a Guardian, and the prophecy seems to say the opposite, but is he really a Guardian anymore? He’s given it up in every way but actual words. And he hasn’t done that because he needs the access.
“I’m not saying anything definite about either one, but they are the two people who have the biggest motives to betray you. Braden may have a sudden attack of guilt for abandoning his brothers and what he’s worked for the last four years. Or he might find out switching sides is a lot harder than he expected,” Mr. Walters says, reminding me of his scarred body. “It’s also possible that Milo may decide you aren’t taking the right actions to get revenge on the Guardians for what they’ve done to his family. Either way, both of them are balancing their lives on a very thin wire right now. They could tip to either side at any moment.”
I shake my head. Everything he’s saying, I know it’s true, but I just can’t accept it. “You’re wrong.”
“Libby, look,” he says, sounding as if his patience is wearing thin, “I know you’re in love with both Braden and Milo-”
“I am not!”
He crooks an eyebrow at me and says nothing.
“I mean, I am, with Milo,” I splutter, “but I am not in love with Braden! You have no idea what you’re talking about.”
“So the way you both turn into the most distantly polite people in the world every time you’re in each other’s presence isn’t an attempt to make up for s
omething? Or how about the way your eyes always linger on each other whenever they happen to meet? And I know you can’t possibly think I missed him brushing his fingers against your wrist a few days ago when Milo wasn’t watching,” he says. “I recognize that gesture.”
“Those … that’s … it’s all just coincidence, or nothing at all. You’re reading too much into it,” I argue. “How could such small things mean anything to you?”
Longing so profound it resonates fills the entire room. I’m nearly choking on it. Mr. Walters drops his head and quietly says, “Because I know more than you’d think about forbidden love.”
I don’t know how to respond to that. I certainly can’t pass his claim off as bogus just because he’s a slightly crazy, Einstein-haired old man right now. At some point he was young and, I don’t know, somewhat attractive, I guess. Even if I wanted to laugh at the idea of this scarred, old ex-Seeker having a secret love affair, the truth of his words and deep desire to be with the woman he once loved isn’t something I can deny.
“Besides,” he says, suddenly sounding much more chipper, “I think you’re forgetting that I was a Seeker once. My Vision didn’t abandon me just because I gave up my title.”
Head to toe, my body goes rigid. “What?” Taking a breath is way too much work. “What are you talking about?”
He laughs and shakes his head. “I think it’s supposed to be a surprise. I wouldn’t want to ruin it for you.” I try to object, but he holds up a finger and stops me. “I think we have more important things to discuss, Libby.”
My teeth grind together painfully. He did that on purpose, just to torture me. Crazy old goat. Regardless, he’s right. I need to refocus.
Backtracking, I remind myself of what we were talking about before. My irritation cools to despair as I remember discussing which of my friends it will be who betrays me. He thinks I love them both, but he also thinks one of them will be the one to turn on me.
“It’s got to be someone else, Mr. Walters.”
“It’s very possible,” he admits. “You can never truly know the depths of what a person is willing to do. Give them a deep enough reason to betray, a threat terrifying enough to break them, and they’ll do it. It could be any of your friends.” He speaks as if he’s dealt with this before.
“I can’t believe either of them would ever hurt me like that,” I say.
He shrugs sadly. “Nobody ever does, Libby.”
More than anyone, that lesson should be ingrained in me. My mom abandoned me and later tried her best to kill me before Milo was forced to knock her out. Whatever his reason, my dad tried to steal my talents. And those two are really only the beginning of the list. Will either Milo or Braden really be added to that group? I just can’t see it.
“The prophecy says they’ll fail,” I say. “Whoever it turns out to be, it isn’t going to work. They’ll try, but somehow I’ll end up stopping them and figuring out their secret, whatever that means. Any ideas?”
All I get is bland, emotional nothingness. Helpful.
“Why would they even give this to new recruits? I mean, it isn’t very inspirational for them. Their goal is to kill me, and their own Seeker tells them it won’t work. Why do they even try?”
“Maybe they don’t see it as a prophecy,” Mr. Walters says. “Not all visions of the future are sure events. Some can be changed under the right circumstances.” He pauses as a ripple of pain seems to course through him. Is there something else he wants to tell me? I won’t find out. It passes and he looks back up at me. “Or maybe there’s another reason entirely,” he says with a shrug that seems too tight.
“Okay.” I wait to see if he’s going to expound on that. He doesn’t, of course. “Well, the last part you must know something about, because you said almost the same thing to me once before. She will learn the value of destruction, of gathering power, and will turn it against us. You know what value I’m supposed to find in destruction,” I say.
“That isn’t a question,” Mr. Walters reminds me.
I’m getting tired of this game. I want to just jump inside his head and dig around for a while. Who knows what I could come up with that way? Somehow I doubt the man covered in scars would ever want me poking around in his promises and memories. “Fine,” I grumble. “Do I really have to destroy the Guardians completely?”
Yes.
“Do I have to destroy anyone else?”
Hesitation, but yes.
“Destroying them, these people, real people, will make everything better somehow?”
Absolutely yes.
“The prophecy said they can’t stop me, that I’ll destroy the world. How can I destroy it and save it at the same time?”
It’s not a yes or no question. Mr. Walters can’t give me a clear answer. His complex wave of emotions simply tells me it is possible. I can do both. He and Saia have both told me there is beauty in the aftermath of destruction. Crushing the Guardians will be a heavy price to pay for any kind of happy ending. Not all of them are murdering, evil people. What could possibly be worth so many lives?
Braden’s words come drifting back into my mind. Rescuing the Ciphers won’t be the end. There’s more I have to do. More people I have to protect? More pain and suffering I will have to face and put an end to? There are more deadly secrets hiding behind Guardian Oaths and promises. The weight of understanding settles over me.
“Will something worse than what’s happening to the Ciphers now happen if I don’t fulfill my purpose?”
Yes.
Chapter 2
5
Twisted
Acting normal around Braden was hard enough before Mr. Walters’ teaser. Now it’s practically impossible. Most everyone is too wrapped up in planning and training to notice my odd behavior, but I can tell Braden thinks something is up. I’ve been avoiding him as much as possible over the last two weeks. It hasn’t been easy. Not when he’s one of the ones training me, always present at every group planning session, and popping up unannounced at my motel room or any other place I happen to be. He must think it has something to do with the prophecy, though, because he hasn’t pestered me to tell him what’s wrong. I’m happy to let him keep thinking that for now. I’ve got too many other things to wrangle with at the moment. Like kicking off the largest scale rescue-slash-prison break in history.
“So, you three are sure the escape route is set? There aren’t any holes or mislabeled corridors, no chance it will fail?” I ask. Braden, Mr. Walters, Milo, and Lance all nod. They’re sure. I glance around the room.
Celia and Mrs. Hanover have safe houses and transportation ready near every compound. When I assigned them the task, I honestly didn’t know if they could do it. I was afraid covering the thousands of Guardian compounds worldwide would be way too daunting to be able to pull off. Thanks to Braden, again, we were able to figure out which of those thousands of compounds actually hold Ciphers. Luckily it wasn’t very many. Just under a dozen serve as prisons. Out-of-the-way compounds with smaller populations were chosen to hold the Ciphers, one for each area of Guardian control.
Casey, Braden, Milo, and I have been training the Ciphers in the spirit world nonstop for the last several months. There’s only so much you can teach a Cipher about using talents since they can’t actually practice what you’re teaching them, but we’ve explained and demonstrated until every theory and practice we know is ingrained in them. I’m just praying with everything I’ve got that when they wake up in their bodies they’ll be able to use some of what we’ve taught them. This escape is incredibly risky. Hopefully they won’t need to fight.
“Okay, so what haven’t we covered? Who still needs to report?” I ask. I’m having a hard time keeping track of everything.
Mr. Walters clears his throat. “I believe we’re up to me. I’ve had a difficult time getting the information you wanted, mainly because the one trustworthy source I have on the matter has been living in the South American jungle until recently, but I believe I’ve found the an
swer to your question about performing multiple Inquests at once.”
My whole body lights up. Even when I gave him the assignment, I didn’t expect an answer. I was simply taking a shot in the dark, hoping there would be an easier way. His expression gives nothing away, but I’m hoping. Just this once …
“What did you find out?” I ask eagerly.
“It can be done.”
The disappointment I was prepared for turns on its head. “It can? How?”
He stares at me with that all-too-familiar expression that says I’ve just asked the stupidest question in the world. I hate that look.
“You do it the same way you do an Inquest on one person, just with more people.” His condescending tone makes me want to snatch his ugly little glasses right off his nose and grind them into the carpet. It doesn’t help that I’m still ticked off about his whole “I had a vision of you and Braden but I’m not going to tell” thing.
I have to tap my Naturalism to force my body to relax. “What do you mean?”
“You should know as well as any Inquisitor that speaking during an Inquest is completely optional. You can unlock talents without uttering a word. Speaking merely informs the person of what you’ve found. It gives the impression that Inquests have to be done individually, but apparently in past centuries when Inquisitors were in short supply, Inquests were often done in groups. The information about their talents, class, and name are imprinted on the person’s mind as surely as their diktats are on their flesh.”
“Oh,” I say, feeling a little foolish, “well, good. That settles that, then.”
I glance around my gathered friends again. Casey and Dean look the most nervous. Casey was living a fairly normal teenage life just a few short months ago. She hides it pretty well, but I know being shunned by the rest of the school has been difficult for her. She has us, but I know it’s not the same. There are still days when I really miss being able to call up Jen and unload on her after a horrible day, or even just to have a little girl talk. Jen would have made the last year so much better because she always knew exactly when I needed a night at the movies or a day to hide from the world. One thing Jen excelled at was having fun.
Secret of Betrayal: Book Two of The Destroyer Trilogy Page 25
