by Alana Siegel
“Who sneaks around a room full of Gifted?” I asked.
“I know who,” Derek said. He was staring blankly at the floor. “That was Lynn.” He looked torn between heartbreak and anger. I had the urge to wrap him in my arms and cradle him like a child.
Helen looked at Derek with her eyes wide as she recognized the name. “Your girlfriend, Lynn, is the Hadean from Prometheus's Gifted crew?” She asked in disbelief.
“I didn’t know she was part of Prometheus’s crew until recently,” Derek whispered. The words were barely audible.
Max took a step into the circle. His anger burned red, and dark clouds formed overhead. He turned on Derek, ready to pick a fight. “You dated someone in Prometheus's crew?!?” Derek turned away and pulled his clenched fist up to his mouth.
It was irrational for Max to blame Derek. When Derek met Lynn, he didn’t even know who Prometheus was. If anyone was to blame, it was me. Helen recognized Lynn with one sniff, but I didn’t recognize her when we sat across the table from each other for an entire dinner. How could I have been so blind?
Luca hurried over and asked, “Lynn? Lynn Parker? Blonde hair, blue eyes? She always wears a headband?”
“Yes, that’s Lynn,” Derek stepped forward and said. “Do you know her?”
Luca's eyebrows bunched together over his dark eyes. “She used to come to the Gifted Retreat… but that was before the desertion.”
“What was the desertion?” Helen asked.
“A few years ago Prometheus came back to Salt Lake City to recruit young Gifted. He preached about the Gifteds’ rightful place in society. He said that we were living half a life by keeping our Gifts a secret, and he promised to show us how to fight,” Luca explained. He shook his head. “Lynn and two other guys went with him.”
“That must be the Ikos and Horus that came to Pandora with Lynn,” Jaime concluded.
“Hunter and Graham were good friends of mine before they left. I never heard from them again, but how did you meet Lynn?” Luca asked Derek.
“The better question is, how did she find us?” Jamie asked.
“Max knows.” Seething in the corner, Chelsea said the words with venom. She paused to glower at him before she looked back at Jaime. “He stays in touch with his sister. I bet she told Lynn.” She returned her furious blue eyes back to Max. He looked away, miserable and angry but with his hands balled into fists, ready to punch a target if it presented itself.
“Max, how could you?” Helen asked, and the tone of her voice was so soft with disappointment.
“Did you say Lynn?” Cliff asked. Seven pairs of impatient eyes glared back at Cliff who was having a hard time following the conversation.
“Yes,” Chelsea said with a hint of annoyance. “Why?” A look of regret and pity washed over Cliff’s face. He rubbed his hand along the back of his neck and refused to meet anyone’s eyes. “Justin said some girl named Lynn was taking him to Prometheus.”
The world went dim around me. The chatter faded until all I heard was a large sucking sound. The ground threatened to disappear beneath me and the walls were caving in.
Cliff turned to me, reluctantly. “I thought Prometheus was a restaurant or a town. I'm just getting up to speed on this Gifted stuff. Justin never told me anything about it.” The story rushed out. “I'm sorry, Olivia. I always seem to be in the wrong place at the wrong time.”
Was it possible? Justin knew who Lynn was when he came to dinner. He hadn’t warned us that she was Prometheus’s messenger, and worse yet, he went with her to see him.
“We are going to see Prometheus,” Derek stated to no one in particular. I nodded my head slowly, because I had come to the same desperate conclusion.
“NO!” Helen shouted. Her face was flushed and her eyebrows were drawn in. She was livid. “Doesn’t anyone see how dangerous this is? What happened to protecting Olivia? Prometheus is the enemy!”
Jaime knelt down beside Helen and wrapped her arm around her as support. “We are going to see Prometheus,” she confirmed. Helen’s expression reflected her feelings of betrayal.
“I’m sorry, Hel. We need answers. Somebody tell me where we can find Prometheus,” Jaime said with authority, and looking like the leader she was voted to be.
“The middle of the Nevada desert,” Max said without inflection.
* * * *
Chapter Twenty-One: Road Trip
We decided that Jaime should be the one to ask Aunt Ev for permission to borrow her van to drive to the middle of the Nevada desert. When Jaime finally managed to get the words out in the middle of supper that evening, we all froze. Forks were lowered mid-bite, and glasses were placed back on the table. Aunt Ev took a minute to look at Jaime's face and then Luca's. They were both serious and determined. Then she nodded her head and said, “Better pack lots of bottled water.”
We invited her to come with us, but she respectfully declined, saying her old bones couldn't handle it and to say hello to Prometheus for her. I didn't believe the former part of her statement, and I wasn't sure Prometheus was friendly enough for the latter, but we all agreed politely.
“Aunt Ev, I have one last question that I've been meaning to ask you,” Jaime said, folding her napkin and resting it on her lap. Aunt Ev nodded her head for Jaime to continue.
“If you never visited Pandora, who brought my bracelet?” Jaime asked. It was the last piece to the research puzzle she started last fall.
“Luca was happy to do it for me. He also delivered Roslyn's headband to Chelsea,” Aunt Ev explained. I was surprised to learn that Luca had been in Pandora. It was a fact he failed to mention.
“It made sense to send him because he blended in with other high school kids so well,” she said.
“And Pete sent my sister, Mandy, to deliver my ring to Pandora,” Max added, matter-of-factly. Aunt Ev cocked her head.
“Yes, but that was only after she tried to convince him to give it to her instead,” she said. Max stared at her, skeptically. “Ahh, yes. I guess she didn’t share that part with you.” Aunt Ev clicked her tongue at him.
“When she realized he wasn’t going to budge, she stormed out of Salt Lake City and went to see Prometheus,” Aunt Ev proclaimed. Max was shaking his head in disagreement.
“How do you think she got the ring that she ostentatiously carries on her key chain? She did her homework and found out that Prometheus would give it to her, for a price,” Aunt Ev continued. “And that price was Olivia.”
“She had her reasons,” Max muttered under his breath.
“Of course she didn’t tell us that she went to Prometheus. I gleaned that much from the stories you have told me. She came back and pretended everything was hunky dory with Pete and convinced him that she should deliver your ring. Then, she attempted to fulfill Prometheus’s master plan,” Aunt Ev concluded. We were silent as we digested this information. No one disagreed with Aunt Ev, but we also didn't want to upset Max.
“Why is Prometheus so… crazy?” Chelsea asked.
Aunt Ev shrugged her shoulders. “When you live long enough, you have to deal with all sorts of pressure. Only you can decide if it will break you.”
“I’m glad you didn’t let it break you,” Jaime complimented.
Aunt Ev gave her a wicked smile and said, “That depends on who you ask.” She winked at Jaime, and then rose to clear her plate. It wasn’t an uplifting story before we headed out to see the rogue man for ourselves, but nothing seemed uplifting anymore. Everything came with hidden agendas and strings attached.
Max caught up with me on the stairs when I was on my way to grab the light bag I had already packed. “Olivia, wait up,” he whispered. He checked that there was no one behind him and then hopped on to the step with me. I debated continuing up the staircase without stopping to hear him out. There were so many reasons for me to be angry with him.
I crossed my arms over my chest and refused to make eye contact. “What do you want, Max?” I asked. He put his hand on my shoulder and turned
me to look at him. His eyebrows were raised over sad, wide eyes as he sent me his best innocent little boy look.
“Olivia, I didn't get a chance to speak with you alone after Aunt Ev's stories about our Crescents,” he said. I recognized the look on his face. He clearly thought I was the only one who would understand. He knew how to wear me down. I sighed. If I pretended to listen, maybe I could get it over with quicker. He smiled at me.
“Aunt Ev said that when I was a kid there was someone out there, looking out for me. Do you understand what that means to me? How much that changes things?” He asked. His eyes were lit up.
I stuck my chin out stubbornly, but I did understand. He spent his whole life believing he was the only one who looked after him. Finding out all his assumptions were wrong would change his entire outlook on life.
There was someone who hoped he had passed his spelling test in fifth grade, someone who had worried about him when he fell off his bike, and someone who had believed he could do something important with this Gift.
“Liv, I know you are disappointed in me. We all do things we aren't proud of,” he explained. I didn't give him any indication he was forgiven.
“I would never put you in harm’s way, but I really need your help. If Prometheus wants to negotiate, we need to help my sister. I have very little family that I care much about. You know that,” he said in a silky smooth voice that used to make my knees melt. His hands brushed down my arms and grabbed hold of my own. My brain was telling me to stay angry, but my body had its own opinion.
“Mandy's childhood was worse than mine. She spent half her life tangled up with our father because of the unlucky deal that was decided in court. My dad got Mandy, and I was put in my Mom's care. The truth was that we got anything but parenting and care from them.
“I remember when Mandy ran away from my dad's house. I was five. She snuck into my room as I was playing with an old toy car I found in the basement. She smiled and told me to be quiet as she hid in my closet.
“I thought it was part of a game until my father burst in and started screaming. He cursed and kicked everything in the room as he demanded I tell him where my sister was.
“As Dad proceeded with his fit of rage, destroying my furniture and verbally abusing me, my mother ran into the room. Even as a five year old I knew she was drunk, and she screamed right back at my dad. They argued, pushed, and spat at each other until I cried, but I never said a word because I had promised.
“I stood there with tears streaming down my face, wishing I was in the closet with Mandy. Finally, she couldn't take it anymore and walked out. She linked hands with me, ready to face our father.
“In one fell swoop, he back-handed her face. She tumbled back a few steps, letting go of my hand. I reached out to protect her, and my mother just turned her back.” He took a deep breath to maintain his composure.
“Olivia, you told me that it matters what I do. I need to be there for my sister. She needs someone in her life who will watch over her and keep her safe,” he whispered. He watched a single tear drop down my cheek and gave me a crooked smile as he wiped it away.
“Liv, please. You owe this to me,” he added. I was surprised how quickly my sadness turned back to anger. I yanked my hands out of his grip. Owed it to him?
I looked into his eyes, and I growled, “Wrong card to play, Max. This time you are not the victim, and you can't guilt me into doing anything. I will try my best to keep your sister safe, but not for your sake.” Then, I shot up the stairs.
* * * *
Chapter Twenty-Two: Goodbye Kisses
Jaime kissed her great-aunt and held her in a warm embrace before climbing in the driver's seat. We all followed her into the van. Derek hopped into the front passenger seat to navigate us through the desert. Max and Chelsea sat in the next row, and then Helen and Cliff. I ended up in the back.
The anticipation to see Prometheus was building. No one wanted to wait any longer, and so we decided to start our trip right away.
Through the window I watched Luca bend down and scoop Aunt Ev into his arms. The papery white skin on her hands tensed as she grabbed hold of his head and kissed his cheek. They stood in each other’s arms as she whispered in his ear. I thought I could make out the words, “protect them, they are your family,” by reading her lips. She backed up towards the house and waved. I hoped it wasn’t the last time we saw her.
Luca walked over to the van, but stopped when he heard his name and turned around. He stumbled backwards as Carly jumped into his arms, wrapping her legs around his waist. She must have wanted to say goodbye before he left. They giggled as he folded his arms around her, and she rested her forehead against his.
The shock of jealousy jolted me, and I sat up straighter in my seat. I had selfishly been thinking Luca only had feelings for me. Luca used one hand to push Carly’s hair out of her face, and then they laughed again at some joke I couldn't hear. I felt the frown forming as I watched them.
He whispered something before placing her feet on the ground. Then, he kissed her forehead like an older brother. Her smile immediately disappeared, but I couldn't fight the upward curve on my own lips. Was it wrong for me to feel happy that he was coming with us and she was staying behind?
He hopped into the van and sat down next to me. He was thoughtful and silent as Jaime pulled out of the driveway. The porch lights from Aunt Ev’s house faded into the distance.
The fear for what lay ahead finally caught up with me. We were on our way to the one person who scared the living daylights out of me. Still, there was a long drive ahead of us, and I needed to relax before we arrived so I inched closer to the window, and leaned against it to look at the stars.
It wasn't long ago that I sat with Justin under the same stars as he pointed out our Gifted constellations. I tried to locate them now, but I couldn't find them. In some odd way it made sense to me, even comforted me that I couldn't find them without him. Something was missing when he wasn't with me. I wasn't a whole person.
I had been distracted from my loneliness with all the drama going on around me; Derek showing up in Salt Lake City, Max’s outbursts, Luca’s affection. The despair was always there, hovering around me, but the daily commotion and disturbances kept pushing it to the back of my mind. Now it raced back to front and center.
I missed him. After six short months, he had become a part of me. My blood didn’t flow the same without his Gift. My heart was beating too slowly, like one day it might stop altogether.
I rested my head against the seat and twisted Justin's ring around my finger. If the ring actually changed colors with my Gifted mood, then the redder it became, the stronger my Gift was. It reminded me of Max’s red tempest hue, and I decided that would be a good way to remember it.
I pictured a color wheel and decided that my Gift was weakest when it was greenish blue like when I was tired. I thought about other times I recognized a change and remembered it being violet when I was sad and yellow when I was happy. I tried to memorize the mood and Gifted strength each color defined.
The gem was currently pink with specks of yellow. Did that mean I was both angry and happy? It was ironic, but that was exactly how I felt; angry that Prometheus had inserted himself into my life, but happy that I was going to confront him about it. I was an oxymoron and nothing about me made sense.
The hours passed and the road was desolate as we crossed the state line. Jaime pulled the van over when we reached the last rest stop before the vast emptiness ahead.
I decided fresh air would be good and took off towards the ladies’ room. Helen caught up and slipped into the stall with me. Even under the yellow fluorescent lighting she looked pale as a ghost. For months, she maintained a strong front, pretending she wasn’t fazed by our Gifted drama. However, by going to Prometheus, she was walking right into the hands of her captors, unarmed.
I grabbed her elbows and made her look me in the eyes. “I’m sorry for yelling at you before…,” I began to apologize and she waved the
words away as if to say the past was in the past, but I still felt remorse weighing on my shoulders. “And I’m sorry I had to leave these last few days…”
Helen shook her head. “I’m not looking for an apology.”
I would have to make it up to her when we were back in Pandora. For now, I needed to keep her safe. “Helen, you don’t have to come with us,” I said. She let out a shaky breath.
“Helen,” I pleaded.
She shook her head, and when her eyes met mine again they were clear and resolute. “No, Derek was right. We need to see Prometheus.” Her voice was surprisingly even. “We have to find answers, and that means we have to see Prometheus’s crew again. We need to know what he wants. You can't live your life still thinking that you weren’t meant to be an Elste, and you can't live in fear that there is someone lurking around the corner,” she said.
“And we need to help Justin…” I started to say.
She put her hands on my shoulders and looked me in the eyes. “Jaime and I were talking...,” she said and then paused to look around the dark room, like she was trying to pick the right words. “Olivia, how much did Justin know about the Meta?”
My stomach tensed up. “More than the rest of us, although he never shared,” I said and was surprised that I was able to talk about him without my voice catching. “Why do you ask?”
“I have a theory,” she said, cautiously. I could feel my eyebrows pulling together to give her a questioning look. “What if Justin is a secret agent for the Meta?”
“What?! That's outrageous!” I shouted and dismissed her idea.
“We believed Ms. Magos was a Meta agent. Maybe Justin pretended not to be one,” she whispered, begging me to think it through. My temper was rising.
“How could you accuse him of being a part of the same horrible government that killed Aunt Ev's fiancé?” I asked. The pain oozed from my words. She was supposed to be my best friend. If I trusted Justin, then she should, too.
