From the Embers (Ember Society Book 3)

by AR Colbert

  Emmaline whipped the curtains closed behind her. “You shouldn’t be down here.”

  “It was an emergency,” I said with a frown. I wasn’t done investigating the room yet.

  Her eyes grew wide. “What kind of an emergency?”

  “There’s evidence connecting you to Everett’s disappearance. Protectors are probably already on their way. We need to corroborate our stories.”

  “I’m not worried about the Protectors,” Emmaline sighed. “But you’re right. We do need to talk. Not here though.” She shuddered and motioned to the stairs.

  “Wait. Can I take a look inside? He offered to bring me down here once, but I didn’t go. I’d like to know what’s in there.”

  Emmaline held my gaze for a long minute. Sadness reflected from her crystal blue eyes, like a horrible memory threatening to resurface. Slowly, she shook her head, eyes glistening now from unshed tears.

  “No, I’d really rather you didn’t. If I can save one girl from entering that nest of evil, I will. It’s a miracle you haven’t been forced in there already.”

  In a rare moment of vulnerability, Emmaline let down her wall. I felt her sorrow. Her guilt and disgust twisted together like knots in my belly. Pain and shame and sadness all swirled into one sickening cocktail ten times stronger than what any of these bottles along the wall could hold. I was physically ill as I nodded. “Okay. Let’s go upstairs.”

  Nausea still bubbled in my belly as we settled into armchairs back upstairs in Everett’s office. Everett wasn’t a good man. I knew that. I’d known that since the first day I landed in Louisburg. But whatever lay hidden behind those curtains was something much darker and more sinister than I’d imagined. Emmaline’s raw emotion was proof enough. That combined with Raf’s plea for me to stay out told me everything I needed to know.

  “Have you read the journal?” Emmaline asked. There was still a vulnerability to her that I’d never seen before. She was tired, emotionally exhausted, and it somehow made her seem more human.

  “Not yet.”

  “It’s important, Claren. You’re going to have lots of questions. Many will be answered on those pages, but there was no way I could include everything. It boils down to this: I know about the Embers. They hold the future of our nation in their hands, and we have to do everything in our power to help them succeed.”

  “You... want to help them?”

  She smiled. “Yes. I’ve been helping them for years. The network is complicated, and you have a lot to learn, but I consider my work with the Embers the greatest accomplishment of my life. And now I’m handing the reins over to you.”

  “But what about Sam? And Frank? And all those secret meetings you sent me to?” It couldn’t be true. I’d seen Emmaline working against the Embers for months.

  “It’s all in the journal. That and more. But listen to me—there is one thing you need to understand right now. It’s the most important thing you can do, and critical to your survival. You have to learn how to block your emotions.”

  “I know about blocking.”

  “No. This is different. I’ve marked a page in the journal for you to read. It’ll help. As of tomorrow, I will be joining the Supreme Leadership, and as you know, their security is much more stringent.” She rubbed her neck with a frown. “I can’t protect you from them like I have the others. They’ll break right through a standard block. Especially The Supreme Leader.”

  “Have you met him?” I asked. The Supreme Leader’s identity and location had always been extremely confidential. Rumors said he’s tucked away on an island somewhere off the northeast coast of the country. It seemed excessive to me since citizens aren’t allowed to leave our cities anyway.

  “Yes.” Her face was serious again. “I received a phone call last week offering me a position, which is why I had to detain Everett. He was expecting the offer to go to him, and he would have gone to extreme lengths to get rid of me so he could have the spot for himself.”

  “What am I supposed to do with him while you’re gone?”

  “That’s up to you. He’s been close with Madam George, probably making plans with her to do away with me, but he’s not telling me anything, no matter what tactics I try.” She shook her head. “I guess I’ll find out tomorrow when I fly out to the Supreme Headquarters. It may be time to get rid of him. I’m sure Rider will be able to handle him swiftly and effectively.”

  “We can’t just kill him.”

  “Why not? That man has done horrible things to many, many people. And he was planning to harm you, as well. Claren, this movement is about to get ugly. The Supreme Leadership has already made the first attack. In my mind, that was a declaration of war. People will get killed. Some of them you will love and mourn the losses of, and some will have you dancing on their graves. Freedom isn’t free. The cost is great, but so is the reward.”

  “And what about you? You got an offer from the Supreme Leadership and now you’re done with the Embers? Are you going to be working against us now, too?”

  “Of course not! Like you, I’ve been tasked with working my way up the chain of command. Real change happens at the top. But like you, I must be careful with what I say and do. Sometimes that means going along with their plans and tossing in a few well-designed wrenches until we can better situate ourselves as a movement. You’ve done well with recruiting the Outsiders here. I’ll do my best to keep the attacks at bay, but first I need to get to the Headquarters and see what they know. I will be in contact with you as soon as I learn more.”

  “And what about the Protectors? What am I supposed to tell them when they ask about Everett?”

  “Tell them you don’t know where he is. Technically you’ve still not seen inside the room, so there’s room for deniability there.”

  “I’m a horrible liar. They’ll see right through it.”

  “Not if you use the methods I outlined in the journal. Trust me. Please. You are one of the greatest Empaths I’ve known. There has only ever been one other as skilled as you, and I’ve seen the power that can come from the untapped potential dwelling within an ability like yours. I believe in you, Claren. You just have to believe in yourself. Now go practice. You’ll be put to the test soon, I’m afraid.”

  CHAPTER 32

  Emmaline left for the Supreme Leadership before dawn. I briefly wondered who would be copiloting the plane with Charles now that Dusty was gone, and if he knew about the Embers as well. It seemed the knowledge was much more widespread than I’d originally believed. And foolishly, that gave me hope.

  The Protectors never came after my talk with Emmaline on Sunday. I locked myself in my room, reading about “extreme blocking” as her journal described it, for the rest of the evening, and I picked it up again immediately after breakfast Monday morning.

  Thumbing to page fifty-two, marked with a rhinestone-studded paperclip left on the paper by Emmaline, I read her neat penmanship for what must’ve been the hundredth time.

  Extreme Blocking:

  It is simple to block one’s emotions with enough practice, but blocks falter and skilled Empaths can tear them down. Extreme blocking takes the concept you know one step further.

  Rather than burying your emotions down, locate your peace point. Your peace point is a memory—one that is not happy or sad, one without fear or anxiety—just a moment of pure peace. Hold onto that memory with your life. Frame it and place it in your heart.

  When extreme blocking, you will not hide your emotions, you will destroy them. You are stronger than your feelings. Emotions mislead and betray. You must stay clear of emotion and focus on logic, especially as an Empath, because you never truly know which emotions are genuinely yours and which are coming from outside sources.

  Destroy everything but your peace point. When stimulated, assess the situation and file the emotion away. You can extract information without experiencing the feelings yourself. Return inward, feel the peace just long enough to rebuild your block, then protect it again.

  This
form of extreme blocking will prevent others from manipulating you. It is complicated, but with practice, it will become second nature. I recommend you default to this extreme block as your natural state. You never know who may be toying with your emotions, whether intentionally or not.

  It may sound counterintuitive, but preventing yourself from feeling any emotion will bring you closer to contentment and satisfaction than all the happiness in the world. It’s how I live my life, and I suggest you do the same. Emotion always brings baggage. Leave it behind.

  Leave my emotions behind. That was certainly easier said than done. My peace point wasn’t difficult to find. It was a location more than a memory. I remembered simpler days, afternoons by the pond, grass between my fingers on its bank, a gentle breeze blowing through my hair. Mom would be home preparing dinner. Dad and Cato would probably be tinkering around on the back patio, and my biggest stress was homework.

  I framed the memory, like Emmaline suggested. I poured all of the peace from that moment into a single mental image and tucked it deep inside. It was ignoring all of my other emotions that proved to be difficult. But I would practice. I’d never met anyone more difficult to understand than Emmaline. If it worked so well for her, extreme blocking would have to become second nature for me, too.

  A knock sounded at my bedroom door, and a sense of panic immediately slammed into my chest. Extract the information and file it away. Okay, something bad was probably happening, but I would remain calm. Inhale, exhale. Let’s do this.

  “Come in.”

  Joy’s eyes were wide. “There’s someone at the door for you.”

  “Who is it?” I stood and straightened my clothes. I will not panic, no matter who it is. Block it. Blank. Emotionless.

  “Justice Hines.”

  Shoot. This was more than a test. This was my final exam, and I hadn’t studied enough. I took a deep breath and followed Joy down the stairs. Justice Hines was waiting at the bottom, watching my every step through the slits that were her cold eyes.

  She was angry. Noted. Back to feeling nothing.

  “Good morning, Justice Hines. What brings you to Louisburg?” My voice was surprisingly clear. Perhaps Emmaline was onto something. By blocking my fear and keeping anxiety out of the picture, Justice Hines became significantly less intimidating.

  “You know why I’m here.”

  I smiled sweetly. “You give me far too much credit. I can’t imagine what would bring you all this way unannounced. Enlighten me.”

  Her lip curled. “Where’s Everett?”

  I tilted my head. “He’s missing. Haven’t you heard?”

  “Oh shut up. I’m not in the mood for your games. I know this is all a part of whatever the two of you are planning, and I’m here to tell you that I’m on to you. Once I get the higher-ups to see what a fraud he is, he’ll be out of the picture. Both of you will. And I’ll be in charge.”

  “Oh, Martha. Can I call you Martha?”

  “No.” She practically growled.

  “I’m sure the Protectors will find him. But even if they don’t, you’re just a Peacemaker. I’m afraid the ‘higher-ups’ don’t think you’re Leadership material.” I didn’t know where my boldness was coming from, but I liked it.

  She scoffed. “My daughter is. She’ll be a Senator’s wife soon. And you know behind every strong man is a woman in complete control.”

  “And behind every controlling woman is a conniving mother.”

  She raised her hand—presumably to slap me—but a loud bang outside stopped us both. With it came a cacophony of voices and an impending sense of doom. She felt it, too. I could see it on her face.

  “Who’d you bring with you?” I asked. We moved to the window and pulled the lace curtains over to the side. Outside stood close to a hundred angry citizens destroying the plants along Everett’s walkway with sticks and throwing stones at the house. We ducked as a large rock came flying toward the window. It bounced off without cracking the glass, but the man who threw it was already picking up another stone.

  “The protesters. How’d they get into the Center?” she asked.

  “Weren’t there guards at the gate?”

  “Yes.” She spat the word like I was an idiot. “Four of them.”

  “Those four?” I pointed to a small group of guards standing near the street. One of them held a gun in the air—likely the same one we heard the shot from earlier. To his left stood the man whose sneering face had haunted my dreams two nights before. This was the storm. I knew it was coming, but I never guessed it would be like this.

  Justice Hines cursed, and Rider and Joy came running down the hall behind us.

  “What’s going on out there?” Rider was breathless.

  “Protesters. They’re turning violent again. They must have followed Justice Hines in through the gate.”

  “They didn’t follow me. The guards sent them after me! Quit playing dumb, girl. I know you and Everett are responsible for this. And you will pay for it. You!” Justice Hines pointed at Joy. “Get me a driver. And then you might want to pack your bags. The Supreme Leadership doesn’t tolerate traitors, and your boss is about to be out of a job.”

  Joy glanced nervously at me. I gave her a nod. If I was lucky, the angry mob would follow Justice Hines all the way out of Louisburg.

  Rider was less hopeful. He frowned in my direction. “You should get upstairs. I’ll keep everything under control down here until they leave.”

  “No. Not until she’s gone.” I glared at Justice Hines. She was delusional and paranoid to think Everett and I would team up against her. But she was also woefully uninformed. How could she not see what was really going on here? Did she truly think Everett was trying to take her out?

  Maybe he was. He’d planned to go after Emmaline. Maybe they were both ignorant to the truth. Or maybe I was the ignorant one, fed lies by Emmaline once again.

  No.

  I refused to believe that. Any hostility between Everett and Justice Hines was trivial in comparison to the bigger problem at hand. The Supreme Leadership was trying to eliminate the Outsiders. Emmaline had no reason to lie about that. She was probably at the Headquarters at that very moment, learning as much as she could about their plans. We would stop them. We had to.

  The voices grew louder outside, chanting “Down with the Leadership” over and over as rocks and sticks and other unidentified items bounced off the windows. It wouldn’t be long before one of them cracked.

  “Come on,” I grumbled. Justice Hines followed me down the hall toward the attendants’ entrance near the carriage house. I hoped there wouldn’t be any protesters there yet. A wrought-iron gate at the end of the driveway would make it more difficult to enter the estate from that side of the house, and she’d be able to get into the car with Asher before the protesters ever realized she’d gone.

  We ran into Jeremy and a few other attendants at the end of the hall.

  “Asher is getting the car ready.” His tone was clipped, poorly hiding his disdain for Justice Hines. Jeremy would probably rather have been outside with the protesters than helping her.

  I stepped outside as the car rolled forward and whispered to Asher through his window as Justice Hines climbed into the back seat. “Be careful. They seem even angrier than last time.”

  He smiled. “I can handle it. I’ll drop her off at the airport and hurry back to help you out here.”

  “Thanks. It looks like we might need it.”

  “I’m sure you’ll be irrational and impulsive with these rebels,” Justice Hines sneered through her own open window. “But do try to protect the house. It’ll make a lovely home for Felix and Georgia when they’re promoted to the District Leadership, and I’d hate to see it ruined.”

  Block. Her. Out. I took a deep breath and located my peaceful pond, stomping out all other emotion. Or I tried to, at least. Plastering a sweet grin on my face, I leaned in toward her window. “You’re right, Martha. It is a nice home. With any luck, you might just live lon
g enough to see it again. Those rebels look awfully feisty today.”

  Rider placed his hand on my arm, a warning that I’d said enough. He was right, of course, and we had to tend to the more urgent matter at hand. I patted the car to let Asher know he was clear to leave and said a silent prayer for his safety. Then I followed Rider and Jeremy back inside.

  We made it three steps down the hall when we heard the first thunderous boom from the entryway. Joy was crouched, crying in the foyer. “They’re trying to kick down the door,” she said through her tears. “I don’t know what we’re going to do.”

  The forceful pounding continued, the threat of violence echoing through the room with every moment of impact.

  Rider rushed over to her side. “Yes, you do. We’ve been training for this. Go grab whatever weapon or tool you can find. Be prepared to defend yourself.”

  He stood and turned toward the rest of us. A few other attendants joined us now, rushing in toward the pounding vibrating the house, and bringing our group total to seven. “We don’t want to hurt them if we don’t have to. They’re angry, but not at us. Let’s get them on our side. We’re all more powerful together.”

  The door came down with a crash, and the angry mob funneled into the foyer. Joy grabbed a candelabra from the adjacent dining room. Jeremy wielded a poker from the fireplace and the other attendants held vases and porcelain busts—whatever they could find. I was empty-handed, more focused on controlling my breathing and finding my peace point. I had to remain clear-minded.

  “You might want to get out of here,” A man snarled at Jeremy. “We’re going to burn this place to the ground.”

  “Why would you do that?” Joy whimpered. “This is our home.” The candelabra shook with her hands, and the man frowned in her direction.

  “Director Walsh is finally gone, and we don’t want him replaced. This is our chance to tear the system apart.”

  “We want to help you.” I stepped out from behind Rider. “But there’s a better way.”

  “She’s one of the Leaders!” a woman yelled from the doorway.