"Ha. Ha." I rolled my eyes. "Will you finally tell me what this is about?"
"Your friend said you had some pretty amazing theories about magic disease," he said. "And we think you could help us with our mission."
"We? Who's we?" I wanted to trust my brother, but I wasn't sure what kind of people he was hanging out with. For all I knew, they could all be psychotic murderers who believed they were doing the right thing. My brother moved the camera and an older man with grayish hair and green eyes came into view.
"This is doctor Tidinski. He's been investigating the disease for years," Oliver said, turning the camera back to himself. "He used to work at one of the government's laboratories, but he got fired because he refused to run tests on magic disease carriers."
Tests. Right. I guessed no one who saw magic disease carriers as human beings could work with the governmental organizations on anything.
"This is Erin," Oliver said as a woman with long blond hair and dark brown eyes came into view. "Her son has magic disease. Apparently, her ex-boyfriend had the disease and didn't tell her anything, but somehow she didn't get it. Their son, of course, inherited it from his father. When she asked the doctors to investigate this and told them they could do tests on her to see whether she had some sort of immunity that could help them find a cure, they simply refused. She was outraged and contacted big TV houses so they could do an interview with her about this issue and make it known to the world. Most refused, but there were a few smaller ones that waited for big scandals like that. Of course, just before she was supposed to do the interview, she received threats from an unknown source."
"She didn't do the interview," Paula whispered, looking stricken. "That's just horrible."
"Yeah, they said they would kill her son if she ever tried saying anything," Oliver said. "What they couldn't have predicted was that Erin was braver than they thought, so she tried to find a group like ours. And she was lucky, as you can see."
"I don't want to be rude," Michael said. "But are you sure the child inherited the disease? We know the symptoms usually show during adolescence and by then a lot of things can happen."
"We're sure," Oliver said. "The father was sentenced to death for killing various people and stealing their elements a few years ago. He had an element when the police tried to arrest him, but later couldn't use it anymore. Paula, what are the chances of inheriting the disease from only one parent?"
"Well, I'd say huge." Paula tilted her head. "But now that I think of it... Your and Ria's grandmother didn't inherit the disease, even though your great-grandfather had it. It could depend whether the magic disease carrier has an element inside of him, but we should really find a way to test all those theories before jumping to conclusions. Right now everything seems possible."
"Of course." Oliver nodded.
"So, you have a group of people willing to research magic disease?" I was suspicious that my loner brother would be in any kind of a group, let alone with people who didn't have the disease. He was way too paranoid for that.
"Not just that, sis. There are many of us: magic disease carriers, scientists, people like Erin who want to help,..." His voice trailed off.
"And you all trust each other?" I couldn't help but ask. "Aren't magic disease carriers afraid they will weaken each other or get caught? And aren't other people afraid they will get killed?"
"Our tests have shown that we weaken each other only when we touch and block the feel of elements, and not when we're near each other. And trust me, there's no reason for us to get all touchy-feely. You should be aware already that we don't go around killing people, and if someone feels unstable, they leave," he said. "It's simple as that."
"Right." It was still hard for me to forget what I'd been taught almost my whole life. "But if someone is a spy and they are just waiting to catch you all... It's dangerous to be in a group. Besides, someone could already be tracking you through this video link."
"Did you even check what kind of a video link this is?" Oliver said with a sly smile.
"Umm, no," I said, unsure what he was talking about.
"We're not on the Internet. It's a private connection," Michael said.
"Oh." It was all I managed to say.
"Your group used this house, right?" Adrian said. "In fact, you probably have more houses like this one and they're all connected."
Oliver clapped his hands. "You're smart for someone who failed every exam."
"Only at the university," Adrian said, an emotion I couldn't quite identify flashing through his eyes. I had to remember to ask him more about the days when he was younger and hadn't lived in a lab. He couldn't have gone to a normal school, but I doubted Alan would have let him go to university if he didn't have proper education. Maybe Adrian hadn't minded studying until he'd realized it was all part of some Alan's ploy.
"So what do you want?" I asked, certain there had to be something they all needed from us, even though I couldn't tell what.
"You are still young, but we can see the potential. You and Adrian are magic disease carriers and your friends got dragged into the whole thing," Oliver said. "If you want to find out more about the disease and uncover some secrets, you'd do it better with some help than on your own."
"True. What do you want us to do?" Working with more people could definitely make it easier for us to figure it out what was happening to me. I didn't even dare to dream we'd find a cure, but maybe we could find something to improve our lives. It was possible that I was simply paranoid, but the fact that my brother decided to tell me all of this now and not before was bugging the hell out of me.
"I want you to pay us a visit." He gave us an unsettling smile. "We could run some tests, share the information we have and things like that."
"Now?" I raised an eyebrow. "We just got here and you want us to leave. Why didn't you tell us to come directly?"
"We needed to make sure you weren't being followed. Besides, it took me a while to persuade people to agree. Most of them don't trust you and think you're not useful," he said. "Your intriguing element exchange finally swayed them."
"You mentioned some sort of a mission," Adrian said. "What is that about?"
"Well," Oliver drawled. "The big goal is to expose the maltreatment of magic disease carriers in labs and change people's unfavorable opinion of us."
"Yeah, like that's gonna work anytime soon." I snorted. "People won't change their mind only because magic disease carriers are being abused. Hell, most of them would be extremely pleased to hear that. Unless we can offer safety, people won't stop seeing us as monsters."
"That's exactly the point, so we have many smaller goals which will help us achieve the bigger ones," he said confidently.
"Are you going to tell us what those smaller goals are or you'll keep trying to sell us the story about the epicness of what you're doing?" Idealistic goals that most likely wouldn't be achieved in my lifetime didn't amuse me.
"You're so impatient, sis," he said. "Why is that? Tell me, are you more afraid that you're losing it or that you and Adrian don't have a future together?"
I swallowed, my lips suddenly dry. Adrian's hand covered mine.
"Don't fucking tell us what we have or don't have. She may be your sister, but what happens between us is none of your business," Adrian said through his teeth. "And leave her alone. You're not exactly winning her over with this talk."
"But I am, actually. Isn't that right, Ria?" my brother said. "You know we could help you. You need us."
"I don't think you can do anything. You can't know much more than us, so stop pretending you have a solution to every problem," I said.
"What do you have to lose if you do a few tests with us? It can only be useful." Oliver shrugged. "Besides, you're in one of our houses right now. Where would you go if the rest of the group wanted you out?"
"Are you blackmailing me now?" I said angrily, tears forming in the corners of my eyes, but I pushed them back.
"No, I'm just informing you of what
could happen," he said.
Paula glanced at me, a worried expression on her face, then focused back at the screen. "How about we think this through among us first and then give you an answer later? I suppose you're not in a hurry."
"Of course, take your time," Oliver said. "But not too long. We need to act as quickly as possible so we can get our people in the government. Undercover, of course. Paula, if you accept our offer, we can guarantee your safety in our lab and give you access to all the equipment you need. Michael, we could definitely use your help since you don't have the disease and the public still thinks you're my sister's boyfriend. I know it would be risky, but we do what we must."
"We'll give you a call when we decide," Paula said, but I could see in her shining eyes that she wouldn't let an opportunity like this one pass her by.
"Send me a text and I'll contact you through this link." Oliver smiled like he had just won the lottery, which meant he thought he had us. "See you soon."
The screen went black and Paula and Michael immediately started talking about all the opportunities and what it would mean for their future. I sighed and looked up at Adrian, whose face was expressionless. What was I supposed to do in a situation like this?
Chapter 21
"Please think about it, Ria. It would be the best option for you and for everyone," Paula said, sitting down on one of the chairs at the table. We were in the kitchen, discussing what we should do about Oliver's offer. So far, it seemed the whole world was against me.
"You know that we can't do much on our own. Besides, your brother has helped us a great deal. Maybe you should have a little faith in him," Michael said, filling a glass of orange juice.
"I know, but I don't trust him!" I said, twirling a strand of my dark brown hair between my fingers. "What he told us sounds good, but that's precisely what I'm frightened of."
"I don't see why he would want to trick you," Paula mused. "It's awesome that magic disease carriers are finally doing something, especially if others are involved too."
"Why are you so conflicted about this, aside from Oliver being the one inviting you?" Adrian asked, leaning on the counter.
"Because I can tell he is hiding something!" I couldn't explain to them that what I had was only a bad feeling something might go wrong. Would a secret group of magic disease carriers really accept runaways only because our stupid theory could work? They could test it by themselves without our help, so what was the deal? I was sure Adrian and I weren't the only ones who could briefly exchange elements.
"So what if he does?" Adrian said. "You don't trust him, so he doesn't trust you. Doesn't matter. He can't force you to do what you don't want to or kidnap you."
"Michael," I said, looking up at him, "why would you join that group? I know you want to help, but after you associate yourself with people like my brother... There's no coming back. Would you really die for a cause that has nothing to do with you?"
"You can call me a dreamer or an idiot, but I believe if there were more people like me, magic disease carriers wouldn't have this many problems." He defensively crossed his arms, his stance erect and proud. "Sometimes you must think of others rather than yourself."
"Right." I rolled my eyes. "I understand that Paula would do anything to get a chance to discover something important because that's her lifetime wish, but you? What is it in there for you? Do you expect to become a leader of some new party that will promote tolerance?"
"Ria, stop." Adrian sat on the chair opposite from me, reaching for my hand, but I snatched it back. "We could all benefit from joining the group. Why don't you tell us what are you really thinking? It's not just about your brother, is it? It's about your family too. You believe that if you do this, they'll never forgive you."
I stared at him, open-mouthed. "No! I don't care what my parents think of me."
"Yes, you do," Adrian said. "I know you expect they'll change their mind and forgive you for leaving with me. They need you back in order for their story to work and we still don't know what your father is planning to do. You are afraid that the group will fail or be discovered and that your parents will find out that you have the disease. Then you wouldn't have a chance to make up with them."
"Don't tell me how I feel!" I screamed at him, and the chair he was sitting on went on fire. He jumped up and used his element on the chair, effectively extinguishing the red and yellow flames. Deep down inside of me I knew every single word he said was true. My parents had enough resources to discover any suspicious activity and someone in my brother's group could be a spy. If I showed up there, it would be clear what I really was. My parents might have used me to get what they wanted, but that didn't mean they didn't care about me. Or maybe I was reluctant to let go of my life of luxury and normalcy. No, it was more than that. I didn't want to hurt anyone by accident because of my element controlling issues.
God, I should be worrying about things like finishing university, learning how to use my element, deciding what job I would like to have, choosing which dress to wear to the party,... and not joining some underground club of monsters like me. Adrian glared at me from across the room, his jaw set in a tight line.
"Are you done being a spoiled princess who only thinks about herself?" Adrian said. "Do you think any of us took this decision without thinking? Do you really think we aren't sacrificing anything?"
"Well, I can't really read your mind, can I?" I said bitterly, even though I knew I should stop arguing.
"Do you know why no one has done anything to improve the status of magic disease carriers in the society? And I'm not talking about those who believe we should be killed or that finding a cure is pointless. It's because the world is full of people who'd rather sit on their asses for their whole lives and wait for someone else to do everything for them," he said. "Let me tell you something. We won't get anywhere like that, so we need all the help we can get. Including yours."
"I have the disease and two fucking elements that I can't even control!" I got up, nearly toppling my chair. "How am I supposed to stay calm, do whatever tests my brother wants me to, hang out with people who could tattle on me to my parents and pretend like everything's fucking fine?" Tears appeared in my eyes. "What if I burn someone alive? What if I destroy the group's lab because air decided it was a good time to create a tornado?"
"We'll make sure that doesn't happen," Adrian said, taken aback. He clearly hadn't thought about that. Judging by the surprised looks on Paula's and Michael's faces, they hadn't either. Great.
"How? Are you going to hold my hand forever?" I angrily wiped away a tear that managed to escape me. "You know that only makes things worse for both of us, no matter how much we'd like to pretend otherwise."
"We could get one of those element-blocking suits or cuffs," Paula said. "Maybe your brother has something like that. We could make you a bracelet out of that material."
"Do you think it could work? I mean, I'm still not sure how something so small can block the whole element, but would it hold against two elements?" I didn't want to get my hopes up only to be disappointed later.
"Well, we can try," Paula said, chewing on her lip, which meant she wasn't so sure.
"Huh." I sniffled.
"How about we vote?" Michael said. "The majority wins."
"No," Adrian said. "If Ria doesn't want to come, she shouldn't."
"So you're just going to leave me behind?" If looks were daggers, Adrian's chest would be full of holes.
"You could stay here and wait until we get one of those element-blocking thingies," he said, casting down his eyes. "Maybe it would be better if you spent some time without me."
"Maybe," I said grimly.
"No, that's not gonna work." Paula vehemently shook her head, her blond curls flying around her. "I'm not leaving you here alone. Are you insane?"
"I'll be fine," I said. "It's not like I can endanger anyone here. The worst thing that can happen is that something goes on fire or that my parents find me. They can't exactly kill me, so I g
uess I'm as safe as I can be."
"Do you think your parents would really kill you if they found out? But wouldn't that still be a scandal?" Paula furrowed her brow.
"Yes, they would, because the disease would give them an excuse to do it. They could always come up with a story that I tried to kill them or that I killed someone from their security, so they didn't have a choice. It would be such a tragic, movie material story." I could already picture my parents giving interviews and crying in front of the cameras. "It's a good thing they actually care about me, and that my funeral would mean Oliver would have to finally reappear. Everyone believes he's just good at hiding and bribing the press not to show any photos of him. Besides, if those who work for my father and know that my brother has the disease would find out about me, they'd start to be suspicious. One child in the family getting the disease isn't that unbelievable, but two..."
"Oh." Paula gasped, her eyes wide. "You think Oliver is planning to use you by exposing both of you to the world because it would ruin your father."
"Yes," I breathed. "What if that's what he wants? What if he only wishes to get revenge on my father for locking him up and persecuting him?"
"The group wouldn't approve of such a thing," Michael said. "They have more important things to do than worry about one person getting revenge."
"He's sly and cunning. They probably aren't in on it." Maybe I was being unfair, but what if I was right? That would drastically change everything.
"We won't let him do it. He can't force you to go to a press conference with him or something like that. And we can always check the rooms for cameras if that's what worries you," Adrian said.
"I know," I said, cracking my knuckles. "But he thinks we're going to accept. All of us. What will he do if he doesn't get me?"
"That's a bit hard to predict," Paula said. "It is quite possible that he isn't planning anything."
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