Yet, something was off about all of it. He’d known his mission when they’d arrived at the Colony. Get Ava and the girl and fall back to regroup. Evade the Guardians. Wait for further orders to be relayed through Bartok.
Orders . . . from who? Why?
Why did they need Emma and Ava? The question sent a stab of pain through his head, and Caleb fell to his knees, clutching at his scalp.
“What’s happening?” he heard Gideon ask. “What’s wrong with him?”
“I’m not sure. Get him in here and on the table.”
Strong arms lifted him, dragging him along down a dark hallway and into a brightly lit room. The pain in his skull ebbed to a dull throb, and he blinked in surprise to find himself looking up at the ceiling.
“Where’s Ava?” he rasped.
“Hold him down,” Emma said, her voice gruff and businesslike. “This might hurt, and he’s not going to like it.”
Something heavy bracketed Caleb’s chest and held his limbs immobile. He struggled, unable to move an inch, and squeezed his eyes shut. Slender fingers pried them open, Emma’s mismatched eyes appearing inches away from him. They almost matched, actually, the pupils blown so wide that only a thin circle of pale green differentiated one from the other.
“Try and relax,” Emma said, her cool palms framing his face.
He felt her prod at his mind, and in a flash of white-hot pain, Caleb screamed.
Chapter 12
Ava could hear Caleb’s agonized bellows from where she stood with Tiernan, wringing her hands and overcome with guilt.
Sure, she knew it was useless. She knew it was unwarranted. She’d done what she had to do to help Caleb. Still, she couldn’t help how she felt. The look of betrayal in his eyes had cut her deeply, and she knew it was something that would haunt her for a long time to come. She could feel Caleb fighting against whatever Emma was doing to him, and her gift longed to reach out and help—to fight off whatever was hurting him.
“He’ll be fine,” Tiernan told her, trying to assure her again.
Ava wasn’t convinced, but she nodded just the same. She wanted to believe it—needed to believe it.
Finally, the screams stopped, the last of them echoing through the treetops before fading away into silence. Ava could feel Caleb calm, and with a choked gasp, she ran toward the building, Tiernan on her heels.
She sped through the hallway and jerked to a stop when Emma and Gideon emerged from a room and closed the door behind them. Gideon looked up at her approach and held up a hand.
“He’s asleep,” he told her. “We gave him some R-cubes, but he really needs the rest, I think. It took a lot out of him.”
“But he’s . . . is he . . .”
Is he fixed? Is he him? Is he Caleb?
“He’s fine.”
Emma was trying to assure her, but Ava turned to Gideon for confirmation. She still couldn’t shake the lingering tendrils of anger that Emma had done this to Caleb in the first place, no matter how undeserved that anger was.
“He’s back to normal,” Gideon said. “As far as I can tell, all the effects have been removed. He also remembers everything about his time with the Rogues, which should prove useful. He wanted to tell us everything, but he’s so exhausted.” He glanced back at the door, pride on his face. “Brave kid.”
It took a moment for his words to register with Ava, and when they did, the rush of adrenaline drained out of her, and she slumped against the wall in relief. “So he’s all right.”
“He’s all right.” Gideon reached out to lay a hand on her shoulder. “He kept asking for you.”
Ava blinked back tears.
Perhaps he’d forgive her. Perhaps he’d understand.
“Can I see him? Can I . . . I’d like to stay with him.” Now that he was back, she couldn’t bear the thought of being away from him. Even if he was sleeping.
Gideon seemed to understand. “I’ll check on you later,” he said before heading down the hall to the control room.
Tiernan eyed her carefully. “You okay?”
“Yeah. Yeah, sure.” She nodded briskly, brushing away her tears. “I’m fine now.”
He cleared his throat, jerking a thumb over his shoulder. “Then I guess I’ll . . . go . . . debrief or something.”
Ava fought a smile. “Yeah. Go and loom and grunt with Gideon.”
To his credit, Tiernan just rolled his eyes and walked away.
Emma, however, reached out to take her hand. “Come on,” she said gently, reaching for the doorknob. “See for yourself. He’s going to be fine.”
She let Emma lead her into the room, only letting out a breath when she saw Caleb lying peacefully on a small bed against the wall.
Caleb slept deeply, his chest rising and falling under a thin blanket. Unable to resist touching him any longer, Ava left Emma standing at the door and rushed to his side. She brushed the hair away from his forehead, and he shifted into the touch, a pleased sigh slipping from his lips. Her gift settled within her, finally calm and quiet.
“I can do the same for you,” Emma said, startling Ava slightly. She hadn’t realized the girl had moved to stand next to her.
“What do you mean?” Ava whispered.
Caleb let out a quiet sound, his head rolling on the pillow, and Emma pressed a finger to her lips and indicated the door with a tilt of her head.
Ava nodded, touching Caleb’s cheek lightly before following the girl to the other side of the room.
“I know you’re having trouble with your gifts,” Emma said. “And I’d like to help you.” She glanced at Caleb. “Now’s not the time, of course, but when you’re ready, let me know.”
“You really think you can lift the rest of the block?” Ava asked. “How would that even work?”
“I’ll explain it all later. But for now, Caleb needs you.” She smiled. “And I can see that you need him, too.” With that, she stepped out of the room and closed the door behind her.
Ava blinked in confusion, a little scared about Emma’s proposal but intrigued, nonetheless. Caleb let out a quiet whimper and she hurried to his side as his eyes fluttered open.
“Ava?”
“I’m here.”
“I’m . . . what happened?” he mumbled, his voice thick with sleep.
“Shhh . . .” she whispered, her fingers smoothing lightly over his forehead. “Just rest for now.”
He settled, and she moved toward the padded chair next to the bed, but Caleb reached for her, his hand flailing until it rested on hers. “Don’t go.”
He tugged on her hand, and she smiled, kicking off her shoes. She slid into the bed next to him, fully clothed, and rested her head on his chest, his strong heartbeat reassuring her that he really was going to be all right.
“I’m not going anywhere,” she whispered as she curled up against him and joined him in sleep.
The sun had shifted low in the sky when Ava opened her eyes again. She had no idea how long they’d been asleep, but daylight had melted into dusk, so it had been at least a few hours. Caleb was a warm, firm presence half under her, one arm wrapped around her waist, the other thrown over his head on the pillow. She fought the urge to stretch luxuriantly and instead attempted to slip out of the bed without disturbing Caleb. His arm tightened around her, though, halting the movement.
“Where are you going?” he rasped, although his eyes remained shut.
She felt suddenly self-conscious, nervous after all that had happened. “You’re awake.”
“Sort of,” he said, his lips quirking. “My head feels like somebody took a jackhammer to it.”
Ava reached for the jar of R-cubes on a side table and touched one to his lips. “Well, that’ll happen when someone goes picking around in your brain.”
He opened his mouth for the cube and chewed and swallowed quickly before he took a deep breath and finally opened his eyes. “Remind me never to do that again.”
Silence thickened in the air as Ava searched for the right words. “Ab
out before—”
“Listen—” Caleb said at the same time.
“I didn’t mean—”
“No, it was my fault.” Caleb rolled to his side, leaning on his elbow over her. “I hate what I did. What I said to you—”
“That wasn’t you.” Ava reached out tentatively to touch his face. “I’m sorry for hurting you. Using my gift against you.”
“Hey.” He ran his fingers lightly over her lips and leaned in to kiss her softly. “You have nothing to apologize for. You did what you had to do.”
Despite it all, Ava couldn’t hold back a snicker. “So, essentially, we’re both sorry, but neither one of us should be.”
Caleb smirked. “Sounds about right.”
Ava sobered, laying her hand against his cheek.
He sighed, leaning into her touch, and her gift flared, mingling with his in quiet contentment.
“I’m so glad you’re back,” she said.
“Me, too.”
They lay there for a moment, indulging in the peace and quiet, and Caleb let out a heavy breath.
“As much as I’d like to hole up in this room with you for about a month, I think I should go talk to Gideon.” His jaw tensed under her hand at the mention of his father.
“Are you sure you’re ready for that?” she asked. “You’ve been through a lot.”
He sat up, flipping back the covers. “I think he needs to know what the Rogues are up to. And there are things you should know as well.”
“Me?”
“This is bigger than we thought, Ava.”
“Gideon said the Council suspects a conspiracy.”
“He knows?” Caleb’s eyes widened in surprise.
“Not for sure,” she replied. “But I take it he’s not far off?” A knock at the door kept Ava from pursuing the issue, and Caleb waited for her to get out of bed before answering it.
“Good, you’re awake,” Tiernan filled the doorframe with his massive bulk, glancing at Ava before turning his attention back to Caleb. “Gideon wants a debriefing, if you feel up to it.”
“Yeah . . . yeah, okay.” Caleb rubbed the back of his neck idly, walked over to grab his shoes, and settled in the chair next to the bed to put them on.
Ava slipped into her own, ran her fingers through her hair, and secured it into a ponytail before taking Caleb’s offered hand.
“Ready?” he asked.
“As I’ll ever be.”
They walked down the hall behind Tiernan, and Caleb spoke to her in a low voice. “I learned things about you—about your background. I’m not sure if you want Gideon to know.”
She watched Tiernan’s broad back. He kept up his steady pace, showing no sign he was listening, though Ava knew he could hear them. “Is it bad?” she asked.
“No. I just . . .” He glanced at Tiernan and stopped, letting the man get a few feet ahead of him. “I don’t know that I trust Gideon.”
“He’s your father.” Ava couldn’t keep the surprise out of her voice.
“Not in any of the ways that matter,” Caleb replied through gritted teeth.
Ava scrubbed a hand over her face, tired and a little frustrated that they were having this conversation in front of Tiernan, of all people.
To his credit, he had stopped to wait for them but was leaning against the wall pretending not to pay attention.
“We don’t have time to go into this now.” Ava strove to be patient and hoped she was getting somewhere close. “Your issues with Gideon aside, I think we can trust him. We need to trust him,” she said quickly when he opened his mouth to interrupt. “I don’t think we can handle the Rogues on our own, do you?”
Caleb clenched his jaw. “No.”
“And personally, I’m not ready to go to the Council with this, are you?”
“No. Not yet, at least.”
“All right, then,” Ava took his hand firmly in hers. “Let’s go talk to him and try to figure out exactly what’s going on and maybe what our next move should be.” She started to walk, and Caleb reluctantly let her drag him along.
“When did you get so bossy?” he asked.
“I’ve always been bossy.”
“Not this bossy.”
Tiernan snorted.
“Shut up,” Ava snapped as she passed him.
Caleb gaped, looking from Ava to Tiernan in shock.
“Don’t ask,” she said with a grumble of annoyance. “He’s kind of a pain, but he’s all right.”
Tiernan barked out a gruff laugh. “I’m not the pain.”
Ava wanted to argue the point, but they’d reached the conference room. Her smile fell as she followed Tiernan inside, nerves sweeping through her stomach at the sight of the Guardians waiting for them.
Emma sat huddled in a chair in the corner, her knees drawn up under her chin. She jumped to her feet when she saw them, hurrying over to Ava and grabbing her arm. “Is he okay?” she whispered, looking nervously at Caleb.
“I’m fine. And before you say you’re sorry, don’t. I know you didn’t want to do what you did—and you did set it right . . .”
Emma’s mouth twisted awkwardly before curving into a small, relieved smile. “Well, I am sorry.”
Caleb smiled back. “I know.”
“Where’s Audrey?” Ava asked as Gideon approached. “Is she all right?”
“She’s fine.” Gideon gave a small, reassuring smile. “She was called on to help with the wounded—not many, thanks to you—and I ordered her to get some rest. She’ll see you in the morning.” He eyed Caleb carefully. “I know you’re tired, but I thought we should talk.”
Caleb cast a significant glance around the crowded room. “I’d prefer we speak more privately.”
With a jerk of his head, Gideon cleared everyone from the room except for Tyra, who sat with her feet propped up on the conference table, fiddling with her nails. Ava, Caleb, and Emma sat down across from her, with Tiernan leaning on the wall in a shadowed corner, as usual. Gideon took a seat next to Tyra at the head of the table and nodded at Caleb to proceed.
“Ava said the Council suspects a Rogue conspiracy, and in this case, they’re right.”
Tyra sat up, her booted feet thudding hard on the floor. “What kind of conspiracy?”
Caleb took a deep breath, squeezing Ava’s hand under the table. “They plan to overthrow the Council—have been planning it for years, actually. Decades.” He turned to Ava, gaze focused and intent. “It’s why they want you, Ava.”
“What does Ava have to do with it?” Gideon asked.
Caleb faced Gideon. “What do you know of Elias Borré?”
“Borré? I know that name’s coming up a lot lately.” Gideon pursed his lips, thinking for a moment. “Powerful man. Brilliant scientist. Very influential until he went Rogue.”
Ava tried to follow the conversation. “Borré. The Rogue the Council had in custody—the one they said you helped escape?”
“I did help him escape.”
Gideon stood abruptly, shoving his chair back as he rubbed the back of his neck in frustration. “Maybe you should start at the beginning,” he said. “How did the Rogues get to you, and what did they want?”
Caleb leaned back and lifted his eyes to the ceiling as he took a deep breath to gather his thoughts. “I was transporting a Half-Breed here. A sensor named Evan.”
Gideon stiffened. “You said he ran away.”
“To be honest, I have no idea what actually happened to him.” Caleb rubbed at his eyes and groaned in frustration. “I thought I’d delivered him. That I’d spent a few days here—talked to Bel—”
“Bel Castro?” Gideon shook his head in confusion. “Bel hasn’t been here in months.”
“I know that now.” Caleb scrubbed his hands over his face. “Emma planted the memories.”
“Your mind did, actually,” Emma said, offering a bit more clarification and clearing her throat as she looked nervously around the group. “I had to make you think Evan had been delivered and that you�
��d been here instead of with the Rogues. Your mind filled in the logical details on its own.”
“No wonder they call you a scrambler,” Caleb muttered before glancing up at the girl. “Sorry.”
She shrugged and turned her attention to her shoelaces.
“What was his gift?” Tiernan asked after a moment. When Caleb looked at him blankly, he clarified the question. “The Half-Breed, Evan?”
“I have no idea. Bel never mentioned it.” He turned to Gideon. “Do you know?”
“We think he was a sensor,” he replied.
Tiernan stiffened, and Ava turned to him with wide eyes.
“Do you think?” she asked.
Tiernan shrugged. “He said the sensor was newly acquired. It makes sense.”
Both Gideon and Caleb spoke at the same time. “Who?”
“Andreas Petrov,” Tiernan said. “It’s how we were able to track you,” he told Caleb. “I don’t know for sure that the sensor he used was your boy, but it could be that the Council ended up with him after all.”
Ava wasn’t sure if she should feel relieved that Evan escaped the Rogues, or worried about what the Council would do to him.
Caleb reached out and took her hand, obviously feeling her ambivalence. “Anyway, a group of Rogues intercepted me,” Caleb said. “They drugged me, took me to the caves in Utah. Then Emma . . .” He glanced at the girl, who wouldn’t meet his eyes. “Well, you know what Emma did. When I came to, I had this deep-seated distrust of the Council, bordering on downright disgust.” He rubbed at his eyes in frustration. “It seems so ridiculous now, but at the time, it made sense. It was all so . . . logical.”
“I’m sorry,” Emma said quietly. When Gideon turned his attention to her, she added the reasoning. “They wanted him loyal to the cause. I didn’t know anything other than that.”
“They sent me back to Missouri. Told me to keep an eye on Ava and I’d be called on when I was needed.”
Ava fought a chill at his words, realizing that Caleb hadn’t really been Caleb for longer than she’d thought—before she’d even noticed the changes.
“They sent me on a few missions, I suppose to see if I really was trustworthy, if the tampering had stuck. Then I went with them to free Borré.”
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