by Ali House
Her hand reached up to touch the collar around her neck. She hated this thing more than she could describe. Words hadn’t been invented yet that could communicate what she was feeling. Whenever she tried to use one of her powers, the collar stopped her, making it difficult for her to concentrate. She would have loved to rip it off, but they informed her that the collar had a large needle at the back that went into her neck, and unless it was removed properly, she could do permanent damage to herself.
There was nothing in the room other than the bed, so she had plenty of time to think about how the ISS was only proving her suspicions. They were trying to treat her well, apologizing for locking her up and making sure she was well fed, but she could see through their act. Every day was filled with people wanting to talk to her and trick her. She was surprised that they hadn’t brought someone in to brainwash her again. Maybe that would happen today.
She’d already considered trying to escape, but she wouldn’t get far with this stupid collar. Even if she managed to incapacitate the person coming in, she’d still have to face any guards in the basement, and then anyone else from that point on. She had no idea how many people were guarding her room, but it was probably a lot.
Maybe she should pretend to be on their side, make them think that they’d finally gotten through to her, and that everything was back to being perfect. She’d only have to pretend until the collar was gone. Would she be able to fool them? Would it work? Or would they leave her to die down here?
A knock on the door brought her back to reality.
“It’s Zenyth. I’m coming in.”
Kit sighed to herself and turned away from the door. She needed time to come up with a plan, but she’d never get that as long as the ISS continued to bother her.
“You’ve got a visitor,” Zenyth told her. “I thought I’d give you a heads up, because it’s probably not anyone you’re expecting to see.”
That was intriguing enough to earn Kit’s attention. “Who is it?”
“Don’t worry. You’ll recognize her.”
A woman with bright red hair and green eyes walked in. Kit’s eyes widened as a flood of memories washed over her.
“Akola?”
She nodded, crossing her arms. “I didn’t want to come here, but I heard that you’d found yourself in some trouble.”
“Oh,” Kit said flatly. “They got to you, too.”
Zenyth started to speak, but Akola raised her hand to interrupt her.
“Maybe you should leave us.”
“No way,” Zenyth protested. “I’m not leaving you alone with her.”
Akola raised an eyebrow. “All of a sudden you don’t trust me?”
Zenyth opened her mouth before shutting it again. “Um...” She looked from Akola to Kit. It suddenly became apparent that it would be extremely stupid to leave the two of them alone. What if Akola decided that it would be worth the hassle to have the Six-Elemental on Tecken’s side and confirmed everything Kit thought? What if she demanded that Kit be allowed to leave with her? What if this idea was actually a terrible mistake?
“I want to speak to Akola alone,” Kit spoke up. “If you don’t leave, I won’t say a damn word.”
Letting out a sigh, Zenyth knew that she had lost the fight. She had to trust that the Tecken Leader would tell the truth.
“Fine,” Zenyth said, trying not to scowl.
Once she was out of the room, Kit turned to Akola. “Are you working for them?”
Akola laughed bitterly. “Of course not.”
“So I can trust you?”
She paused and took a long look at the blue-haired woman in front of her. “You know, I almost didn’t believe Zenyth, but I’m glad I got to see this for myself. Kit Tyler, back under Tecken’s control.” She laughed again. “Are you as naive as last time, or was that all a show for Magnus?”
Kit rose to her feet. “I know who I truly am right now, so you can save your condescension. And, honestly, why should you be angry with me when it was the ISS who brainwashed me to kill Erikson? I wasn’t myself, so you can’t blame that on me. Not anymore.”
Akola took a step back. “Wow... Whoever did this to you really did a number. You actually believe it? That you were born on Tecken and that your life on Briton was a lie?” Her voice dropped to a whisper. “If Wes had known about this technique, we might have actually won the war...”
“You know, as the Leader of Tecken, you can demand that they let me go. I have just as much right as anyone else to live wherever I want.” Kit didn’t know why she was trying to reason with Akola. It was becoming apparent that she couldn’t trust her any more than the others.
Akola shook her head. “You’re not from Tecken, Kit. You’d never set foot on the place until we brought you over before the Second Invasion.”
“Lies.”
“Fine. If you’re from Tecken, tell me this: what was Magnus Erikson’s coronation like?”
Kit opened her mouth to speak but then closed it again. “I don’t remember. The ISS destroyed all of my memories.”
“That’s weird. Because even though I was young when Magnus came to power, I still remember every single moment of that day. I doubt that anything could be done to me that would make me forget it.” She snapped her fingers. “I know, how about I give you some details and see if it jogs your memory? Do you remember his entrance on the balcony? What about his first speech as Leader? How about the funeral for his mother that we held just hours beforehand?”
Sitting down, Kit tried to conjure up any kind of memory of this day, but there was nothing. She tried to put Erikson on a balcony, but she couldn’t remember what he looked like as a young man. She didn’t even know what balcony Akola was talking about. And who had his mother been?
“The ISS—”
“Stop going on about the ISS! If they’d destroyed your memories so completely, how do you know for sure that you grew up on Tecken?”
This question put some fire back into Kit’s spirit. “I know because I found my childhood home and talked to my mother.”
Her answer surprised Akola. “Your mother? I don’t know who you talked to or what they said to you, but that person wasn’t your mother.”
“And how would you know that?”
“Because I’ve lived on Tecken my entire life,” she said, her voice rising with anger. “Because I have been responsible for every soul on that island for the past sixteen years, after you murdered their leader. So you’d better believe me when I tell you that the person pretending to be your mother was lying, because I know everyone who lives on Tecken, and she isn’t one of them.”
There was something about her anger that rang true, and Kit had to sit back down on the bed. Her formerly unshakeable confidence was wavering. What would Akola have to gain by lying to her?
Akola frowned and looked down at her. “I’m sure you can remember what it like when you trained with us on Stanton, so how about I bring up a few small points that might help you make up your mind? One: if you had been born on Tecken, why didn’t you have a weapon to train with? We all had one. We all trained with weapons the first year we entered the army. Why were you, a person who hadn’t yet become the Six-Elemental, so important that you could get away with having no weapons training at all? Two: why were you so far behind us in fighting skill? Everyone on Tecken had to take mandatory army training for two years, so why did the rest of us have to lower our skill to make you feel better every time we trained with you? Three: why didn’t they let you go and see your supposed mother once we were back on the island? Why did they keep you isolated when they knew full well that it might be your last chance to talk to her? Or why didn’t they bring her in to see you and strengthen your ties to the island? Four: why couldn’t you see Nathan for the asshole that he was? If you’d grown up with us, you’d have seen how terrible he acted after he didn’t get an element on his twenty-first birthday, and you’d have known to stay the hell away. And, finally, five: if you were really born on Tecken, why do
n’t you feel that overwhelming pride towards your island or a strong desire to make the world a better place? Why are you so content to spend the rest of your life hiding away, instead of working with the ISS to improve relations with Tecken or Briton? Why isn’t there some small part of you that wants to help the people of this Segment instead of resenting them for being in awe of you – something that they can’t help, because you’re an actual myth come to life!?” She was almost shouting by this point, so she paused to bring her voice back down. “You are not from Tecken, Kit. Get it through your thick skull and stop tormenting everyone around you. And go see a psychiatrist. You obviously need one.”
She started to move towards the door, but Kit called out to her.
“Wait!” She rose to her feet again. Her voice was shaking, but there was still a small bit of resolve left. “How do I know that I can trust you? How do I know that you’re not lying?”
Akola walked back, stopping a few inches away from Kit’s face. Her eyes burned with rage.
“Because I hate you, Kit. Because it would give me so much pleasure to sneak in here under the pretence that I’m working with the ISS just to tell you that, yes, you actually are from Tecken. I would love to see you crumble with the realization that you ruined the lives of everyone you once swore to protect, and that you murdered the most beloved man on that island and destroyed everything that he worked for. But I’m not a liar. You’re not from Tecken. You never were and you never will be, so stay on Stanton with the ISS, because that’s where you’ve always belonged, even if you’re too stupid to figure it out.”
Kit’s eyes widened with shock. She felt as if she might throw up. No, it couldn’t be true. If everything in those letters was a lie, then she’d put her friends through hell for nothing.
Akola took a deep breath and looked off to the side. “I loved him, you know,” she said, her voice suddenly full of emotion. She turned back to Kit. “Not just as a Leader – not in the way that others said they did. I loved that man with all of my heart. And I watched him die – I watched you kill him. So believe me when I say that if you had been under the control of the ISS, I probably could have forgiven you. But you weren’t. You murdered him, in cold blood, under no one’s control but your own.”
She turned and walked out of the room without another word.
Once Akola was gone, Kit’s last bit of self-control evaporated. Her legs buckled underneath her, and she dropped to the floor.
Chapter 33
Akola stormed out the room, her face a mix of anger and sadness and frustration. She stopped near Zenyth, Naydir, and Sav, taking a moment to compose herself, but didn’t make eye contact with any of them.
“If that didn’t work, then I don’t know what will. But I’m done.”
With those words, she marched out of the hallway. Nobody tried to stop her.
Zenyth moved to the door and looked through the peephole. Kit was on the floor, huddled into a ball. She couldn’t see Kit’s face, but from the way her body was trembling, Zenyth had a feeling that Akola’s talk had done its job. The only question was whether or not Kit had enough sanity left to survive the truth.
≈
After waiting a few minutes, Zenyth went back to the door to check on Kit. She was still on the floor, but had stopped shaking. Her back was to the door and her head bowed low.
Zenyth knocked and announced herself, but Kit didn’t move. If anything, she huddled closer to herself.
“So...” Zenyth said once she was in the room, trying to make her voice as gentle as possible. “How are you doing?”
There was no response. She had a feeling that this might take a long time, so she walked over to the bed and sat down, leaving as much space as possible between her and Kit.
“Look, I’m sorry if that was rough, but I didn’t know what else to do.” Zenyth looked down at her hands. What had she done? Was a catatonic friend better than a brainwashed friend?
Zenyth sat quietly. Talking probably wouldn’t do any good, but she wanted Kit to know that she was here for her. She had no idea how much time passed as the two of them sat there in silence. Maybe she had done more harm than good. Maybe a line had been crossed that shouldn’t have been. Zenyth had wanted so desperately to make Kit realize the truth, but maybe she had gone too far.
“How many people know?”
Zenyth looked up. “What?”
Kit’s head was still bowed. “About this, about me losing my mind?”
She sighed. “The rumour’s spreading. A lot of theories are, honestly, quite insane, but a few are close enough that I’m wondering if someone in here said something they shouldn’t have.”
She wished that Kit would turn around and look at her, but she’d settle for talking.
“I want to speak to Dominika Haskell.”
The statement took Zenyth by surprise. Why would Kit want to talk to the Council’s liaison for Segment Delta? “I think she’s back on the Centre, but we could phone and see.”
“No.” Kit’s voice was firm. “I want to speak to her here. In person.”
“It’ll take at least a day to get her here from the Centre. I could bring Frederick down, if you want—”
“No. I only want to speak to Haskell.”
“Would you like to get out of here and go home?” Zenyth asked gently.
There was no response. She knew better than to ask again, so she nodded to herself and stood up.
≈
“How’s she doing?” Naydir asked, once Zenyth was back in the hallway.
She paused and considered her words. “It might have worked a little too well… I think she’s back, but not like she used to be.”
The hallway was silent as they all took in what had just happened.
Zenyth was the first to break the silence, letting out a loud sigh. “Well, I guess it’s time to go to Frederick and face the consequences.”
As she walked away, Naydir made a step to follow her, but Sav held him back. This had been Zenyth’s idea, so they should stay out of it. This was her mess to clean up.
Zenyth was trying to be brave, but her steps were more reluctant than confident. She should have gotten Frederick’s permission before doing something like this, but that would have slowed her down and she wanted to move fast. Maybe there was another solution that would have caused less damage, but time was running out.
When she reached the sixth floor, she asked Teya if Frederick was available.
“She’ll be a minute or two,” Teya said brightly. “You can have a seat.”
Zenyth sat down and tried to keep herself under control, but every few seconds she would notice that her leg was bouncing or that her finger was tapping. She didn’t usually feel anxious about things, but there was a ninety percent chance that Frederick would yell at her. Maybe ninety-five percent.
When the door to the office opened, she stood up, but then Akola left the office and a bit more of her resolve faded away. Upon seeing Zenyth, Akola gave her the slightest of nods before exiting to the stairwell.
Zenyth took a deep breath and headed to her doom.
Sure enough, Augusta Frederick did not look impressed. She was sitting behind her desk, arms crossed, scowl on her face.
“Sit.”
Zenyth obediently sat down in the chair across from the desk.
Frederick fumed for a few seconds. “You realize what you did was really stupid, right? Actually, don’t answer that. You had to have known that it was stupid, because otherwise you would have run it past me.”
Zenyth stayed quiet.
“You’re lucky that Allen was sympathetic to your request and understands the importance of her position. She could have taken the information you gave you her and spread it all over Tecken, and who knows where that would have led? If there had been a public outcry for us to release Tyler to Tecken, then we would’ve had to comply. We could have lost her while she still thought she was from Tecken, and who knows what kind of revenge she would have taken on us?”
Frederick fumed again, her face red with anger. Zenyth wondered if it was possible to be banished from an island.
“Allen didn’t tell me if her visit helped, so I’d appreciate knowing if your amazing plan that couldn’t wait for approval actually worked, or if you’ve pissed me off for no reason.”
Zenyth cleared her throat. “I’m pretty sure it worked.”
“Pretty sure?”
“Well, Kit isn’t really talking to anyone right now, but she seems sadder and more subdued.”
“So you don’t know for certain if it worked.”
“Well...” she paused. “She told me that she wants to speak to Dominika Haskell, so that might be a good sign.”
Frederick was still unimpressed. “I guess we should call Haskell right away, if that’s the case.”
Zenyth braced herself. “Actually, Kit wants to speak to her in person. And I don’t think she’s going to back down on that.”
Any patience Frederick still had disappeared instantly. “Of course. Of course that’s what she wants. Hansen, you’re officially excused. Please get out of my face as quickly as possible.”
Giving a quick respectful bow, Zenyth hurried away. If she’d realized how angry Frederick would be, then she’d have thought twice about going behind her back. She hadn’t been thinking about politics, only her friend, and that may have been a mistake. Zenyth had been certain that Akola would help, but Frederick was right – this plan could have backfired spectacularly.
Naydir and Sav were waiting for her in the stairwell.
“How’d it go?” Sav asked.
“I’m alive, so better than I thought.” She sighed. “Akola was leaving the office as I arrived, so Frederick already knew everything.”
Naydir nodded. “So, what do we do now?”
“I don’t know,” she said, shrugging. “Wait for Haskell and see what happens next.”
“And figure out what to tell Vaughn,” Sav added.