Page 37 of Dead Wrong

“I’m serious, Lenny. Why would anyone come out against us if they weren’t absolutely certain they could back up the claims? Why would they risk Mother’s wrath?”

Lynette waved off the question. “Mother has already handled it. Called the editor of the Page herself and demanded they print a retraction. I can’t imagine the type of dirt Mother must have on her. You could practically hear the tears running down her face as she begged for forgiveness.”

“So, then, there’s no truth to the claims?”

Lynette looked up at me once more, setting the pen in the holster and leaning back into the plush cushion of her chair. “And if there was?”

“Was what?” I asked.

“Truth to the claims. If theoretically speaking, someone had managed to intercept communications between me and a certain prolific member of the Unseen Rebellion, promising aid once I’ve stepped into Mother’s role. How would that affect your view of me, Tobi?”

I swallowed the lump in my throat. “Did you do such a thing?”

Lynette laughed once more, but it never touched her eyes. “I speak merely in hyperbole. Call it a thought experiment. I’m curious what you would do if those rumors they ran in the Page turned out to be true?”

I sank into the chair nearest me, resting my elbows on the edge of the wooden table. “I would tell you that you were being an idiot.”

Another laugh from Lynette, this one full and boisterous. Not the demure giggle of the girl she portrayed when Mother was nearby. “And why is that? Do you the Unseen Rebellion to be a fool’s errand?”

“I think it to be suicide,” I replied plainly. “For anyone involved. You know this, Lenny. Mother will not rest until the entire rebellion has been snuffed out and order restored in her eyes. She hardly tolerates the Unseen staff these days.”

Lynette grinned up at me, a strange gleam in her eye. “Well, it’s a damn good thing that these are nothing but unsubstantiated rumors then, isn’t it?”

Her words had never wrung more false. Something stirred behind the feigned innocence she wielded in my direction.

“Be honest with me, sister. What are you plotting?”

She barked another laugh. “Plotting? You think too much of me, Tobias.”

“You cannot move against Mother,” I continued. “At least not while she still holds power. Wait until your succession is complete. Then, no one will be able to stand in your way. Not even her.”

“But what about all the innocent people who will die in the meantime?” Lynette asked, her smile flickering like a spent candle. “What of the children who are caught up in the collateral damage of the never-ending scuffle between us and them? We’re talking about thousands of lives here, Tobias. You would have me toss them to the wayside until a more opportune moment?”

“I would have you live, Lynette.” My voice was quiet as it hovered over the long table. “That is all.”

Lynette was silent for a moment, then reached for the pen once more, signing the bottom of the scroll before drawing a sigil in the air with the tip of her index finger. The glowing golden character burst into a shower of sparks, and a snowy white raven appeared, perched on the table in front of her. She rolled up the parchment, whispering a few words as she placed both hands on the bundle, the roll shrinking to the size of a matchbox. She fastened the scroll to the raven’s leg, rising from her chair and walking it over to the gilded window. Unlatching the glass, she pushed the window open, the raven fluttering away in the blink of an eye.

“Living grows more difficult by the day, I fear, Tobi.” She turns back to face me, the corners of her eyes shining with moisture. “Suffering spreads like flames amongst the chaff, and the cries of those who demand justice grow with each passing day. I can’t take it much longer.”

“But think clearly,” I said, raising my voice. “If you want to help anyone, then shouldn’t you focus on attaining the power to do so on a larger scale? Think about all of the change that can come after your ascension, Lenny. Your magic already rivals Mother’s, and your heart outweighs hers tenfold.”

“And she is infinitely more clever,” Lynette concluded. “And dreadfully cruel. Which means I can’t tarry, waiting on a peaceful transfer of power. I can’t delay, Tobias. There are lives to be saved now.”

“Then you must become sharper,” I replied, rising from my seat. “Mother will be watching you even closer now. You can’t be sloppy.”

Lynette smiled then, her demeanor lightning as she reached out, drawing me into an embrace. “Your concern is duly noted, Tobi. But we’re just speaking in hypotheticals, right?”

I nodded, a lump in my throat blocking the words I wanted to say.

“I wish you were coming to the city. I want to go dancing with you again before we grow too old and self-conscious for that sort of thing.”

“I fear it may already be too late for me,” I said with a grimace.

Lynette laughed once more, taking me by the hand and leading me out of Mother’s office.

“It’s never too late, Tobias.”

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