Page 109 of Cerulean Truth
I hesitated, not feeling all too inclined to share what James had obviously told me in confidence. But I was curious…
“He told me he’d been angry as a kid…” I whispered, hoping silently Jackson would elaborate on it.
He snorted. "That’s putting it mildly. He was basically a bubbling pot of fury, directing his rage at anyone and anything, stuck in a permanent cycle of darkness and violence. He expressed himself through fists and head-butting, got into a lot of fights all of the time. For years, the only translation he knew came from anger, grief, distrust and an unhealthy thirst for revenge…"
Jackson paused, his gaze distant. "You have to understand, Emma, his background left a profound mark on him, making him quick to question the motives and abilities of those around him, and he never really learned proper communication. When his translation came through, it was all about death and destruction and nothing more. "
I blinked, still struggling to reconcile the image of James—now the embodiment of control and excellence—with the revelation that he was once an angry, emotionally turbulent kid.
"It took us years to get him on track; he even killed several magi in those first years?—"
"Killed?" I shrieked in disbelief, interrupting him.
Jackson nodded solemnly. "Yes."
My eyes widened in total shock, and I gasped. James had conveniently omitted that pesky little detail.
"So what happened to him?" I whispered, my curiosity tinged with unease.
"Well, the Council did the only thing they could; they trained him, honed his natural abilities, made him an Offensive at age nine, and gave him a license to kill."
I nearly choked on my drink. "Like James Bond?" I blurted out.
Jackson smirked. "Where do you think his name comes from? He renamed himself after his first kill-order for the Council."
More than a thousand questions flooded my mind, but the first one I articulated was, "So what’s his real name?"
Jackson laughed heartily. “Oh no, I’m not telling you that. I don’t have a death wish.”
I shook my head. “So James killed people by order of the Council?” I reiterated, trying to wrap my mind around it.
“Yeah.”
“Who did he kill?”
Jackson hesitated. “I’m not exactly familiar with the details, but there's a part of our history you should know to understand the answer to that question.”
I raised my beer in a mock salute. “Got nothing else to do. Educate me, mister Orator.”
He smiled, then asked, “Have you heard about the Battle of ’59?”
I nodded. “Not in much detail, though.”
“Well, I won’t bore you with too many details. Not that I have any, since the details of the Battle are mostly lost. We know the general storyline, but a lot of people died back then, and those who survived had their memory wiped.”
“Like Stephen?” I asked.
Jackson nodded. “Yeah, like Stephen. We know it’s the only time in history magi fought other magi. And we know the reason for it.”
I raised a brow, questioning him silently.
“The Battle of ’59 originated because some magi wanted to reveal our existence to humans.”
I frowned. “Isn’t that exactly what we’re doing now with the Great Exposure?”
“Yes, which is why it’s crucial that all Collectives reach a consensus in favor of it before we proceed. We need to ensure a war like the Battle doesn’t happen again.”
I nodded, still a little confused. “That’s all very fascinating, but what does it have to do with James?”
