Page 135 of Cerulean Truth
“While that might be true, we still need to talk to her,” Philip insisted.
I met his gaze with an intensity that seemed to slice through the air. “Then you’ll go through me.”
A sardonic smirk played on Philip's lips as he questioned with skepticism. “You’re really going to fight me for her?”
A low, guttural growl escaped me. “I’d fight anyone for her. Fightingyouis just a bonus.”
Philip clenched his jaw, clearly taken aback by my resolute reaction. “The Maumars will hear of this,” he warned, a hint of menace in his voice.
I leaned in, my own tone dripping with defiance. "I'm counting on it."
Philip'scharming personality had worked wonders for my mood. It took me no more than two minutes to convene an urgent meeting with the Maumars. After swiftly briefing them on my earlier conversation with Philip, I was surprised to find them more "silent" than I had anticipated.
"You cannot seriously believe there's any merit in his absurd theories!" I nearly roared.
"James, calm down. We understand your apprehension…"
Apprehension? I was fucking livid!
"Apprehension? I've got a twenty-three-year-old maga on my hands, struggling with translation to the point of despair. I'm training her every damn day to safeguard her from Radicals who attempted to fucking bleed her out! And here's Mr. Council Knowitall uttering idiotic accusations, implying Emma's involvement with those same Radicals!" I snapped, my frustration evident, paying little heed to the fact Maria was my superior.
"James, please calm down. We understood from the intelyourteam gathered that this Bill person was questioned about the whereabouts of a specific maga. After identifying his ties to Emma, we merely decided we'd be fools not to ask her about him. And may I remind you,youwere the one who wantedto keep her abduction-incident a secret from the rest of the Council, so you can’t blame Philip for not knowing," Maria explained mercilessly.
Damn it, she had me there.
"You said they tortured him for information," I said through my teeth.
"Yes, I did," she replied dryly, her tone revealing a hint of anger.
"Unless you believe annoying someone to death is an actual form of torture, I don’t see Emma quite capable of that." I couldn’t mask the sarcasm in my voice and I narrowed my eyes, trying to convey as much conviction as I could with one harsh look.
“Seems to me like they tortured him to get intel on Emma,” Maurice muttered, his voice carrying a tinge of resignation.
“What do you mean?” Maria frowned.
“Remember the day they bled her out against that tree?" Maurice hinted.
"Vividly," I replied, clenching my jaw, the memory still haunting me.
"How much time had passed between the questioning and killing of mister Ferrars and her abduction?"
Maria and I fell silent, the weight of Maurice's question settling in. I hadn’t even made the connection until Maurice laid it out so plainly.
"It's all connected," Maria whispered, her words hanging in the tense air.
"But why? Why torture a human to find Emma and bleed her out? It doesn't make any sense…" I frowned.
"No, it doesn't…" Maurice shook his head.
"James, we need to keep this under wraps. We'll suggest to the Council to consult with your friend, Jackson, and seek whatever legal advice he can offer in light of the Great Exposure.We need to know how much we can keep to ourselves without endangering our agreements with other Collectives. However, apart from him, no one outside the Council should be informed. Have you updated Emma after meeting with Philip?" Maria inquired.
I shook my head, "Not yet. I'm going to after our meeting here."
"James, you can't," she ordered, her eyes pleading with a softer undertone.
I stilled. "Why not?"
"Because if Radicals are torturing humans for intel on Emma, and we’re willing to accept the fact Emma has nothing to do with it, then the next humans they're going after…"
