Page 149 of Cerulean Truth
Walking through the Cave,I homed in on the seven newly joined prisoners.
Remembering the one who had spoken to me outside The Fuse, I started with him, though without much hope of obtaining actual results.
"You have no idea what you've interrupted," he said out of the blue entering the interrogation room, entirely surprising me.
"Then enlighten me," I suggested, gesturing for him to sit in the chair before me.
He huffed, "You wouldn't understand even if I tried to explain it."
I shrugged. "Then there's no harm in trying, is there?"
"You think you protected something last night, but all you did was sign all of our death certificates instead of one."
"The one being Emma's?" I pressed. He didn't respond, but it was clear as day.
"He's angry you didn't deliver, isn't he?" I tried my luck. He flinched, for a tenth of a second, but his flinch revealed enough. Whoever "he" was, “he” was clearly still chasing after her.
"Why? Why her?" I asked, my eyes narrowing.
"Because her blood is the only thing that can stop all this," he spat.
"Why?" I pressed again, but he scoffed and shook his head. I focused on his mental walls, pushing them down as much as I could. The thought of Emma being targeted sent a shiver up my spine and I used as much emotion from it to translate away his blockage. I got only two words out of him, but they were all I needed.
“Untraceable translation”
Godsdamnit, I knew it! I felt relief at finally knowing for sure what they had on her, and utter panic at the same time. They knew about her untraceable translation, how long would I be able to keep her safe? And how the hell did they find out?
"You're so against the Great Exposure, then?" I tried changing the angle, not showing him what intel I’d just gotten out of him.
He squinted. "You want to expose us to humans, tell war-minded creatures with nuclear weapons in their arsenal that we, magi, peaceful people with magic, exist. You don't think that's a tad idiotic?"
“By all means, enlighten me how Emma’s blood would be the answer to that?” I replied, glad he kept the conversation going.
He snorted. “Like you don’t know.”
I smiled dangerously. “I’d like to know howyouknow.”
He huffed, but a second later, the stoic look on his face returned. It was clear he was done talking. I attempted to penetrate his mental walls, but they were too high for me to succeed, and I was too eager to return to Emma to keep trying.
"So, you were right?"Maria's face lit up with a hint of pride as we conversed through the Nexus.
I nodded. "Yeah, it seems they want to use her blood to sow enough doubt about the guarantees we could offer humans and recruit more Resistants that way."
Maria sighed, her expression turning serious. "This means we have a mole… We can't let this information get out, James. If it leaks, not only will Emma be in grave danger, but the entire operation will have been in vain."
Again, I nodded in agreement. "I won't tell anyone."
"Not even Emma," Maria instructed sternly.
I hesitated; that directive didn't sit well with me.
"James, you cannot tell Emma we have a mole in the Council. You understand that, right? In order to flush him out, no one can know about it! Plus, if word gets out to the Resistants or Radicals on how Emma might be the solution to thwart the entire Exposure, they willallcome for her. You cannot tell another soul."
Fuck, she was right. Compartmentalizing information was paramount in every mission. But still, keeping this from Emma? It didn't feel right.
"James?" Maria reiterated, her insistence cutting through the air.
"Fine, I won't tell," I promised reluctantly. “For now,” I hissed, making it clear there was a time-limit on my promise. Maria gave me a curt nod in understanding, then said goodbye.
