Page 160 of Cerulean Truth
Nino shifted a little closer to my side, as did Jackson and even Matthew took a stand next to his friends. Their message all loud and clear: touch her and die. I swallowed, moved by their unwavering protection.
“James," Maria repeated sternly, "she’ll be safe. We just need to talk to her."
"You can talk to her right here," James replied dryly, ignoring Maria’s harsh tone. He stood firm, his eyes never leaving Dale's, making it clear he wasn't about to back down.
I coughed, indicating I was more than competent to speak for myself. But Nino shot me a glance sideways, and widened her eyes for a second, the message again loud and clear: butt out.
Dale's eyes narrowed, clearly displeased with the resistance. "This isn't a request," he snapped, but James remained unmoved, his stance resolute.
“Mister Walker, The Board needs to speak with her, right now. Your Leader informed us of your…’attachment’, but you coming along is merely a concession on our part. Her attendance is non-negotiable.”
James didn't flinch, his eyes locked on Dale's, the tension between them thickening. I could feel the weight of the moment, the intensity of the standoff, and the support of my friends surrounding me. Despite the fear gnawing at my insides, I drew strength from their solidarity, ready to face whatever awaited me.
“I can go,” I said softly.
James’s jaw clenched.
“The Board will not harm one of our own,” Dale said through clenched teeth, clearly insulted by James’s mistrust.
“Considering how we met, I’m not too quick to take your word on that,” James replied, his tone ice-cold.
“James,” Martin spoke for the first time. “I’d accompany you both as well. No one in their right mind would mean her harm.”
James scoffed. “And this is another ‘coincidence’ I take it? You, showing up here, mere weeks before the Board suddenly wishes to speak to Emma. You’re lucky I haven’t kicked your ass back to Australia. I’m betting all those ‘coincidences’ would disappear along with you.”
Maurice and Jackson gasped. Clearly James’s tone of disrespect toward the Elder was more than shocking. James didn’t seem fazed though, and as far as I could tell, neither did Martin.
“We can go together,” I suggested, hoping to diffuse the situation. “To Antwerp.” By reminding him of our earlier conversation in San Antonio, I hoped to soften his features and encourage him to reconsider his obstinate refusal. But he remained unmoved, his stance unfaltering.
Dale shook his head, and Maria sighed nervously.
“We’re not portaling to Antwerp. The Board is convening in Corsica,” Dale explained, taking off his glasses and wiping them down with his shirt.
James frowned, his eyes narrowing suspiciously. “At Alliance? Why? They all on holiday?”
This time, Maurice stepped forward, his demeanor tense and grave. I hadn’t had the pleasure of talking to him again, aside from the time he’d invited me to that awful reception, which ended in me being abducted.Good times.
But now, his usually reserved nature seemed to crack under the weight of urgency. I had noticed his tendency to keep to himself, letting Maria, our Leader, take the spotlight. But it was Maurice who seized James's attention, his next words dropping like lead weights in the heavy air, thick with foreboding.
“The Diamond City has fallen.”
FORTY-FOUR
JAMES
What the actual fuck?
In the span of three weeks, the whole world had gone mad. The Elder turned out to be Emma’s oldest friend, instead of my long-awaited idol.
The Board of Directors had suddenly decided they wanted to speak with her, which had my anxiety skyrocketing by the way, fearing they found out about her untraceable translation.
And now Antwerp had fallen? What did that even mean?
I watched Emma in her dorm as she packed her things, too stubborn to let me help her translate whatever she needed into a suitcase. Apparently, me not seeing her lingerie was more important than the center of the entire magiworld fucking imploding.
This woman.
“What do you think happened?” she asked softly, her hands trembling slightly as she grabbed some clothes off a chair.
