Page 167 of Cerulean Truth
"When someone does not translate for twenty-three years, one can only assume the reason is a very steady flow of emotions. Or might there be a different reason why you’ve been humanized for so long?" the Board member probed.
Fuck.
"No. No other reason. You are correct in your assumption," she lied fluently.Thank the gods.
"Well, then, you are exactly what we need. You see, we find ourselves in possession of the sole object which disrupts all feelings and translation of magi. We have successfully annulled its powers, or so we believe. However, to be sure we have neutralized the effects of the Amplifier, we need to…test it."
It finally dawned on me why the Board needed Emma. They thought she had supernatural control over her emotions. On some level, I might have agreed. Her untraceable translationaside, she still only translated her fears of death and nothing else. But there was no way in hell I was letting them test anything on her, let alone a nuclear weapon.Were they fucking insane?
"Go to hell," I seethed, not caring one bit who was sitting before me.
"You want to test a nuclear bomb on me?" Emma shrieked, taking a step back, ready to run. And I couldn’t blame her. I hadclicked my Skindo back into my tattoo sleeve when they showed us the memory, but I sensed it was high time to shoot it back out.
My eyes wandered to Julian, expecting him to protest, but he was surprisingly mute.The hell?
Maria tried a more diplomatic approach, arguing that the risks to her health were too great, but the Board didn’t care.
"This is a weapon that could potentially destroy the whole magi-world if it falls into the wrong hands. If we can be sure it’s neutralized, even in harming a maga, we’d be immoral not to try it," a Board member insisted.
Bad move. My rage-haze was surging faster than wildfire.
Emma took another step back, her voice trembling as she said, "I apologetically decline your request."
Silence.
"It’s not a request, Miss Thompson. We are your Board, and we need you to translate while we activate the Amplifier. It’s the only way to know whether the Specialists succeeded in their attempt," the Board member asserted. "And you're the only one in the world with a chance to survive if they failed."
I sensed Emma's resolve falter. Oh no, there was no way in hell she was going to martyr herself for "the greater good." Not on my watch.
"She won't be doing that," I snapped, shooting her an angry glare. She’d better be ready to fight her way out of here.
The Board moved in the blink of an eye and encircled us completely. Their message reading loud and clear: do what we ask or die. Twenty of the most powerful magi against the five of us.
Or four, as I noticed Julian silently retreating.What the fuck is he doing?
"Well, she doesn’t have a choice," another Board member said firmly, effectively locking us in.
Motherfucker. We were going to have to fight our way out of here. And I would probably end up killing whatever remained of our entire Board.Fuck. I clutched the cold metal of my Skindo and took a fighting stance.
So did Emma.
So did Maurice.
So did Maria.
And so did…Dale? I shot him a confused look.
He shrugged. "Had I known this was why they wanted to meet her, I would’ve never brought her here. They told me they wanted information. I had no idea they were planning this. And I still owe you from?—"
"Yes, yes," I interrupted him in clipped tones, not really ready to take a stroll down memory lane.
I looked around for Julian, and it took me a few seconds to realize that the coward had fucking disappeared through a portal! I nearly roared when I noticed its remnants.Fucking traitor.But there was no time to dwell on his departure.
One of the Board members stepped forward and conjured a dark-purple haze, shooting it out of the cave into the bright air. I recognized its translation immediately.
Damn it. He was bubbling in Alliance.
"No translation," I hissed to the others.
