Page 174 of Cerulean Truth
“Well, I don’t want to talk to you,” I hissed, my frustration bubbling over.
“Please, Emma. I can’t stand you being this angry with me. Just let me explain…?”
I shook my head stubbornly.
“Hear me out. If you're still angry after, I promise I'll leave you alone.”
I sighed deeply, my exhaustion beginning to outweigh my stubbornness. “Fine, you have five minutes,” I grumbled, opening the door to my dorm.
Motioning for him to follow, I stepped inside and closed the door behind us, shooting Julian a pointed look, silently urging him to make his explanation quick.
Julian took a deep breath, wasting no time. “When the Board uttered their reasons for wanting you there, I realized there was no way we would get out of Alliance alive. Even if we won the battle at the Main Cave, which I was fairly certain you would even without me, there was no way we’d ever get off the blasted island. The Board was about to bubble us in; I had mere seconds to decide. So I portaled out before the bubble and got in touch with the United Chiefs.”
He paused, and I motioned for him reluctantly to continue.
Julian sat down on my bed. “Being the Elder has its perks. I found them near the Asian border, still tracking down the Radicals responsible for using the Amplifier. When I interpellated them, they listened to what I had to say, believing me without a doubt when I told them about the intentions of the Board. They followed me into Alliance.”
I sat down next to him. “How did you portal back in?”
Julian shook his head. “We didn’t. We couldn’t because of the bubble, so we portaled into France and came by human transportation. That’s why it took us until morning to get there.”
I wanted to stay angry at him, but his explanation was starting to make sense. Darn it.
“So they followed you into Alliance, gathered the Board, and what? Just killed them all off?”
Julian shrugged. “I wasn’t too invested into the details of their approach. All I know is, by the time I got to the cabin on foot, the Board’s bubble was lifted.”
I sighed deeply. “So you actually saved us?”
“I tried to. I know I shouldn’t have left you during battle, but−”
“If you hadn’t, we’d still be stuck on that island, probably watching James and Maria die from their injuries,” I finished for him.
Julian nodded, his eyes still filled with guilt.
I rolled my eyes and nudged his ribs with my elbow. “Fine,” I conceded gruffly, “You’re forgiven. Maybe next time, clue us in on your plan?”
Julian grinned. “I promise. Can I hug you now? I’m so relieved you’re okay!”
I shook my head, hiding my smirk, then opened my arms, and he hugged me, his relief palpable.
Just then, my door was flung open with a rough and loud movement.
James stood in the doorway, his eyes so dark that I almost buckled under his intense glare. Any relief I felt about his miraculous healing was quickly overshadowed as he stared down Julian, clearly assessing the best way to murder him on the spot.
“James,” I whispered, “it isn’t what we thought.”
“Not what we thought?He left us there to die!” James’s voice was strained, his breaths coming in hard.
His eyes narrowed, now fixed on me as he spoke. “He leftyou…”
“He found a way to get us out,” I hissed, “to get you out. Just in time, I might add!”
James’s hard stare bored into my face, the realization of my words hitting him like a physical blow. “You’veforgivenhim?” he snarled, his voice dripping with shocked disbelief, his beautiful features now etched with raw emotion.
I nodded softly, the weight of my forgiveness heavy in the air. “Just hear him out, James. It sounds like he had a good reason to leave. And he did get us out…”
James blinked, his eyes reflecting a tumult of emotions, his expression contorting as if my words were a knife to his heart.
