Page 182 of Cerulean Truth
My blood started to boil. I tried to hold back the rage emerging from deep inside but even I knew by now any attempt would be in vain.
An exchange of concern passed between Matthew and Nino as they shared a glance, sensing something was awfully wrong.
The kissing, the fights, him watching her... it was too much. Without a word, I sealed off the room to outsiders and began pacing. Matthew and Nino didn't budge, didn't utter a word; they simply allowed me my space.
Turning my back to them, I approached the wall. Leaning my head against it, I clenched my fist, attempting to restrain the brewing eruption. Focusing on my breathing, I tried to relax, closing my eyes in the hope that the anger would dissipate. Instead, the haunting image of Julian watching Emma flashed before me once again.
Without hesitation, fear of pain or second guessing, I put my fist through the wall, immediately feeling some release as the physical pain overpowered the emotional one.
I turned around to an astonished Matthew and a frowning Nino, wiping away the blood from my hand as I tried to conceal the evidence.
"It's been a long time since I've seen you let the lid off your anger," Matthew remarked pensively.
I tried to calm my breathing, frustrated with myself for losing control. Again.
"And all of that just because The Elder hangs out with ‘your’ Emma," he emphasized the "your," ridiculing it, a jab I chose to ignore, not wanting to match his face to the dent in the wall.
"He's not just hanging out with her," I said through my teeth, attempting to contain the lingering anger, "he's watching her...like a predator, and she's too fucking stubborn to see it.It's all 'Martin this and Martin that,' all the while ignoring the dangerous signs he's portraying."
Matthew nodded slowly. "Well, obviously I'm not an Offensive, so I don't have an eye for danger like you do. But I'm also not paranoid, which, honestly, you kind of seem to be. I mean really, James, this sounds more like a case of high school jealousy than actual danger..."
I was ready to refute that idiotic statement when Nino chose to blindside us both.
"I don't think that's what's happening here," she whispered, her voice barely audible. "James is not being paranoid... maybe he's jealous, I don't know, but... I see it too," she said softly, her gaze fixed on Matthew. "The Elder watches her, always, like he's expecting her to blow up or wishes her to blow up or whatever... it's weird. He's not being paranoid, Matti, I see it too..."
They exchanged another look between them, a non-verbal interaction I was clearly not part of and didn't pretend to understand. It resulted in Matthew entirely changing his tune only a few seconds later.
"Okay. So what do you propose we do? You want to kill the Elder?"
I didn’t know whether he was joking or serious, but the idea had crossed my mind a few moments earlier, and I didn't find it laughable at all.
"We're not killing the Elder." Nino rolled her eyes. "Get Justine, get Jackson, and if you can, nex with Stephen. When you get back from your trip, we'll meet up covertly and figure out what Julian's game plan is. We need to find a way to prove it, alert Emma, alert the Council, and neutralize the danger, as we would always do," she concluded in a very matter-of-fact way.
We stared at her, too stunned to move. One had to admire her rationality. She was calmly explaining strategy while I wasready to tear someone's head off. I used to be that cold and calculating...What the hell happened to me?
I nodded in agreement. I would go as far as killing The Elder for Emma, but if we found a non-lethal way to deal with him, I'd go along with it, as long as it was permanent.
“Fine, we’ll do that. I’ll be back in a few days. Take care of Emma. Don’t let her out of your sight.”
“We’ll do that,” Matthew promised.
Without another word, I drew a portal and jumped through to Alliance, arriving there not even a second later.
FIFTY
EMMA
"What do you mean, 'he's gone'?" I gasped, breathless and increasingly aggravated.
"He had some kind of mission," Matthew vaguely responded.
"Without telling me? Why?" My frustration surged.
"I'm not sure, Emma. Sorry, I just thought you should know."
"Well, glad somebody thought so." I gritted my teeth. Where did James get off leaving me, leaving Cyclos like that, without warning? Without a goodbye?
"How long will he be gone for?"
