Page 185 of Cerulean Truth
Swallowing hard, I decided to try nexing James for the first time in three days myself, but he didn’t respond to any of my attempts.
Darnitonahammock.
Maybe Eliot was right, and James was too busy. Or none of it was true and Eliot lied? But why would he lie? Maybe he received another message from James and misinterpreted it? Maybe he had ulterior motives to drive a wedge between James and myself? My internal struggle tightened its grip, creating a relentless conflict between trust and doubt.
James would tell me himself. I was sure of it! At least 90%, or so I desperately clung to that hope. Moreover, the notion that I could be adopted seemed preposterous. My eyes were a carbon copy of my father's, and my every gesture mirrored my mother's. But... the blood...
Did I need to confront James? I really didn't want to, not because I was being stubborn about him leaving without saying goodbye (which, let's be honest, I was), but also because I had no idea how to react, how to feel. Did he genuinely take my blood without my knowledge? And did he lie about destroying it? Or was that some miscommunication too? That seemed rather unlikely.
What the hell was I supposed to do?
I started pacing up and down my dorm. Was I adopted? Where the hell did this intel come from anyway? Even if Eliot lied about it coming from James, why would he tell me something as absurd as me being adopted? And if he didn't lie, and James was truly detained and needed to get this information to me urgently, did that mean I was supposed to take action? Was James in trouble somehow?
My mind was reeling. Was it true? Was I adopted? I had to know. I had to know for sure. But if it really was true, I didn't even want James to tell me... I wanted my parents to tell me...
I hesitated.
Visiting my parents meant I had to venture outside of Cyclos again, by myself… I could use the same red portal I did last time, and travel from there. It wasn’t too far from the airport… Portaling back could be a problem, but I could nex Enya or Julian to come get me. This was not a conversation I could have with my parents over the phone.
But what if it was a trap? I couldn’t ignore the possibility. I had been nearly abducted twice already. Still, why would Eliot lie? He was on the Council, trusted by James. And if James really was in trouble, I couldn't just sit there. I needed to be cautious, but I couldn't let fear paralyze me.
Besides, maybe this was all some sort of coded message from James to get me to my parents. If there was a chance he was being held or detained, I needed to know more. The need for answers, for the truth, outweighed my fear of danger. I had to take the risk.
Before I’d even fully made up my mind, and still in my sweaty training clothes, I left my dorm toward the red portal, only checking to make sure I had my Nexus on me.
Half a minute later I was standing before the portal. I felt no fear, only determination.
I had to see my parents. Now.
Taking a deep breath, I jumped through the portal.
It took longerthan expected to cover the distance, but after over eight hours of buses, airplanes, and trains, I finally arrived... home. Seeing my childhood home nearly brought tears to my eyes, and the absence of James by my side in that moment was almost too heavy to bear. Unless he was already inside?
Distracted by the surge of emotions coursing through me, I failed to fully register my surroundings. For instance, it was almost noon, yet the house seemed wrapped up in darkness.
As I cautiously approached the house, the absence of both sunlight and interior lights heightened my unease. I began to feel like the unsuspecting character at the beginning of a horror movie.
"Hello?" I whispered, peering into the darkness, but there was no reply.
My hand fumbled in my pocket, searching for my Nexus to provide some illumination. Just as I located it, a noise behind me sent a jolt of panic through my body. I pivoted quickly.
"Hello?" I whispered again and blinked for half a second.
Half a second.
That's all it took.
Half a second, and I found myself surrounded by at least fifteen ominous looking magi, all cloaked in black, all masked, their empty eyes fixed solely on me.
I swallowed hard, attempting to suppress the overwhelming fear that threatened to consume me. Alone and without backup, outside Cyclos with no immediate means of return, the possibility of my parents being harmed raced through my mind. Tears of fear burned at the back of my eyes.
No one knew where I was, and even with all my training, I was no match for so many magi with an evident intent to harm me. I was scared. Shitless. Yet, I could turn that fear into an advantage—if I could use the panic to translate a message for help.
Without making any sudden movements, I attempted to translate a text through the Nexus to Julian, Jackson, and anyone I could think of, all while keeping my eyes wide open to avoid giving away my actions.
"Stop translating, or we'll have to harm you," a raspy voice spoke. It was too dark to discern where the voice had come from.
Crap.How the hell did they know I was translating? I wasn't traceable here! Oh right, but my red haze was visible….I stopped immediately, fervently hoping the messages had already gone through.
