Page 28 of Cerulean Truth
However, another thought nagged at my mind.
"What exactly is a Collective?" I asked, remembering his mention of Stephen gathering them all for a consensus.
“It’s like a city but made of people instead of a location. You can move an entire Collective to another part of the world, it would still be the same Collective.”
I made a mental note to question him about it later, but for now I had more pressing questions.
“So who decides whether I get to have a life outside your…Collective?”
“There’s a Council,” he answered. “I haven’t alerted them to your existence yet, as specifically requested by Stephen, but I think now would be the time. As far as we know you have translated way less than anybody else at your age and when you have it was untraceable. These are two very strange elements about you, leading up to a very late age at which you enter.”
He sighed, then continued. “I will ask them to preserve as much as we can of your current life, I have no idea if they will but whatever you’ll need to do to integrate, the Council will help you get through it, as will I,” he stated reassuringly.
The thought of an unfamiliar Council dictating the course of my life ignited a sense of rebellion and indignation within me. I grappled with the notion some unknown entity would determine what I could or couldn't do, which ran counter to my deeply ingrained principles of independence and self-reliance.
However, right when I was about to voice my objections, the haunting image of Kevin resurfaced in my mind, and I was immediately transported back to the gruesome bathroom, my hands covered in his blood. The memory of his lifeless body intensified the stark realization, hitting me once again that I had inflicted serious harm upon another human being, and I had done so without understanding how or why. As much as I wanted to resist it, there was no alternative—I had to learn how to control this.
I pushed my reluctance aside and nodded. James sighed, obviously relieved this time he got through my high and mighty walls. He squeezed my hand again briefly and I noticed the electricity between us rush through my entire body. It was exhilarating.
“Listen Emma.” James turned toward me, his gaze intensifying. “You have to understand, if Stephen and I are right about your translation proving untraceable, you can’t tell anyone about it. I’ll inform the Council of it, but no one else can know. Not until we’ve figured out the why and the how.”
My eyebrows pinched together. “Why not?”
James bit the inside of his cheek before replying. “It’s complicated. Can you just trust me on this? We’ll figure it all out as soon as possible, but for now, keep the whole thing between us.”
I considered his request. He wanted me to come to his Collective or whatever to get some answers but I couldn’t talk about it to others? It all seemed a little contradictory. Then again, the guy did just help me in covering up an attempted murder. I decided for now, trust was earned.
I nodded slowly. “Fine, I won’t mention it to anyone besides you and Stephen until you instruct me otherwise.”
James let out a breath, visibly relieved by my promise. I wanted to know one more thing.
“Can I see your phone?” I asked changing the subject quite abruptly.
“You want to see my Nexus?” he asked surprised.
“Sounds dirtier than I imagined but if that’s what you call your phone, yes I do.” I tried to joke. James didn’t laugh though.Boring brat.
His hand opened up empty. A second later, a small black circular device with an intricate spiral design at its core appeared, as if it had always been there.
“This is what we call a Nexus,” he explained, while I took it from his hand and examined it. The spiral pattern seemed to swirl, like it was alive with energy.
“How does it work?” I asked rather intrigued.
“It doesn’t if you’re the one holding it,” he said dryly. I gave him back his Nexus or whatever, rolling my eyes at him.
He kept it in his palm, and I watched in awe as James activated it with a simple touch. The sleek black device stirred to life, glowing with a soft, cerulean light that pulsed in time with his heartbeat.
My breath caught as multicolored lights began to spiral upward from the vortex at its center, shimmering in a display of vibrant energy. The droplets hovered delicately in the air, and I couldn’t look away, my eyes widening in wonder.
“Every color drop has a different use. Normally I’d only be able to do this if you had a Nexus on you as well, but being a man of my position, does come with quite some perks.”
“Do what, exactly?’ My eyebrows pinched, ignoring his arrogance while planning to ask about his so called “position” later on.
The drops over his hand rearranged. Then, an unexpected wave of emotions and sensations washed over me. I felt the warmth of his translation, the rush of excitement, and then the taste of his favorite dessert—Crème Brulé—which astounded me by the way, figured him for the cheesecake-type.
My eyes darted to his in surprise and delight. Healmostsmiled.
"Through the Nexus, we can share our thoughts, feelings, and experiences with each other," James explained. "It's a connection which goes beyond words, a bond uniting all magiaround the globe."
