looking for?" he asked, his voice so low and deep it
was hard to miss the threat.
I knew the effect he was going for,
but a lot had happened since the first time I saw him, so I smiled
in response.
Lastrini lived and
breathed intimidation. The way he walked and talked to those under
him like he was the sun around which everyone must revolve. It
worked on me once, but not anymore. Now I saw that all his size and
bravado amounted to absolutely nothing next to me.
Plus, I'd had a chance to
relive my memory over and over again while I waited for his
inevitable interrogation. The memory may have been about a fight
with Cailen and listening in on Galen, but there'd been so much
more. Remembered feelings had sprung up. My seven-year-old self
knew what it meant to be the Aurume and the girl I was now couldn't
so easily forget.
Lastrini's fists clenched around my
top blanket. A muscle on his neck bulged. "Answer me, Little Miss,
before I lock you up for attempted espionage."
I clamped my lips shut and
prayed I wouldn't laugh. It all seemed so ridiculous; his reaction,
the way he thought it might actually scare me. But I didn't laugh
because I knew that no matter what I might think or what he might
think, laughing right then would have been very stupid. I wanted to
be his ally, not his enemy.
"I was sleepwalking," I finally said.
"I wasn't looking for anything."
"How does one simply sleepwalk into
the most secret, the most guarded, sector of The Block?"
I shrugged my shoulders as
the question sank in. Had Cailen known what I’d transported into,
or was this new information? But then I remembered him saying he’d
wanted to come in here for weeks. The most secret section of The
Block. What kind of things could be learned in here?
Lastrini's jaw jumped as
he waited for my answer. Apparently he thought he'd get more than a
shrug. Maybe he even thought he'd deserved more than a shrug. I got
the feeling this was the first time he'd ever been
ignored.
His fists pushed down on
my bed for one moment before he straightened and smiled. "Take
her."
I looked past him and saw
the two soldiers step forward. The redhead had something in her
hands. Chains. Glowing chains. A faint dullness grew in my blood,
dulling my vision, my instincts. I blinked and the world seemed to
spin. Blue and green molecules slowly grew into existence before my
eyes, as if they struggled to hear my call. With dread, I had a
feeling these chains were a lot like what the Mamood had used to
subdue me on Kalhandthar.
So much for getting
information out of them. I scooted up in my bed and struggled out
of the sheets. I still had my dress and cloak on. If I was going to
do anything, I needed to do it now. Lastrini stepped out of the way
and the red-haired beast reached for my wrist. Red lights finally
popped into my vision, filling the air around me.
Please, not red. I'd sworn I'd never use fire again. But there it
was, dancing in my vision like a little puppy wanting to play, the
only element not deadened by the chains. But I couldn't. If I
smelled burning flesh one more time, I'd lose my mind
completely.
So instead, I kicked my
foot out and brought it up against her knee. She stumbled back a
step, but the other soldier with her--a guy easily her equal with
thick forearms that strained his uniform to its limits--grabbed me
by the waist and dragged me off the bed. I waved my arms around and
smacked him in the face. He didn't even flinch.
I took a moment to make a
brief note to myself: when not using element-manipulating
abilities, stick to kicking. The confidence I'd had a moment ago
had long since fled. Still, the red points of light taunted me,
begging to be used.
Out of the corner of my
eye, I saw the chains draw nearer. They were a sickly yellow, like
a wound that's been allowed to fester and puss up.
My wings ached and my blood started to
burn. My body didn't care about any vow I might've made. It only
cared about protecting itself.
Molecules collided and a
was hard to miss the threat.
I knew the effect he was going for,
but a lot had happened since the first time I saw him, so I smiled
in response.
Lastrini lived and
breathed intimidation. The way he walked and talked to those under
him like he was the sun around which everyone must revolve. It
worked on me once, but not anymore. Now I saw that all his size and
bravado amounted to absolutely nothing next to me.
Plus, I'd had a chance to
relive my memory over and over again while I waited for his
inevitable interrogation. The memory may have been about a fight
with Cailen and listening in on Galen, but there'd been so much
more. Remembered feelings had sprung up. My seven-year-old self
knew what it meant to be the Aurume and the girl I was now couldn't
so easily forget.
Lastrini's fists clenched around my
top blanket. A muscle on his neck bulged. "Answer me, Little Miss,
before I lock you up for attempted espionage."
I clamped my lips shut and
prayed I wouldn't laugh. It all seemed so ridiculous; his reaction,
the way he thought it might actually scare me. But I didn't laugh
because I knew that no matter what I might think or what he might
think, laughing right then would have been very stupid. I wanted to
be his ally, not his enemy.
"I was sleepwalking," I finally said.
"I wasn't looking for anything."
"How does one simply sleepwalk into
the most secret, the most guarded, sector of The Block?"
I shrugged my shoulders as
the question sank in. Had Cailen known what I’d transported into,
or was this new information? But then I remembered him saying he’d
wanted to come in here for weeks. The most secret section of The
Block. What kind of things could be learned in here?
Lastrini's jaw jumped as
he waited for my answer. Apparently he thought he'd get more than a
shrug. Maybe he even thought he'd deserved more than a shrug. I got
the feeling this was the first time he'd ever been
ignored.
His fists pushed down on
my bed for one moment before he straightened and smiled. "Take
her."
I looked past him and saw
the two soldiers step forward. The redhead had something in her
hands. Chains. Glowing chains. A faint dullness grew in my blood,
dulling my vision, my instincts. I blinked and the world seemed to
spin. Blue and green molecules slowly grew into existence before my
eyes, as if they struggled to hear my call. With dread, I had a
feeling these chains were a lot like what the Mamood had used to
subdue me on Kalhandthar.
So much for getting
information out of them. I scooted up in my bed and struggled out
of the sheets. I still had my dress and cloak on. If I was going to
do anything, I needed to do it now. Lastrini stepped out of the way
and the red-haired beast reached for my wrist. Red lights finally
popped into my vision, filling the air around me.
Please, not red. I'd sworn I'd never use fire again. But there it
was, dancing in my vision like a little puppy wanting to play, the
only element not deadened by the chains. But I couldn't. If I
smelled burning flesh one more time, I'd lose my mind
completely.
So instead, I kicked my
foot out and brought it up against her knee. She stumbled back a
step, but the other soldier with her--a guy easily her equal with
thick forearms that strained his uniform to its limits--grabbed me
by the waist and dragged me off the bed. I waved my arms around and
smacked him in the face. He didn't even flinch.
I took a moment to make a
brief note to myself: when not using element-manipulating
abilities, stick to kicking. The confidence I'd had a moment ago
had long since fled. Still, the red points of light taunted me,
begging to be used.
Out of the corner of my
eye, I saw the chains draw nearer. They were a sickly yellow, like
a wound that's been allowed to fester and puss up.
My wings ached and my blood started to
burn. My body didn't care about any vow I might've made. It only
cared about protecting itself.
Molecules collided and a
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