Chapter Twenty-Six #2
“Someone I’ve met before.” I wonder if Elias’ power can detect half-truths? The answer isn’t a lie, but it’s the furthest thing from the actual truth I can say without lying. He smiles, eyes brightening.
Kellen isn’t as amused, sighing deeply. “We could have just let Arayik kill you, Cassia. We do not need to be having this conversation.”
“So why are you?” His stormy eyes darken; maybe he’ll murder me by the time we’re done.
“You see, I looked into Lachlan Ashford. It appears he is a messenger as you reported, but his supervisor confirmed his absence these last weeks.” Shit. “Does he know you’re here? Or did you do something to him to pilfer his identity?”
My answer is immediate, if not a little desperate. “No.”
“No, what?”
“Neither are true.” A dark cloud filters through my head as I consider my options here. If I don’t admit who he is to me, they’ll find him at our parents’ house. If I do tell them, then I’m confirming his complicity in hiding my existence. Either way, they will discover everything.
Kellen raises a brow—he’s got me cornered and that’s exactly what he wanted.
Unless… “I will not speak another word unless you agree to leave him and those he lives with alone. They will not be harassed, harmed, or killed for anything regarding me.”
He snorts, tapping Elias’ shoulder in the process. The latter simply assesses us.
“And you think you have any right to make demands of us, why?”
This fucker. “Because you haven’t killed me or sent me off to a facility yet. You need information from me and you won’t get another word unless you guarantee their safety.”
The men regard one another before Elias nods. “Fine, you have our word.”
“How do I know you’re not lying? Is that not all men are good for?
” I’m pushing my luck, but I can’t help it.
If it were me instead of Mira in that house, they would have killed my family and sent me to Riverton all the same without a second thought.
They don’t actually care. I startle when Elias’ hand slides across the table, waiting palm up.
My nose scrunches at the gesture, understanding what he intends. “You think a hand shake is good enough?”
He laughs, head shaking as his hand rises. “No, I have the ability to share my power, but only if I touch you. I can show you that we’re both being truthful.”
My eyes stare at the offering as I ponder my options.
A paper trail of contracts wouldn’t be feasible, neither would an outside witness.
The more I think about it, the more I realize this is the only viable option.
Who would I even go to if they were lying?
This way, at least I can be sure of their intentions.
My fingers rise from their place on my left arm, shifting to hover above Elias and hesitating a breath before lowering.
Warm skin greets mine, my eyes snapping up when Elias’ fingers close around my palm.
He watches me in a way that reminds me of coaxing a scared animal—as if he knows how close I am to running away.
Then I feel it.
A simmering energy, gentle and pleasant, glides through me, and my fingers involuntarily curl to match Elias’ grip.
The pulse in my neck races as his power spreads, and I jolt when my mind begins to perceive the intentions of everyone in this room.
I’m not certain how I can tell, but it’s clear these two are being truthful with their words.
My hand pulls back the moment I confirm, not wanting anymore physical contact. It fucks with my head.
“Okay,” I mutter, swallowing around my still racing heart. “I’ll talk.”
“Who is Lachlan Ashford to you?” Kellen repeats again.
“He’s my brother.” Elias sits back as his eyes widen while the other man hums to himself.
I hope I didn’t just kill my entire family.
Breathe.
Elias questions me next. “Your empathy, how long have you had it?”
“Since I was a child. Turns out when you’re locked away from the world, you have a lot of time to practice.”
“Locked away?”
I register my mistake and almost choke on a drop of saliva, but it’s too late to take it back. “Figure of speech.” They won’t buy that.
And they don’t. Kellen’s eyes sharpen. “You’ve been in hiding your entire life.”
It’s not a question, and I don’t treat it like one. Instead, I examine my fingernails, noting the way they’ve grown since I stopped biting them out of nervousness.
“Your parents,” Elias says, understanding dawning in his voice. “They hid you—that’s why you don’t have a chip.”
“My parents are good people who did what they had to do to protect their daughter.”
“From us.”
“From the system you uphold, yes.”
The weight of that admission suffocates the room, and I fear I’ve just triggered a different kind of interest.
“How many others?” Kellen asks.
“How many others, what?”
He’s pissed, jaw clenching over and over. “How many other women are in hiding?”
I laugh, but there’s no humor in it. “Why in the stars would I know that?”
“That’s not what I asked.”
“I don’t care, I answered.” I lean forward, matching Kellen’s intensity.
“I have been kept inside one single building my entire life. The first time I ever stepped outside was the day I met you.” My eyes land on Elias, the man looking shocked at the admission.
I’m not sure what they expected…it’s not like I could walk around, undocumented, and live happily ever after.
The silence prickles the hairs on the back of my neck as Kellen stands, a hand swiping through his hair before he leans against the wall next to Elias.
The bruises around my neck throb with every heartbeat.
“So,” Kellen finally breaks the silence, his voice deceptively calm. “Cassia Ashford.”
The sound of my real name makes me flinch. Hearing it spoken aloud in this place feels like a violation, like they’ve stripped away the last piece of armor I had left. It’s truly over.
“Your powers,” Elias interrupts, leaning against the table. “You can influence multiple people without touch…that level of control takes years to develop.”
“I had years.” The words taste bitter. “Nothing but time and books and—” I stop myself before saying too much.
“And what?” Kellen’s eyes narrow. “What else?”
I meet his gaze, forcing myself to hold it. “And the knowledge that women like me are dying in those facilities while I sit safe in my room, doing nothing.”
The temperature in the room drops as the men exchange a look I cannot discern.
“The facilities serve a purpose,” Kellen remarks, scratching the scruff along his chin. “They maintain order and stability.”
A huff leaves me, the sound harsh and broken. “You call torturing women stability?”
“They’re not tortured,” Elias says, but there’s something in his voice—uncertainty? “The facilities provide care, protection—” Are they truly this dense?
“Protection from what, Elias?” I stand, anger giving me strength. “From freedom? Having their own choice and autonomy? From being a fucking human?”
Kellen takes a step forward, resting his hands next to mine on the shiny surface. “You don’t understand the bigger picture. The system works—it keeps society functioning.”
“For. Who?” My voice rises despite the danger. “For men. For the Syndicate. What about the women who never see sunlight? Who are raped like animals?”
“That’s enough.” Elias’ command is sharp, but I’m beyond caring.
“No, it’s not enough. It’s never enough.” My hands clench into fists. “You want to know why I’m here? Why I risked everything to join this stars-forsaken team?”
They wait, watching me with the intensity of predators.
“Because I’m tired of hiding and pretending the world is acceptable when it’s built on the suffering of half the population. I want that to change.” My voice drops to a whisper, but it carries more weight than anything else I’ve said today. “I want to burn the Syndicate to the ground.”