Revealed (Unbound, Book 5)

Chapter Twenty-Five

A/N: Picture is some waterfall on the side of a mountain along the highway between Jasper and Columbia Ice Field 😀 (Don't know the people in the pic.)

Devland stood up and rounded the table before crossing the room, coming to a stop in front of our group. Carter ducked his head and stepped back so he was behind Calin. To my surprise, even Islene shuffled away as Devland held out his hand, a photograph clasped between his fingers. I didn't get it. After all, they must be so used to Devland's ability to make people uncomfortable—to the point of feeling like no oxygen remains when he invades your personal space—that I didn't think they'd shy away from him.

"This is the boy," Devland said, waving the photo, but nobody moved to take it. "His name is Aaron Byers. He's only seventeen, the youngest so far."

With a sigh, I rolled my eyes and snatched the picture from him, feeling a static charge as my fingers brushed against his through the photo paper. I moved to Islene's side as Calin came to stand behind me so he could see over my shoulder. With a gasp, I realized I recognized him, which meant Calin probably did too. I didn't have classes with him, though I'd seen in the halls at school, smiling and laughing and walking with friends. My chest tightened. Until Carter, all of this seemed so far away ever since I'd first talked about the missing persons with my mother. Now, after today... It was real, and I wished more than anything that I knew how to help.

"Islene, can you make yourself have a vision?" I asked.

She shook her head, her front teeth worrying her bottom lip. "No."

"Have you ever tried?" Devland asked.

"Of course," Islene said and raised her head to glare at Devland. She took the picture from me and waved it towards Devland. "What's this boy's abilities? If we're pointing out oddities, I think it is very strange that only those with higher-than-usual powers seem to go missing, only to turn up with no magic. Who would even know about what they can do? I remember that you used to have tests conducted on babies to determine a child's strength when they were born."

"Those aren't done anymore."

Islene snorted. "So? Were they tracked after the tests were done? Watched for the heightened power so the more powerful children could be kept on the Council's watch list? Obviously, whoever is doing this is amassing quite a power if they are able to utilize the magic they've taken."

I inhaled sharply and blinked. Lifting my head, my eyes widened as I looked at Devland, seeing nothing of remorse in his expression. Had I been tested? Was that why Devland wanted me to prove I had abilities when I'd first arrived? If I was, there was no way my secrets were safe. There was no way they were even secrets.

But... if my mother had left before I was born, maybe I'd avoided it.

Had Maible? A test like that would have proven her abilities. If a record existed, that would be halfway to proving that she'd been bound instead of experiencing a delayed trigger—there was no way, given the amount of power she'd shown capable of using, that she wouldn't have aced the test. All I'd have to do after that is prove Devland was the one who had bound her.

"That testing was inconclusive at best and ceased years ago," Devland said. I opened my mouth to ask when exactly the tests were abolished, but Devland continued. "Can you continue to think of the boy, Islene? If a vision manifests, please let us know right away. I'd like to have a happy ending for someone and apprehend the person who continues to evade us while harming members of our community."

"And amassing an unnatural amount of power," I said, feeling Calin's entire body stiffen behind me.

Devland turned to me and nodded. "Yes. I fear what someone could do with that."