In Shadows We Rise

Chapter 53

Reia

You've got to be kidding me. As soon as the last of the Rebels has stepped inside the entrance hall, the door slams shut behind us. While my companions uselessly turn towards it, I look through the open door several feet ahead of us, the one connected to the hall leading further into the building. As expected, a person is standing in the door frame, his face void of emotion as he takes a step back and slams the second door shut as well. We regard each other through the window in the wood for several seconds and I'm mildly aware of some cursing around me as the Rebels follow my gaze.

The stranger is tall with a lean frame. His hair is cropped short like Sorin's but instead of black, it's unnaturally grey, like the leaves of the trees outside decided to share their color with this young man. He looks a few years older than us, maybe. Twenty-two? Twenty? Whatever.

"Gifted by Favonious, coward," Sorin muttered under his breath.

Xander, the diplomat of the group, is the first to start walking toward the door. He raises his hand as a showing of peace which seems a bit ridiculous, honestly. There's a pretty solid-looking wall between the stranger and us and Xander's powers hardly have anything to do with his hands. Not that mystery-man should know that but I get the feeling he has an idea who we are since his eyes stay firmly on me. There's something behind those freakishly light green eyes that bothers me. Not quite recognition since I've never seen him before but maybe accusation?

It triggers me. He doesn't even know me and has already singled me out. Already decided I was the black sheep, the one not to be trusted. I narrow my eyes at him in challenge but his face gives nothing away.

"We're here to speak with the mayor. We have no bad intentions," Xander screams against the door. I'd roll my eyes but that would mean breaking eye contact and therefore losing.

"Three of you can come through," the stranger says through a slit in the door Xander obviously overlooked. "Not her," he adds as an afterthought, obviously talking about me. The urge to flip someone off has never been greater but I restrain myself and keep my expression impassive.

Atticus and his newfound golden retriever urge to protect me, like I couldn't do that myself, looks ready to defend my honor but Layla sets a hand on his shoulder. She's right of course, three of us can speak to the mayor which is a win. Starting an argument when I wouldn't have been one of the three to go in any case would be idiotic.

"I'd say Calista and Atticus come with me, sound good?" Xander proposes and we others nod along. The strategic, the leader, and the diplomat. Sounds fair.

Mystery-man opens the door, this time using his hands rather than his powers, and the three selected rebels follow him down the corridor while we get locked in again.

"You have any idea what his problem with you is?" Sorin asks while sitting on the ground with his back against a wall, getting comfortable.

"What's anyone's problem with me?" I shrug. "As far as I'm concerned, I've never met the man before and unless I've somehow revealed my powers, he has no reason not to want me near the mayor. Now shush so I can try to hear their conversation." There's some rustling as the two remaining girls settle down as well but no one tries to talk after my announcement. They're probably eager to see my more harmless powers in action and it's in all our interest to know how the selected three are doing.

Since I have absolutely no idea how I made the shadows carry a conversation I shouldn't have been able to hear all the way to me, I just try to focus on what I want to happen. After all, that's how I controlled my powers before my training, by envisioning or feeling what I wanted to happen.

I think of what Calista, Xander, and Atticus might be doing right now. When nothing happens, I try to communicate with the shadows but the light in this room is too bright. I groan in frustration.

"No luck?" Naiara asks calmly.

"Bit hard to command the shadows when there are none," I mumble.

"Well, I could try to cover the lights with a layer of ice but I haven't tried it in some time and these people might see it as a provocation. I'd rather not test their hospitality while our group's split up."

"We could huddle up and make our own shadows," Sorin suggests half-heartedly.

"You three do that while I keep trying." I hear them moving around but my eyes are closed again. Please, I say to the darkness within me. Let me hear what is happening again.

The silence lasts for a few more beats before I hear someone exclaim, "Whoa," softly. I open my eyes to see the darkness spreading through the room.

"Is this normal?" Naiara asks as she moves closer to her friends. I nod but I'm busy keeping my memories of the last vision I got at bay so I don't speak.

Just when I started thinking the shadows would envelop me to show me something instead of letting me hear, they stopped spreading further. What I hear is unexpected nonetheless since it's not a familiar voice ringing through the small room.

"No one knows where they are," rumbles an ancient voice and though I have not much to base my theory on, I'm sure it's the voice of our governor bound to Aion, god of time.

"Then search harder! They can't have vanished! I want the person responsible for her death begging for mercy at my feet! Portatrice di morte, we'll see how tough she is once I've destroyed everything she cares about!" If the other voice truly is governor Sila then this must be the remaining governor, Zoy. For a woman bound to Minerva, she seems quite spiteful but that might be my fault considering I've killed a person she's worked with for more than a century.

"Ma'am, the prisoner is still denying his ties to the girl. Maybe we have the wrong man," says yet another voice. Male but it carries a wariness that doesn't seem to suit it. Layla gasps quietly beside me but I stay focused on the discussion we're spying on.

"The boy identified him as their father," Zoy answers but the third person is obviously not convinced since he continues to speak his doubts. Meanwhile, my hands are starting to shake for no reason. Even if they had my father, what would I care? He deserves whatever is coming his way.

"What if he lied-"

"He was barely conscious at that point. He had a weak spirit, easy to crush, I don't think he would have considered lying for a second," the governor snaps. I clench my fist. She dares to speak about Dex that way? Let her try to catch me. She'll be in for a nice surprise.

"Be that as it may, the prisoner does us no good if we can't find the girl to let her know we have him in the first place. Is everything else ready?" asks Sila.

"Yes, sir. The new rules have been set in place, whoever is outside at night will be brought in for questioning or killed on sight, everyone keeping information about the Rebels or helping them will be publicly executed and security around the building has been intensified. As soon as this group comes out of hiding, we'll find them and we'll destroy them," the third person assures with such certainty it makes me feel a lot colder. They've taken measures but we'll be able to get past their security, won't we? We'll win this war we started.

"We need to set an example. Execute one of the non-important prisoners. We'll let the world believe it was an ally of the Rebels. That should motivate anyone with information to come forth. Set a price on intel if you have to, I want those bastards caught!" With that, the shadows receded and our insight into the governors' conversation ended. That left me with three people giving me their undivided attention.

"You recognized the third person. Who was it?" I ask Layla, intending to keep the attention away from me. She seems reluctant to answer.

"The head of the guard... My dad."