Secrets of the Crown Assassins

47

XAVIER

Voices followed me wherever I went.

It was merely an audio recording of my mother singing. Though the sound of her voice brought back so many memories of her, I wasn't bothered by the sound. It was merely background noise. If the Ravens thought they could get into my head, they were very very wrong.

Still, they managed to piss me off. I couldn't hear anything over all the noise and I was trying to find Damien.

Everything about my interaction with Nydia was strange. The conversation and her presence was confirmation of my suspicions—she was working with the Rebels, with Indigo Fluor.

Isn't that just fantastic?

I wanted to know whether Nydia was a spy the whole time or if this was a new development, but I had more things to worry about. Nydia pointed out that she hadn't run into Damien yet and that it was quite odd that he didn't make it to the upper floors yet. She was right. Knowing Damien, he would've found his way up, or at least rigged the Raven's system so they stopped playing my mother's and my singing on repeat. Something must've been wrong.

Of course, I knew Nydia was trying to distract me. Unfortunately, it worked. It's okay. I would deal with her later. Of course, the only thing I had to wonder about was whether or not she knew who her leader was or if she was oblivious. If she didn't know, I could get her to question her loyalty by dropping the information, much like I planned to do with Indigo, though I had a suspicion Nydia wouldn't care. They were her friends no matter what.

Suddenly, the singing went up another notch, blasting through the halls. I was vaguely reminded of the atrocious parties people would throw at Evandor Prep, feeling good about themselves for sneaking out to the abandoned mansion south of the school even though everyone else had done it before. It wasn't a similarity I was very fond of, and it was very inconvenient when I was trying to find Damien.

So, I took out an EMT, one that Damien created. It was a small black box the size of my hand with three gray buttons. I hesitated to use it at first—considering that the EMT would not only disable any of the Ravens' technology but mine as well—but I had no intention of walking through an enemy base practically deaf.

I pressed a button. The EMT whirred and then the speakers turned off, the singing drowning away and the screaming becoming audible.

I turned, searching the halls behind me. There were speakers somewhere else, speakers uttering words I couldn't quite decipher though they were desperate, pleading. I narrowed my eyes.

I crept down the hall, hearing my own steady breathing in the silence. The EMT was doing its job, disabling the technology all around me as I moved. The voices grew closer.

I continued down the hall, realizing the person must've been only around the corner. I slowed, holding my gun up, pausing after each step. I could understand the voices now.

"Please, just trust me!" A male voice said.

"Trust you?" Another familiar one shouted, incredulous. "How can we trust you? You're a traitor."

"I am no such thing."

"Then prove it."

"I cannot," he said, voice shaky.

"Why not?"

"I made an oath that I wouldn't speak of it ever again. It's best for everyone if it was left unsaid, especially for you."

The other man scoffed. "Excuses. We cannot trust a word that comes out of your mouth. You should face death, per the Blood Laws."

"No, please!" the man said. "We're brothers! We're family! Family always comes first! Always!"

"That's why," a new person answered, his voice steady and cool, "you won't be tortured."

"No! What ab—"

I took another step forward and the voices were cut off.

I was drenched in a deafening silence. I listened closely, finally able to make out another person's breathing. I raised my gun straight ahead and rounded the corner.

Before me stood another boy, his gun also raised, position nearly identical to mine. I hadn't seen him in years, but I would recognize those light gray eyes anywhere.

"Ace Kingston," I greeted.

"Hello, cousin."