Evolved [Book 2 of the Life Hearts Trilogy]

The Red Army Returns- Blue

I told Jimmy about the conversation the next morning. Fortunately, or maybe unfortunately, he looked about as nervous about the thought of leading as I felt.

Jimmy also had some thoughts on the Joey situation. "He contacted me in a dream once, tried to get me to die and go home. But something seemed off. I don't think Gem would have given a priceless crystal to him."

I nodded. "That's what I thought, too. But then the Listener confirmed to me that Joey couldn't be trusted."

"If he's trying to get us home, then isn't that a good thing?"

"He's working for Xornoth. We'll probably be captured as soon as we wake up. And there would still be people here."

"So we've got a time limit to get Etho and Scar to get along," Jimmy muttered. "Wonderful."

"What do you think the Listener meant when they said that Ren, Martyn, and Tango were too far gone?"

He shrugged. "Ren's been influenced before," he said. "In his home world as well as Third and Last Life. Maybe that's what they meant by that. But I don't know about Martyn and Tango."

That was what I had been thinking, too.

Then I remembered the voice of Watcher Two, talking to Martyn. The reason I had been put into here in the first place.

"The Watchers have been talking to Martyn," I said.

"He wouldn't listen," Jimmy denied, but it sounded like a question.

"When you stole that life from him? The Watcher was talking to him right at that moment, telling him to get it back."

"That's why he was so determined!" Then he frowned. "Why do I not remember seeing you at all before the Wither fight?"

"I was a ghost. The Watchers stuck me in there right after you stole the life."

Then I waited for the facts to click together.

Jimmy's eyes widened. "Were you that voice that came out of nowhere?"

I nodded.

"Thanks for letting me get away," he said quietly.

"Don't think it'll happen again. Stealing is wrong. I only stopped Martyn because the Watchers obviously wanted him to have that life."

Jimmy nodded. We had silently come to an agreement to work together, at least until we figured out all this Listener stuff.

We went to Jimmy's house first, to talk to Scott. I was a little nervous to face him again after the argument, especially since he was red.

But when we got there, Scott only saw Jimmy at first. He yelled at him for running off without telling Scott, and then he yelled at me for hanging out with red names that could kill me at any moment.

"Nice to see you too," I muttered sarcastically, but deep inside the statement was true.

Jimmy laughed.

"Why are you hanging out with red names?" Scott said.

"Because Jimmy said he didn't have any red name urges. And then I had a dream from the Listener that said that you didn't, either."

Scott thought for a minute. "That's true," he said finally. "I don't feel any different."

I felt the bandage around my midsection, where my cut was still hurting, but it had stopped bleeding. Ren did feel different. And he was probably hunting me right now.

I straightened up. "I need to go," I said.

"Why?" Scott asked.

"Ren's after the Nether star," I said, and ran out of the house.