cascade | kotlc

11. What Shouldn't Be Allowed

 "If what's true?" Dex repeated. "And if you tell me it's nothing, I swear I'm going to slip honesty elixir in your next obttle of lushberry juice."

"You can make those?" June asked in surprise. "I'd like some if you do."

"I can figure out how," he promised. "Seriously, what were you guys talking about? I'm not going to freak out."

"It's just a joke, Dex," June said, glancing back. "It's- it's not something you'd really want to know. It'd be... kind of creepy for you to know. And also somewhat... inappropriate."

"What is that?" he interrupted.

Sophie shoved Mr. Snuggles behind her back. "Just something Fitz brought to cheer me up."

"How nice of him."

"It was, actually."

June sighed. "Dex, where were you these days? You haven't checked in for a while, even after- what happened."

"I'm sorry I haven't come by sooner," he mumbled. "I've been stuck working on an assignment from the Council."

"Really?" Fitz asked, the same time Sophie asked, "What assignment?"

"I'm not allowed to talk about it. But you don't have to worry, it's totally safe, I'm just testing some gadgets to see if I can improve them. Oh, and get this. I showed Councillor Terik my telepathy enhancer and he thought it had great potential."

"Seriously?" June asked. "He actually thinks you can enhance someone's abilities?"

"No," Dex admitted. "He said it'd be more likely for Sophie to do that. But he thinks I might be able to restrict someone's ability instead. I haven't had time to tweak it yet because they needed me to finish the other weap-"

"Weapons?" June interrupted. "You're making weapons for the Council."

He nodded hesitantly. "They- mostly can't kill. But a good amount of them can disable or incapicitate. I can't- I can't not follow their instructions, you understand."

"The Council is using weapons," she whispered. "That's not good. At all. They're afraid of... an attack."

"Never mind that, why would the Council want to restrict someone's abilities?" Fitz asked, clearly disgusted by the idea.

June froze again. There was a very, very good reason... a reason she'd brought up, she thought, from how familiar it felt...

But again, Jolie felt so familiar too... Neverseen, Everblaze, Jolie...

What was the darn connection?

Why? Why was it all connected?

"Uh, because some people shouldn't be allowed to have abilities," Dex argued.

"Allowed," Fitz repeated.

"Yeah. Allowed. Think about it. Restricting Fintan's ability would've saved Councillor Kenric's life, and his own life, and all of Eternalia."

Wait...

Allowed to have abilities.

That seemed weirdly familiar.

Allowed. Shouldn't be allowed.

Councillor Kenric's life.

Shouldn't be allowed.

June groaned.

"Okay, but, controlling people with gadgets?" Fitz asked. "That's creepy."

"They wouldn't be controlling everyone," Dex argued. "Just the people who need it."