Mystic Academy: The Lie

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Katie still had one lesson left before she was free to come home with me, but Tristan's were done for the day. He followed me down to the Dining Room as I hadn't really had time to think about eating.

It was well past lunch time, so we had almost the entire Dining Room to ourselves.
Tristan took an apple and I guessed it was because he thought it felt a little weird to just sit and watch while I ate.

I looked at him. The plan I'd had in my head for a while now needed to come out. I sighed.

Tristan sensed that I wanted to say something, so he began. "What?" he asked a little anxiously. "Do I have food on my face, or?"

I laughed. "No, it's nothing like that. But I want to ask you one thing."

He looked at me. "Go on," he replied after taking another bite of the apple.

"Regarding your ability...," I began. "How... advanced is it?"

A frown formed on Tristan's forehead. "A lot, I guess. I can talk to almost anyone."

His tone sent shivers down my spine. I knew what he meant by "anyone". Anyone of the dead. I'd learned that during the test last semester, and since Liam's death I'd had my own little plan in my head. But for it to work, Tristan needed to agree to what I now was going to ask him.

I didn't know how to say it. It wasn't exactly a small question I had. A few seconds passed, and he began to worry.
Finally I just sighed and asked him. "I want to ask you a favor," I said. "I want to talk to someone."

His brow wrinkled. "Who?"

I swallowed. "Liam." I didn't dare meet his gaze. "I want to talk to Liam."

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It was already after the hospital that I had started thinking, coming up with a plan. The questions we had could not be answered. Not by someone who didn't have inside information. Which Liam had had.

After only a few hours I had made up my mind. I needed to talk to him. He was our only hope to stop Hector.

I had been unsure if Tristan would go along with my plan, but to my great delight he did. It made step two of it much easier. But I still didn't trust him enough to be okay with it to tell the rest.

Instead, I asked him to come to the Catacombs in the school basement after he'd met Katie when her class was over. I didn't want her in on this though. Having both my friends there would only complicate it, bringing one was enough. He nodded slowly, agreeing to my request despite the uncertainty.

I went down there beforehand to collect myself. Tristan appeared rather quickly, smiling at me. "Are you sure you can handle this?" he asked.

I sighed deeply. "Yes, yes I am."

He took my hand as we took the few steps that took us to the Catacombs.

Stone floors and stone walls surrounded us. The cobwebs were tight in every nook and cranny, and I felt like I was being watched all the time. But I knew no one was there. At least not a solid person. I had chosen the Catacombs precisely for the fact that it was easier for the dead to stay down there.

I needed to prepare myself for what was to come. How he would react. It was no small thing I would ask of him, though now he could not get in trouble for it. I sighed deeply.

Tristan looked at me. "Ready?"

Not at all. I nodded.

My friend stood in the middle of the room. He concentrated somewhat enormously, it looked like he was going to pass out. I was close to rushing over to him to break the trance he was in. It was too reminiscent of Simon's condition, and I didn't want Tristan to end up there too. But I knew better than to interrupt him.