The Exiles (Book 1 of the Exiles Series)

Five

It rained that night, a low, whispering rain that made everything look like glass in the night. Silent heat lightning split the sky. During the rainstorm, my brain drifted to better places and wondered where Magnus was. I hoped he was inside and warm. I hoped he was safe.

I refused to believe that Magnus was dangerous, like Nicole had said. He seemed too mild-mannered and rational to be dangerous. I wondered why anyone, much less everyone, could think he was. I would have to ask him. Something strange seemed to be going on here, and I intended to get to the bottom of it using any means possible.

But still, I wondered. I wondered why Magnus had been sent here. I wondered why his memory hadn't been erased, just like the rest of us.

The next morning, I decided to ask Nicole those questions. She seemed less hostile than the day before, so I figured it would be a good time to ask.

"Good morning," I told her dryly. Nicole looked up and stared at me. "Yes," she deadpanned, beating around the bush. "I can tell you have something on your mind. What is it?"

I sighed in exasperation. She had known me for three days and already she could read my mind. It was almost creepy, like she'd known me prior to our meeting, like she was my sister.

"I was wondering if we could go to the Center for breakfast again," I asked Nicole, even though I knew what the answer would be. She stood up slowly, as if struggling to keep her cool.

"No," she told me, which didn't surprise me. "We're not going there for a very long time, if ever." I stood up quickly, as well, and stamped my foot. I struggled to keep back a smile. This conversation was going just as it had in my head, just as my sharp mind had predicted.

"Why do you act like a dictator?" I challenged, my voice low, strained with manufactured haunting. Nicole barely batted an eyelash.

"I'm trying to protect you," she explained coolly, "from Magnus." I crossed my arms across my chest and glowered at her, though I had to tilt my head upward a bit just to do it.

"What's so dangerous about Magnus, anyway?" I inquired. Nicole set me with a fierce glare, but nothing out of the ordinary. "He seemed polite at the Center, and then you just came and--"

"You don't need to know," she interrupted, her voice raising just a bit, her lips peeling away just slightly from her teeth.

"It must be important," I reasoned, "if you're keeping me away from him." Nicole shrugged. "It is," she said, but that was all, like I would be satisfied with that.

"I'm not a little kid, Nicole," I nearly shouted, feeling my face harden and become taut. "I can handle myself." Nicole rolled her eyes. "You sure aren't now," she muttered.

I wanted to smack her, but I refrained. Real anger was starting to well up inside of me, expanding like a balloon, getting ready to burst.

"I don't trust you, Talia," Nicole admitted, her eyes wide, almost amused. "I mean, you disobey my strict orders, interact with people that I don't trust, question all my motives,..." She continued listing off the reasons why I wasn't to be trusted, but I just glowered at her. I found no truth to these words. What reasons had I given Nicole not to trust me? How had what I done put me in any danger?

"I don't care," I stated, defiant. "I want to know why you're keeping me from Magnus, and I want to know now. The whole reason. Pronto."

A cold silence descended upon the little house, turning my insides to ice. Nicole gave me a malevolent look out of the corner of her eye. I could tell she was deep in thought, trying to uncover the best way to relay the information I desired to hear. Finally, she looked up again and took a deep breath, swallowing all of her anger that had managed to give her face a pink tint.