24 Dreams Of You And Me

82) Two Birds With One Stone

"The history of discovery is full of creative serendipity."
-Tom Kelley

***

Levi hurried up the stairs and barged in his room to find Robb still on the computer.

He looked up and asked, "hey, is everything okay? I heard some noises downstairs."

"She hates me." Levi stated, slightly out of breath.

Robb blinked. "What?"

"I lied to her that we have everything to get out of here. I just wanted to elicit a response out of her. But she caught me. Apparently, there are two flowers and the Garden is always filled with alive plants to trick the soldiers about it."

"Whoa wait. Are you sure?" Robb stood up.

"No. But that's what Alyssa said."

"And now she's angry at you for lying to her?"

He nodded. "She thinks I'm the wrong guy here, who's torturing her and all."

"Are you kidding me? You were the only thing that she had an emotional connection with."

"Well, that emotion is called hatred."

"I'm sure you're just exaggerating, she doesn't hate you. Dislike maybe. But hate is a strong word."

Levi sighed.

"Apart from that," Robb continued, "two flowers? What?"

"I always have seen just one."

"Let's suppose there are two. Do we need both?"

"Does it matter? We'll take both if we get to it."

"Yeah but as you said, you saw one, not two. What if that's because we need both of them and Aradia's protecting it?"

Levi let it sink in. It made sense.

"Well, f*ck." He eventually commented.

"This is above us. We'll need the Angels." Robb bit his lip.

Levi sat down on the bed. "I really don't think they will. At least not me and as long as they don't know what you've done."

"Maybe I can talk to Crystal? We just need them long enough to help us and this way they'll be too distracted to find it out."

Levi contemplated and then agreed.

So a call was made to Rachel and soon enough, Crystal came back to the motel.

Robb went out alone to talk to her while Levi stayed back in the room.

"Was Rachel alright? She always says on the phone that she is." Robb asked as he approached her.

Crystal gave him a small smile. "She seems to be."

"Well, we're all on the clock so I'll get straight to it. Uh, what can you tell me about the last ingredient, the purple rose from the Garden Of The Dead?"

"Me?"

"Yes."

"I can't tell you anything. I would've already otherwise." She looked blankly at him.

"What about the other Angels? You can ask them. Someone must have some useful information."

"The Angels are reluctant to help Levi and Alyssa. Speaking of which, has she gone any better?"

Robb carefully chose his words. "She's been worse.."

Crystal raised an eyebrow. "What's that supposed to mean?"