Chapter 9
I found Nil in the library surrounded by various old texts that appeared and disappeared according to his whim.
"What's all this?" I greeted him gesturing to the piles of books. He gave me a stressed smile before returning back to his reading. Kyle jumped out of the floor and pulled me over to one of the sofas.
"He's reading up on the Ten Plants. Those are the people Castor was talking about," he shrugged not considering what he did. Mr. Valentine was seated next to him and as he was about to fall over, Kyle righted him. Seeing me watching him, he offered the teddy bear to me.
"You need him more than I do," he smiled at my confused look. Holding the bear close, the smell of wet grass after a heavy rain wafted up to me. Glancing down at it, I examined it but didn't find any traces of it being wet or grass on it. Deciding it wasn't important, I thought about what Shelia had told me and Castor's story.
"He's not lying," the young boy interrupted my web of thought. He wasn't emotional or tired. If anything, he was happy at the prospect of a new mystery. A playful smile danced around his mouth but didn't fully enter it. A gleam of the hunt dawned in his eyes. His golden curls seemed to turn darker as I looked at him. He didn't seem like the boy I had first rescued from the clutches of Zekan. He caught me examining him and the look I saw in his features faded.
"What's wrong? You're spooked," frowning his perfect mouth. Shaking my head in a silent answer, I glanced over at Nil. Frustrated and angry at his research, he shoved them all off his desk in an uncharacteristic form of anger. Giving Mr. Valentine back to him absently, I went to see what was wrong.
"I can't find any mention of the Gardener," he growled at my upset look. "I know all their names, their powers, and even their locations but I don't know who the Gardener is!"
"Maybe that's a good thing," I offered. His exasperated glance didn't agree with me.
"Consider this, if we found out who the Gardener was what would we do?"
"Take him down. He's been spying on us for centuries! God knows what he's been doing in that amount of time to screw us up! He might've even created Zekan or, hell, Shelia," he snorted but frowned at my reproachful look. "What?"
"Wouldn't it be better to talk to him first? See what he's been doing and thinking about us before we do anything? It doesn't seem like such a good first step to take out someone you only think is your enemy. You need to feel them out first. I'm surprised you didn't think of this," I replied truly concerned for his mental health. Maybe I should give him a holiday. Shock registered itself on his face as he examined my idea. A scowl replaced it and after that resignation.
"I don't know what's wrong with me. I thought I had thought of every option. I can't believe I was so blind as to not know what to do. I'm the Ace of Spades, not some number," his murmur was hard to hear and a hand came up in stress to rush through his hair. Reaching over, I laid a hand on his shoulder and smiled at him.
"Take a break, mentally and physically. You look exhausted. Go on, take a nap and eat some ice cream. Relax. It's time for you to chill," I ordered him gently. His grateful eyes agreed with me. Getting up, he walked unsteadily out of the room.
"He looks so tired," I whispered worried.
"You handled that well," Kyle approved getting off the couch. He walked up to me with a smile on his face.
"What?" It was my turn to be confused.
"You would talk to the one man who could destroy your entire group? You would listen to what he thought about your society? I don't know whether you're naïve or smart. Feeling out the enemy would usually mean taking one of his men hostage but you did that without knowing it. Castor would do anything for you and you know it. One of those it just happened moments with a King who could kill you with a touch. You don't talk to the enemy you react," he informed me as I dropped to my knees to look him in the face.
