Into The Flame

Chapter 5

I woke up in the infirmary, but the first face I saw was not the one I wanted to be seeing. The man from earlier was sitting on the bed and looking at me with curious eyes.

"You must be really hungry," he said grabbing a bowl from the floor and handing it to me.

I still didn't trust this man and frankly I didn't trust anything he wanted to give me.

"Either you feed yourself or I will have to do it for you," He said taking the spoon and movie towards my face.

I kept my mouth closed shut. For all I knew he could have poisoned it. I quick way to get rid of me. Then he would have to find someplace to dispose of my body.

He frowned then looked at me with sad eyes. Perhaps he was just trying not to intimidate me like he has been doing. "I promise I didn't poison it. Cate would have my head if I did that. I also didn't make it. The kids that help in the kitchen did."

I took the bowl and spoon from him and began to eat slowly so I wouldn't upset my stomach more than it already was.

He smiled now. "That's a good girl. Now I won't get in trouble with Cate."

I hate how he kept calling me girl. I told him my name. I swallowed the bite of food that was already in my mouth and refused to take another. Seeing him get in trouble with Cate was something I actually wanted to see. I didn't like this man. It most likely had something to do with the fact that I didn't even know him.

As much as I wanted to see him get hurt by Cate my stomach was telling me otherwise. I ate the rest of my soup that was put together quite nicely and put the bowl on the stand next to me.

"I'm sure you have plenty of questions," he started, "and I'm sure that Cate would be happy to answer all of them as soon as you are well rested."

He started to get up, but I reached out and grabbed his arm in order to get him to stay. He gave me a confused look, but sat back down on my bed. "Please tell me your name," I asked politely.

He cocked his head to the side slightly. "I'll tell you everything you want to know only if you answer my questions in return. Do we have a deal?"

I nodded my head. "We have a deal. Also my name is Ember. I've told you that already."

He continued to smile at me. "I'm sorry Ember. Well, my name is Cole Stewart. Is there anything else you would like to know?"

I thought about it for a moment. Was there anything that I wanted to know? I knew that I was in the Children's League base, but else did I want to know. "How old are you?" I finally asked.

"I'm 21," he answered simply. "How old are you?"

I knew he was going to ask that eventually. "I'm 18 as well." I told him.

"Do you have anymore questions?"

I shook my head in response. I may not have had any questions in that moment, but I was sure that if I had any I would be allowed to ask.

"When did you find out you were different from other kids?" He asked.

Was it a trick question? Most kids found out they were different when they were ten. You either lived or died. I was twelve when IAAN hit. I wasn't supposed to get any special abilities like the other kids who were ten. How was I supposed to explain that to Cole. Maybe just telling him the truth would be the simple solution. "I was twelve when I found I was different," I told him simply. If he worked with the Children's League then I could safely assume that he would know the whole scientific background behind it.

His smiled faded and he looked away for second. He seemed to be pondering what I had just said. After what seemed like forever, he finally looked at me.  "What color are you?"

Why would he ask? My green camp clothes should have given me away. That was unless he knew I was hiding. If he knew that I couldn't possibly be green then I had to be something else. "Orange." I gave it to him as clear as day. I didn't even bother to sugar coat it one bit.

He quickly stood up and took a couple steps away from me. I touched him once already, but he was wearing a sweatshirt so I didn't see anything.  "What camp were you in?"

"Thurmond for six years."

He ran his hand through his blonde hair. He was frustrated. I could tell. "Get better soon Em," he said as he quickly walked out of the room.

I was completely stunned. What made Cole leave in such a hurry? Was it something I said? I wasn't supposed to be different. Cole must know something, but didn't want me to know. I had to get my strength back. I needed to rest. By morning I would train. I was going to free the kids from the camps and expose their truth.