Aurora

40

I awoke to bright lights blinding the shit out of me and was hit with intense drowsiness- feeling as though I'd been drugged.  Judging by the fact that the ceiling was not of Luca's mansion, I was either dreaming or was truly kidnapped. I was no longer lying in my bed- but rather on the hardest piece of furniture I'd ever laid on.

My eyes flicked to below me-between my feet and there stood Thomas who was talking to Mr Morozov. Fantastic.

I let out a grumble, feeling suddenly extremely dizzy.

Thomas turned his head to me and his eyes widened, "Aurora- don't freak out, just lay there and listen to me. We will take you back before anyone notices."

"What am I to you? A science experiment? Did you drug me? Couldn't you have put me somewhere more comfortable?" I groaned, arching my back to crack some muscles.

"Zat girl? Girl-friend-baby- girl? YOU! Nightmare." Morozov squeaked, pointing at me.

Thomas was confused, squinting, "Girlfriend? What did I miss? You two dated?"

"We date back to last week WHEN HE TRIED TO LOCK ME IN A ROOM." I replied, standing up to analyse the situation.

There was a door left of me and a window opposite us. Judging by the darkness outside, it must've been at least 3am.
I needed an escape plan and the room we were in did not resemble a humble abode.

"Right. Ok...Aurora." He said, walking forward and gently pulling my hand into his. He stared into my eyes, momentarily making me lose focus on my plan to escape.

"I know I tweaked the speech a little today but that was because Morozov and his men gave me their own copy. And before you ask- I had to leave you because my men saw Luca. I knew I had no choice. But I was hoping we could move past that. I have a plan sorted for us both. We can open a training facility for the younger children to help them use their powers after retreating them. And well you...."

He stopped, pulling my hands to his lips, "You can help me with the financial side because I know you're too good at maths not to"

I was waiting for the catch. Waiting for the bigger bomb to drop.

"Thomas... Don't make this hard for me. I can't..."I begged.

"Aurora, I should've seen it sooner. Ten years but it took me all ten to figure out I loved and trusted you with my life."

"Th-" I was on the verge of crying. I'd heard and seen much of what he'd done and could no longer figure out what the truth was.
Just a few hours ago I despised him- yet wanted to help him. But now? I was so completely distraught and confused I didn't know what I wanted anymore. Help him? Help him not?

Thomas steppes back and sighed before pulling out an open box. I stared at the glimmering object furiously, unable to focus on what he was saying.

"Aurora, will you marry me?"

I shut my eyes, blocking out the sounds, the feel, the smell of his cologne, Morozov and my thoughts.
A voice in my head was crying out for help- as though I was expecting the gods or entities to hear my prayer and pull me out of this nightmare.

"T-Tom, I don't...I don't know. I-I can't-I mean-"

He put the box away immediately and placed a hand gently onto mine, as though he was trying to console me, "Aurora, you have to admit we must have been made for each other. You understand me when no one else does and I understand you when no one else does. By all means- stay with Luca because it is safer there right now but I'll arrange meetings with you and you can help me. Just remember this offer whilst you're over there, will you?"

I was fighting his thoughts so hard that I wanted to reach over to him and strangle him until I forced them out of his brain. I was battling my way through his head but unlike every other person I'd tried to perceive- I couldn't even get a flavour of his thoughts.

"Aurora, you can trust me." He whispered, cutting me out of my train of thoughts.

It was as though he had-
Heard me.

Luca had known every time I had tried to perceive him and managed to stop me on several occasions. From what I'd been told, Thomas had more power than Luca did and so there was no doubt he must've felt me trying to push through.
Oh god, why didn't I think of this sooner?

"How are you trusting this girl? She might go and expose your agenda to her new boyfriend." Morozov interrupted.

Morozov was almost wrong. My plans were to double cross Thomas and Luca and get both to trust me. That way I could either stop Thomas if I'd come to figure he was a lost cause. Should I deem him a lost cause, I could switch sides and shut him down for good with all the inside information I collect.
By playing each side I could come to a final decision: did I want to save him or not? This kidnapping; the proposal and everything he had done should have  made me hate him and back off. But even if I hated him- it didn't  mean I couldn't play along until I finalised whether he could be helped.

Thomas sighed, "Morozov, dont talk unless I ask you to, okay?"

"-if anyone outside of the general's circle-it be very deadly."

Thanks a bunch to this day Morozov. Thank you for making my undercover job as the devils advocate 10X harder.

"I'm not stupid, stupid. One more word out of you and you're out. OUT! Are we clear here?"

Morozov opened his mouth to speak but closed it wisely. Did I sense a power barrier? Was Thomas actually just a worker? Was Thomas more a 3rd in command?

He returned his focus to me, "And anyway Morozov, she's one of our retreats."

My heart began thumping. Had he sussed out that I knew he knew? Or was he still playing the pretend card with me? We had agreed to 'pretend' I had supernatural abilities in order for his men to trust Thomas.

"What's her ability?" He asked.

I waited for Thomas to respond. It was the moment of truth.

He squinted, turning to Morozov, "Perceiving."

My heart stopped. I was certain I would pass out had it not been for the sudden fight or flight mode kicking in. But just as I was curling my fist for a fight and flight-

"Don't worry about it Aurora, I've read you and I think I can train you to become a perceiver. Like we said, it is based on science as well as training. It's really not a big thing, most people do it without noticing."

Fuck. I uncurled my fists, realising it was not game over just yet.

So far, my life was going perfectly and this was the cherry on top. He knew about my abilities; but was naïve enough to think Luca hadn't already told me and tried to help me conquer it.

I could Thank Luca for telling me without even batting an eyelid. Thomas was adamant on pretending that I didn't have an ability and was l planning to lie to me. He was planning to really tell me he himself helped bring out my perceiving ability.

All so he could use me as a tool.
A tool to aid his domination.

I was lost for words, letting him trudge me along to the next room. It was my chance to run, but my legs were trembling.