69. I'm not alone

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"And you're sure this wasn't just your imagination? Maybe the stress of being back got to your head," says Jayson.

I told the team to meet me at our dorm so I could tell them what had happened with the voice. I already brought Kalen up to speed when I went to fetch him from the library, and now I am telling the others about my strange encounter with the kid.

"I'm positive it was him, he told me himself. He's the boy from my vision," I answer.

Cassie whistles, tucking a strand of blue hair behind her ear. She came back to the dorm later than everyone else, looking a bit flustered and disheveled, and if I weren't so anxious, I would have bombarded her with questions. But right now, all I can do is pull nervously at the strands of carpet, which is where Cassie and I are sitting, the boys and Mara having taken up the couch.

"Then does that mean he's like you?" she asks. "Another Oracle? I thought your family were the only ones with that Gift."

I shrug, not knowing what to say. I honestly have no clue. He somehow managed to get into my head and control my thoughts, and whatever that was, it's not my Gift. And yet, what if it is? What if it's a part of my ability that I haven't learned about yet?

"Maybe, maybe not," I say. "The important thing is deciding what to do about this message of his."

Kalen nods, leaning his chin on his closed fist.

"We should get Asher and his team back to their compound. They are vulnerable if they stay at the hospital any longer," he says, thinking the same thing I am.

"But Anna might not be ready to go back yet," says Mara, worry lacing her words.

"She suffered a great deal of damage to her eyes; they need to make sure nothing else is wrong."

She's right of course, we don't know the extent of her injuries. I groan, scrunching my eyes closed. Think Brianna, think!

"We could always send a team over to keep an eye on them," suggests Cassie.

"That way we can make sure that they are somewhat protected. We can't let Diana go to Dominic, who knows what he wants her for," she concludes, shifting to lean on her elbows.

We could send a team, but even then, we were just putting more lives at risk. We could ask Khan to send one of his special force groups, but even then, Anna and her team could still be in danger.

"Shouldn't we tell Christian about this message? So that he knows what's going on," says Mara, worrying at the hem of her orange sweater. "Or maybe the board? I could let my parents know, they might have better ideas and could help us decide on what to do."

I shake my head, pressing my lips together.

"If we tell Christian he will want us to tell Diana, and she will most definitely sacrifice herself if she knows other people's lives are in danger."

"I like that girl," says Cassie, smiling a little despite our current predicament. "She is so ready to do whatever is good for others that she puts their needs and safety before her own. I respect that."

"But if we don't tell her," adds Kalen, raking a hand through his dark locks, "then Anna and the rest might be killed. It's a lose-lose situation."

He's right of course. Dominic was making us chose between our friends and Diana, and he knew that it was not an easy choice to make.

"Then we won't tell Christian. But we need to tell someone to send a team over to the hospital! Someone needs to make sure they aren't alone when Dominic plans to strike," I say, feeling lost.

"We could always talk to Daniel, he and a few other mentors could go," says Jayson, blue eyes shifting from Mara over to me.

That isn't a bad idea. Daniel knows what happened to Anna at the factory, he will probably want to help keep her from getting hurt again. And yet--

"What would we tell Christian when he finds out that his mentors are missing?" I ask. "That they went on an errand run?"

The more we think about it the more dead ends we come across. I can't seem to come up with a solution, and I feel like Dominic is taunting us from afar, knowing how hard this is.

Just then a knock comes at the door, and Cassie gets up from her spot on the rug to open it. Diana is standing in the hall with her arms wrapped around herself, looking sadder than I've ever seen her. Some curious onlookers are watching her from their dorms, so we quickly motion her inside and shut the door behind her.

"Hey!" I say, faking enthusiasm, not wanting her to catch on to the tense atmosphere.

"How did your talk with Christian go?"

She shrugs, looking at us with a conflicted look on her face.

"It was interesting," she says. "I never knew that my uncle knew so many people, and I never expected him to be doing what he was doing now. But still I--" she sighs and doesn't finish her sentence, but I don't push her.

I don't think any of us expected him to be alive or to be doing what he's doing. So I pat Diana on the arm and guide her to the space Cassie left on the rug, ignoring my friends pout, and pushing her gently onto its soft surface.

"Well, I'm guessing he already told you that you will be staying here with us until we know how to find your uncle?"

She nods, and finally seems to take in our solemn expressions.

"What were you talking about?" she asks, eyebrows drawing together.

"Oh! We are just worried about our friend at the hospital. She got hurt pretty bad back at the abandoned building where we found your father."

Diana frowns again, guilt shining in her pretty blue eyes.

"Can't you just go visit them?" She asks. "I mean, I'll be fine on my own, you can always ask Christian to let you go."

Hmm. Already on a first name basis I see. They must have talked more than I expected.

I'm about to explain to her that it isn't that simple, that there are strict rules at the compound, and how no one is supposed to leave unless they are on a mission when I pause. What if we do go visit them? We can go see for ourselves how bad Anna's condition is and whether or not she will be able to get back to her compound. We could also serve as back up in case Dominic sent someone to deal with them sooner than we anticipated.

"I was just going to go and ask him!" I say, trying not to look at my friend's shocked expressions.

"You stay here and I will be back in a few minutes."

Mara looks like she wants to say something, and Kalen is partly standing already, but I quickly move out of the dorm and into the hallway, closing the door behind me and speed walking towards Christian's office. Maybe we can save our friends before it's too late. Let's just hope Christian gives us permission to do so.



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