To Be A Leader

Chapter 47: Between You And Me

I sit cross-legged in the greenhouse, the moonlight seeping through the glass roof, showering me in its cool light.

I hate it.

After learning what Sigrid's plans were for Abel-for me, Nicole and Nadia and I came home. I let them give Janine the details. I don't think I could have explained it if I wanted to. All I could think about was what Sigrid said about me-the 'vessel' as she called it.

What does that mean? What does she expect to happen when she calls me and summons Moonchild?

I've had Moonchild try to take over before. She succeeded the first time she was drawn out using hypnosis. She took over my legs, made me run even though I didn't want to. Is Sigrid expecting her to take over my whole body, permanently?

Can she even do that?

I shudder at the possibility. I want to ask her, but she could so easily lie to me, since she knows the answer I want to hear is no. I don't want to think of her taking over my body, using it to destroy Abel: still the image is there in my head. I see her helping Sigrid, while all I can do is scream, trapped inside my own mind with no control over my actions.

I think that might be worse than the mind control.

Not only that, but Sigrid's plans for Abel involve some kind of 'gun', something that would destroy us from the inside out. It could be anything. It could be anyone. At first I thought it might be me, but she said in my file that they would have to wait for the right time, but the 'gun' could be accessed at any time.

Although, if that is true, why is Sigrid waiting?  Is she planning on putting on some big show, a way to boost her ego while killing her greatest threat? Does she plan on making our demise some kind of spectacle for her to show off?

I'm sure Janine's already making plans, thinking, plotting, trying to think up of every possible thing Sigrid might have made to bring us to our knees. The problem with us not knowing what this thing is is that we might take it with us if we ever tried to leave. That's even if we could leave. We can't leave the underground labs unguarded. Sigrid may not be as interested in them as she was before, but I'm sure she would gladly take them if we gave her the chance.

We cannot give her that chance.

My head snaps up when I hear a slight brush of something, the leaves of a nearby plant swaying ever-so-slightly. I watch, my body going rigid as my eyes scan the area closely.

"Who's there?" I call out, which is stupid. If someone's sneaking around, which they are, since curfew was an hour ago, then they don't want to get caught.

I don't care if I get caught. Everyone already knows I stay up past bedtime, and if anyone asks, I can always chalk it up to nightmares. It's usually not a lie, especially lately with everything that's happened with Moonchild. It's one of the reasons I'm planning on doing mediation and breathing exercises every day. Even though there's a part of me that still despises Kytan, I need his help. I need this to end.

"I know you're in here," I call out, standing up, my hands curling into fists. I'm not in the mood for any of these silly games. "If you come out now, I won't tell Janine you've been up past curfew."

I'm met with stagnant air and silence that feels a bit too tense for comfort. I hear the shuffling again, and I grab an empty clay pot and throw it on instinct.

It shatters when it hits one of the stands, nearly taking down some of the plants set on it. The sound rips through the silence as broken pieces clatter to the ground.

"I may not have a weapon, but I know how to make use of what I have-" I start.

"Okay, okay. Sheesh!" Milo grunts as he and Phineas emerge from their hiding spot in the shadows.