Fated Insurrection (Book 3)

Chapter 25

"Sometimes it's best to let
your opponent think
he has control."

~~Rae Carson

****************

~Nevada~

Science dictates that a black hole is an area of spacetime where nothing, no particles or light, can escape the pull of its gravity. I had read about them in countless stories and briefly discussed the idea during courses in college, but I never thought it would be something I would ever experience. In all honesty, I wasn't technically encountering one now but it felt like it all the same.

Torch's revelation that his father was our true enemy had opened a yawning chasm before us, an abyss that could consume the world around us and probably would. I wasn't sure about anyone else, but I had never heard of this man before or what powers he held. Who knows, maybe I had waited on him during my few short weeks at the bookstore. It was possible that Balthier was a regular at the music store where Nova had worked for years. He could be anyone and could be anywhere with connections that could run deeper than the ties of kings.

It was a terrifying thought, one that left a cold pit of dread in my gut and icy fear clogging my veins. Balthier Christani was a hybrid who had lived hundreds, or thousands, of years and spent half of it tortured in a silver cage. The potential horrors were nearly infinite and my mind couldn't seem to wrap itself around the enormity of what we were facing. It felt impossible. 

August's arms were warm and firm wrapped around my body, his thumb rubbing slowly back and forth on the bare skin of my arm where his had crossed over my chest. It was comforting and safe despite the chill that plagued my insides.

"So… if you're not our enemy then…," I swallowed nervously and forced the words out of my mouth, "why did you go after my… our… uh, Dominic and Alana? You hunted then for years? Why?"

Dark blue eyes bore into mine and the urge to shy away from the blankness staring back at me was almost overwhelming but I held my ground… barely. 

"I never caught them, did I?" Torch replied with a subtle quirk of his brow.

I opened my mouth to point out that he hadn't actually answered my question when Nova interrupted.

"Is the prophecy even real?" Violet eyes flashed as they narrowed skeptically on Torch. "I figure there's some truth to it for it to exist at all, but I have a feeling it's more of a lie. Am I right?"

Midnight met violet with what looked like a hint of appreciation sparking in the dark pools.

"You're smarter than you look, Young Prince," Torch drawled, leaning forward almost curiously as he propped his elbows on his knees.

Hatter growled warningly, eyes like molten silver but remained where he was when Nova placed a hand on his thigh. He flicked his gaze to Hatter briefly before smirking at Torch and giving a half shrug.

"What can I say? I'm not just a pretty face." Nova's smirk instantly faded as he leveled his gaze on the new hybrid in our midst. "We can talk about how sexy I am some other time. For now, why don't you just answer the question?"

"Fair enough," Torch conceded with a mild wave of his hand. Once again, I watched his focus flick momentarily to Rosalyn and then Michael before focusing back on the rest of us. "I did promise you guys some answers."

"So, the prophecy isn't real?" I asked, hoping to hide my astonishment as emotions battled each other inside my head. 

"Not entirely." Torch's nonchalant tone pricked at my nerves.