The Art of Truth (TRC #2)

Chapter 23

Chapter 23

“He’s being kept at Parliament for now...Until we decide what to do with him,” Jen explained. “The symbol will remain under our protection, where it will be safe from being used by the wrong people.”

I glanced over to Anna. She looked as if she was in control, but remained silent. She had to be, with Kairo under the Parliament’s “protection”. They called it protection, for Anna’s peace of mind, but I knew the truth. It was more like arrest. He had become too dangerous to remain out of their watch.

“I’ll keep you updated on what’s happening...I’m sorry, Maya, but you’ll be out of work for at least another six weeks. There’s nothing we can do about it...Will you be okay?”

I nodded. I’d need some of that time to recover. The rest of the time...Well, I’d spend the rest of the time looking for Art. There was more to this, and I had a feeling that he had the rest of the truth.

“Thanks, Jen. If you don’t mind, can I speak to you for a minute?”

I stood up from the couch in Kairo’s apartment. The same couch that I’d sat on, months ago, when I first quit my job.

“What is it?” she asked.

“Are you alright? Bet you didn’t expect that to happen to your fiancé?”

Jen sighed and looked to the floor. She twisted the engagement ring around her finger.

“No, I didn’t...I didn’t know he’d go that far. I’m sorry you got involved. He’ll get the help he needs soon.”

She gave me a sad smile, and I returned it with a quick hug. She would need a friend over the next few weeks.

“Thanks for saving me there.”

“Don’t mention it.”

“There’s something else. About Anna?”

“Her symbol? I’m aware of it, but there’s nothing that Parliament can do really. They want to put her on more medication, so that the symbol stays dormant for longer, but she won’t like that. Imagine – Anna’s had the Elements all this time, all the years I’ve known her, and no-one figured it out until now. And she’s a witness to the Hallow murders ten years ago. Parliament will want to question her about it at some point.”

“She needs to be protected. If the Conspiracy finds out, they’ll want her. They’ve wanted her since she was a child,” I said, remembering what Art had said about the Conspiracy watching Anna.

“She’s powerful. Almost too powerful. They’ve already got Art. If Anna also bears the symbols for them...Raven will be unstoppable.”

“But what can we do? This thing with Kai unsettled her more than anything. She hasn’t said anything, but I can see it. I’m worried, and so is Jared. She doesn’t know about her own symbol and there’s no knowing what she would do if she knew....That symbol is most likely the cause of her mental state, and those symbols are for life.”

I nodded. When it came to Anna, I trusted Jared and Jen most. They knew her best.

I didn’t see Anna standing behind the door, listening to our conversation. I didn’t know that she heard everything. She said in her note that she didn’t want to be a burden to anyone, and that she knew she wasn’t strong enough to continue living with one of the symbols. She didn’t want to lose control and hurt anyone with her abilities. She wrote a separate note to Jared, delivered the next day to him. He never shared its contents with anyone, but I never saw him smile again after Anna decided the world would be safer if she was dead.

THE END.