Chronicles of the Unknowns: Control

Chapter 21

Celeste POV

Augustus removed his hands from the person he was healing and Philomene stood up from her seat. Some corner in the back of my mind took in their placements. The brown haired woman acted as a guard for the door, but anyone who broke through her barrier would be shot down immediately by Philomene, who would watch any intrusion unfold as it happened.

He gave a slight nod, with an understanding look on his face.

"We figured sooner or later she would come for us. You said she wants my help?" He asked.

I explained everything that had happened recently.

"I know I'm asking a lot for you to trust me. Especially given what I've done to the people I fought beside. It's just a hunch. But I hope you understand my reasoning," I said when I finished.

The room had fallen silent. It was Philomene who spoke first.

"I've been waiting to kill that bitch for months now," her voice echoed through the room.

"We need to get Augustus as far from here as possible, as quickly as possible," I insisted. However, he shook his head.

"I can't abandon these people I've promised to help and protect from Giovanna. We're prepared for her attack. Let her come. We've planned for this," he said.

"And if her telepath is wounded, all the better," the brown haired woman said.

"She makes a good point," Lili whispered beside me.

They seemed confident. And these were two former Court members. I should have found solace in that. But there was this nagging feeling in my mind. Like it wouldn't be enough. Surely, Giovanna had some type of contingency to get Augustus away from Philomene, even if it was impossible to kill her.

If Leona was a part of that contingency then we might have hope. But if she wasn't we were in a very precarious situation. Still, if I had to chose between siding with a magic twister and someone who could make you drop dead with a single touch or breath...I had a better chance of surviving in joining forces with the latter.

"So what is your plan? How can we help?" Lili asked, pulling me out of my thoughts.

"Delaney will get started on leading evacuations. Our people have done enough fighting in this war. It's our job to protect and guard over them," Augustus said, nodding toward the brown haired woman..

"How many people need to be evacuated?"

"We have a little more than a hundred. They've all practiced drills, so it should be quick," Delaney said, getting up from her seat.

"Alex can you make another clone? One to go with Delaney and one to stay here with the Court members? This way if anything happens, there's immediate communication," I said.

"You got it,' he said, his body swiftly splitting into two.

"Lili you go with Delaney. I want to stay with Augustus and Philomene."

With a quiet nod, she and Alex followed Delaney out the door. Augustus returned to healing the injured people who were in the courtroom.

Philomene waved at me to come up to her. I approached her cautiously. The one time we'd met, she wasn't the nicest person to be around. As I got closer, there was the slightest softening of her face. Augustus glanced up when I walked by. He helped the person he'd healed to their feet and waved the next person up. There were still at least 20 or so more injured to be tended to.

"You are afraid," Philomene stated.

"I'm disgusted with myself."

"I've done things I'm not proud of either. For a very long time I turned away people in their times of greatest need. I sought revenge for my sister's untimely death and killed many others without a second thought simply because the nature of my powers tempted me to do so."