Blood of A Seeker

Blood of A Seeker -19-

“Chicken soup or mash potato on the side?” she called from the kitchen, steam wafting in from her cooking.

“Mash potatoes,” I answered automatically, picturing his face on the screen and felt my heart skip a beat as questions flooded my mind.

What was he doing in the cell now? Bored out of his mind? Was the Seeker inside of him threatening to burst, to overcome the code? Would he remember me ever again? Will I find a way to –?

The doorbell rang and a short figure appeared in the frosted glass though I couldn’t make out who it was. I had never seen the figure eat my front door before.

“Could you get that?” Rosemarie asked as the scent of gravy lingered in the air.

“Sure,” I muttered, knowing I’d get it whether I wanted to or not. I shuffled to the door and pulled it open with a grim face, not even looking at the visitor. “Can I help you?”

“Oh good you’re home! I was afraid Stefan would be working you late.” Jillian’s friendly wrinkled face appeared in view, giving me a sense of confusion. Why was she here?

“He doesn’t want me involved in the Keeper business just yet,” I told her slowly and invited her in without a word.

“Lexi, who is it?” she called when I pushed the door shut.

I froze, feeling my blood run cold. She had called me Lexi, not Sage. Maybe the old woman wouldn’t notice? “I-It’s Jillian.”

“Oh hi Jillian!” Rosemarie greeted, holding a pot of gravy in a towel and continued stirring it slowly, a grin on her face. “What brings you here?” She appeared absolutely oblivious to the name change while I glared at her.

“Don’t worry Alexi, I already know your name,” Jillian reassured my baffled expression. “I came to tell you something important.” She turned to me with a questioning look. “You say you’re the one who took away Tucker’s memories for his own good?”

I nodded slowly, wringing my wrists nervously and caught little flickers of orange sparking from my fingertips. That tended to happen when I was edgy. “Yeah, why?”

“I’m a little different to the other Keepers, you see,” she started and gave me a light smile. “Several Chromas born in a generation are able to have independent abilities developed over the years.”

I turned to Rosemarie questioningly when she replied, “They get a special ability different to every other Chroma when one gets older.”

“I can read the minds of others,” Jillian explained with a crinkle-eyed smile. “I was looking through Tucker’s mind but it looks like the Seeker part of his mind has locked away the needed information . . . but I found a code. In his mind. It’s a complicated process.”

“A code?” I echoed in confusion. “How could there be a code imprinted in his mind?”

“Clever girl,” she replied, amusement fading from her face. It was replaced by a dead serious expression. “The code I saw was in the mentality book we were studying today.”

I nodded understandingly. “Yeah, I remember that book. What sort of code was it?”

Jillian cupped her aging hands and produced a pretty pale green pattern of lines intertwining to create a strange symbol hovering above her hands. “It represents a lock and in this case it means Memory Lock.”

My eyebrows shot up and then my brow furrowed, slightly confused. “How can that be?”

She gave me a pointed look while Rosemarie retreated to the kitchen, knowing rightfully this had nothing to do with her. “I just assumed you did it. There’s a very large portion of his mind covered by this code and I can’t get past it. I’ve looked for a solution but it’s too strong and the emotions entwined with the code have strengthened it. The code cannot be undone without the original Chroma who cast it.”

A warm blush reddened my cheeks. “Well I-I care about him a lot.”

“A lot doesn’t justify it,” she said with a light smile. “I’m supposed to get permission from the other Keepers but I couldn’t wait. There’s something going on with the Seeker Hives hidden in the region and it’s not good.” A dark look crossed her face, frightening me for a moment. “The faster we get some information out of Tucker, the better.”

“But what about the other Seekers locked up?” I questioned as she grabbed my wrist and pulled me toward the door with surprising strength for an elderly woman.

“They’re full-blooded: they can’t talk like Tucker can,” Jillian replied firmly. “Tucker isn’t a full-blood which means he can talk properly – he’s still intact with his normal side. However, his Seeker half of his genetics allows him the full-blooded Seeker mental bond to the Queen Seeker of his Hive. He can connect with the Seeker half long enough to find information if we recover his memories and show him we’re his allies, not foes.”

“Should have thought of that before those Protectors whipped him,” I snarled, surprised at my nasty tone. “Mary, I’m heading out!”

“Be back in fifteen minutes!” Rosemarie called. “I’m having Stefan over tonight so don’t be late!”

I shot Jillian a desperate look, my emotions starting to surface. Things I had been keeping from Jocelyn, Oliver, Katherine and even Terrance had forced me to bottle these stressed emotions, to keep them out of the mess.

Now that Jillian was taking me to see Tucker rather than me going to see him – well it gave me a feeling of hope, relieving me of some stress. I still had faith in Tucker. He had to remember me. Our bond was too strong; he had to remember me and I had to find a way to recover his memories.

If only it was that easy to find the antidote to the first one I had put on him in the first place.