Diary of the Unbroken (BOOK #4)

The Kids Aren't Alright

Jane

Luke stared wide-eyed at me, searching for his words. "What--why--how?"

Ava stood up straight, wiping her mouth. "What the hell, Jane?"

"We found them," I breathed, my chest heavy in the moment. "The Originals. William and I found them. They still have William."

I stumbled with my lack of blood intake. It had been so long. They gave us nothing while we were trapped in the basement. The last sustenance I'd had at all was McDonalds.

Luke caught me before I could tumble too far. "But you're okay," he stated, not even a question. Just a statement full of relief. "They let you go."

"But not William?" Ava practically hissed. "I don't understand." 

Yes, the thought seemed unfathomable to me too. But in the end, I wasn't what Daniel and his cronies needed at this point in the war. I was just another body they could kill or send back.

"They deemed me useless," I explained. "Daniel, the leading Original, said I would be of more use back here in Newberry. But he wouldn't tell me what for. He wouldn't tell us anything."

"In time," Ava quoted, her voice low. "William called earlier from wherever they were keeping you. Then this Daniel took the phone from him. I asked him what he wanted from us, but he just kept saying that I would find out in time. Let me just say that I'm really tired of hearing that."

"He has plans," I told the two of him. "To him, this is all a game. And we're just pawns waiting for the next move."

"Then we get one step ahead of him," Ava hissed. "We go there. We take care of things ourselves."

I shook my head. "It won't work. Trust me. I thought William and I could beat him. But...you've seen how powerful he is. And the hold he has over people...it's not possible to just walk in there and take back what's ours."

Ava's eyes fell. I noticed something different in here. Something I couldn't quite detect. Maybe it had to do with the month that had passed, possibly the worst month of her life. With her mother's death and William's absence and Newberry's displeasing atmosphere, I could understand where her agitation was coming from.

"What about Val?" she asked, her voice broken. "Did you see her? Is she okay?"

I swallowed, my throat burning in close proximity to Luke. "I'm sorry. I didn't see her there. But I saw little of the house. And it didn't seem like Daniel was so concerned with another prisoner."

Ava licked her lips. "Why is he doing this? I don't understand."

"Evil people do evil things," Luke mumbled. "Sometimes they think their helping. It's in every story. It happened to Darth Vader. Doc Oc. Elphaba."

"You think he thinks he's doing good?" Ava raised an eyebrow incredulously. "That kidnapping William and Jane and Val and killing my mother and compelling this town and trying to get us on his side of destruction is somehow helping?"

"At least he thinks so."

"Of course," another voice said. "That's the Originals for you. On both sides."

I looked over to where Jacqueline and Bernard were coming out of the building, dressed in their finest. It was odd seeing them finally. It had been months, and part of me forgot they'd been such an vital part of my world and who I'd become. And part of me resented them for that.