Lights (Book 4)

Chapter 11: Swan

The soft moonlight had long since ceased to seep through the heavy panes of my room's sole rectangular window, leaving in its place the pitch blackness of a young night, untainted by the light of distant stars. I sat cross-legged on my bed in my plain, silky pajamas, shrouded from view under the protective cover of the tangible dark. The rich sheets beneath me were barely pulled back, leaving just enough of the bed's surface exposed for me to sit, my back pressed against the solid headboard. My Aurascreen was propped up in front of me on several pillows; I had smothered its distinctive, blue glow in several layers of a thin, white blanket so as not to chance waking Nemesis, who was sound asleep in the identical bed directly across from mine. My brown eye, always more adept at seeing in the dark than its violet counterpart, squinted deeply, bringing the words on the Aurascreen into focus. 

They were a compilation of all the CT's I had received from various campus Aurascreens over the day that had passed since my "outing" with dear old Lillae. Clearly, my cousin did not fully comprehend the meaning of no way, that's insane!

11:11 A.M. Do not reply to this message or you will get me caught and I will personally destroy your half-breed face. Plan: we have to physically be at Icicle Hall to do it, since no Aural signals of any kind go anywhere near Project Gateway's tunnel. That means our closest opportunity will be Autumn Holidays. I'll check with Zali and send more info later. -Lae

1:01 P.M. Zali's gotten her hands on some security footage from the palace (no idea how. Scientist magic I guess). Good news is, no one really keeps an eye on the tunnel area, so it should be pretty easy to sneak you in and out at night. I don't think they even trust guards around it. Now I really wonder what juicy secrets are inside...And DON'T REPLY. -Lae

6:45 P.M. So Zali and I met over dinner to really figure this thing out. We've stamped out the details: you're going in the tunnel on the 24th- that's ten days from now, the first night of the break, in case half breeds can't count. It'll take a couple of hours, tops, for you to scout everything out. When you're done with that, we'll arrange to have people waiting at the bottom of the tunnel to get you out. Don't reply. -Lae

6:46 P.M. If one of my parents, the Scientist Clan, or even mini stickbag...whatsername...Sparrow gets even the slightest hint of this, you're getting thrown under the bus whereafter you can be even more of a disgrace to the family. Don't you dare reply. -Lae

I sighed deeply, leaning forward over the tops of my knees to get a better look at the messages. It was obvious that my sister and her brainy sidekick wouldn't take 'no' for an answer. My finger rose, illuminated by the Aurascreen's subdued glow, poised shakily over the 'reply' button for a solid minute before I pulled it back, shaking my head. I knew from experience that Lillae's threats weren't empty: if I alerted the school of her actions, she was sure to find some very slick, very Lillae way of blaming it all on me, complete with the full royal package: extensive media coverage of my horrible misbehavior. 

As I reread her messages, I found it easier to reassure myself- all I had to do was go into an unguarded tunnel at night and tell my cousin what I found inside. If the information she sent me was correct, the odds of even encountering any adults along the way, much less being questioned and caught, were slim at best. 

And of course, there was my giddy hope that perhaps, this time, Lillae wasn't just being a bully. Perhaps this was her way of extending an olive branch, of showing me that it was possible for us to work together successfully. It was a childish hope, one I consciously suppressed, but its presence was still enough to lead me to refrain from exposing the crown princess. 

"You're doing this without me?" I was pulled back to reality by the sound of a familiar, silky voice that hardly sounded like its owner had only just woken up. 

"Nemesis!" I awkwardly jumped forward, flipping the Aurascreen over into my lap, but I could tell from the devious smirk on my roommate's face that she had already read everything on it. 

"It appears that we have much to discuss." Nemesis stepped forward so that her waist pressed against the side of my bed, reaching over me with her incredibly long arms to flick on the square-shaped, Aura-powered lamp mounted on the wall behind me. Then, she proceeded to sit down in front of me, tucking her legs neatly under herself. 

"I know," I nodded, deciding it best to get the hard part over with quickly. "I should've told you, but I was afraid of what you'd say. Lillae's blackmailing me into exploring the Project Gateway tunnel for her because her reputation is 'too important' for her to do it herself. I know, it's dangerous, and as a friend, you'll want to try to help me find some way out of it, but what you should know is that with Lillae, there isn't a way out. If I don't do exactly as she says, she'll find a way to make me and innocent Sparrow pay. She always does." 

"Silly Swan," Nemesis laughed mysteriously, her smile widening. "Now, when did I hint that I intended to help you 'find some way out'? Your situation with your cousin's curiosity is not a problem to be solved, like you see it, but an opportunity to be explored."

"Wait, what is that supposed to mean?" I whispered shakily, feeling the pressure of the moonless night subconsciously close in on me as the only true friend I'd ever had leaned in, curling her bottom lip over her teeth before she spoke. 

"You will go to the place that almost definitely holds the answers to all of our questions under the auspices of the crown princess. That's nonnegotiable. And..."

"And?" I questioned, almost fearful of her answer. 

"I'm coming with you."