Emblems

Chapter 25: Normally, Normally

"Oh, yeah," he said and glanced up at her. "It doesn't have anything to do with you directly. It's about your parents. Daniel's parents too." He took a deep breath. "I might as well tell you everything, right? So... Let's start from the beginning. Do you know what Vortex is?" 

She shook her head. "You mean that organization that Daniel accused you of being part of when we first met?"

He nodded. "When people first realized that the power stream getting depleted was the reason why their children were so much weaker than them, they panicked. The Delegates were just starting out at that time, and suddenly there was a new Rogue organization: Vortex. It wanted to find the Emblems and kill them. People supported it, searching for something to blame, namely us, the Emblems. They were okay with Vortex attacking the Athenaeum a few times, but then they went after Camp, see if the Delegates were hiding Emblems there, when we hadn't even been discovered yet. 

"Kids and teens were hurt, some died. People were outraged, started protesting, shit like that. Apparently there was some kind of internal conflict inside Vortex, and two of their founders, organizers, whatever, started leaving. Lucian Starling and Selene Hunter, were those two people. They knew that Vortex would come after them because they knew things, so they came here," he gestured around him as if to encompass the whole of the Athenaeum, "to find help."

"So they gave you – wait, no, the Delegates information about Vortex in exchange for protection?" she summed it up. 

"Yeah," he affirmed. "Vortex sent assassins after them though. They were skilled and we were unprepared. It was a disaster." He sighed and unclasped is watch from his wrist, laying it on the table. "This belonged to my brother. He died protecting your family. But the mission failed. The assassins killed your parents and fled, leaving you alive."

He bent his head lower, stroking the face of the watch. "... You were there?" she asked. 

"Ah, yeah," he said, taking the watch and pulling the worn out leather straps back around his wrist. "I was with the team that was stationed at Selene's house. We took down four, but the last managed to kill her and James, left Daniel alive, tried to run." She saw his fingers clench together, where they hung at his legs. "I killed him," he said finally, "slowly."

She blinked at his low tone, watching the way he glanced up at her, with his narrowed eyes and mouth pressed into a thin line. After a beat, she said, "You're saying that the Delegates sent two kids into battle, just like that?"

"We weren't just kids," Nicholas gave her a faint smile. "Kayden and I were the two sons of the head of the Human Delegates, who raised us after our dad died in battle. We were put into training with the Beast Delegates the moment we could start walking. Leone probably knew from the start that I had the potential to be an Emblem, put me with the most Nature inclined Delegates and threw in my brother for the fun of it, or some shit like that. We became weapons, the Delegates' weapons. And when the time came, we were meant to give up our lives for them, just like weapons are supposed to do."

For now, she was just going to accept whatever he said. She would think over everything later. Nicholas had been acting strange just now – scratch that, the Nicholas she knew had been acting strange. This, talking to her now, could the real Nicholas, for all she knew. And so she would listen to him. "What happened afterwards?"

"Daniel didn't have any family left, so I called up the Daron twins, told them about a young Adept that I'd found in an empty house. All I gave them was his name. They knew who I was, that's probably why they didn't question it." Nicholas turned his pale gaze on her. "I would've done the same for you, but the Delegates found your aunt, I think? Yeah, they gave you to her."

Was this why Emily hated Lucian so much? Could she say that her father was the reason for everything? Because he had been stupid enough to found an organization that spiraled out of his control to become something militant, violent? "Is that all?" she asked. Her voice, the damn traitor, betrayed the shakiness she felt, faint and unsteady. 

"Yeah," Nicholas replied. "Tell Daniel for me, as soon as possible, okay?" She forced herself to meet his gaze. He looked concerned. "See," he said, twisting his watch, "this was why I didn't want to tell you about your parents. You look like one little thing is going to set you off."

Instead of offering the shred of assurance she though of giving, she asked, "Is Daniel not listening the only reason why you're not going to tell him yourself?" 

Nicholas gave her that smirk that she hated, with a knowing look in his pale eyes. "Maybe."

She gave a huff and turned away, tossing her half finished dinner into a trash bin on her way out. Walking out of the cafeteria, she wasn't sure if he had heard the small good luck that she'd whispered. 

When Daniel walked by, she was ready. She'd already decided to skip training - Sol could kill her later - and pass the word on. A quick stop at her own training room, and then a dash over to his, so the moment he stepped out of his training room, thankfully without Leone or any other Delegates by his side, she was on him. She grabbed his arm, dragged him in the opposite direction of the cafeteria, and then pushed him through the people that were heading the other way, using him like a shield. He didn't cry out or panic or fight against her, so she figured he was okay. 

They stopped at the library of the Athenaeum. It was quiet there, and since everyone was at dinner it was probably safe to tell him when they were alone. She dropped his arm only when they were completely surrounded by the giant shelves of books. "Amber?" he asked. "Oh, I didn't think it was you."

She slid into a sitting position, knees curled into her chest. "Then who did you think it was? Sit down," she said, pointing at the space opposite her. 

He didn't move from where he stood. "I thought it would be Nicholas, maybe even Calida," he offered her a faint grin, then continued, "Speaking of them, I know I haven't talked to you in a while,, but I kind of need to go eat dinner with my tutors and my friends." He pushed his glasses up and made as if to turn away. 

"You're different," she said without thinking. It was just a month. One month and he's...

"Well, yeah." He turned back to her, a spark of his old grin on his face. "I mean, it's just been a month and my magic isn’t even acting out anymore; it’s listening to me, not even straining against my control. I feel like all of us have grown so much as Adepts. It's crazy, you know?"

"Yeah..." she breathed out. As he spoke his face was relaxed, at ease, not even a flicker or a twitch that held any of the nervousness or worry that he had before, when it came to his rebellious magic. He took a few steps backwards, as if the silence was a sign for him to go. She had to speak now, might not get a chance again. "Nicholas gave me a message to pass on to you."