Galaxy of Hyperion: Mystic Heir

Chapter Eighteen: What Goes Around

"If you want my opinion, we're going to figure out what happened with him soon enough. Your secret is going to wind up coming out as well. We have fewer Skylian Mages to collect than we realize. There's an elaborate ruse being pulled off right now, and it's keeping the truth from coming to light. There aren't many people left for us to discover, and I think it's time for us to admit that," Lana went on. 

Jay bit her lip, still unwilling to meet Lana's gaze. She was almost positive that Lana's eyes would try to wrestle the truth out of her if she even tried to press honesty out of the other girl. Lana was simply too perceptive, and even though Jay was naturally distant and stoic, she wouldn't even be able to survive an inquiry from Lana if it lasted for long enough. 

"We should probably get ready to go and find out where our next target is," Lana remarked, swiftly changing the subject as soon as she realized that she wasn't going to be learning anything else from Jay. "We've got a lot to get done, and I would rather not wait any longer than we have to."

"We can wait for the boys to say something," Jay supplied quickly as she jumped to her feet. "For now, I want to know about how in the world you managed to figure out what you know about me. Just how much are you aware of? We've never met before all of this began, and yet--"

"I know things," Lana cut her off, shrugging her shoulders loosely. "It comes with the territory of what I do. The City of Steel is a place where people seek out knowledge. I'm no different. I created the City of Steel in the first place because I wanted to calm my own curiosity. I learned that you and Arian were coming to find me, and I was able to put the pieces together about where you came from and who you were rather easily from there. When you take a step back, it all makes sense... Though I suppose that you're not exactly privy to the information about Arian quite yet. I wouldn't worry about it... I'm sure that you'll find out soon enough."

"Quit talking in riddles," Jay sighed. "We're dealing with something serious right now, but you're still in the mood to dance around the answers? We have to figure out who the Skylian Mages are if we want to keep Skylia from slipping into catastrophe. It isn't that hard to say that you're suspicious of someone if you are. In fact, we need something like that. We don't have any leads, Lana. Coming to this town is something, but there are no guarantees that it will actually work. If you know something, just tell us already."

Lana shook her head. "I can't just do that, okay? If I reveal all of your secrets for the world to see, then this team will struggle to work together. I need everyone to come to trust one another on their own. Until you're willing to talk about your issues, then I can't talk about it. I'm not going to break the dynamic of this group before it's even complete," she answered. 

"You said that there were a few left. You never mentioned that there were three of them after we started searching. Why didn't you get specific? It certainly would have been easier for you that way," Jay remarked, her eyes narrowing in Lana's direction. 

"I said what I thought was accurate. Besides... I'm pretty sure that we both know what I'm talking about. Until you're ready to talk about it though, I will maintain my silence. Alright?" Lana questioned, her eyes narrowing in Jay's direction. 

Jay nodded slowly. As much as she hated to admit it, she respected Lana's wishes to keep the truth of what she knew quiet. It would have broken the group's dynamic if they thought that they were constantly at risk of being exposed by one of their members. They needed to come and trust one another on their own. 

Jay wished that she could do that, but she simply couldn't bridge the gap. She liked the rest of the group well enough, but there was no reason for her to want to talk about her history. It was too much for her to think about, so how was she supposed to talk about it openly with the rest of the team? It didn't seem possible.