I am sorry but I had to go. My family needs me. I will find you.
Grimacing, I carefully re-folded the paper and tucked it in my jacket pocket. I didn't know why I expected more, Tom was never the type to shout his emotion from the roof top. Still, I thought things might be different now that our feelings are out in the open. Apparently not.
Feeling slightly disconnected I tried to rub the tiredness out of my eyes. Romantic relationship was never something that came naturally to me; I never knew what to do, or what to expect. I did know that it was not normal for couples to be separated after they have affirmed their feelings for each other.
Without remembering how, I managed to make my way back to my room. Collapsing on my lavish four poster bed, I tried to search for the relief that I thought I would feel when the meeting is over. However, instead of feeling like a huge burden had lifted off my shoulder, I felt like there were more issues riding on my back than ever. There was a heavy feeling in my heart that I couldn't shake away. I didn't know if it was because Tom had taken off, or that the response from the Legacy families weren't that positive.
"Hey Gail, are you in there?" a muffled voice came across the door and I blinked.
"Yeah." I replied quickly, smoothing any creases on my shirt and wondered why it didn't occur to me to change out of this stiff attire. Clambering out of my bed ,I pulled open the door to see a smiling Casey smirking at me. On seeing my face, however, her smile dropped and concern flooded her face.
"What's wrong sweetie?" She asked, her hand reaching for my forearm. I raised my eyebrow at her, not sure what she was talking about. Now scowling at me, she pushed me back in the room and closed the door, causing a loud bang that made me wince.
"Nothing." I retorted, but realised my voice was high-pitched betrayed my thoughts.
"Right." Casey rolled her eyes at me and pushed me to take a seat on the bed. Settling beside me she looked at me expectantly. "Spill."
Engaging into a staring contest with her I pondered whether or not I should tell her about Tom's message. The eye contact was starting to make me feel a little uncomfortable and guilty for no reason.
"It really it's nothing." I said, trying to convince both her and I. "I heard from Tom." I added and Casey's face lit up. Leaning forward eagerly she waited for me to break the news.
"He's gone back to Paris Citybase." I said, my voice cracking a little at the end. Casey's immediately thrown her arms around me and rubbed a hand up and down my back soothingly. Then like a dam burst through, a flood of emotions hit me as I began to question everything. Was I really doing the right thing by excluding my kinsman? Did I waste too much time preparing for a meeting that might lead to nothing? Did I fail Akram, my ancestor that seemed to have an abundant faith in me? And most of all, was my relationship with Tom going to pull through?
"Did he say why?" Casey asked as I tried to hold myself together. I was hardly ever the dramatic one and was caught off guard by the amount of emotion that was racing through me. I tried to rein in my snobs, but nothing seemed to be working.
"He said, he had to go back to his, family..." I hiccupped, and belatedly realised that I knew nothing about his family whatsoever. It was a topic that was never brought up when we were on the run and I couldn't help but wonder how much did we really knew about each other and whether or not our love for each other were merely brought on by the fact that we were scared and wanted to make the most of what we did have. I fumbled for the note in my pocket and handed it to Casey.
Casey's mouth twitched as she took in the lack of content before trying the plaster on a neutral face. She's one of the most honest person I ever met and she rarely ever hid her emotions from others, even if she knew it would upset other people.
"What an ass!" She exclaimed, before throwing me a semi-apologetic look. "I never know what you saw in him. I mean he is kind of good looking, but he's so unsociable and awkward."
"He just doesn't know how to interact with people." A smile made its way onto my face as I remembered when he told me not to stay away from him. God I was dumb. Casey threw me a disgusted look and I gave her a weak smile in return. My worries had eased a little and I knew that it was mostly just a result of stress, but it didn't diminish the truth in there.
"Do you think I am doing the right thing?" I asked Casey, breaking the silence. I stared at the wall, not daring to look at her face that portrayed her thoughts so well.
"With Tom?" Casey asked and I gave her a small nod, then shook it again. Bemused, Casey gave me her no bull-sh*t face and I almost laughed, but instead let out a rather unattractive snort. "With everything..." I answered finally, after getting my snorts under control. "Leaving de Silver, preparing for so long, calling a meeting.
Throwing me a quizzical look, Casey scooted slightly further away from me to get a better look at my face. "Why would you think that?" She asked, incredulous. I shrugged, suddenly feeling silly about my question, but still eager for an answer. I wanted a second opinion about my actions; I had been convinced that I did the best that I could so far, but there are moments when I really questioned my action.
"You have done the best that you can." Casey said, putting an arm on mine and giving it a firm squeeze. "No one expect you to be perfect. You weren't born equipped to handle this."
Her words brought back the message from Akram, and how he said he was glad that it was me. I couldn't help but wonder what it would be like if it wasn't me, but Margot or Andre that was in my very own shoes right now. Would they know what to do?
"I know I don't always come across as the most supportive person," Casey has begun and I gave her a no-kidding look which made her laugh. "But I don't think anyone could have handled it as well as you did. Maybe except Gerald. But he's a mutt so he doesn't count."
I didn't think anyone can argue that Gerald was a mutt. Although no one, perhaps with the exception of Casey, would be brave enough to say that in his face. Those two dislike each other to a point where they would just grunt at each other as a response whenever an answer was inevitable. It was hilarious to watch.
"I just don't know how I would handle future events if I am already feeling like this." I confessed, pulling up my legs so I could sit cross-legged on the bed, grabbing a pillow and holding it close to my chest for comfort. "I am scared that I am going to screw up."
"We all screw up in life." Casey said, rolling her eyes as she scooted closer to me on the bed. "It's how you deal with it that's important. And for the record, you are too careful to screw up."
Feeling a little comforted I sat up straighter, shedding some of the heavy feelings off from my chest. "I guess you are right." I declared, throwing the pillow at her jokingly. "I guess I better go and organise that plane ride to Pax."
"Can I come?" Casey asked eagerly, and for a moment I saw a flicker of vulnerability under her excited face. Perhaps her time in the wild had affected her more than she let her. It might do her some good to be out and about in a non-isolated world.
"I will try." I promised and she gave me her usual winning smile before dashing out of the room without even asking if I wanted company. Typical.
*********************
"Hey Gail, I heard the meeting went well." Caleb greeted me from the library table and I smiled at him, feeling more like myself as I approached him dressed in a loose jumper and soft jeans.
"It was alright." I replied, sliding into the empty chair next to him. "I talked to Benson and he can get the jet ready tomorrow. You ready to go back to Pax?"
"Wow, that was quick." Caleb said, excitement evident in his eyes. I knew the SMS team didn't really have to stay here and I had appreciated their help immensely. Somehow they stuck with our course and did everything in their power to help us, staying away from their school and never complained. Though one time I did hear Gina telling Tristan how awesome she thought this whole thing is which helped me felt better.
"I got enough seats for everyone from SMS, and Gerald and Casey are coming too." I said, thinking that Caleb would nod in appreciation but instead a hesitant expression was on his face.
"This is so weird; I don't even know how to begin..." He said, glancing around the library to make sure that we were alone. "I have a favour to ask."
"Okay." Intrigued by the turn of events, folded my hands on the table in front of me and looked at him intently, letting him know that he had my full attention.
"I need you to help me convince Tristan to go back." He said and I blinked. Then again.
"What?" I asked, a little stumped. I thought they would all be happy to go back.
"It's complicated." Caleb sighed, rubbing his face with his hands. From the tone of his voice I got a hint that this was an ongoing problem, and it might have nothing to do with us, but everything to do with why they stayed as long as they did.
"Why not ask Liam to try? They get on better." Caleb shook his head at my suggestion. Liam had got on with everyone like a house on fire, though truth be told Tristan tend to keep to himself.
"He might listen to you." Caleb said, offering little in the way of explaining the reason. Seeing my unconvinced face, he quickly added. "I wouldn't ask you if I wasn't desperate."
"I can give it a go." I agreed uncertainly; it would be unreasonable for me to refuse such a small favour after all they had done to help me. After finding out from Caleb the whereabouts of Tristan, I left to run yet another errand.
"Tristan." I spotted the curly mop of brown hair at a hidden corner of the courtyard and made a beeline for him. The man himself seemed startled by my voice and looked up at me in alarmed, the book he was reading clasped shut with a crisp thud.
"Abigail." He stuttered, obviously not expecting me. His eyes darted left and right like he was looking for an escape route before realizing that it was probably too late for that. "I, er, what.."
"Just wanted to tell you we will be flying tomorrow to Pax!" I interrupted him, deciding that it would be easier on both our souls if I cut the chase. Just like Caleb expected, Tristan's face immediately fell and his mouth opened and closed as he tried to figure out a plausible excuse to wiggle out of it.
Sitting down next to him I contemplated about my options; on one hand I really wanted to find out why he was so against heading back to a school that most people would die to go to, on the other hand, I was tempted to just find out by reading his mind. I knew most people in my position wouldn't give a second thought about reading other people's mind, heck, they would even relish in the ability to do so. But now that I found out I can control minds, coupled with the years of abusing it on my school in London Citybase, I decided that I would never use it until it's necessary. Sure, it might sound silly, but no-one like their thoughts being read, and sometimes what people are thinking are not pleasant, and often rule by impulsion.
"I am not going." Tristan finally stammered the words out, his face flushing as he twisted his hands into uncomfortable positions — all signs of nervousness. Sighing, I angled my body so I could face him better, and was rewarded by him twitching further away from me.
"Why? I thought you will be thrilled!" I questioned, which only seemed to make him more uncomfortable. His eyes kept darting everywhere and beads of sweats were racing down his face. I had never made someone this nervous before, and it was both hilarious and frustrating.
"I, er... I just." Tristan's face contoured as his brain worked overtime trying to find an excuse, but in the end he just sighed and slumped down. "I guess I should just tell you." He said, sounding much more like his normal self and I was relieved I didn't have to do some more grilling. It really wasn't my area of expertise. Casey was the one who loves to intimidate the living daylights out of someone for fun.
"I don't want to go back because I am finally free to do my own things here." Tristan said and I was completely taken aback by his answer.
"In case you haven't noticed, we are locked in a castle that is in the middle of nowhere." I teased, trying to bring some humour back into the situation and thankfully Tristan cracked a smile. The atmosphere immediately became more relaxed.
"Yes, but no one is forcing me to do anything, or to talk to anyone." Tristan was opening up, and it was nice to see this side of him. "Caleb put you up to this, didn't he?"
I nodded, glad that this cat is out of the bag. "Are you the reason why everyone had stayed so long?" I asked, the pieces finally coming together. I knew it was odd!
"Kind of." He admitted, shrugging non-committedly. "You guys didn't really leave us much choice by taking over and then stealing our plane."
"Yeah, sorry about that." I apologised, even though it's Gerald and Nigel's fault. But after all I was the reason why the whole thing happened in the first place.
"It's okay, I think I can speak for everyone that it's nice to finally be out in the real world and doing something that is making a real difference." Tristan said, to which I respond with an incredulous look.
"What do you mean? SMS is the chief drive in advances in science, medicine and engineering. You are telling me that you feel more useful locked up in a creepy castle with me building elementary sensors and detectors?"
Rubbing a spot between his eyebrows Tristan seemed to regain some of the anxiety that he had just lost. "SMS is not what it looks like from the outside." He explained. "I think you of all people understand how much of a smoke screen there is between the outside world and the world that we live in."
Eyes-wide, I nodded and didn't even dare to speak as I waited for Tristan to reveal the inner workings of a prestigious school that I had once longed to enrol in. "SMS was started with very good intention in its heart. A mission to bring back and invent new technologies that would help the people and protect them from harm so what happened will never happen again."
"Like all things, with the times these intentions are shifted. Politics got in the way, new voices rose. Nowadays, only a small fraction of SMS is dedicated to what the world really needs. Our main goals to curing diseases and improving the Citybases had all been pushed to the shelf. Most of the resources are now dedicated to two sectors: the anti-POE task and the army."
I gasped, unable to process what I just heard. What about the pact the Originals made with the UGE? Did it not count for anything? As if reading my mind, or I was wearing my question on my face. Tristan continued.
"Before you say anything, there is no experimenting on POE as far as I know." He said, raising his hands up. With that simple statement I knew that he must be someone important in SMS, otherwise he wouldn't know this much. "They mostly focus on finding out a way to neutralise your powers or developing techs that can contain it or freezes POEs only. They are afraid that with time, POEs will turn on human. Especially with the numbers of new POEs arriving in the Academy rising every year and tension between the Legacy families and the UGE grew."
"Why are you telling me this?" I asked; though I was shocked by the revelation, I couldn't say their fear was completely unfounded. The Originals might have been peacemakers, but eleven people cannot speak for generations to come. My eyes narrowed as the thought of the UGE and SMS charging on us first. Perhaps it was something we should be prepared for as well.
"But that's not what I wanted." Tristan's voice snapped me back to reality. "I know things are getting tense, but I think there is a way to get around it."
"Okay." I said, my attention focused on him. When Caleb asked me to have a word with Tristan I could never guess that it would take such an unexpected turn.
"When I found out what you are here for, I saw a new way." Tristan said, "If we finally let the world know about the POEs, and the threat of the Apocalypse — our common goal to save the world together could be a basis for friendships and understanding that would last at least a generation, if not more."
"You do realise that is the best outcome, right?" I responded sceptically; he was being too optimistic about something that could be the game changer. "There is no guarantee that it will work; there is a reason why the Originals wanted to keep the existence of POE a secret. Not everyone is going to welcome us with an open arm, especially not with the amount of new born accidents that still happen every year."
"I am not saying that it would be easy." Tristan said, "But we all know that it's only a matter of time before the POE community is exposed to the world. You can't keep hiding forever."
Sighing, I couldn't help but acknowledge the truth in his words. It was a matter that had been avoided for centuries; but the barrier between our world and theirs were tearing down faster than ever given the threat from the Apocalypse. Perhaps Tristan plan is crazy, but it could be the one move that was never anticipated.
"Why now?" I asked. Call me a coward, but I would much rather live my days out as a secret to the world than face scrutiny every day.
"Because you are the catalyst that I have been waiting for." Tristan said, his eyes sparkling. Alarmed, I stared at him. "I had been waiting to meet someone who has the charisma and drive in the POE community. I didn't think it would be this soon, I thought I would have to wait until I take over from my family. But I guess everything happens for a reason, like you stealing our jet." He chuckled at the last point.
"What makes you think that I would be able to do that?" I asked, my stomach in knots at the weight of his trust, not entirely sure his faith in me was well-founded.
"Because often the people who are the best for the role are the ones who don't want it; they know their limitations, and they know what is right. You might think that Gerald is better than you, but he isn't. He doesn't have the compassion that you have, or the loyalty you inspire."
Feeling incredibly self-conscious, I was too shocked to speak and we fell into a silence. Once again I felt like the world had fallen on my shoulder and I wondered if Katerina had foreseen this, too and told Akram. It wasn't like you weren't asked to save the world already, I thought to myself, might as well add this one to the list.
"If we are going to do this," I started, and Tristan's face lit up. I held my hands up so he wouldn't get too excited. "We need to do it right. If it get out in the wrong way things might go completely wrong."
"I agree." Tristan replied hastily, so excited that he actually got up from his seat. "I have several ideas..."
"You need to come with us to Pax." I interrupted him, realising that we had spent more time discussing than I thought. "We are leaving tomorrow. Draw up the plans and we will talk later, I need to sort out some things before we leave."
Bouncing like a ball, Tristan nodded before bolting for the door. I shook my head and messaged my temple. As if the day wasn't exhausting enough already — now I must reveal a three-century old secret, save the world and find my boyfriend.
——————————————————————————-
So I am back :D sorry for deserting you all for two months, priorities and writers block got in the way but hopefully that's past me now.
Just so you guys appreciate this chapter I am 2 days away from my exams and I am still writing and updating - please reward me by voting and commenting!
I have channeled a little bit of my uncertainty of future with Gail and also explained about the lack of mind reading/control - I know you all want some action but it's just not who Gail is! I bet none of you thought Tristan would turn out to be an important character, right? ;)
Anyway I better get back to revision x