“. . . to Sage? Helloo? Earth to Sage?”
I blinked, momentarily snapped out of my bewildered and shocked thoughts about Tucker. “Oh, hey Terrance,” I greeted flatly and forced a smile which came out as a grimace.
“What’s got your panties in a bunch?”
I pursed my lips and sighed, sagging my shoulders. “Nothing. Just personal stuff, I guess.”
“Try me.”
“No Terrance, this is a little too personal if you don’t mind,” I rejected hastily and ran a hand through my curls. “I just can’t wait till I get home.”
“And why is that?” Terrance asked conversationally and took a swig from his drink bottle.
“Rosemarie has some important . . . matters to discuss with me,” I told him truthfully.
“Well you sound very booked for the day,” he sighed, sounding disappointed.
I decided to make an effort to stop wallowing in my stressful thoughts. “What did you have in mind?” I shouldn’t have even asked – I wouldn’t do anything today except pry information out of my godmother and demand to see Tucker until my last breath.
“I thought we could just take a calm walk in Fairwyn Park,” he suggested in a lazy tone, warm chocolate eyes giving me a sincere, innocent look. “You know, something to get your mind off things and de-stress you.”
I couldn’t help the small smile creeping across my face. “Aw Terrance that’s really sweet of you but I think matters with Rosemarie will keep me occupied for a while.”
The disappointment flashing cross his innocent face was heartbreaking, though not as much compared to my situation with Tucker.
“I am so sorry, Terrance,” I apologised and wished I would have enough time to spend with Terrance.
Well I guess it wasn’t necessarily the end of the world and we could always reschedule another time. I mean, it’s not like we were dating or anything.
Then again we’d been on a date at the movies – well, sort of – he’d been my date at the Winter Dance and now we were spending a lot of time together, every lunchtime during school included.
“Maybe another time,” I suggested more positively.
It didn’t take long for my classes with the Keepers to pass by quickly. They hadn’t mentioned anything about the dungeons, leading me to assume they didn’t know I knew about the place. I couldn’t help the feeling of paranoia when I was around them, knowing they were possibly torturing him a hundred metres beneath the grounds of the library.
When Oliver had come to pick me up from the library, my mind was reeling from the new codes about how to cast a strong shield of gift against my opponents. Not only did I figure out Chroma were strong and powerful when it came to wars, but they knew a hefty lot of Latin commands that inflicted pain upon a victim. I wondered if the Keepers used these codes on Tucker. The very thought made me shudder.
Oliver didn’t question my unusual silence as he drove up to my house like usual. “I’ll see you tomorrow!” he called out the window as I jumped out and threw the door shut.
I nodded curtly and forced a tight smile. “Thanks.” He seemed to get the alternative meaning behind my words.
A small smile lit up his features. “No problem! Just know Joss and I are here to talk when you need us.”
Jocelyn shook her head and smiled wryly at me from the front seat. “It’s just him.”
I flashed a genuine smile at her. “Thanks for the support.” It may have been sarcastic but it was quite true: Jocelyn hadn’t said a word about what I told them yesterday which meant a lot to me. For once she wasn’t trying to torment me with rude and snappy comebacks at whatever I did.
“But seriously Sage, we’re your friends,” Oliver added before I started planning my dramatic entrance into the house, demanding answers from Rosemarie the instant I walked in.
I gave him a nod of acknowledgement and waved as they drove off together. Walking up the driveway, a frown crossed my lips as I fished for my house keys. Where was Rosemarie’s car? She said she’d give me answers.
I firmly twisted the house key in the lock and strolled through the threshold, into the empty house. A bitter laugh escaped me as I tossed the keys onto the coffee table and dropped my schoolbag by the front door.
“I’m guessing you’re not here,” I muttered darkly and made my way into the kitchen like I always did. I expected her to be there, brewing up a fresh cup of coffee but I was met with much disappointment; the room was empty. The only thing out of place was the fluorescent note plastered to the fridge.
At Council House. Come see me quickly.
Concerns you and Tucker.
xX Rosemarie Xx
The scowl on my face was inevitable as I tore the note off and ripped it to shreds, letting the pieces fall to the floor slowly. Breathing heavily, I quickly dialled Oliver’s cell phone from the home phone. My old little Samsung had been burned in the house fire. The thought momentarily sent my heart racing.
I felt a little spark of hope when Oliver picked up quickly. “Hey,” I said somewhat breathlessly. “Can you give me a ride?”
To my surprise, Jocelyn had offered to come in with me for moral support but I declined; Jocelyn wasn’t exactly the idea company I had in mind.
I took a deep breath and made my way upstairs, passing the empty Fairwyn Library and straight for the Council Hall doors which were unusually wide open. The usual guards were absent.
Several tables were occupied by very few Specialists, one of them being Rosemarie.
“Hey, Sage,” she greeted me weakly.
“So you’ve been down to the Seeker prisons without permission?” Landon’s thundering voice made me jump in surprise while silencing the room of Specialists at the same time.
“Y-Yes, I did,” I stammered and stood boldly, chin cocked up. “And I’m glad I did. How could you guys lock him up?”
Landon narrowed his eyes at me. “Do not speak up –”
“I have every right to!” I cut him off in a raised tone and glared at him. “He may be a Seeker but he’s still my best friend!”
“My daughter tells me you have a boyfriend named Tucker – the Seeker boy underground?” The only other girl who could have possibly known about that lie was Katherine and Joss – and Jocelyn’s mother had passed away so this must have been her father. The two bore resemblance: their dark hazel-green eyes were almost identical.
I nodded slowly, guessing I may as well keep up the act. “Yes.” Why had Jocelyn told her father? I would need to talk to her later.
“Rosemarie has told us you erased his memory before moving to Fairwyn,” one of the notable Protectors, Emmeline, pointed out with a curious look. “Is this true?”
“Yes,” I replied confidently. “I don’t know if I had fully erased his memories but I’m sure I did something to make him forget.”
“No, it’s not possible to erase memories without a proper code,” Stefan spoke up almost pleasantly. “Then the boy still has hope.”
I was confused. “What do you mean? Of course Tucker still has hope! I won’t let you guys touch him again!”
“I beg to differ.” Landon gave me a cold look, making my blood boil.
“If Tucker is able to reveal information on the Seeker hive he’s a part of, he may live and there may be hope for his Seeker blood to become dormant again.” Rosemarie smiled at me encouragingly after informing me of this. “Tucker can live if we get information out of him.”
“He’s a halfer!” I blurted out. “Not a full Seeker! I’ve known him for eight years. I would be dead if he was full-blooded –”
“Subject eight is awake and talking!” a voice shouted from my right. All gazes turned to none other than the large archway leading down to the dirty prisons. I was surprised I hadn’t noticed such an obvious entrance as of yet. A Protector whose name I didn’t know of stood there, red in the face but still looking eager. “He’s dormant but not for long – Jillian used a code on him!”
I felt my heart soar. There was obviously no convincing these stubborn people. The only way to get him to safety is to have him talk. If he was going to listen to anybody at all, it would be me.
“Let me see him,” I begged, giving Rosemarie a pleading look. “Please.”
“Tucker has an emotional attachment to Sage – she can’t erase that without a code so she’s obviously got a talent for locking up memories rather than erasing,” Rosemarie informed the little group of Specialists as the messenger was sent back down the looming passageway again. I couldn’t take my eyes off it, the sense of longing filling my chest. “If we can retrieve those memories, we can reach his human side again. He’ll be able to give us information and we can spare him. No need to take another life.”
I couldn’t help the flash of irritation jolting through me. Information? He wasn’t just some database to take information from then dispose of later – he was a real, feeling person!
“I agree with Rosemarie,” Emmeline spoke up with soft eyes. “I think I speak for everybody in the room when I say we’d do anything to see our loved one if we were in Sage’s place.”
My fingers laced together excitedly as I took a step towards the archway. Landon appeared in front of me, burly arms crossed over his chest and his dark blue eyes narrowed at me. “What if she tries to break him out? He’s still a Seeker and even if his blood is dormant for a while, how do we know it will last for long?”
I glared at him, the ferocious fury bubbling inside of me. “Get out of my way!” My arm flung out to the side, a flash of orange tackling Landon’s side and knocking him to the ground.
I was momentarily stunned by my actions before I dashed down the passageway, leaping over as many steps as possible and heard the evident footfalls of the other Specialists rushing after me.
“Sage, slow down!” I heard Rosemarie yell with a surprising hint of amusement in her voice.
Ignoring their shouts, I picked up my pace and felt my hands glow orange. Whether it was instincts or not, I didn’t know – but I just knew where I was going, where Tucker was. It was like his very being was silently calling to me, beckoning me.
Hope rose within my chest as the landing appeared in no time. My footfalls echoed off the silent walls and in the distance, I could hear the familiar shrieking of tortured souls within the cells.
With my breaths gradually becoming short and quick, I made a sharp turn to the left and threw a lengthy ribbon of orange to the tall ceiling, sticking the things securely. I clutched on tightly and felt my body swing up and hurtle over a Protector before I could crash into him. It was the same guy who had announced Tucker’s consciousness.
My pace picked up even faster if that was possible. My lungs had started burning for air and I couldn’t feel my toes anymore as my shoes pounded along the filthy stone ground.
After what seemed like ages, I came to a slow stop, blood pumping in my ears loudly. The familiar cells from yesterday afternoon caught my attention. I made my way down the passageway, getting a glimpse of pale green light pulsing repeatedly from within one of the stone-door cells.
“T-Tucker?” I called uncertainly, a wave of hesitation washing over me. I hadn’t thought this through; I had ‘locked up’ his memories so he couldn’t remember my face . . . could he?
Tears brimmed in my eyes at the thought of Tucker not even being able to recognise my face. My chest clenched up as I came to a slow stop right before an iron-gated window in the stone flap. What could I do? Would it be right if I barged in and demanded answers from him?
No. If he didn’t remember me, I had to go in slowly. I couldn’t do anything but take it slow and try to unlock his memories. If I had locked them up in the first place, I was the only one who could reverse it, right?
“Tucker,” I whispered to myself, taking a slow step forward and wrapped my fingers around the rails.
A soft vibrant glow of pale green blinded me momentarily until I was able to look beyond and find a familiar figure crumpled against the wall.
“H-Hello?” I called, clutching at the iron bars and squeezed my hands between the narrow gaps, desperately looking for the Protector who was in here.
“Oh, it’s you.” A recognisable wrinkled face appeared in my vision, the same pale green glow outlining her hunched figure. “Hello, Sage.”
“H-Hi Jillian,” I stammered, blinking away the light she radiated. “Can you let me in?”
“I thought the other Protectors were supposed to be with you,” she accused with a frown and lifted her hands to the grimy stone door I leaned so helplessly against.
I ignored her and diverted my gaze to him. He sat against the wall, eyes closed, hair tangled with dirt and grime. His chest was slashed with deep gashes from what looked to be whips and he was no longer adorning the ragged tatters of ripped cotton which was once his shirt. “Can I please come in?”
Jillian hesitated, her blondish grey hair slightly frazzled. She then let out a sigh. “It won’t be safe for you.”
“But you’re older than me,” I said in a small voice, not taking my gaze off of Tucker and heard the footfalls of the Protectors drawing nearer to the cell. “Shouldn’t you be worrying about yourself?”
She chuckled. “I’m a lot more powerful than you think.” Jillian held up a single green symbol hovering above her palm. “It’s a code I managed to figure out by myself after reading some Latin translations. It keeps the monster of a being locked up for any certain amount of time so long as I remain focused.”
“I could have figured it out for you,” I pointed out meekly and swallowed the tearful lump in my throat. For a moment, I wondered why there weren’t any particularly nauseous smells down in the dungeons. I had expected the stench of human waste lying around considering these weren’t toilets but the air was surprisingly odourless. Maybe a Seeker’s body functioned differently.
“I needed this one at the last minute, after you left the library,” Jillian explained, referring to earlier when I’d bolted home. “Here comes Rosemarie.”
I whipped around, forcing my gaze away from him and found the familiar bouncing blonde hair of my godmother. “Rosemarie.”
“Sage,” she breathed with relief and held up a hand to stop the oncoming horde of Protectors hot on her heels. “Jillian, I’ll be the only one coming in with her.”
“Wait Rose is that such a good idea?” Stefan asked her with a frown and took a step forward. “Maybe I should come with –”
“I can handle myself,” I snapped to nobody in particular. “I know how to defend myself.”
I saw Rosemarie shoot her fiancé an apologetic look then turned to Jillian. “Jill?”
The old Keeper nodded and pressed her hands against the stone wall. It groaned for a split second then forced me back a couple of steps as it jutted out in a flash. I grabbed the rough stony edge and helped pull it out until there was a decent amount of space I could squeeze through.
“Sage wait –”
I dashed through the gap and paused halfway across the large cell.
Only three metres in front of me was my best friend. The aching pain in my chest increased tenfold and I could feel the warm droplets of moisture rolling down my cheeks. The longing to see him, the misery I’d endured for leaving him behind all came crashing down on me.
“Tucker,” I said softly, though more to myself rather than calling out to him.
Suddenly, his eyes shot open and I could barely see the light colour of blue in them. His head snapped up and his eyes narrowed at me, scrutinizing me.
The next three words he spoke absolutely shattered my heart . . . and yet I had seen it coming from the moment he saw me.
“Who are you?”