Fractured Truth (28 page)

“What world am I in?”

“Everyone knows what you did: willing to give yourself up to save the others.”

“Who told them?” The hall light was on. I glanced into each of the music rooms as we passed, but they were empty. These rooms were usually full.

“Dr. Han. He felt it was important.”

Up ahead a series of lights burned brightly from behind glass windows. Tessa went to the large one at the end of the hall, the same one I saw May training in when we first came to Lucent.

I looked inside. The room was packed with Auras, including many of the teachers. Mrs. Crawford was one of them. There were three lines. Every few seconds or so, the first in line would shoot a steady stream of Light into various targets that Guardians were putting out for them. Some of their Light shot out so fast it looked like lightning.

“How is this possible?” I gasped. In my wildest imagination, I couldn’t have imagined such progress.

Tessa laughed and wheeled me to the door. A girl opened it for us, and I was ushered in. The room quieted down as, one by one, they turned and looked at me. I didn’t expect what happened next.

The room exploded into applause and cheers. Many of the girls came up to me and patted me on the back, asked how I was doing, and said many other things I no longer remember. Warmth spread over me, strengthening me both mentally and physically. Whether it was being in a room filled with powerful Auras or just the fact that I was so proud and happy, I didn’t care. I felt better.

In the corner I spotted Rose, who was watching it all. I nodded at her in acknowledgement. Her words appeared in my head:
It’s good to see you.

“All right now, that’s enough!” a familiar voice said. Kiera, who was sporting a new and shorter haircut, pushed her way through the crowd. Ashlyn was right behind her.

“My turn,” Kiera said. She grinned and gave me a big hug. “I’m so glad you’re okay.”

Over her shoulder, Ashlyn asked, “Did you see Valerie?”

My lips tightened, and my mood darkened a bit. “I did. She’s alive.”

“And are we going to go get her?”

“I promise.”

“Good.” She bent over and hugged me just as soon as Kiera let go.

“I can’t believe what you guys have done here,” I said, when she released me.

“It wasn’t us,” Kiera said.

Ashlyn pointed at my face. “One look at your messed up mug and they were ready to do anything to avoid looking like you.”

“And Dr. Han’s very motivational speech helped too,” Kiera added.

I shook my head, still in disbelief. “It’s incredible.”

Tessa leaned down and whispered in my ear. “Who would you take?”

I looked around the room, surveying each girl. They’d grown so much, but could I really ask one of them to possibly go to their death? It wouldn’t be fair. “Before I do that, I need to be stronger myself.”

I moved aside the foot rests and placed my hands along the metal arms of the wheelchair. After inhaling deeply, I pushed up. There was no pain, but I was extremely weak. The room grew quiet as they watched me try to stand. I made it upright, but my legs couldn’t support my weight, and I almost collapsed. Kiera and Ashlyn caught me and held me up.

“I guess it’s too soon,” I said. I laughed, but the sound turned into muffled gasps, followed by several tears. I was crying. I wasn’t even sure why.

Part of me was happy beyond belief. I loved these girls. These Auran women who were so strong. The other part of me was disappointed in myself. I should’ve already rescued the others. I failed them.

Ashlyn and Kiera hung onto me, whispering words of encouragement while I tried to pull it together.

Then the most remarkable thing happened. A young girl—she barely looked twelve—stepped forward and placed her hand on my arm. Within a few seconds Light warmed her palm. My skin responded in kind. Mrs. Crawford came next and did the same thing. Tessa moved the chair away and soon I was surrounded by Auras. Those who could touch me transferred their Light. The warming energy rushed through my body, healing all
my injuries and igniting me with such power and strength that it was almost difficult to breathe.

But their Light gave me so much more. In it, I felt love and a strong sisterhood that was as old as the stars and as strong as the tides of the sea.

One by one they eventually let go. I stood alone, but I knew I would never be alone again.

“Thank you,” I said, trying to look each one of them in the eyes as I said it. Some of them wiped tears away. Over the head of one of the girls, I saw Liam, Dr. Han, and the twins watching from the window. Arik was crying too. I laughed. Liam laughed with me.

“So what’s next?” Ashlyn asked.

I looked back at her, my expression serious. “Tonight I’m going to get our friends back.”

The room exploded in cheers.

It took longer than I
expected to leave the auditorium as everyone kept asking questions about how many Vykens there were, what the Vykens were planning to do, and how their captive friends were doing. I answered what I could, but eventually Tessa snuck us out, leaving the wheelchair behind.

I felt bad leaving the girls. They were so hungry for knowledge, anything to make them feel more in control of an uncontrollable situation.

“Where to?” Tessa asked.

“Dr. Han’s office. Liam texted me and said they’re waiting for us.”

A few minutes later we walked into Dr. Han’s office. He was sitting in his usual spot, behind his desk. Mrs. Crawford was with Abigail in the corner. Kiera and Ashlyn were there too, talking to Arik and Aaron. The one person I was surprised to see was Charlie. His back was to me as he spoke to Dr. Han.

Liam stood alone by the window. As if he sensed my presence, he turned around and came over to me. “Feeling better?”

“Much.”

His arms came around me and pulled me to him. This reaction surprised me, especially in front of everybody else. His body, tense before, seemed to relax under my embrace.

“I had to see it for myself,” Charlie said from behind Liam.
I let go of Liam and shook Charlie’s outstretched hand. “I’m so glad you’re feeling better. What you did was very brave.”

“You came just to see me?” I asked.

He glanced back at Dr. Han and then at me, as if going over in his mind a conversation he’d already had. “I came for a number of reasons. I wanted to make sure you were doing better, but I mostly wanted to see if I could help. Something told me you’re going to need it. Liam tells me you have a plan.”

“Sort of. Only a handful of us are going to be able to sneak back the way I came into the tunnel.”

“Underwater?”

I nodded.

“But it almost killed you,” Mrs. Crawford said.

“I’ll take care of that. What I really need is a distraction in the front. I need the Vykens preoccupied as much as possible.”

“We can give you that,” Charlie said.

“Yeah, we’ll give them a fight they’ll never expect,” Arik said. His brother patted him on the back in agreement.

“No!” I said. “I want to avoid a fight if at all possible. There are too many of them. I just need a distraction.”

“Then we’ll give you some explosions, something to really confuse them,” Charlie said.

“Won’t that draw the attention of the police?” Ashlyn asked as she shifted her weight to her other hip. “That’s just what we need.”

“Let me worry about them,” Charlie said. He met my gaze. “We’ll give you that distraction, Llona. What else do you need?”

I looked around the room at each one of them. My mind was made up now. I knew exactly who should go into the warehouse. “I can take a total of six people into the tunnel. Tessa and I are going. And Liam.”

“I’m going too,” Aaron said.

Tessa was about to protest, but I held up my hand. “It’s going to be a tight fit as the tunnel’s about four feet in diameter, but I
think we can make it work. Besides, we may need your strength to help get the girls back.”

“I’ll pound through a wall if I need to,” he said.

“I believe you would.”

“I want to go too,” Kiera said.

“It’s going to be dangerous.”

“I’m ready.”

“If she’s going then I’m going too,” Ashlyn said.

“I’m sorry, Ashlyn, but I can take only one more, and I need someone who can heal.”

“I’ll go,” Mrs. Crawford said.

Abigail looked at her and then at me. “I’m the nurse. I’ll go.”

“I can only take one,” I said.

“I’ll go,” Mrs. Crawford said to Abigail. “I insist.”

“But how are we going to get inside?” Kiera asked.

“Those of you coming with me, let’s go chat in another room. The rest of you figure out how you’re going to distract the Vykens. And where’s Petros? He should be here representing the Lycans.”

“We’ll get him,” Dr. Han said.

Tessa opened the door. I followed her out, as did the others whom I had asked to join. She led us across campus and straight to Lambert House where the Lizens lived. The grass had been freshly cut, and I inhaled deeply. The smell always reminded me of my father.

“What are we doing over here?” Kiera asked when we walked inside Lambert. The place had recently been updated. New leather furniture sat in a freshly painted lobby, and the carpet looked brand new. I couldn’t believe the change from the last time I’d come in here three months ago.

Tessa didn’t answer Kiera and kept walking down a long hallway until she reached a closed door with a security pad. She pressed her thumb to it until the door clicked open, revealing what looked like a high-tech conference room. There was a huge flat-screen TV hanging on a wall and on a circular metal table, a glass, oval object rose from its center. I’d never seen anything
like it before and wondered what its function was. It was that and several other unrecognizable gadgets hanging from the wall opposite the TV that made the Lizens even cooler in my eyes. By the gasps of the others, I knew they felt the same way.

Tessa sat down at the round table and motioned for each of us to do the same. “Any Lizen business must be discussed in this room.” She ran her hand over the raised oval. It lit up into a series of colors then went black again.

“What’s that?” Aaron asked.

“Our conversation is being recorded and transferred to the Elders.”

I looked at Liam, but he continued to look at Tessa as if this was business as usual.

Kiera laughed uncomfortably. “Why do I feel like we’re about to discover the truth about Roswell?”

“Let her speak,” Mrs. Crawford said.

“Sorry,” Tessa said. “I know this is strange, but I have to record you all promising not to tell any other living being what you’re about to learn. We protect our secrets as if they were our lives. Do you all agree?”

All of us nodded, but Kiera said, “What happens if we accidentally slip up?”

Tessa touched the oval in three spots, making a triangle. The glass glowed blue and then went out.

“What did you just do?” Kiera said.

Tessa looked at her, her eyes dark. “Don’t slip up. Just trust me. If for some reason you think you’re going to tell someone about our secret, you need to leave right now.”

Kiera swallowed and looked at me.

I rolled my eyes. “Oh, come on already. Let’s get on with it.”

She leaned forward real close to the oval and said, “I promise I won’t tell anyone about anything I see or hear about Lizens.”

Tessa leaned back and smiled. Mrs. Crawford shook her head and Aaron and Liam were quiet.

“Here’s the thing, guys,” Tessa said and took a deep breath.
“I’m going to get you through that underwater tunnel. And I can do that because Lizens have a special ability that very few know about.” When no one said anything, she continued. “You see, we can breathe underwater. Our cells have the ability to absorb the oxygen within the water.”

Kiera turned to me. “You knew this, didn’t you?”

“She saved me once by dragging me underwater to get away from a Vyken.”

“Anyone touching me or connected to me through another, also receives this ability. Temporarily, of course,” Tessa said.

Aaron leaned back. “That’s amazing.”

“You don’t look surprised,” I said to Liam. He was still sitting there calmly. Or else he was deep in thought about something else entirely.

“I had my suspicions.”

“So what’s the plan?” Kiera asked.

It was my turn to speak. “Dr. Han will cause a distraction with the others out front of the warehouse, drawing as many Vykens as possible to him, Cyrus and the Shadow as well. Then we’ll work our way up the canal where I’ll guide you into the tunnel.” I glanced at Liam. “I may need your help finding the opening as I’m a little fuzzy about where I came out. Actually a lot fuzzy.”

His expression darkened. “I can do that. I’ll never forget.”

Everyone in the room grew quiet, but I continued. “The tunnel’s long. Tessa, is there a way that we can all be connected, but still have the use of our arms to swim?”

She nodded. “I’ll have a rope ready when we go.”

“What should we expect when we go inside?” Mrs. Crawford asked.

I told them all that I remembered about the layout and where the girls were being held. “Getting them out will be the tricky part.”

“I can bring up the rear,” Aaron said. “Help those that may not be in any condition to swim.”

“Hopefully, whatever condition we find them in,” I said, “won’t be too bad. If they have small wounds, Mrs. Crawford and I should be able to heal them.”

Mrs. Crawford agreed.

“When do you want to do this?” Liam asked me.

“Tonight.”

Both Tessa and Liam were shaking their head. “It’s too soon,” he said.

“A few hours ago you were in a wheelchair!” Tessa added.

Kiera interrupted them. “But she’s strong. Stronger than I think she’s ever been in her life. I feel it.”

“I do too,” Mrs. Crawford said. “In fact, I think all the Auras are stronger. Something happened back in that room, and it’s like we’ve become one. Does that make sense?” Her question was directed at me.

I nodded. I wasn’t sure what I had felt in that room, but hearing her say that made sense. We had changed. Evolved into a stronger, more unified species.