“Oh, my God,” she said. “I was so worried. When Dr. Thailow finally deciphered the part about…well, Jace figured out it was you.” Her eyes shone, gleaming with tears. “I wanted to come with him, but he wouldn’t let me.”
I hugged her again. “I’m glad. I wouldn’t want you in danger, Lane.”
Her eyes trailed over my busted corset, and she pinched her eyebrows together. “Did Reese hurt—”
“No.” I shook my head. “I’m fine.”
She clasped my hand, pulling me behind her as she moved toward the stairs. “Come on. Let’s get you a change of clothes.”
Once I was in her bedroom, she closed the door and left to join the others downstairs. I needed a moment alone. I didn’t want to face all those knowing eyes just yet. My secret was out. They knew who I was, and they weren’t attacking me. I shook my head in confusion.
My mom had hidden me all these years from our own Council, but they weren’t locking me up or trying to kill me. Well, yet, I realized. I tried to clear my lungs with a shuddering breath, and then went to Lana’s closet. I grabbed a pair of leather pants and a loose fitting blouse. Then I balled up my bustle and tattered corset and tossed it in her waste basket.
I made my way down the steps and braced myself for the interrogation I was sure I was going to get. As I entered the dining room, I saw the Tuners’ table littered with proofs of the scroll, documents, and maps. Four members of the Shythe Council sat around the table. I assumed the man hunched over a notebook, scribbling away was Dr. Thailow. I glanced around, and noticed Mr. Tuner in the kitchen. I gave him a weak smile. He only nodded, his eyes heavy with his thoughts.
He neared the table and pressed his palms flat against it, staring at the other members of the Shythe Council and his family. “We may only have hours before an attack comes. The scroll can wait.” He eyed Dr. Thailow. “We have what the Narcos want, so we must plan strategy now.”
Jace stepped forward. “The barrier spell,” he said. “We need to reverse it. The Narcos’ airships are docked in our harbor. We can infiltrate the ships, take them over, and push them and the rest of the army beyond the barrier.” He glanced at each serious face in the room. “We’ve snuck on the airships before. It’s not that—”
“Which was the stupidest thing you’ve ever done, Jace,” Mr. Tuner interrupted.
Jace’s eyes shot toward him, angry. “We have the scroll now. Don’t we? And we have Dez.” He looked to me for a moment. “We might only have a short time to try and force their army through the barrier. If we can reverse their spell, I think we can fight them back.”
Dr. Thailow stood. “That’s a fine plan, Jace, but our army is no match for the Feyan. Even if we somehow manage to put the original barrier back up, I don’t know how we’re to defeat an army of super Kythan and Narco guards. It’ll be a massacre.”
The room went still. Then Nick spoke. “Regardless, we have to try.” His eyes scanned our faces. “If we don’t fight, they’ll storm every house, every unit, looking for Dez. And after they take her, they’ll destroy us.” He lifted his shoulders, shrugging. “The way I see it, we don’t have a choice.”
“What about the magics?” Lana piped up. “Is there some kind of spell that we could cast on the Narcos? Make them leave?”
Dr. Thailow shook his head. “Those are long lost, my dear. I’ve no idea how the Narco Council managed to remove the humans.” He rubbed his forehead. “They must have a powerful leader in order to cast a spell like that.”
Mr. Tuner released an exasperated breath. “Let’s get our focus back on the barrier spell.”
“No, let’s decide once and for all that we’re going to call our troops,” Jace told him.
The Council members began debating whether or not to summon their guards before or after the barrier was reversed. Jace and Nick argued their side, and the room broke into shouts.
The ruckus made my head hurt. Members of the Shythe Council argued, Lana and Nick debated whether or not to inform Devon of something, and I just needed…air.
I slipped out the backdoor, shutting it silently behind me. The chilled, night air cloaked me, and I settled on the Tuners’ back porch, staring into the dark sky. My first thought was that if there was going to be a fight, I had to warn my mom. But I didn’t know how to do that without freaking her out. I couldn’t scare her right now. She finally believed I was safe. I buried my face in my hands. But she wasn’t safe. If the Narcos thought I was the “one”—whatever that was—then they’d look for me at home.
I pulled out my communicator, but halted typing when I heard the door squeak behind me. “Dez?” Jace said.
“Yeah, I just needed a moment. I have to contact my mom.”
Jace sat down beside me. “We already have. Well, we didn’t fill her in on the specifics, but there are guards watching her house.”
“Thank you.” I released a heavy breath, running my hands over my face. “You said there are others. A Feyan Army?”
“From what I’ve learned, there was an experiment to find, or create, this prophesized Kythan that could break the curse. But they supposedly disposed of the failed attempts.”
I nodded. “Yeah, my mom escaped when she found out they were killing them.”
“Well, they weren’t.” He ran his hand along my back. “They told the parents that, but secretly raised an army. I mean, why dispose of power that great when you can manipulate it into a force to use for your own gain?”
It made sense. My chest burned as I thought about Reese being part of this army. He had been raised to kill. He’d lied about his mother and her escape. He’d lied about everything. But I couldn’t wrap my mind around what his intentions had been for me.
I looked into Jace’s glowing eyes. “What did you overhear? What did you learn?”