Page 175 of Gift from the Source
One that would be easily executed with the numbers.
“There are five major locations that look to hold the bulk of their forces. At least half the army.” Tillman pauses, looking at Pran and Dillon for confirmation. At their nods, he continues, “Half we can handle at one time. Tomorrow morning everyone will meet at the command room. Uncle Roye, one of you will need to get the Drovers, Alewoods, and Tealwaters here. We’ll have to tell them the truth now. Willow or I can go through each of their minds before we say anything. With the two of you now out of the picture, Vicki’s going to notice. They’ll either believe you’re dead or have betrayed them. So we don’t have time to waste. We plan tomorrow, move out the next day. If we want any chance of winning this, we have to hit them where it hurts the most first. Everyone, get some rest. Be at the command room an hour after dawn.”
He leaves no room for argument, and everyone respects that. There’s no choice now. That’s the plan and tomorrow we will finalize everything we can.
Then we fight for our lives.
Ry’s, Lyker’s, and Trex’s Nexuses all say their goodbyes. The other Primaries hold on to my Primary a little longer than they typically would as they look her over. Oakly cracks a joke about the condition of Willow’s dress, which I appreciate as a small snort falls from her lips.
As they leave, though, the darkness closes in around her again.
“May I have a word?” I ask Pran, Dillon, and Maxima as they start helping Gaster and Keeper collect the papers.
Pran’s eyes immediately look over at Willow then back at me. The guilt and anger clouding them is unnecessary but appreciated.
“Of course,” he says and the three of them come around the table to stand in front of me.
I don’t waste my breath on pleasantries.
I jump in from the beginning.
My uncle’s visit to them in their cells, him telling them what to do and why they should join the Mastery. I mind my words but let them know I see what they had to force themselves to do.
Bonding with Vicki was not a truly consensual or wanted thing.
It may not be admitted or documented anywhere but their minds, but I have no doubt they killed Vicki’s parents, not her. Once they were in the Mastery, they had the freedom and power to do it and cover it up. Their eyes widen, but they don’t deny it.
I don’t blame them.
Her parents did the same to their Primary and brother.
I tell them I know they recruited the Everglows to grow more favor in the Summum-Master’s eyes. They played a placating role to get more information for my uncle.
The interference they ran, what they did for Trex and his brothers.
I tell them everything we’ve discovered, even my story, but I need just one more question answered.
“Where’s Silvia been her whole life? You don’t have a child running around and no one notice?”
Dillon takes a minute to shake away his shock that I know all of this, and his eyes darken as they meet mine. “Vicki really was distraught when we killed her parents. They spoiled her and created the attention-seeking monster she is. She ran right to the Summum-Master to snitch us out. We easily lied and said that they found out about our involvement, then threatened to tell the Ruling Nexus. We were just doing what we thought was best.
“He soaked that shit up. Vicki changed her tone immediately and endlessly apologized to him. It was fucking vile. From that moment on, she acted as though he was her substitute father. She made a huge deal of announcing her surprise pregnancy to him first. Even before us. He told her, the child would stay a secret, and it would serve the Mastery well.
“Vicki was incredibly disappointed it was a girl. She’d firmly accepted the belief that women were below men. The Summum-Master told her not to fret. That women who could follow rules would serve him and he’d use them accordingly. Silvia had no other option in life but to follow him. She’s his most loyal and spoiled servant. He raised her. We did not.”
My sneer hides nothing of how I feel about anything he just told me, but it does in fact connect all my pieces for me.
“So Vicki requested the year off, faking the mourning of her parents, but really to hide her pregnancy. Silvia was born and given to the Summum-Master. Years later, the heirs started being born. All males. The Summum-Master saw his way into the ruling family. The Gales began reporting what they knew about us.
“I was targeted because I was the youngest, most naïve, and easiest to take advantage of. They thought I’d be easy to bond to her, maybe even steal my gift if not. I’ve known this. I’ve just figured Silvia was a random recruit this whole time because of her Figuration gift, but no. He saw a pawn from the moment she was born, and he made a monster that would listen to his every command. He always knew she’d be used to get close to my family. He could build her Nexus, and she was the perfect person for him to attempt to duplicate the females of my Primary’s line by giving her extra gifts.”
“Yes. Caspian, I’m so, so—”
I hold my hand up to stop him. “You have nothing to apologize to me for. The information left behind from my uncle was nothing but praises for the work you all did and the friendships you built. That’s enough for me. You’ve answered the last confirmation I needed. And now I know for sure her crazy-ass obsessive behavior is both hereditary and taught. I’m sorry for what you all had to do and agree to, to get to this point.”
I go to step away, but his voice halts me. “You remind me of him. He would be so proud of you.”
He is proud.
