Page 49 of Lost Echoes
Luke leans forward, his voice low but urgent. “Then she’s part of it. She’s not some bystander. She’s inside this, which means she’s dangerous.”
The word twists inside me. Dangerous. My mother’s face flickers in my mind. Familiar, and now tainted by fluorescent light and Radley’s walls.
Ember kneels beside me, her hand light on mine. “You don’t have to face this alone, but you do have to face it. She might have answers none of us can find anywhere else.”
I swallow hard, the taste of fear thick in my mouth. “What do we do?”
Luke doesn’t hesitate. “We dig. You have to find out what she knows. If she’s helping them, then we stop her.”
The room feels smaller, the air heavier. I stare at the floor, every heartbeat echoing like a drum.
Deep down, I already know whatever my mother’s role is, it changes everything.
At least I don’t need to worry about choosing sides. I know where I stand.
25
Ember
Her mother. All this time, Billa’s been closer to the truth than any of us. And none of us knew. She didn’t know.
Luke’s the first to break the silence. “Then that’s our way in.”
Billa’s head jerks toward him. “What?”
“You don’t have a choice.” Luke leans forward. “She trusts you. You’re her daughter. If she’s in deep with Radley, she won’t see you as a threat. She’ll let things slip, maybe even bring you in closer.”
Billa pales. “You’re suggesting I should pretend… to go along with her?”
Luke doesn’t blink. “Exactly. Gain her confidence. If she thinks you’re on her side, you’ll learn what she knows.”
I see the fear in Billa’s eyes, raw and sharp. She looks like she’s about to shatter. “I can’t. I?—”
“You can,” Luke cuts in. His voice is steady but hard. “If we wait around, more kids get hurt. Every day we hesitate, files vanish, evidence disappears. We don’t have the luxury of caution anymore. This is the only way.”
“Luke…” I start.
He shakes his head. “No. This isn’t about comfort. It’s about survival.”
I slide closer to Billa, my hand finding hers. She’s cold, trembling. “He’s not wrong about the stakes,” I say softly, “but he’s wrong about how to say it. You’re not alone in this. We’ll figure out the how together. No one’s asking you to walk blindly into the dark.”
Billa’s breath comes fast, shallow. “But if she sees through me, then what?” Her voice cracks.
My chest aches at the words. I squeeze her hand tighter. “Then you have the advantage. You get to choose how to respond, how to show yourself. That’s what makes you different. She doesn’t know you know.”
Luke leans back, his attention fixed on Billa. “Whether you like it or not, she’s the closest link we’ve got. If we want answers, it has to be through her. I’m not saying it’s fair, but it’s true.”
The silence stretches long and brittle.
Billa finally speaks, and her words are fractured. “I don’t know if I can.”
And in the pause that follows, I know Luke’s right about one thing. Whether she can, the choice can’t wait long.
“Let’s start brainstorming.” I gather some papers, then we sit in a tight circle on the floor.
After a while, the laptops, notebooks, and scraps of paper are scattered like fallen leaves. Every piece we’ve uncovered sits heavy in piles—Billa’s mother in the underground, Phoenix’s warning about the wings, Florencia’s survivors, and the support group whispers.
Luke rubs his temples, frowning. “Let’s put it plain. We have four leads. Billa’s mom, who gives us direct access to Radley’s inner circle. Phoenix and the survivor network—if Phoenix is even still alive. The in-person support group, which is fragile and maybe compromised. And then…” He hesitates. “Graham.”
