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She sits up and her lips form a thin line. I raise a brow. Does she know something?
“What?” I ask.
“Elias is the one who summons the Skyfell; he’s like their beacon. So as long as he can’t get inside the walls to the city—” She pauses, taking in my horrified expression and swallowing hard.
“He’s the one who… caused the Skyfell?” My chest constricts. I know Terra didn’t do any of this and isn’t responsible, yet it still feels like she’s betrayed me. How can she even still speak to him? He’s a monster.
“Finn, I?—”
“Stop,” I warn her and she deflates a little. “Do you realize how many people he alone has killed?” I stand and walk across the room to look at her from a distance. Sweat is building along my temples and I feel like I’m going to vomit.
Her expression sullens with guilt as she says, “Anyone with gray eyes is being controlled by the headmaster. Even if he doesn’t want to, he has no choice but to obey.”
My eyes widen and I pace, thinking of all the times Nekane tried to coerce us into letting the Shadows sink in further until our eyes grayed. Is that why? It's yet another secret she’s kept from me, and it stings.
“But only Nekane and Kallos have colored eyes still,” I mutter.
She nods. “The headmaster has all of their hearts except them. They managed to keep theirs somehow. Kallos has the answers. All of them, I’m certain of it.” She stands and meets my anguished gaze. “He knows how to reverse the blight and maybe even how to stop all of this. Something tells me he’s been trying to hatch a plan all this time. Maybe he’s just been waiting for students like us to help. Ones he can trust.”
If that’s true, then… there might still be hope for us.
My fists clench at my sides and I look over at the door to his study.
“How could you keep this from me, Terra? What else do you know that you’re hiding from me?” I cross my arms and clench my fists where she can’t see. My jaw hurts from being flexed with rage. “I can’t believe you chose him over me. That’s really fucking low, even for you.”
Her brows pinch with regret and she lowers her chin. “Finn, I’m not trying to keep things from you. I promise I’ll tell you everything when you’ve calmed down, okay?” She looks over at Kallos’s study. I know she wants to skip past this so she can save her precious Raine.
“Fine.”
Terra blinks at me with gratitude. “We’re not letting him out of there without answers,” she says with determination. “The blight ends tonight.”
47
Terra
Finn keeps his arms firmly crossed over his chest; he’s pissed that I didn’t tell him about Elias sooner. I sink further in the seat next to him and try to avoid Kallos’s haughty gaze from across his messy desk.
“Where is Raine?” The professor breaks the silence and my throat tightens at the sound of his name.
He’s slowly dying, as Arthur said they do in the first stages—his energy is depleted and his lethargy has worsened. The blight is taking over rapidly.
I open my eyes slowly, taking a long, weary breath. “Raine hasn’t been feeling well. I’m worried the blight will take him soon… so please—” I pause and look Kallos directly in the eyes, devoid of any gray. “Please. Give me the cure for the blight.”
Finn turns to look at me, his pity visible, but I keep my gaze on Kallos.
The professor holds my eyes for a few long moments before deflating in his red, throne-like chair. Long strands of blonde hair lie over his shoulders, and a few fall over his forehead. He leans into his palm, cupping his jaw with his elbow perched on the armrest.
“The cure. Do you truly believe there is one, Miss Eldridge?” He laughs coldly as his eyes trail down to the note I found in the library. It sits squarely in the center of his massive desk. Kallos’s eyes grow distant with memories, perhaps of his younger self who wrote it.
“Kallos?” Finn says hesitantly.
Kallos lets out a long breath and shuts his eyes. “No such thing exists. I wrote that note when I was filled with hope and defiance like you two are.” His voice is pained and my heart starts to crack. No. “I’m sorry, Terra. You’ve been chasing mere wishes. This world is cruel. Starved. Relentless to the people we care the most for.” He reaches down and touches the note dearly before handing it back to me. “Best say your goodbyes while you still can.”
No.
“You’re lying,” I snap, standing abruptly and slamming my hands on Kallos’s desk.
Finn stands just as quickly, setting his hand on my shoulder as he whispers, “Terra.”
