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Killian
The time we spent inside this dome, with that woman, the loss of Jackson’s ship—all of it had been for naught.
The one thing Ainsley had needed from Evelyn, and she didn’t have it.
Rek had moved closer to Jo in what appeared to be a protective gesture, but she stared at him as though he’d lost the very last bit of his mind. If I weren’t so irritated, I’d have chuckled at her scrunched brow and slight hand movement to “shoo” him away. Nevertheless, I was beyond frustrated. I’d have a laugh another time.
Jo’s face was tight as her narrowed gaze plowed into Evelyn, although the water caster had yet to even offer her an acknowledgement.Which seemed to be the case since meeting her. Apparently, the wind caster was of no use to Evelyn, and that in and of itself raised yet another red flag.
“While it’s not my intention to be rude,” Ainsley began, “time is of the essence. The traveling between the caster cities and then speaking to each one of them takes time. And to be honest, I’m truly uncertain as to how much of it we have left before Bash catches on to what we’re doing here. So, I must ask—who does have the key?”
Evelyn let a smile escape her lips, and I wanted to leap across the table and rip it off of her. “No one has it.”
She was toying with us and smugly at that. Bruno’s expression revealed nothing, save for the sheer admiration for Evelyn as she spoke.It was vomit inducing.
“Then I’m afraid, Ms. Zhou, our time here is done,” I said, rising to my feet and hoping the others followed suit.
Rek was the only one who stood as I did, his gaze hard as stone. I could tell by the expression on his face, he no longer wanted to be here. This entire trip had been a complete waste of time.
Ainsley stared at me with defeat mingling within the depths of her eyes. The silent “now what” expression she likely assumed she was keeping to herself was, in fact, not at all hidden.
Jo slowly rose, brushing her hands down the length of her skirts. “If that’s all, then I suppose we should be on our way.”
Again, Ainsley stared at me, pleading. For what, I couldn’t be certain. I had no answers.
Finally, she sighed, standing as well. “It’s been lovely to meet you.” I nearly choked at her words. “Thank you for your time, Evelyn,” she said, extending her hand.
When the water caster didn’t move from her seated position, it took everything within me to bite my tongue at her rude behavior.
Jackson stood abruptly, breaking the awkward silence. “Now that we have wasted your time and ours”—He glanced at Bruno—“would you mind taking us back to our ship?”
Damn. He hadn’t minced words. Jackson said exactly what I’d been thinking, well, aside from a few swear words, but, otherwise, I had to give him credit.
Bruno grunted, his eyes wide, appearing a bit disgruntled by the young man’s statement.
Rek coughed to cover a chuckle, and that was it—we were in the shit.
I couldn’t help the smirk that quirked the corner of my lips. And, of course, Ainsley elbowed me in the gut, not Jackson, or even Rek—he was too far away. I held the smirk through my “oof,” nonetheless. It was worth it.
Evelyn rose to her feet with a slight frown. “All of you, please take your seats. I have not wasted your time. In fact, I have told you the truth—I do not have the key, but I do know where it is.” She rubbed her forehead, seemingly frustrated.
Jo shook her head as did Jackson. I opened my mouth to respond, but when Ainsley gave me a warning look that said, “do not say a word,” I clamped it shut, albeit reluctantly.
However, I did take my seat and gesture for the water caster to continue.
“As I am sure you are aware,” Evelyn began as she made herself comfortable once more, “the keys are passed down through our lineage. Mine was given to me by my mother, a traitor to our kind.” She paused and took a sip of water. “I hid the key so as to not be tempted by its power. I am not my mother. Do I believe in great power? Yes. However, it is used to protect, not to do harm unto others. Not like her. Not like others. That key…” She trailed off, staring at Bruno who only nodded for her to go on.
“So, you do know where it is then?” Ainsley inquired, interrupting the water caster’s story. “Do you understand what this means for us, for all of us?” She directed her attention to Jo and then back to Evelyn. “Hattie wasn’t mistaken when she sent us to gather the casters and the keys of the five elements. There is a reason the Book of Knowledge must be accessed by each of us. It must be to defeat Bash. I know this to be true because—”
“What Ainsley is trying to say,” I interrupted before she could give too much away, “is that there is a greater purpose. Hattie has come out of hiding for a reason. That should mean something, yes?”
Ainsley glared at my interjection, but I did not trust this woman. Not in the least.
“I understand your concern,” Evelyn said, “but the key holds a greater power than you know. It’s dangerous, and once activated, it has the ability to control the caster. It is unlike the other elements. Not only may it control the caster who wields it when using the book, but it has also been known to absorb the powers of the other elements as well. I believe my mother had something to do with it. Perhaps she cast this spell, as there is no other key like it in existence. Now, do you understand why it must remain hidden? Why I cannot access its power, even if Hattie wishes for us to gather? It is too great a risk.” She shook her head. “I can’t allow myself to be tempted. I simply cannot.”
To my surprise, Bruno was the first to speak after that revelation. “Miss Evelyn, I know your fears, but they have a point. You’re not your mother.” He stood and went to her side. “You’re stronger than she ever was. I’ve watched you grow into a powerful caster, one of courage and who only does what’s right. You won’t be tempted. You’ll not allow it. It’s not who you are. Hattie has always been a good woman. If she’s trying to get everyone together, something’s happening, something you need to be a part of. You’ve never backed away from a challenge. You’ve never let evil win, if that’s what’s about to go down. This magic, these casters, they need you. You have to see that.”
She shook her head. “No. I cannot. The power of that key is too great. If it were to fall into the wrong hands… You don’t understand. None of you do.”
