Page 61 of Cerulean Truth (Sapere #1)

TWENTY-EIGHT

JAMES

After my fight with Emma, and with Enzo, and with Jackson about both, I received a call from Matthew, suggesting another visit to The Cube, to which I agreed.

Once there, I gave him an earful for not having found anyone adequate enough to train Emma, making it effectively my task. I was fuming, and Matthew took the brunt of it. Since he specialized in emotions though, he quickly caught on the anger wasn’t entirely about him.

“James, why are you so angry about training Emma? I thought the Council had specifically tasked you with it to ensure her age wouldn’t pose any threat to the Great exposure? And isn’t that something you’re all about?”

The Maumars and I had decided to keep her abduction a secret, so to him, that was the only explanation available.

“Plus,” he continued, “what difference does it make? I mean, it’s not like she’s an ex or something.” He laughed, but when he saw my expression, his demeanor shifted slowly.

“Wait a minute…” His eyes widened. “Do you like this chick or something? Are you attracted to her?” he asked, full of astonishment.

“What? Where the hell is that coming from?” I yelled, too loudly. “She’s the biggest pain in my ass, and you made it so that for the next few weeks, she is my daily obligation and she is not how I like to start my mornings!” I grumbled.

“That’s not an answer to my question,” Matthew said matter-of-factly. “Are you attracted to her?”

“I don’t see how it’s any of your business,” I replied tightly.

Matthew burst out laughing. “Oh hell, this is rich! James fucking Walker is finally into a woman and she’s fucking human! Can we please portal in the United Chiefs to mark this moment in history?”

“She’s not human,” I said annoyed. “She’s as magi as you and me, don’t be so judgmental.”

“She is barely a maga, she just started Scola! I can’t believe you’re into her…Creepin’ up on an Entry is just wrong, no matter how old they are,” he teased.

“She’s not an Entry,” I mumbled.

“No, she’s not even an Entry!” He laughed. “And that’s the part you’re focused on? Not the part where I accuse you of creeping up on her?”

“I’m not creeping up on anyone,” I grunted.

He grinned.

“Shut up,” I grumbled, punching him in the gut, but he laughed it off. What are best friends for if not to serve as punching bags.

"All right, all right, I'll let it slide for now... My fucking allmightyness, who would have thought..." He grinned.

I shot him a withering stare, downing the rest of my drink in record time.

I was walking back to the Winter Palace, planning on going for a short swim, when my Nexus buzzed with a sudden sense of urgency. Shit. That was never good.

I pulled it out, and Lena's face popped up, looking all distressed. Double shit. Lena was one of the Trackers, monitoring the LiaPrism for suspicious translation in the Human World.

“What is it?” I growled.

“There were eight translation s at the outer gate, but they vanished, and I have no record of a group clearance coming through today.”

“I’m on my way.” I slammed my Nexus shut, shifted into fly-mode, and tore through the air toward the Videmus building at full-speed.

I almost yanked off the entrance door, my clearance barely preventing me from being decapitated. Left, right, left. I navigated the maze-like corridors in under three minutes—a personal best—before bursting into the control room like a battering ram.

Lena—her brow furrowed in concern—met my gaze as I approached, and motioned toward the LiaPrism, hovering over her desk.

“We have a breach,” she said, her voice tight with urgency. “The Radicals are inside the Layers. I think they’re trapped somewhere, but I can’t be sure.”

My heart skipped a beat. “Show me.”

She gave a curt nod and closed her eyes. Her familiar pink haze shot out and connected with the LiaPrism, which flared brighter at the recognition of Lena’s translation. Within seconds, the prism showed exactly what she meant.

“See? There were at least eight of them at the outer gate, translating their entrance into Cyclos, but they never entered the fjords, and none of the swings have been used,” Lena explained, her expression grim.

I nodded, the weight of responsibility settling on my shoulders. “I’ll deal with it.”

“James, it’s too dangerous,” she protested. “You need to stay here and coordinate.”

“I need to see this for myself,” I insisted. “Emma’s safety is on the line. I can’t just sit here and watch.”

I turned around to leave but Lena's hand shot out, gripping my arm. “Be careful, James. They won’t hesitate to use any means to get what they want.”

“I know,” I said, my jaw set. “I won’t let them.” They’d be dead in less than an hour.

“Lena. Tell the Maumars if you have to but keep the Council out of it for now. I’ll tell them myself,” I ordered my former pupil.

Lena raised a brow. “You’re still First Offensive. This is entirely your jurisdiction. As far as I’m concerned, I did my duty by informing you. I’m sure you’ll inform whomever you deem fit to know.”

I gave her a quick nod, appreciating her matter-of-fact demeanor.

With that, I bolted out of the command center, heart pounding with dread. Emma. They must've come for her again.

Luckily, I knew exactly where they were.

Because, what no one besides the Maumars knew, was I had taken extra safety measures after Emma’s abduction.

I had created a Sublayer, between the outer gate and the fjords, effectively trapping everyone without clearance.

We hadn’t even told the rest of the Council, just in case my theory of a mole turned out right.

Instead of portaling out, energy surged through me, and propelled me upwards in a frantic rush. I crashed through the ceiling, soaring into the sky without a moment to spare.

With every fiber of my being, I launched myself forward, the howling wind ripping at my clothes as I flew over Cyclos.

The sole idea they came for Emma again, fueled my every move, each heartbeat echoing like a drum in my ears.

Every muscle in my body strained with the effort as I raced through the sky, a blur of motion against the backdrop of the Collective below.

The shimmering barrier of the Third Layer loomed. I didn’t flinch. Summoning every ounce of strength, I charged ahead. With a fierce burst of energy, I shattered through the last two Layers, like it was nothing.

The Sublayer manifested a window, custom-made for its creator to fly through, leading me into a maze of mirrors that I had crafted in secrecy. I plunged into the labyrinth, the echoes of the Radicals' whispers urging me on.

I found them cornered in a dead-end, their faces twisted with fear and frustration. They spun around to face me, weapons drawn, but their resolve wavered as my feet touched the ground and they recognized my face.

“End of the line, motherfuckers,” I said, my voice hard as my Skindo shot out of my tattoo and into my hand.

Before even one of them could utter a word, my blades had cut off seven heads in one fluent motion. All except for one, a smaller guy, now completely covered in the blood of his seven companions.

Keeping the sharp metal point hovering near his neck, I walked over to him slowly. Purposefully. Like a predator, approaching its prey.

“You want to join your seven little friends or have a chance at life?” I growled.

“P..ple…please,” he stammered, tears brimming in his eyes.

I laughed viciously. “You’re pleading with me?”

He tried to nod but my Skindo prohibited him to do so.

“You were here for Emma?”

He swallowed, drops of sweat mixing with the crimson fluids he wore on his face.

“I…I don’t know her name. I just, we, we got summoned.”

“By whom?” I snarled.

“I... I don’t know. We regrouped in Kanata C with others. A message came through the Nexus, stating a new maga of twenty-three was staying at Cyclos and we had to bring her or her blood back to…”

“Back to where?” I growled impatiently.

Suddenly his eyes rolled back and blood started squirting out of every hole in his body.

“NO!!” I yelled, grabbing him by his collar but it was too late. The man crumpled to the floor like an overcooked rotten vegetable.

“FUCK!” I spat.

I looked around swiftly, making sure no one else was in the maze but apart from the eight corpses, I was alone, surrounded by mirrors. How the hell had he died on me? Had someone else breached the Layers? Had someone entered Cyclos?

The thought had barely registered as a full-blown panic took hold of me. Emma .

I turned fucking frantic. I left the Sublayer within seconds and flew back to Cyclos at twice the speed I’d had the first time, cursing the inability to portal out of the Layers.

“Maria,” I yelled through the Nexus mid-air.

“We had a breach. There are eight corpses in the Sublayer. Deal with them. I’m almost through the Third Layer.

As soon as I set foot in the Collective, you bubble in Cyclos and pull up every barrier known and unknown to magi.

Where the hell is Emma? Locate her for me NOW! ”

Maria, unfamiliar with someone ordering her around, nearly stammered at the tone of my voice, but confirmed she’d do what was necessary.

I had to get to Emma. Where the hell is she?

As I looked down, I noticed all the blood on my clothes. Damn it, I couldn’t let her see me like this.

And fuck, I was going too slow.

My mind was all over the place. I took in a deep breath and accelerated, while translating away all the blood.

“Emma’s in the library, James. Maurice just checked with the prism after sending Lena on a break.”

Relief.

“I’m heading there now, I just touched ground. Maria, bubble Cyclos in, now !”

I ran as fast as I could. The Universitas wasn’t far off, but every second was a second too long if anyone had managed to successfully breach the Layers.

“Fuck Emma.” An almost hysterical sensation overwhelmed me. She was in danger, and I was the only one who could protect her.

Bursting through the gates of the Universitas, I ran through the four Palaces at warp speed, thanking my lucky stars I knew their hallways like the back of my hand. It took me another five and half minutes to arrive at the library. My eyes scanned the room frantically, trying to locate the Emma.

There! Near the window! Relief flooded my system like never before.

It didn’t even occur to me to call out for her, I just ran up to her, wanting to get my hands on her before anyone could tear her away from me again.

She looked up as I blasted through the doors, her eyes widening in surprise.