Total pages in book: 94
Estimated words: 88119 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 441(@200wpm)___ 352(@250wpm)___ 294(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 88119 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 441(@200wpm)___ 352(@250wpm)___ 294(@300wpm)
“I borrowed them from her room and returned them after I’d given orders to Tyler.”
Major’s glare seemed to pierce right through me but I didn’t flinch. If it was true what some people said that Major was a Dual Variant and his second, secret Variation was some kind of lie detector, I was screwed anyway—unless he needed eye-contact for his power, like Kate needed for her mind-reading Variation. I focused on the lapel of his uniform, to be safe.
“Going by your standards, I should probably ask Kate to confirm your answers,” he said.
I froze. How did he know that she’d been on my mind seconds before? Kate would find out the truth, or make up the worst possible version of it after I’d taken Alec away from her.
“Sir—” Alec’s voice cut through the breathless silence Major’s words had created. But Major raised his hand to stop Alec from saying more. “I’m not considering it.”
A strange look passed between him and Alec. I tuned back in to Major’s words.
“I’m just saying that rule breaking leads to more rule breaking and some day, there’ll be anarchy. I’m trusting you to say the truth, but even if I knew you were lying, I wouldn’t break your privacy and trust by using Kate’s Variation against you just to make my life easier or to get my way. You, too, have the responsibility to honor the rules even if it means you’ll have to forget about your personal wishes. This is how a community works.”
I didn’t know what to say. “I’m sorry, sir. It was just that I felt the need to see them one last time.”
“Everyone finds a justification for their rule breaking and everyone thinks that their justification weighs so heavy that it makes their actions okay. Look at Ryan. From his standpoint, killing his victims was justified. But it isn’t. Sometimes we have to bow to the rules that others impose on us and trust that their judgment is better than our own.”
Had Major just compared me to a serial killer? To a guy who’d strangled his victims with a wire or his fog Variation, and cut “A’s” into them like a proud artist?
“The FEA is your primary responsibility. Nothing should get in the way of that,” Major said, and briefly his eyes leveled on Alec. “Remember what we’ve done for you.”
How could I ever forget? I wasn’t sure where I’d be today if it wasn’t for the FEA—if I’d still be alive.
A few moments of silence followed but I could tell Major wasn’t done with us yet.
“I find it quite peculiar that Holly asked Agent Summers to give her additional Variation training exactly at the time you were posing as Agent Summers,” Major said.
I stayed silent. I had a fantastic lie planned—that I’d suggested to Holly to take additional Variation classes to improve her Variation—which had been giving her trouble for ages—in order to get rid of her and Summers, and have time for my plan. But after what Major had said, I couldn’t do it.
“We have reason to believe that Abel’s Army sent a scout to Madison’s funeral. Tessa noticed a man watching her,” Alec said, saving me from a reply.
It was the first time Major took his eyes off me for more than a second and turned his full attention to Alec. But the reprieve was short-lived; after only a moment, he returned his gaze to me. “What makes you think it was Abel’s Army who was watching you?” His voice revealed a hint of worry.
“I don’t know if the guy was there to watch me. Maybe he noticed me standing off to the side because I looked like I didn’t belong, and that made him curious. What worries me most is that he was wearing sunglasses, as though he was trying to hide his eyes, and he kept staring at me. It didn’t even cross my mind that he could be a Variant until Alec mentioned that you were worried about Abel’s Army because they’d been keeping an eye on Livingston and might have noticed me.”
Major’s gaze sprang to Alec, annoyance crossing his face briefly before he switched it off. I bit my lip and squeezed Alec’s hand. I probably shouldn’t have told Major what Alec had told me; that they were worried about me because Abel’s Army could be after me now that they knew about my talent.
Alec gave me a tiny smile. At least he wasn’t mad for my slip. “I thought Tessa needed to know about the danger she might be in. Every secret she’s not privy to might make it worse.”
What the hell did that mean?
One of Major’s hands curled to a fist. “We don’t know how much danger Tessa actually is, but I would have liked to have that talk with her myself. It’s not wise to spread speculations. Some things are kept a secret for a reason.”