Dark Awakening: Echoes of Destiny (The Children Of The Gods #88)

53. The Saboteur

53

THE SABOTEUR

O n her way to the playground, the saboteur did not walk, she levitated on a euphoric high.

She had done it.

She had faced Toven's compulsion and emerged unscathed, her secrets intact. The thrill of victory still coursed through her veins with a potent mix of pride and anticipation.

There was no stopping her now.

Tomorrow, she would attend the weekly meeting at Pavel's place and reveal herself to the group. They had done nothing but talk for weeks, acting more like a book club than the revolutionaries they thought they were, while she was testing her powers and getting ready to head the rebellion.

Proving her power would be even more satisfying than her previous victory. They would finally respect her the way they should have from the start.

The village was quiet as usual. The undercurrent of tension that had prevailed during the day was gone, replaced by the sounds of crickets and frogs.

As the playground came into view, the saboteur allowed herself a small smile. This place, the symbol of the clan's domestication of her people, had become the staging ground for her rebellion.

How fitting.

The shaded enclave behind the swings was steeped in darkness at night, and that was where her minions waited for her. Something was off, though. Red and Yellow were there, but Blue was missing.

Approaching her two accomplices, the saboteur kept her face impassive, masking her concern. "Where's Blue?" she asked, her tone laced with an undercurrent of authority but devoid of compulsion.

She didn't know much about her power, but she assumed that using it to excess was counterproductive. What if her victims got accustomed to it and grew resistant?

What if it drained some inner reserves, and she would run out?

There was no one she could ask without revealing herself, but after discreetly observing the clan's compellers, she had noticed that they never used their ability for frivolous matters.

In fact, it was a shock to her when Kian announced that the investigation would be conducted with compulsion.

Her transgressions were so minor that they were nearly insignificant. They were a test of her abilities and a small annoyance for the clan's leadership. They did not justify such extreme measures.

But whatever.

She had survived the interrogation and had gotten further proof of how tremendous her power was.

Red and Yellow exchanged a glance, a wordless communication that set the saboteur's nerves on edge. Then, almost in unison, they shrugged.

"Dunno," Yellow muttered, her eyes downcast. "He didn't show."

The saboteur's gaze sharpened, focusing on Red. There, in the depths of her eyes, she saw a flash of defiance.

At that moment, the saboteur felt a surge of anger and fear. Had Blue managed to throw off her compulsion?

Had he been caught?

The saboteur locked eyes with Red and let her power flow into her voice, infusing it with the force of her compulsion. "Where is Blue?"

Red's eyes widened, her body going rigid as the compulsion washed over her. Sweat beaded on her forehead as she struggled to resist, but the saboteur's power was too strong.

"I'm not sure. I saw Onegus on their front porch. He might be compromised. It's also possible that Onegus came to talk with his father, and it's unrelated to what Blue did."

That wasn't good.

The saboteur's heart hammered against her ribcage.

Would her compulsion hold Blue's tongue?

"Did he deliver the goods?"

Yellow nodded. "There was a new trinket in our deposit box when I put mine there, and it wasn't Red's. She brought hers as I was leaving."

The box was buried in the ground in a spot that was surrounded by three trees, and it was covered with dirt. No one who did not know it was there would have spotted it and put something new inside of it.

The items themselves did not matter. It could have been a toy or a small kitchen appliance. The only directive was to take something that would be immediately missed.

"Forget everything that you did for me until now," she commanded. "Go home and be here tomorrow at the same time."

With the compulsion settling over the two females, they turned around and walked away.

There was nothing for her to do now but go home as well. If they managed to break her hold on Blue, the shit would hit the fan pretty quickly, and they would come for her.

Let them come.

They had no idea what she was capable of.

The saboteur allowed herself one last smile, fierce and triumphant, before schooling her features back into careful neutrality. She would play her role of a dutiful and grateful Kra-ell for a little longer.

It was a mask she had worn for a long time, but it had never felt natural. Her true self had always burned bright and hungry beneath it. The self that had resisted Toven's compulsion, that had bent her three minions to her will, that dared to dream of a future where the Kra-ell reclaimed their rightful place.

That self would not be denied.