Awakening Book One of the Trust Series(96)

“I am not going to get you to change your mind, am I?”

He knew that she was not just referring to the training. “No. If there was a way around this, I would in a heartbeat. I hope you will understand once you find out what is happening.”

She dropped her head in resignation, staring at the wooden floor. Finally, she leaned over and gave him a hug before turning his face to hers. Her lips ghosted Declan’s for the briefest of moments, her eyes never leaving his. A promise of what could have been. The Descendant could barely hear her response. “Alright. Then tell me who the name of this new mentor is.”

“The Tribunal has decided to let Garrett resume mentoring you.”

Caitlyn froze. “Garrett?”

He rubbed her arms. “He’s being released tomorrow. They want him to try to teach you projectile telepathy. Is that something you think you can handle? If not, I can make other arrangements.”

“No, don’t make other arrangements. You are right. I need to talk to him about us, about his lies, about his beliefs. This will give me the opportunity for some closure or understanding.”

Declan checked the clock. There really was no time. “I hope you get that. Caitlyn, I need to go.”

“Now? Already?”

He nodded. “The Tribunal… well, let’s just say I wasn’t supposed to be coming here in the first place tonight. But I couldn’t leave… not without seeing you first.”

“I wish things were different.”

He tilted up her chin. “You understand though, right?” If anyone would understand, he thought it would be her.

She nodded ever so slightly. “I do. Whatever is going on is obviously important. There are some things that are just larger than we are.”

He took a deep breath. Caitlyn, from the first moment he met her was simply a remarkable person. “Thank you.”

Before his resolve broke, he transported out of the apartment, ready finally to follow the Tribunal’s orders.





Chapter 29



Garrett leaned his head back, staring at the ceiling for the millionth time in the past two weeks. These two weeks had been miserable and Garrett was sick of it. He was tired of this room, tired of the people, tired of missing Caitlyn and wondering how he was ever going to earn her trust again.

The first three days, he was so out of it, he could barely recall them. Lionel had not only managed to break several bones and puncture a lung in his fall, but he also managed to do some temporary neurological as well. The healers that were sent to help him were the strongest in the world, and within a few days, the bones were practically healed and the lung was repaired.

When the healers gave their seal of approval, the Council came in with their questions. Garrett recalled grimly exactly how many questions there were. They interrogated him non-stop, asking him questions about his relationship with Lionel, his father, and with Caitlyn. Some of the Council seemed to be under the impression that Garrett was a spy for the Cine Tofa, like Lionel was, and they were working together. He knew that they were considering deporting him out of Trust territory and he was sure some were considering him an enemy of the state, so to speak.

Once he answered their barrage of questions, they then sent in the Inquisitors once they were sure that he could physically handle it. He agreed without question, knowing that it was the only way that they would be able to prove that he spoke the truth. He knew that even if he had not approved of the use of the Inquisitors, they would have tried to use them anyway.

Garrett subjected himself to probe after probe, opening his mind up freely to them. The Inquisitors knew him well and respected that. Inquisitors were like a secret brotherhood and one did not break the oath. He trusted them, and in turn, they trusted him. It was similar to what he went through when he first trained for the position; Inquisitors were firm with the belief that you needed to know what your victim was being subject to, you needed to be aware of how far you could take it before it became painful. You needed to understand how the victim would try to block your attack, in order to work around it. Inquisitors called it Hell Week, similar to what the military goes through in boot camp. One full week of almost non-stop attacks on your brain and yet, Garrett had still managed to hide his secret during it, deep in the recesses of his mind.

Once they were complete, the past three days had been spent in virtual isolation; with the occasional healer checking on him or bringing him food. It was during this time that he really reflected on his relationship with Caitlyn. Even with everything going on around them, he had seen the look of betrayal and distrust on her face moments before he passed out.