The Dysasters (The Dysasters #1)(66)

“What’s in it for you?” Mark said.

“My children don’t go mad,” Stewart said.

Mark’s gaze didn’t falter as he repeated the question. “What’s in it for you?”

Stewart’s sigh was long-suffering. “Much of the same thing that’s in it for you. It’s only right that people pay for our services. We are, after all, saving them.”

“And if they don’t want to pay and instead arrest us and perform those experiments on us you’ve been insisting we need to hide from for all these years?” Mark pressed.

“Oh, well, after we have complete control of the elements, without the threat of the four of you going mad, we will have complete control of the world’s weather. Trying to take any action against us would prove to be as unwise as it is dangerous. You know, Mark, natural disasters can happen anywhere.”

Eve stared from Mark to their father. Her stomach felt sick. Mark tried to tell me. Tried to get me to see how cruel and power-hungry Father has become, and he was right. I think Father is mad.

But that didn’t change the fact that his idea was brilliant and that Eve could imagine all sorts of possibilities for their future—opulent, wonderful possibilities filled with freedom.

Eve moved from Father’s side to Mark. She touched her brother’s arm gently. “Hey, you’ll have what you’ve always wanted.”

“No, I won’t. I’ll be a pawn. Like we all are now,” Mark said.

“No, you won’t.” Eve met her father’s gaze. “Tell him, Father. Tell him what he’ll have.”

Rick Stewart’s expression went from manic to slyly manipulative. He smiled smoothly. “With the money the world will be forced to pay us, you can buy your yacht and live on the ocean like you’ve dreamed since you were a little boy.”

Eve saw Mark’s start of surprise. He looked down at her. She smiled and nodded. “See, it’s been Father’s plan all along for us to have our dreams come true. Luke can live on Hawaii, surrounded by volcanoes.”

“Yes, Father! Yes!” Luke exclaimed, downing his beer in one big gulp.

“Matthew can move to Oklahoma City and live directly in Tornado Alley,” Eve continued.

“That’s more like it!” Matthew said, though he barely looked up from his computer.

“And me. I’m moving to Manitou Springs, Colorado, and buying a mansion on the side of Pike’s Peak. It’ll have an Olympic-sized freshwater pool so you can be comfortable whenever you visit,” Eve finished happily.

“That’s a great pipe dream,” Mark said. “But how are we going to scatter and still control the weather?”

“Oh, that’s simple,” Stewart said. “The four of you can go anywhere you want, after you bring the eight new elementals here to me. They stay. You go. Everyone wins.”

“Everyone? What about the kids? I don’t think they’re going to believe it’s a win for them,” Mark said.

“Father will fix up the island,” Eve said quickly. “They’re kids, Mark. They’re going to love living on a private island with their own cottages and—no bedtimes—no curfews—no rules.”

“Well, no rules except that they have to remain here, for their safety, and they must do a little weather tweaking when we need them to,” Stewart finished for her. “So, is that answer enough to your question, Son?”

Mark’s gaze grabbed and held Eve’s. She knew what he was searching for in her eyes. He wanted to see that she was still on his side and willing to stand up to Father with him, but she couldn’t, wouldn’t give him what he needed. Not when her freedom was so close.

“Everything is going to be okay, Mark. I promise,” Eve told him.

Mark blew out a long, sad breath and said, “For us, maybe. But for those eight kids and the rest of the world?” He shook his head and pushed past them, slamming the cottage door behind him.

When Eve started to go after him, Stewart snagged her wrist. “Let him go. You know he’s always been soft. You’re going to have to watch him, Eve.” Then Stewart’s hard gaze included Matthew and Luke. “You’re all going to have to watch him. Or he’ll spoil this for all of us—for all of you.”

“We understand, Father,” Luke said. “We’ll watch him.”

“Yeah, he won’t mess this up for us,” Matthew said.

“Eve?” Stewart turned to her.

“Father, you know I’ll always take care of Mark.”

“Yes, but taking care of him and being sure he doesn’t self-destruct and take all of us down with him are two very different things,” Stewart said.

“Like I told Mark, everything is going to be okay. Now, I’m going to do as you asked and go to him and be sure he isn’t self-destructing.” Eve began to walk past Stewart, but he didn’t release her wrist.

“I’ll walk a little with you, my Nubian princess.”

Eve looked into her father’s eyes and saw there his insatiable need. “Yes, Father,” she answered obediently, allowing him to lead her from the cottage and away from Luke and Matthew and Mark so that he could drain the crystal she had just conjured and get his fix.

Someday I will be free of Father, and if that means eight teenagers must take our places here—then so be it.