Crystal Keepers (32 page)

“I'm glad to hear that,” Hunter said. “I'm relieved you have good reasons for taking the wrong side. If I believed that were true, I wouldn't want to serve the High King either. But it's all lies, Cole. That's what the rebels do.”

“Those aren't lies,” Cole said. “I've been with Mira for months. Shapecrafters used her powers to make Carnag. She got her abilities back when we defeated the monster. Same with Honor in Elloweer.”

“I don't know what you think you saw,” Hunter said, sounding a little agitated. “But they're tricking you.”

“If you're my brother, listen to me,” Cole said. “Do you know about shapecraft?”

“Yeah,” Hunter said. “I don't use it, but I know a little about it.”

“You work for Owandell, right?”

“Technically, since he's the head of the Enforcers. But I'm one of the High King's slaves. I lead my own team of Enforcers and report directly to the High Shaper.”

“How can you work for a guy who made you a slave?” Cole asked.

“It's how it works here,” Hunter said. “They have different laws than in our world. Slaves are legal, but they get treated well. It's not like I'm in chains breaking rocks with a sledgehammer. I have lots of responsibilities, and I do just about whatever I want. It's more like I just work for the High King.”

“As his slave.”

“Catching criminals. Like you.”

“Do you know about Nazeem?” Cole asked.

“Who?”

“Owandell's real master. He's imprisoned in the Fallen Temple in Necronum.”

Hunter rubbed his temples as if getting a headache. “The lies of the Unseen get weirder and weirder.”

“I didn't hear this from the Unseen,” Cole said. “I was in disguise at a gathering led by Owandell last night. We were under his tower in the room with the Founding Stone. Nazeem appeared. He's where shapecraft comes from. He is seriously evil. When he gets free, Owandell and his shapecrafters are going to try to take over the Outskirts.”

Hunter looked at Cole skeptically. “You saw this?”

“I almost got caught,” Cole said. “I used my shaping power to escape.”

“What can you do?”

“My power is mostly blocked right now. It happened when we fought Morgassa. She used shapecraft on me before she died. But my power can energize things. I made renderings from Sambria work in Elloweer. My Jumping Sword, for example. Somehow the Founding Stone helped temporarily unblock my power. I energized the stone and it helped me escape.”

“This was last night?” Hunter asked.

“I went to the train station afterward.”

Hunter frowned. “I know that shapecrafters are made, not born. Owandell invited me to become one. But I don't trust the shapecrafters I've met, and I don't like Owandell. The High King is wary of him too. We thought he invented shapecraft. Why haven't I heard of Nazeem?”

“Nobody knows,” Cole said. “If you check, you'll find Owandell is desperately looking for me. I learned his big secret.”

“He knows who you are?” Hunter asked.

“I was in disguise,” Cole said. “But some of my friends are worried he may have seen my shaping power and be able to use that to recognize me.”

“Your friends are probably right. How did you get into that meeting?”

“I had help inside the castle,” Cole said. “Not the High King. I shouldn't say who.”

“You're sure about Nazeem?”

“Hunter, I'm positive. I was there. If you're my brother, act like it and believe me a little! At least check it out. Nazeem taught Owandell how to use shapecraft. And Owandell used shapecraft to help Stafford steal his own daughters' powers and fake their deaths.”

Hunter folded his arms and smiled grimly. “There's no way you're right about the daughters.”

“How do you not know this?” Cole asked. “I thought you were high up in the Enforcers?”

“I am.”

“Aren't you supposed to be good at digging up secrets?”

“My specialty is tracking people down.”

“Well, go find this out. The High King is a bad man. He made the laws that got both of us taken as slaves, along with a bunch of other kids from our neighborhood. He betrayed his own daughters in a big way. And obviously he lies to the slaves who work for him.”

Hunter put his hands on his hips. “Listen, Cole. You can't imagine how excited I am to see you. I want to prove I'm your brother. Most of what you told me has to be Unseen propaganda, but I'll look into it. In return, knowing what you now know, I want you to use a thruport, get on the Internet, and confirm that I'm your brother.”

“That might be hard while I'm bound to a table,” Cole said.

“If you promise to behave, I'll free you.”

“Promise you'll look into Owandell and the High King?”

“To really do this, I might have to go to Junction. But yeah, I'll check it out.”

“Then I'll behave. But hurry. There's stuff I need to do.”

“What if I bring proof that these are lies?”

Cole thought about that. “It would have to be really solid proof. I've seen a lot of firsthand evidence that this is true.”

“Maybe you only think you've seen proof. I've been here a lot longer than you, Cole. You might be deceived and confused.”

Cole shrugged. “If you're right, I'll come to your side. But if I'm right, you better come to mine.”

“Fair enough. Deal.”

“Does this mean you'll finally give me that water?”

Hunter glanced at the glass on the counter. “I'll do even better than that—I'll free your hands so you can drink it.”

C
HAPTER

31

EVIDENCE

B
efore he was captured, if Cole had been asked what life would look like as the Hunter's prisoner, he would have described squalid cells, limited food, and plenty of torture. Instead he had thruport access, a roomy shower, a hot tub, gourmet meals, a soft bed, and magnetic games to play.

He was still a prisoner. Though free to move about a space that included five comfortable rooms, all other doors were locked to him. One of the tall robotic drones remained nearby at every moment.

After a few hours doing some initial research, Hunter had decided that he needed to travel to Junction in order to disprove Cole's claims. Hunter had promised to return soon.

That was three days ago.

After seeing scores of photos and reading hundreds of e-mails, Cole had lost interest in scouring the Internet for more evidence that Hunter was part of his family. If the relationship was a lie, Hunter had been incredibly thorough, tampering with every e-mail address, website, and social
media account that Cole could find. Every photo was either genuine or expertly doctored. Every e-mail either offered a glimpse of a lost brother, or proved how thoroughly a liar could fabricate a false reality.

If he kept looking, Cole knew he might uncover a few more shreds of evidence but didn't expect that any new discovery would change his dilemma. If fake, the forgeries were amazing. Otherwise, Hunter really was his brother.

In his gut, Cole felt convinced it was true.

What did Hunter have to gain from this deception? Why single out Cole? If they wanted his power, they could have a shapecrafter take it. If they wanted his information, they could pressure him. What reason would Hunter have to be this kind to him if they weren't really related?

Hunter did bear a family resemblance to the other Randolphs. He knew too many things a stranger couldn't possibly know. He talked and behaved in a way that felt authentic. And additional evidence was all over the Internet, including so many futile e-mails that went unanswered after he disappeared.

Given this much proof, Cole wondered how he could ever hope the rest of his family would accept him, if he couldn't accept Hunter. The two of them were in the exact same predicament, except Hunter had suffered longer and had one extra person who had forgotten him.

But what if he was wrong?

What if this notoriously crafty enemy did have reasons to want the loyalty from Cole that he would show to a brother?

Cole had solid reasons to believe that Hunter was telling
the truth, but if he was wrong, he would be so epically, tragically wrong! The thought made shame congeal inside of him. He would be such a fool! So pathetically gullible!

And what if Hunter really was his brother, but remained loyal to the High King? What if he came back from his trip to Zeropolis full of reasons that Cole should side against Mira and the Unseen?

Was there any chance the High King was right? That the Unseen really were criminals? That slavery was okay? That partnering with Owandell had been a good call? That stripping his daughters' powers and faking their deaths was fine? No. What if the daughters were really dead, and Mira and her sisters were planted by the Unseen? No. How could the Unseen have planted Carnag, or Morgassa, or the Rogue Knight? The thought was ludicrous.

If Hunter was his brother, Cole had to win him over to the right side. Or he had to get away. If necessary, he could pretend to switch sides, until he earned enough freedom to escape.

But until Hunter returned, his options were limited. The drone robot kept him company, leaving him no opportunity to break out. He knew Mira, Dalton, and all the others would be worried. They needed the information he had about Constance. They needed to know about Owandell and Nazeem. But what could he do? He was stuck.

So Cole played elaborate versions of magnetic pinball and waited for his brother.

No, waited for the Enforcer who was probably his brother.

Possibly.

Hunter returned as Cole was piling points on top of a new high score. With some reluctance, Cole let the ball roll past the magnetic boosters, ending the game. Steeling himself, he turned to face his captor.

Hunter wore dark leather and held a helmet under his arm. His face was serious and hard to read.

“How was your trip?” Cole asked.

“I'm not sure exactly how to answer that,” Hunter said. “How was the Internet?”

“Either you faked it perfectly, or you're my brother.”

Hunter looked hurt. “You're still not sure? You can ask me anything.”

“What if you can read my mind?”

“Nobody can do that,” Hunter said dismissively.

“I know somebody who can,” Cole said, thinking of Trillian. “And some others who maybe can. At least our minds spoke to each other.”

Hunter glanced over at the drone robot. “Charlie, go passive.”

“Confirmation?” the drone asked.

“Glazed doughnuts with sprinkles.”

The drone went still and silent.

“Nice code word,” Cole said.

“Hard words to guess,” Hunter replied. “Easy to remember. But just saying it gives me cravings.”

“It's a robot but you can also control it?” Cole asked.

“It has different modes,” Hunter replied. “It's the same model I was controlling when I almost caught you that time.
Look, if you still have doubts about me, you're about to lose them.” He paused, his expression grave. “I guess you could say that my mission in Junction was successful. I went there to learn if you were right about the High King and his daughters. And I found out the truth.”

Cole watched him expectantly. His face was so tricky to read. It suddenly struck Cole how much his eyes really did look like Cole's father's.
Their
father's?

“You got proof? You know that I'm right?”

Hunter sighed and ran a hand through his hair. “Yeah, you are.”

“I am?” Cole replied in surprise. “I mean, you know I am?”

“I didn't expect it to be true,” Hunter said. “I still can't even believe it. The High King withheld all of it from me. I thought he trusted me more than that. I've done a lot for him. He personally helped me develop my shaping skills.”

“Really?”

“It made sense,” Hunter said. “We were both strong in the abilities of all five kingdoms. But he's weak now. I saw him on this visit. In private, kind of joking around, I asked him to do some of our old drills. He did some spatial stuff from Creon, but weakly, and got angry when I tried to get him to do Sambrian shaping or Ellowine enchanting.”

“Was that your proof?”

“Oh, no,” Hunter said. “I'm more thorough than that. I checked other sources. In the end I went to Owandell.”

“Really?”

“He knows I've always been loyal to the High King.
Acting like a traitor would have raised suspicions. I played it like I'd noticed the High Shaper was becoming weak, and I wanted to keep my options open. I asked Owandell how the hunt for Stafford's daughters was going, as if I had full knowledge about them. He became smug, and asked if I had heard about recent developments in Necronum. I guess Honor and Destiny are in trouble. He seemed to know a lot about what is going on, but wouldn't say more.”

“Did you mention Nazeem?” Cole asked.

“Not directly,” Hunter said. “I told him I heard that a spy had recently escaped him. It really set him on edge. I could tell he hated that I knew anything about it. I told him I was good at tracking people down, but he took it as a threat. He didn't want my help.”

“Wasn't that dangerous?” Cole asked.

“Absolutely. Nobody wants Owandell as an enemy. But it was the surest way to find out what I needed to know. Cole, you have to believe me that the High King kept these crimes from me. I've never liked Owandell. The High King hasn't trusted him since I've been here. To learn they worked together to steal the princesses' powers, and to find out I was helping track down one of his daughters without knowing it . . . let's just say I've rethought a lot of things. It makes me feel sick thinking of everything I did.”

“You're switching sides?” Cole asked.

Hunter gave a dark chuckle. “This isn't easy, Cole. I'm in deep. So many people are going to be so mad. The High Shaper most of all.”

“But . . . ,” Cole prompted.

Hunter smiled. “But I'm not going to fight my little brother. Especially when he's right.”

Cole couldn't help laughing. He couldn't help smiling. He couldn't resist the tears. Relief washed over him. This surpassed his highest hopes. Unless . . .

“You're not just saying this to trick me,” Cole checked, his inner celebration pausing.

Hunter's smile froze. “What?”

“To get info out of me,” Cole said. “You know, pretend we're on the same side so I tell you everything.”

Hunter stared at him. “That would be a smart tactic.”

“Yeah,” Cole said, wiping tears from his cheeks. “Whether or not you're really my brother. If you're still loyal to Stafford, it's what you would do.”

Hunter nodded. “I probably would. But I'm not. Do the math. The stuff on the Internet. Everything I know. How I'm treating you. If nothing else, can't you see how awful I feel for being such an idiot and falling for all those lies?”

A part of Cole kind of agreed with Hunter's harsh words about himself—it was hard not to judge Hunter and Blake for having joined up with the wrong sides here in the Outskirts. Hadn't they noticed some signs they were working for bad people? But Cole also knew he couldn't be completely positive what he would have done if he hadn't met Mira and Jace when he did.

“So what now?” he asked.

“We make plans. I'm on your side, Cole. I wouldn't have sided with the resistance before I learned all this, but even then I was on your side. You're my brother. I care more about
you than everyone in the Outskirts combined. If I could, I'd take you home. We'd get out of here right now, together. But we can't. It doesn't work.”

“How do I trust you?”

“You just do. I'm not playing you. I already know about the map in your pocket.”

“Yeah?”

“I searched you while you were out. Nobody else knows about it. They were under orders that only I was allowed to search you. I put the map back. My guess is you went to Junction to get it. Met up with some contact. And it must have something to do with Constance.”

“What?” Cole asked, trying to sound confused, still on his guard. The queen had made no written explanation of what the marked location meant.

“I've been following you since Sambria,” Hunter reminded him. “It's what you've been doing all along. First Mira, then Honor. What I don't get is how you ended up spying on Owandell. Nobody knew about that meeting.”

“The Unseen have good sources,” Cole said.

“I guess,” Hunter said. “Anyhow, listen. What if I sneak you out of here? What if we go to a hideout only I know about? And then what if we find Constance together?”

“But what if you backstab me and keep her?” Cole asked. “What if that's all this is about?”

“Knock it off. It'll be perfect. I'll make my team think I'm playing you. Letting you help me infiltrate the Unseen. I do stuff like this sometimes. We'll take off on our own. And in the end, we'll double-cross them.”

“Or you'll double-cross me,” Cole said.

“You're making this harder than it needs to be,” Hunter said.

“People are counting on me. People I care about. I can't blow this.”

“I'm not going to backstab my brother.”

“Unless you're not my brother. Or unless you still secretly think I'm on the wrong side.”

Hunter scowled. “I've given you tons of proof, Cole. What more do you want?”

“Let me go,” Cole said. “Get me back to my friends. We'll find Constance. You can help us as an insider until you're ready to come over.”