The Embers Of My Heart (20 page)

"Sir!" Davidson cut in before they could respond. "Respectfully, I must object! If it had not happened, the Bureau would not have been invited to Ripley University campus, nor would we consider Mr. Parker any sort of significant threat. That past event is foundational."

The three judges exchanged looks. "One moment." All three of them tapped their power, the man with red eyes, the woman with green, and the central one with yellow. It made sense that someone from another organization was in charge.

Absynthe sank back into her seat and looked at me. "Shouldn't be an issue," she said.

"You think so?"

"We already agreed with the Bureau on the particulars. Davidson's taking the blame. He's been doing that all along. Didn't you notice?"

I felt my stomach twist. "So they're hanging him out to dry?"

"No, Kevin. He's hanging himself out to dry."

The judges ended their conference. "It is our decision that Mr. Parker's actions during that encounter do not have any bearing on the present hearing. The Bureau and Establishment negotiated terms and reparations for the accident. Therefore, we uphold the finding that the prior incident was fully accidental and should not be held against Mr. Parker in any way, shape, or form. Agent Davidson, your objection is dismissed. The only consideration this tribunal will hold is that the incident factually happened as per the Establishment's records and testimony."

He nodded and his face paled. "Understood, sir."

"Do you have further testimony?"

"Yes, sir. I believe Mr. Parker has been subverted by the Resistance."

This time, it wasn't just whispers. Low conversations broke out around the room and I shook my head. If I could vanish, I would. It wasn't true. Star hadn't subverted me, though she was certainly working on it. "Please, if we could return to order," said the lead judge, oddly calm and collected. The room quieted. "Agent Davidson, if you please, expound."

"Sir, based on his irregular progression of powers, it seems obvious that he has had multiple training methods. Our agents also tracked him interacting with Resistance agents in New York City at the end of last year."

Absynthe glanced at me before returning her gaze to the judges. I didn't know what to make of that. "Interaction is not proof of anything," said the female judge. "Cross training isn't either. It's always happened when we meet other psions in peaceful circumstances. Neither implies that his allegiance has shifted. Do you have any other proof?"

Davidson took a deep breath. "It is well known to all factions that the Resistance does not follow traditional rules and procedures when it does not suit their purposes. Mr. Parker also does not do so. I submit to this tribunal that Mr. Parker violated one of our most important laws by invoking second tier powers in our encounter yesterday." He paused. "Sir, his eyes were glowing white."

The lead judge also took a deep breath. "Agent Davidson, please be seated. Mr. Parker, please stand." I stood up and felt cold sweat trickle down my side. His tone was neutral, but the room had fallen completely silent. "Kevin John Parker, you stand accused of using the second tier of psionic power in an altercation. Is this true?"

I looked down at Absynthe. She nodded at me. "I believe so, sir."

"To the knowledge of this tribunal, you are not registered or licensed as per the Essex Accords. Is this true?"

"I don't believe I'm registered, sir." No one had told me anything of the sort.

"Are you aware of the penalty for failing to register, and the penalty for unlicensed use of second tier powers?"

"Sir, I am not."

The two flanking judges leaned back in their seats and another series of whispers echoed around the room. The central judge leaned forward and folded his hands. "Mr. Parker, in both cases, the penalty is death."

Absynthe shot to her feet. "With your permission-"

"Granted."

"Mr. Parker is as yet a trainee, and he has not even reached a point in his training where he would know of the existence of the second tier, much less be able to use it at will. I respectfully submit that his use of second tier power was not premediated or purposeful in the least."

"You're claiming that Mr. Parker is latent for the second tier?" The lead judge raised his eyebrows. I couldn't tell whether he was skeptical, surprised, or impressed. I glanced at Davidson and saw terror on his face. Others in the room had similar expressions.

Absynthe put her hand on my shoulder. "I realize this is highly irregular, but there is historical precedent for this circumstance. The Establishment hereby formally declares our finding that Kevin John Parker is a second tier latent. We swear before this court that his status was unknown prior to this latent manifestation. As such, we hereby request that Mr. Parker be remanded to our custody for training and registration as befitting his newly discovered status."

"Please don't," Davidson said quietly. "Don't do this. He's dangerous."

"Mr. Davidson, please sit down."

"You can't do this!" he shouted.

"Sit."

He sat and buried his face in his hands. The central judge turned his attention back to me. "Mr. Parker, you are hereby provisionally remanded to Establishment custody. You must register your new status and provide public registration to this tribunal within seven days. Is that understood?"

"Yes, sir," I said, simultaneously with Absynthe.

"Very well. Please be seated. Agent Davidson, please rise."

We sat and Davidson stood back up, swaying slightly. "Sir, I accept full responsibility for my actions."

The judge nodded. "The responsibility lies upon your shoulders and yours alone. Your agency has disavowed you and your reckless actions, Mr. Davidson." The now-former Bureau agent shook himself and then fell back into parade rest, lifting his chin. For a moment, I almost respected him. "This tribunal finds the previously mentioned penalties are fitting. The sentence shall be carried out tomorrow at noon. You have until then to attend to your affairs. I now declare this tribunal concluded. Thank you, everyone."

Davidson collapsed back into his seat and bowed his head. The suited man at his side walked away without a word or a glance back at him. Absynthe grabbed my shoulder and hauled me out of the room. Other Establishment agents fell in place around us, shielding me from onlookers. I followed her without looking where we were going. After a couple of minutes and a crowded elevator ride, we stood on the roof of the administration building. I trained here, I was beaten here, I trained here some more. She closed the door behind us and sighed. "This came far earlier than we wanted it to," she said.

"What do you mean?" I asked. My body started to ache and a headache began tapping on the inside of my skull.

"We knew you had the potential for second tier from the beginning." She held a hand up to keep me from speaking. "It wasn't a sure thing. Shade thought you certainly did. I was a little less optimistic. Neither of us thought you'd manifest it so soon. I don't know if he'd be proud or terrified."

"Terrified," I said. He certainly had been.

"Probably. It's been a long day. Do you want to-"

"I want to go back to my room and pass out for a while," I said.

She nodded. "Do you need a hand?"

"No, I'll make it. What are you going to do?"

"Paperwork." She smiled. "You've cost me a day and a half of paperwork. Alistair's going to have at least twice as much. The registration and licensure for a second tier psion is a pain in the ass, apparently."

"I'm sorry."

"Don't be. You're exceeding all of our expectations."

Her words echoed in my head as I stumbled into the lobby of the dorm. Davidson's lightning had done some horrible things to my body and I'd feel the aftereffects for days. Sleeping for a day and a half sounded like heaven. By the time I made it up the stairs, I wasn't sure if I'd make it the extra few feet to my room.

"Kev? Dude, where you been?" Max and Drew were inexplicably waiting for me outside the room. Drew grabbed me and threw my arm around his shoulders. "You look like shit warmed over, man. You all right?"

"Interesting night. Long story. I'll have to tell you guys and Andreas later. I need to lie down and pass out now."

Drew stopped short of the door and Max stepped around in front of us. "That's going to be a little hard right now," he said.

"Why?"

"She's waiting for you," he said, jerking his thumb at the door. "Came to the door no more than five minutes ago, told us you were on the way, and that she needed to talk to you in private. Kicked us out of our own room, I still don't know how."

"Who?" I asked, though I suspected I knew the answer.

"Nikki."

"Right. Yeah. Great."

"If you don't want to talk to her, we'll take care of it," Drew said. I knew they'd try to kick her out, but I suspected she had already planted a suggestion in their minds. I didn't have the strength to fight her.

"It's fine," I said. "It needs to happen." I shrugged Drew's arm off and took the last couple of steps to our room on my own. "I'll catch up with you guys later?"

"We'll be in Andreas's room drinking excessively for you."

I nodded and stepped into the room by myself, quietly closing the door behind me. She sat in my chair in the center of the room, her eyes locked on me. I kicked off my shoes and stumbled to my bed, sat down on the edge, and stared right back at her. "So, it's all true," she said.

"What is?"

"You and those terrorists. The Resistance." Her voice was slightly raspy and thick. She didn't quite spit the last word out, but the implication was clear enough.

I leaned back and my arms trembled. "Nikki, I've been through enough interrogation for one day. Maybe even for the rest of my life."

"Answer me. Damn you, answer me!"

"Answer what? You didn't ask me anything. What do you want me to answer?"

"You're part of them."

"The Resistance? No, I'm not."

"You have ties to them." She leaned toward me and jabbed her fingers at my chest, directly at my heart. "Blood ties, even."

"Heard about that, did you?" I brushed her hand away. Figuring out how she knew was a task for later. "I don't even know my uncle. Last time I saw him, I was a little kid. I'm still here, with our people."

"Blood will win out, won't it?"

"How do I know? I can't help who I'm related to."

She nodded. "I guess. That's fair. I need to be fair. But that's not all there is, is there? You have other ties."

I nodded slowly. "I've run into their people now and then. Not a big deal, is it? I mean, if you follow that path, we both have ties to the Kaze now, right?"

"Kevin. Don't fuck with me." I realized at that point just how much she was holding back. I'd never heard her speak in quite that tone before. "The girl. You know the one. The one you met in Washington. The ringleader. We were together, we were dating then, weren't we? So why didn't you ever mention her to me? You let me believe nothing important happened on that trip. Why did you lie to me?"

"Lie to you?" I felt another trickle of cold sweat. "Nothing important happened in Washington, Nikki. I didn't lie to you."

"You're lying. I was at the hearing."

I shrugged. "Well, fine, I guess the fight there was important, but I told you about that, right?"

"Star," she whispered.

"That's her name, yes."

"How often have you seen her since Washington?"

"A couple of times."

Admitting that was a mistake. Her gaze had gone to the floor, but now it jumped back up to my face. Her eyes narrowed and she leaned in toward me. "A couple of times? Like when you went to New York City. You were with her then, weren't you?"

I hadn't sensed or seen her at the tribunal, but I should have expected she'd be there. The tribunal had covered more than I'd ever told her. She'd know I was keeping secrets, and if she knew Star's name, that was an even worse sign. My heart sank. Someone had given her just enough information to piece everything together and royally fuck me over in the process. "I visited her, yes. I owed her a favor."

"What did you two do?"

"We hung out. She showed me around. We talked."

"Talked. Lots of pillow talk, right?"

"Are you accusing me of sleeping with her? Just come out and say it." I couldn't deal with this, not with my entire body aching. "You know what? Maybe you should just leave. I've been through enough hell in the past day. Bureau agents attacked me, my power overloaded, they put me on trial, and now this. I don't need my so-called girlfriend accusing me of cheating on her without a single bit of proof other than her own paranoia and insecurity."

She gasped and I bit my tongue to keep from going any further. "So-called? Is that what you really think?"

"Look, I'm sorry, I'm exhausted and in a considerable amount of pain," I said. "I'm not really thinking straight."

"I think that's the most honest you've been with me tonight. Maybe ever." She stood up and brushed her knees.

"You don't believe me."

"I don't believe you." She didn't look at me, just turned away. "You didn't deny it, you just lashed out at me. That's not like you. Not like you at all. I'd rather hear honest, harsh truth than anger and evasion."

"Maybe you should ask me at a better time, then."

She crossed her arms over her stomach. "A better time? I'll ask you again when you've had time to come up with enough justification for everything you've done. Does that sound right? No, it's too late now." She glanced at me and I could see her eyes were wet. "I know how things are horrible between us right now. I know it's my fault. I know I should have forgiven you months ago. I also know you well enough that there's only one reason why you won't deny it to my face, no matter how much you're hurting. It's true. It's all true. Isn't it?"

I met her gaze. I opened my mouth to deny it. The words formed on my tongue.

I closed my mouth.

She sighed and turned toward me. "Oh, Kevin," she said quietly. Her hand lifted and she ran her fingertips across my cheek for just a moment before pulling away. A tear trickled down each of her cheeks, but her voice was calm and steady. "Goodbye."