The Blue Blaze

The Elephant In The Room

Madalyn

    Hitting the road, Sebastian sits quietly next to me. He still isn't 100% yet, but surprisingly he seems to be feeling and looking a little better within such a short amount of time. I can't help but wonder what is going on in his head. There is an annoying itch in the back of my mind to take a quiet step inside his head to know what he is thinking. I push away the desire, knowing that there is a sense of invading his right to his privacy. 

    At the mere thought of wanting to, I can feel my sword grow warm with power. It feels like a hunger that cannot be satisfied. I hope that this is just my concern as his sister, and coming from a place of love and a place of wanting to help him. Somewhere deep inside, I fear that this is NOT the case.

"So have you thought of what you're plan is with the soldiers?" I ask, trying to make conversation and to try to put my mind on something else.

"I haven't thought it ALL the way through, but there is something I think we should address before we get too close to that location." Sebastian begins.

"Really? What's that?" I ask, curious.

"There is a town almost halfway there. I think we should make a stop there." he says flatly.

"Okay... Where are you going with this?" I ask.

Why is he being so cryptic?

"I want to give the soldiers the option to get out." he states.

"Get out, as in NOT be a part of THIS army?" I conclude, but ask for clarification.

"Yes. There are still a handful of people that are with us that I believe are not actually WITH us. I'd rather know now before they know the whereabouts of our base." he pauses, "Besides... I think they should have the option to just get out and be free to live a 'normal' life if that's what they desire too."

    My brother... always thinking of the greater good, and putting everyone else before his own needs and desires. This could shift our numbers in the wrong direction. No doubt, The Hunter is going to be creating more Super-Soldiers for a new army, too. 

"I know what your thinking, and I've already thought of that..." he says.

"Is that right? Are you the mind reader now?" I tease.

"No, I just know you..." he says, giving me a sideways glare.

"Well, come out with it then." I coerce.

"I think the first thing we should do as an army is start hitting the slave camps. Take them down. One by one. Freeing everyone in them, and while doing so, we can recruit volunteers who WANT to join our cause. We may not have a full army of Super-Soldiers, but we will have some with powers. Mainly though... we will be fully made-up of people who WANT to be there." he explains.

"I like where your head is at little brother." I smile at him.

"Which brings me to something else... It probably goes without saying, but I feel I need to just to put it out there." Sebastian takes a moment before continuing. "Please stay out of my head Maddy. My thoughts are mine, and that's how it should stay, okay?" 

    I am a little shocked that he said this. I can't help but feel a little stab of defensiveness rise up, but I'd be lying if I said the thought hadn't crossed my mind. So, I guess he has a point, and he has every right to let his boundaries be known.  

"I understand." I respond flatly.

    Somehow my heart feels a sense of heaviness between us. Like it isn't at all what I thought it would be between us once we finally got around one another. I can't quite put my finger on it, but there is tension here that I never imagined would be. It's a little heartbreaking, really.

    We continue to ride, but silence fills the air around us. I have to put my thoughts elsewhere or this nagging itch will get the better of me. I want to figure out why there is some sort of tension here, and the desire to peek into his mind is starting to gnaw at me. Putting my thoughts somewhere else is the only thing I can think of to help push this away.

    I cling onto the first thought that crosses my mind. 

Jasper

    What happened? How did things take such a wild turn with him? Why did he kill Wyatt? And why was he completely okay with fighting me? He became this gruesome beast when he had that staff. Could that be what clouded his judgement? Or was the outcome something that had been lurking beneath the surface all along?

    Thoughts of Jasper flood my mind, and that nagging itch to feel that power coarse through my veins becomes overwhelming.

"Sebastian... Are you feeling alright enough to take the reigns and drive for a bit? I need to check into something..." I ask.

"Sure." he replies and takes the reigns from me.

    With myself free to completely focus, I close my eyes and center myself. Drawing power from the sword while it is strapped to my back, and honing into my own powers, I focus on my subject. Feeling the warmth hit my veins, power surges through me. I envision his face, drive my power towards what I want to do. 

    I want to find out if Jasper really is dead, or if something else happened entirely. 

    My breathing is calm and controlled, as the warmth touches every nerve in my body, I exhale with delight. 

This is exactly where I want to be, in this feeling, with this power...

    As soon as his face takes shape in my mind, I feel a warm wind brush across my skin, and it begins to blow through my hair. Then, a soft whisper...

'Come find me'.

    It was Jasper's voice.  

He's alive...