Chapter 16 The Choice it Demanded
"You knew." The words came out of my mouth like a whisper.
My father did not say a word.
His silence told me a lot.
Something inside me broke, a weight I had been carrying because I was scared and tired. I walked up to him in three steps and grabbed his collar.
"You put a kill switch in your daughter " I said to him. ". You were okay with it happening."
He started to say, "Isabella—"
I cut him off. "Just say yes or no."
He still did not say anything.
That meant yes.
My mother came up behind me. I could feel her before I heard her her heartbeat like mine reminding me of life when things were tense.
"Let him go " she said softly. "He cannot talk if you are choking him."
I let go of his collar.
My hands were shaking.
Vince stood next to me close enough that I could feel his warmth. Rafael stood by the wall watching my mother like he was waiting for something to happen.
My mother turned to my father.
"Tell her everything " she said firmly.
My father got stiff. "Elena—"
"Tell her " she said again her voice strong. ". I will."
There was a silence for a few seconds.
Then my father let out a breath.
"The transfer was not supposed to be forced " he explained. "It was supposed to be my daughters choice. Isabella would reach power feel the system opening and then decide whether to take it or give it to someone else."
I cut in my voice flat. "Give it to her to my mother, who you said was dead."
"Yes " he said.
I thought about what would have happened if I had died before I even knew my mother existed.
His silence was very loud.
The truth was clear. It hurt.
I would have died alone with power I did not understand. I would not have been able to save anyone.
Vince spoke up his voice quiet but angry. "You gambled with her life."
My father turned to him defensive. "I thought it through—"
Vince said again "You gambled."
My mother put a hand on my arm. Her touch was warm and steady like it had been holding things together for a time.
"He did not see Marco coming " she explained. "When Marco betrayed your father and the first plan fell apart everything got out of control. You were supposed to be older and know who I was before any of this started."
I looked at her surprised. "That does not make it right."
"No " she agreed. "It does not."
She let go of my arm. Looked at the tunnel entrance.
". We do not have time for things to be right tonight."
The walls started shaking.
It was not an explosion; it was like the whole structure was adjusting to a strain.
Rafael stood up straight. "The second system."
"It is still working " my mother confirmed. "The signal I sent gave us time but it did not stop the activation; it just changed the focus."
"Changed it where?" Rafael asked.
She looked directly at him.
"Here " she said simply.
The word hit me hard.
Vince turned to her. "How many groups got your signal?"
"All of them."
". They think Isabella chose to give up."
"Yes."
"So they are on their way " he realized.
"They are already coming " she corrected.
Light came from the tunnel entrance above us. It was not warm; it was cold. It showed the group marks on the stone, blue and sharp challenging Vinces marks.
"That cannot be " Vince said, surprised.
"The Vasquez group does not negotiate territory " my mother replied. "As I said we get rid of boundaries altogether."
"You are behind this " Vince accused.
"No " she said, looking at me. "She is."
Everyone turned to me.
The marks on my hands came to life moving up my arms and taking warmth from deep inside me.
I did not tell them to do that.
"Stop it " I told my skin.
The marks did not listen.
"It is reacting to us being close " my mother explained as she came up to me. "You and I being together speeds up the activation. The system sees the transfer point."
"Then move away from me " I said, feeling urgent.
"If I step back you will be alone with it."
"I have been alone with it this time."
She stopped.
I saw something like guilt on her face.
"Yes " she said. "You have."
Rafael walked across the room. Picked up the journal from where I had dropped it. He put it in my hands.
"Open it " he said.
"It has locked itself."
"Try opening it anyway."
I tried,. The cover would not open. Something inside was stopping me.
"It needs a choice " my father said quietly from behind me. "The journal locks itself when the person is unsure. It will not open until you decide."
"What choice?" I asked.
"Any choice " he replied. "The system just wants you to do something."
The group marks on the walls got brighter.
Above us I heard a thud, followed by more. It sounded like footsteps. Many footsteps.
"They are in the building " Vince said, pulling out a metal blade.
My mother raised her hand.
The footsteps stopped instantly.
Silence fell.
Vince looked at her surprised.
She lowered her hand slowly.
"I can hold them off for four minutes " she said.
"What happens then?" Rafael asked.
"Then Isabella must make a choice or the system will decide for her."
I looked down at the journal.
My hands were steady now.
Something beneath my fear had. I was focused.
I looked at my mother.
"If I open this " I asked, ". Control the activation myself what happens to you?"
She looked at me without looking away.
"I will go back, to being invisible " she replied.
"Is that what you want?"
The question surprised her; I could see it. Nobody had ever asked her that
She opened her mouth to speak.
Before she could answer the journal opened by itself.
One page.
One line.
Before I could stop myself I read it and the tunnel lit up.