Inescapable (Talented Saga #7) (40 page)

The shock showed on nearly everyone’s face.
None of us had ever thought of Victoria having a brother.
Personally, I’d always just figured Victoria sort of sprang into
being. Even after visiting her family home, the thought of her
having parents and a sibling was just weird.

“
It is nice to meet all of
you.” He spoke in a clipped British accent similar to Victoria’s.
“I, of course, already know who each of you are, so introductions
are not necessary.” Hans cleared his throat again. “First, let me
say that I do believe you, Erikson. I do believe that you saw
Natalia just a moment ago. What you are describing, the breaks in
transmission, the surreal quality of the vision—it suggests what
you saw may have been a memory of Natalia’s. Or, quite possibly,
she altered your perception of her surroundings to throw you
off.”

“
She wouldn’t do that,” I
snapped.

Hans held up his hands in a placating
gesture. “Not for your benefit, no. But she must be aware that
UNITED is using all their resources to locate her. She may not have
qualms about disclosing her location to you or Agent Kraft, but she
would not want others to be able to accurately view her.”

My brain started to hurt. What Hans was
saying made sense, yet I wasn’t even sure Talia would know how to
do something so convoluted.

“
Another possibility is
that Natalia is currently somewhere with an extremely high energy
field, like say an island or seaside town. That energy is what is
disrupting your communication. If I had to guess, I would say it
may be a mix of the last two—a high-energy field combined with an
altered perception. I say this because I have just received
credible intelligence that Natalia is in Nice, France. The energy
in the region is higher than normal.”

Hans’s theory about the energy field did
make me feel a little better. At least if there was an explanation
as to why my talents weren’t working properly, it meant I wasn’t
short-circuiting.

“
High enough to cause
disturbances?” Crane asked.

“
Normally I would say no,”
Hans admitted. “But there are several factors that could influence
that. There have been an abnormally large number of storms in that
region of late. Many have been manmade, caused by a Created Talent.
That type of a storm creates huge amounts of energy. It is quite
likely that the field surrounding Nice is stronger than
usual.”

“
Wait. Backup. France? No.
Talia wouldn’t go to France. It doesn’t make sense,” I said
dismissively.

“
Forgive me, but I beg to
differ.” Hans glanced down at his communicator and began reading
off of the screen. “My source informs me that two young women were
seen exiting a private pod dock not two hours ago. Both were
dark-haired, one with curls and the other had very straight hair.
One, he reports, had green eyes, while the other had purple. Both
young women are said to possess abilities.” Looking up, Hans
directed his next comment at me. “Nice does have a number of shops.
It is very possible that you did see Natalia in a toy store.
Possibly it was only her attire that she altered, since the weather
in Nice is quite warm currently.”

“
What about Frederick’s
vision?” I challenged.

Again, Hans held up his hands. “I am afraid
I do not have all the answers. I only know what I am being told.
That is that Natalia and another young woman are in Nice.” He
turned his attention on Victoria. “If I were you, that is where I
would start my search.”

The Privileged

Besançon, France

Three Days Before the Vote

Despite Gracia’s many admonishments, the 2P
girls couldn’t be quieted on the way back from the auditorium.
Everyone wanted to talk about the videos the Dame played for the
cadets. The excitement was infectious, and it seemed the more they
discussed the nuances of each incident the more the virus
thrived.

Though she’d finally met the entirety of her
Phase earlier that day, Cressa stuck close to Nydia and the others
she’d met in the commons the previous evening. Lyla and Shyla
Towers might have been huge gossips, but the twins seemed better
informed than just about anyone else Cressa had met at the
Institute. For that reason alone, she endured their company.

“
You’ve been awfully
quiet,” Lyla remarked, nudging Cressa with her elbow. They were
among the last cadets waiting near the elevator bank outside the
auditorium, having hung back while the cars came, filled, and left
again. The twins seemed intent on staying up as far past curfew as
possible, which had come and gone while the student body was inside
the theater.
Gracia was directing the
elevator traffic, so Cressa, Nydia, the twins, and Daphne were
currently enjoying several minutes of freedom from her constant
supervision.

“
Aren’t you impressed by
the videos?” Lyla pressed. “The Dame has really stepped it
up.”

“
Of course I am,” Cressa
replied quickly. “I mean, who wouldn’t be, right?”

Really, the question is
who
would
be
impressed by those senseless
acts, Cressa
thought. She glanced around, hoping someone would speak
up.

“
Nydia isn’t. Right,
Nydia?” Shyla interjected.

Nydia toyed with the ends of her silver
ponytail, a nervous gesture Cressa had noticed her roommate
performing every time attention was directed her way.

Nydia stared at the ground, as though the
patterned marble was particularly fascinating. “Of course I am,”
she said, mirroring Cressa’s response.

Lyla and Shyla rolled their eyes in unison,
then both shot Cressa a look that plainly invited her to join in
their exasperation. Instead, Cressa decided to take the heat off of
her roommate.

“
I guess I’m just
wondering…why do so many people need to die?” Cressa asked. Four
sets of eyes sent her mystified looks. Panicked, Cressa
backpedaled. “I understand that eventually there will be a lot of
causalities, just like with any war. But I mean right now, before
any fighting had actually begun. Doesn’t it seem…I don’t know,
excessive?”

“
The people dying are
norms,” Daphne said, as if that were answer enough. She shook her
head, clearly confused by Cressa’s concern.

“
Right, but we were all
norms before coming to the Institute,” Cressa pointed out. “So are
our friends, and our family.” She glanced over at Daphne. “Well,
for the most part they are.”

The other girls exchanged uneasy glances,
and Cressa immediately regretted giving voice to her concerns.

“
Look,” Daphne said, “just
think about it like a video game. You need to detach yourself,
that’s all. Besides, doing it this way means there will ultimately
be fewer casualties.”

Cressa knew she should hold her tongue. But
now that she’d started down the path, she wanted to have this
conversation. More than anything, she simply couldn’t comprehend
their flippant attitudes. The audience’s applause echoed in her
ears. Didn’t they know that they were applauding needless
deaths?

“
How do you figure that
there will be fewer deaths?” she asked. “Didn’t you see all those
people outside the CN Tower? And on that bridge? We’re talking
thousands, and those are just two incidents. We have no clue how
many others there have been. And I don’t understand—why blame the
Created? If the Dame is hoping to impress the world, shouldn’t she
be taking credit?”

To Cressa’s surprise, Nydia was the one who
spoke up in reply.

“
It’s simple strategy. If
the Created are blamed for those killings, then the masses will be
less resistant when the Dame introduces the world to the
Privileged. UNITED has already proven they cannot control them, so
we will be viewed as saviors—the only ones able to stop the
Created. The world’s governments will be happy to have us clean up
the mess caused by the Created, which will make it much easier for
the Privileged to take over.”

“
Exactly,” Daphne agreed.
“The world’s leaders will practically beg the Dame to send us in. I
bet even UNITED will be happy to have our help.” She paused,
wrinkling her brow. “Well, they’ll be happy at first, anyway. Once
they realize that the Dame means to usurp them, well, things might
get a touch messy. But I’m sure even the UNITED council will decide
to join the Dame in the end. Sure beats the alternative,
right?”

Cressa was about to ask what the
‘alternative’ was, but she never got the chance. The elevator
arrived again, with an impatient Gracia onboard.

“
Hurry it along. You lot
are the last ones, and I have somewhere important to be,” Gracia
snapped, waving Cressa and the others forward.

“
Where?” Daphne
asked.

“
You know I cannot tell
you,” Gracia snapped with a frown.

“
Is it happening tonight?”
her sister asked quietly. Gracia nodded tightly, but didn’t say
anything.

“
I thought it would be—”
Daphne started, but clamped her mouth shut when Gracia shot her a
warning glare.

The rest of the ride to the 2P floor was
silent, with Gracia seeming uncharacteristically fidgety.
Alternating between bouncing on the balls of her feet and crossing
and uncrossing her arms, she seemed ill at ease in her own
skin.

It seems tonight is
the
night,
Cressa thought, glancing surreptitiously at the
older girl. Evidently, the Institute wasn’t wasting any time before
performing the facial reorg and whatever body modifications were
necessary to make Gracia physically indistinguishable from Natalia
Lyons.

Despite the brave face she’d been putting
forth, Gracia was obviously not feeling quite so smug any longer.
She’d told Sir Tate earlier that she was to undergo the procedures
as soon as Dr. Masterson’s schedule allowed, but she probably
hadn’t thought it would be so soon. Cressa almost felt bad for
Gracia; she couldn’t imagine what it would be like to know you were
heading off to be transformed into someone else entirely. Never
again would Gracia be herself.

The elevator arrived at the girls’ floor
with a ding. When the doors opened, Leslie and Suzu were waiting in
the atrium.

“
Cadet Beaumont, there you
are,” Suzu proclaimed, peering closely at Gracia. “Dr. Masterson
and her team are ready for you. Leslie and I are here to escort you
to med bay.”

“
What about the 2P girls?
Who will make sure they get to bed?” Gracia asked, chewing the
inside of her cheek anxiously.

Cressa wasn’t fooled by Gracia’s words of
concern—they were clearly a stall tactic.

She’s having second
thoughts about relinquishing her identity,
Cressa thought. She didn’t fault Gracia for having
misgivings; it made her human. If anything, Cressa would have found
it strange if Gracia wasn’t nervous about the
procedures.

And on top of that, the aftermath would be
terrifying.

Like most public figures, Natalia Lyons was
equally hated and loved by the global population. Except, the hate
she received was far more vehement. Impersonating such a
controversial girl intrinsically carried an enormous risk—one that
might very well cost Gracia her life.

“
They can manage tonight
on their own,” Leslie replied. She stared pointedly at each of the
girls in turn. “Isn’t that right, girls? You will all be on your
best behavior in Cadet Beaumont’s absence?”

It was just like in the auditorium, when
Gracia had ordered Cressa and the others to behave and not
embarrass her. Leslie’s command was so forceful, it dwarfed all
other thoughts in Cressa’s head. And just like earlier, Cressa,
Daphne, Nydia, Lyla, and Shyla all answered in unison.

“
Yes, ma’am,” they
sang.

“
Good. Then we will be
off. No bed check tonight. Normal lessons will commence tomorrow
morning after breakfast.” Leslie focused her attention on Gracia.
“Let’s go, cadet.”

Cressa and her classmates watched the older
girls board the elevator. As soon as the doors closed, the strange
sensation brought on by Leslie’s directive vanished.

The twins joined hands and did a funny
little skipping dance around the atrium.

“
The witch is gone! The
witch is gone!” they chanted. Lyla spun her sister under her arm
and then dipped her low, both girls giggling
uncontrollably.

“
So we’re definitely going
to do it, then?” Daphne asked, an unmistakable note of glee in her
voice.