thing we wish to do right now is test the prophecies we have been counting on so heavily. We want to give him the Iris, so that we can confirm that all is as we have so long believed it to be. Ryland will not find out about his ability, or the Holders, or the prophecies, or any of it.”
“What, like he’s not going to ask what’s going on?”
“We will speak to him briefly beforehand, and tell him what he needs to know. Holders have been hiding from people for centuries. Believe me when I say we are prepared for his questions. Then, when the test is over, he will go back to life as usual.”
“He has to find out about everything, eventually.”
“Precisely – eventually. He will learn slowly, along with the other Holders his age. Then, in a few years, after Ryland is fully awakened, he will join us when and if he is ready and willing. He is young and has time; he will not have to find out everything in a matter of days as you did. I am surprised that you are taking everything as well as you are. Alex was right,” she said. “You do have a little of the Holder in you, how else could you have absorbed so much in so short a time?”
“Yeah, well I may have reached my limit,” I said.
“Don’t worry, there is no more to tell. A few details here and there perhaps, but aside from that, you know all that we know at this point. The rest is all yet to be seen.”
“But what about Darragh? You said that you thought he was planning something, and that he had to be stopped. It doesn’t sound like you have a lot of time to just sit around waiting.”
“We are prepared to wait as long as we have to. Forcing Ryland into something he is not ready for doesn’t do anyone any good. We have been waiting hundreds of years for this. You can rest assured that the entire situation will be handled with the upmost care. You just need to trust us. Ryland is safe here.”
The desire to believe her was getting the better of me, but I beat it back once again. “Why didn’t Alex tell me? He promised to tell me everything. He promised that…” my voice died off as I looked away, well aware that my remaining hurt at Alex’s betrayal – or at least what I had at first assumed was a betrayal, but now seemed more like an irrational leap on my part – was clear in my voice.
“He did tell you everything. He may have saved the most troubling information for last, but he couldn’t possibly tell you everything at once. And would you have come here at all if he had? Alex handled everything as best as he could, and he truly does care about what happens to your brother. He kept us all up very late last night proving that.”
“What do you mean?”
“Most of the Order wanted Ryland tested with the Iris right away, but Alex insisted that he be given at least two uninterrupted weeks to adjust to his classes and his new life here, before we hold the teSt He was adamant that that’s what you would want, and he wouldn’t take no for an answer.”
“He did that?” I whispered, feeling like a total ass for yelling at him the way I did.
“Without him, Ryland may have very well been tested today.”
“Oh, God I was so horrible.” I hung my face in my hands.
“Don’t worry, he’ll understand,” she assured me, patting my knee. “You believe this is truly what is best for Ryland.”
Again, I couldn’t tell if she was asking or making an observation, but I nodded. She smiled, patted my hand once more, and stood.
“One more thing,” she said as she turned to go. “Try to take it easy on Alex. He has had a much harder time these last few days than he lets on.”
I wanted to ask what she meant, but the look on her face told me she wasn’t planning on saying anymore about it, so I simply said, “I will.”
She smiled and walked off, leaving me on the bench alone.
“Trust us,” she’d said.
Could I really do that? Could I really trust a bunch of people I barely knew with Ryland’s safety? Did I really have a choice? Honestly, I knew the answer was no. If I wasn’t willing to give these people a chance,