phone records had indicated she’d spoken to Jonathan on numerous occasions. So they’d all suspected she’d called Jonathan to tell him about the wedding on the beach. They also assumed she’d warned him about the assault on the CRF headquarters. Just as she supposedly called to inform him of the location they’d given her—a false location that only a handful of people knew about.
But they’d tracked all those suspicions through one thing.
Technology.
His heart skipped a beat.
There was only one person on this island with the ability to control technology. That person also happened to be involved in all the planning, knew about the tests, and could have provided the details back to Jonathan for him to act.
Only, Aya’s comments about the culprit really working for Osiris gave him pause.
“We all agree that the guilty party reported everything to Jonathan, such as the wedding details and the pending assault on the CRF headquarters. But we also believe Osiris didn’t appreciate Jonathan’s actions.” The jigsaw pieces in Issac’s head were refusing to marry together. “The mole couldn’t possibly have been reporting to both because Osiris’s objectives differ from Jonathan’s destructive goals.”
They all fell silent for a moment.
Then Aya said, “Maybe John was the go-between. Osiris doesn’t strike me as being easily contacted. So maybe the mole was feeding information to him via John.”
“And Jonathan chose to act on the details rather than pass them on,” Issac added. “Which earned him a proper death sentence.”
Lucian and Balthazar hummed in agreement.
“So our mole has been working for Osiris this whole time but reporting through Jonathan,” Issac continued. “The question is whether or not he’s been compelled or if he’s been betraying us all for decades.”
“He?” Lucian arched a brow.
“Mateo,” Balthazar said. “That’s who he suspects.”
Issac was only mildly irritated at the mind reader for speaking his thoughts out loud. They had bigger problems. Particularly if Issac’s suspicion proved right. “He was in the inner circle, and he has the means with which to manipulate everything. Such as the technology around us. He’s also the one who provided Clara’s phone records, and he was the one in charge of the radios at the CRF—”
“The radios that failed,” Balthazar added.
“Yes. And he would be the only one capable of sending updates to Jonathan undetected because he manages the technological infrastructure of the island.” The more Issac thought about it, the stronger his suspicions became.
“That could also explain why he wasn’t able to access classified documents at the CRF,” Aya murmured. “It was his idea for me to go back to the CRF, remember? He wanted me to gain access to John’s computer.”
“So you would agree to become a Sentinel.” Issac swallowed a furious curse. It all made sense. He’d orchestrated everything, guiding them in the appropriate direction to play right into Osiris’s hands. “Osiris was intrigued by you that night of the Conclave. He wanted to see what kind of supernatural you would become. And so he drove you to the CRF, where Jonathan could keep an eye on you.”
“Osiris provided us with just enough information to keep us moving forward, but at the pace he preferred.” A respectful note underlined Lucian’s words. As a master strategist, he would find this all fascinating.
“Where is he now?” Balthazar asked.
The four of them frowned.
“I haven’t seen him since he left Gabriel’s house the other day,” Issac said. “He’s staying with Nadia at the fledgling house, right?”
Lucian’s expression hardened. “With Eliza, yes.” He took a step toward the path, leaving the others on the beach behind him.
“Wait!” Aya called after him. “If he’s really the mole, then he’s still feeding information to Osiris. Shouldn’t we use that to our advantage? He thinks he’s free of suspicion, right?”
Issac and Balthazar shared a look. Concern etched a path into the mind reader’s brow. Amelia had been right. This was far worse than Issac had realized. Lucian never acted without thinking through a plan, and he’d clearly been on his way to act on the information without considering an appropriate course.
He just wanted blood.
Mateo’s blood.
Fortunately, Aya’s words had given him the clarity he needed to reconsider his rash decision.
The Hydraian King slowly turned toward them, his face devoid of emotion. “How shall we use it?” he asked Aya.
“I don’t know. Maybe we use him to find Osiris? Or trap Osiris?” She frowned. “I... There has to be some way to gain the upper hand with this knowledge.”
“We can use him to feed Osiris false information about our plans and whereabouts,” Balthazar suggested.