Page 43 of Resolve
Portia excitedly throws her hand up. “Oh! We can fly and drop off the others on our way to ours. Elias has his own plane.”
Aiden’s expression turns to stone.
I touch her knee to get her attention. “You’re sure? Even just dropping the others off would be a huge help. You don’t have to volunteer to take a board member, too.”
She grabs my hand and pulls it up between us. “We’ve got a lot of strong people on our team too, remember? We’re helping you end this, Rae.”
Elias angles his head, his eyes focused on Aiden when he muses aloud, “Last night you mentioned attacking these people in their sleep.” There’s a slight edge to his tone that hints at disapproval of Aiden’s method. “Why undergo so much effort in research and training if that’s your plan?”
Aiden’s dark stare levels with Elias’s pale one. If Elias hadn’t been in the office with Aiden last night, he wouldn’t be here now. As soon as he heard what information we’d gotten from Alice, he insisted that he and Portia be included in the plans. They offered their resources to assist, and surprisingly, Aiden didn’t refuse.
We’re at the point now where we’ll do anything to win, even if it means putting aside differences to accept help from outside the Guild’s resources.
Jackson releases a dark chuckle that sends shivers down my spine. “You underestimate them.”
Elias turns his gaze to Jack. “I disagree. I have experience with Gifted Enterprise and am well aware of their abilities. As well as their numbers.”
This time, Aiden replies, “Then you should understand that we have to be prepared regardless of the plan. And if you’re too squeamishto get the job done, then you’re free to leave. This isn’t a fight where we wait until the enemy is ready before we attack. This is a war. Every board member has blood on their hands for what’s been done to gifted and ungifted alike. They kill without conscience, brainwash and torture for their gain, and imprison others for their research. Leaving even one alive risks the resurrection of GE after Charles’s death.”
“It’s also going to be a huge blow to his ego and operations when his board is gone,” Reid tags in.
Dane scoffs. “Maybe the smiling psycho will finally make some mistakes.”
Aiden nods in agreement. “Every target will have an invisible spy with them—one of Harvey’s siblings. The teams will bring them back to the Tower. Our team and Reid’s team will meet back here, and after confirmation that the entire board is dead, we’ll go after the GE president.”
“I’ll be on standby here with the rest of the Guild members should we need to evacuate,” Cibrina chimes in. If we fail or we don’t act soon enough, the Tower is the first place Charles will strike to retaliate.
“Whatisthe plan for Charles?” Reid questions.
“We have a few ideas,” Cibrina answers, and Dane scoffs, running his hand through his blond hair.
“All of them have weaknesses. The guy’s too powerful with all his gifts. Even if we try something, one of his gifts will somehow get him out of it.”
Reid nods. “He curated the gifts he has for that reason. At least until he finds immortality.”
“Wait. You saidallhis gifts. He has more than one?” Portia asks,confused. “How is that possible?”
“He can copy gifts from people with the same blood type as him. By licking it,” I add with distaste, and her face scrunches with disgust. “So far, he can teleport, put people to sleep through touch, use telekinesis, and he copied Kell’s gift.”
“You forgot frequency manipulation,” Reid adds.
“Oh, right. I haven’t seen him use that one yet.”
“It’s not anything you can see.”
“What does it do?” I prompt, and Tinsley squirms closer to Reid. A bad memory?
“The simplest usage is to block or manipulate communications.” Okay. That’s not... terrible compared to his other abilities.
Reid goes on, “He can also use it to alter the speed of an object or person. Usually, he uses it on himself. He hasn’t mastered using it on more than one thing at a time. Or maybe that’s one of the copy’s flaws. But the reason I’ve never been able to beat him is that he’s found a way to use frequency to affect my gift. He can block spatial travel, like mine and Bea’s. It affects him too, but he has enough other gifts to still put me at a disadvantage. I also believe it’s a combination of this gift and Dane’s that enables the gift-blocking jewelry to work,” he finishes.
Superpowered freak.
“Sausage and rice!” Portia exclaims, and everyone pauses.
It takes me a second before it clicks. “Did you meancheeseand rice?”
She frowns. “No. I meant what I said.”
