“You!” James said, trying and failing once again to sit up.
“Yes, it’s me, but I won’t hurt you,” Auri said, hands still raised.
But James stared at the old man. For a brief moment, he had looked exactly like the old man in Kathmandu, the fruit-seller who had pointed them to the temple, starting their journey toward the Chintamani Stone. But no, this man had a serious face, quite different from the leering humor of the man in the square. James shook his head. He turned back to Auri.
“What are you doing here?” he demanded. “Where am I? Where are the other Supers?”
“None of the others are here, nor do they know where you are,” Auri said slowly, as if soothing a child. “I was able to find you before they did, luckily. But you were half dead, maybe more. I flew you to this village and was able to heal you.”
Was she telling the truth? At this point, James didn’t trust any Super that was still conscious, not while the others were... not. But Auri’s voice was sincere. And back at the compound, she had a chance to stop him but didn’t.
“Why?” was all James managed to say.
“I... I had to do what was right,” she said, wringing her hands in her lap.
James snorted.
Her eyes shone. “It’s true. It’s all I’ve ever wanted. I was given these powers for a reason.”
“Like helping Calico trap my brother? And the others?”
She sighed. “It’s not always clear what is right. Calico, when he first told us about the existence of the stone, seemed so earnest. He talked about how it could change the world for the better, democratize power. What right do we have to stand above all others? I believed him. Even when Lychnus and the others went against him, I thought they were being blind. Even when he said we had to temporarily remove them...” She shuddered. “I had no idea what he had in mind. I’ve seen them down there, locked up like animals. It’s horrible.”
“So you had a change of heart?” James said, slightly sarcastic. He should be grateful. Without her, he’d probably be dead. But she also helped imprison his brother, helped start this entire mess.
“It wasn’t just that. As Calico became bolder, thinking we were all completely committed to his cause, he let slip his true intentions.” She closed her eyes and took a breath. “He doesn’t want to democratize power. He wants to consolidate it. He’ll use the stone to create an army of Supers completely loyal to him. They would be unstoppable. Governments around the world would bend their knees to him and him alone.”
James let her words sink in. He imagined it. An army of Supers, handpicked by Calico for their loyalty, given powers by the Chintamani Stone. Even just fifty would wreak havoc. Five hundred would be devastating. A thousand or more? He shuddered at the thought. Complete domination.
“He doesn’t want to be a Super,” James said quietly, taking it in. “He wants to be a god.”
Auri nodded. “He’s always seemed to hold this idea that we’re... better than Normals. That we stand above, that we don’t play by the same rules. I think he detests dedicating his life to saving you.”
“And what do you think?” James said, suddenly aware of his leg. It throbbed, but he could feel the blanket pressing gently down on it. No longer broken. Healed.
She met his eyes, and something burned behind her gaze. “I think we’re all humans. We should not divide ourselves up based on power. It is our duty, as humans, to protect each other. And those given powers should use them to lift up those without, not to subjugate.”
James sat in silence. He agreed with her sentiment, of course, but how could he trust the word of someone who helped Calico, who imprisoned her fellow Supers, who led to all the death and destruction in New York?
A thought popped into his head, and before he could stop himself, he said, “Are you helping me because it’s the right thing to do or because it makes you feel better about the bad things you’ve done?”
She sat in silence for a long time. Finally, she said, “Does it matter?”
“It does to me.”
More silence. Then she spoke slowly. “Being good doesn’t mean you never do bad things. Everyone’s done things they regret. But the moments after you realize your mistake are the most important. You have a choice to double down or to learn and be better. I choose to be better.”
James absorbed that, then nodded. He still didn’t know if he trusted her, but her words seemed honest. He pushed himself up so he was sitting with his pillow against his back. “So what’re we going to do?”
“You must find the stone before Calico.”
“I notice you didn’t say ‘we.’”
She glanced at her feet. “I have to return to the base before my absence becomes excessive. Or they’ll start asking questions.”
“Wha... Why?” James sputtered. “I thought you were turning against Calico. It’s time to fight back!”
Auri shook her head. “I’m a healer, not a fighter. I’ll work from within. Perhaps I can convince the others to turn against Calico. Most importantly, Rocky and Katie—”
“Are they alright?” James said quickly, his heart fluttering. He’d abandoned them, left them behind with a monster.
“They’re okay. For now. But Calico won’t rest until he finds out where the stone is.” Auri gave him a meaningful look. “Calico saw the truth in your eyes when you said you know where it is. Was it the truth?”
“I...” James faltered. Was this all just a trick to get the secret out of him? He shook his head. At some point, you just had to trust your gut, and his gut told him Auri was on his side. “Yes, I know where it is.”
“Good. That means he’ll keep them alive until he finds the answer.”
“Auri,” James said, pleading, “you have to protect them.”
She pursed her lips, her eyes soft. “I
