Human One

24. The Truth Behind The Island

A dark figure stands in the doorway, and before I know what I'm thinking, my lips are moving.

"Lager?"

"Sorry to dash your hopes, but it's not Lager." They respond, and my eyes widen as I recognize them.

Wearing a dark green cloak with blonde hair similar to a certain minor antagonist I know, Adviser Cecil stands in the doorway, looking almost foreboding as he stares down at me.

"You're not fully recovered yet, what are you doing up?" He asks, and I shuffle a few steps back, swallowing.

"Erm....you see, I had to use the bathroom."

His eyes shift from me to the open bathroom door I was in just a few seconds ago, and he raises an eyebrow.

I sigh. "Okay, you caught me, I'm going to see Lager, and it's really important, so I'd be very grateful if you would just let me through...". I trail off, staring hopefully at the tiny amount of space between him and the doorway.

"You can't see the Darkling High Commander," He starts, and I open my mouth to refute, but he continues "And you shouldn't want to. He's not in the right state of mind at the moment."

My brows furrow. "Why? What happened?"

He steps aside, gesturing to the open doorway. "If you come with me, I can explain everything."

"Yeah and that totally doesn't sound like a trap or anything." I say sarcastically, thinking back to the time Peter had tricked me by bringing me straight into Mrs. Clarke's hands.

"Well you're just going to have to trust me then, or trust Lager's opinion in me." He says, before glancing at an imaginary watch on his hands. "Tik-tok. If the shape-shifting monkey-boy gets here before you make your decision you won't be able to leave this room."

I sigh, raising my good hand and rubbing my forehead.

"Not that I don't trust Lager or anything, but I can't just follow you to some unknown place with the promise that you'll tell me "everything"."

"I was hoping I wouldn't have to resort to this." Adviser Cecil suddenly sighs, and I did not like the sound of those words. I start to take a few steps back, but he reaches out, his hand latching onto my injured shoulder.

I let out a yelp of pain, my knees almost buckling as a glowing light emits from his hand through the black spots in my vision. A millisecond later and the crippling pain I felt slowly eases into a warm, soothing feeling.

I blink a few times, and look from my shoulder where his hand still glows, to the Adviser.

"You're a Lightling?" I gape, completely and utterly shocked.

"Yes." Is all he says.

"And you're the adviser of the Darkling High Commander...?" Then a thought occurs and I gasp. "Wait! Does that mean Sylvia is also a Lightling, since you're siblings?"

"No, she's Darkling, thorough and thorough. We had different mothers, mine was a Lightling, her was a Darkling.  I'm actually a Halfling, like your friend Becky, and so far only you, Lager, and Sylvia know about this, so I would appreciate it if you kept this to yourself."

I nod, still to surprised to say much of anything.

"So....if my arm healed now?' I manage to spit out.

"No, but I stopped the bleeding and took away the pain for a while, so you should be good to move around for some time."

Suddenly he glances an imaginary watch on his hands. " While I hate to interrupt this enlightening conversation, Tik-tok. If the shape-shifting monkey-boy gets here before you make your decision you won't be able to leave this room."