Biana's Choice

Part VIII

Marella's POV

               The Gateway to Exile itself was unpleasant, but what lay ahead made it seem like a piece of mallowmelt. My legs were falling off by the time we reached the enter of the Earth-and by the time we reached Exile. I was a nervous wreck.

                 "Seriously," I grumbled after I tripped on the ten thousandth something step and Dex grabbed my wrist to stop me from tumbling down the rest of the stairs. I was sure my cheeks were redder than Sophie's  favorite tunic. "Of all the terrible places to put Exile, they just had  to put it in the center of the Earth."

                 "I know right?" Dex grumbled in a cute way only he could master. Dex had this thing of being amazing and talented and grumpy and compassionate  at the same time.

                  But the real reason I really like Dex is because of the fact that he's really brave. And I'm not just talking about his fights with the Neverseen and the fact that he rushes to his friend's aid- though that is also super brave. It's the fact that he manages to face the scorn of a bad match that would've made Fitz Vacker himself hide and never come out again.  And he manages it with dignity and even looks out for his troublesome younger siblings. Now that's amazingly brave and I should know. My family has faced terrible judgement thanks to my mom's unpredictable mood swings. And sometimes I'maffected by them and while Dex is too, he doesn't so it unless it's purposely thrown in his face. And he at least can get them back with serums and elixirs.

               Linh,meanwhile, managed to look serene and pretty at the same time as we descended to Fintan's cell.  I was pretty sure it was just an act but she might have really been calm because it looked super real.

                By the time we reached his cell, my thoughts had flickered to Biana. I couldn't help but feel jealous that she and Dex were together when I'd been dreaming of dating Dex for years. Not that I blamed Biana. I knew how much there was to like about Dex and if I was completely honest, part of me had suspected all along that Dex  would crush on someone like Biana.

               But it didn't matter now anyway. I had to focus on convincing Fintan.

               "Well,well,what do we have here?

               The voice was casual,even indifferent, but that didn't stop my racing heart. I knew that voice; Fintan's. 

              "I must say," he said,his icy eyes flickering from me to Linh and then to Dex," you have surprised me. And that doesn't happen very often."

              It probably didn't as he was stuck in a timeless cell with little to no heat in the middle of the Earth with little to no visitors ever since I'd mastered my pyrokinesis. I wondered what Fintan would spend his days doing other than staring at the bare dark walls of his fireproof cell.

              "I did not expect a visit," he said,rubbing his chin,his eyes on Dex, but I was sure he was speaking to me. " And even if I did, I would not have expected a technopath to be present. So I'm assuming, since you've mastered your pyrokinesis already, that you came for questions. About the Neverseen."

               "Pretty much," I admitted,pointing at my bracelt. "Do you know what this is?"

                Fintan's eyes surveyed the bracelt before once again settling on Dex. But this time he spoke to Dex when he said, "I suppose that is some gadget of yours?"

              Dex nodded,not smiling the least as he explained, " I used some tweaks to change this normal bracelet's wires so that it can help have a special task as to control the heat inside Marella and the heat transfer that she used as times to a not-burn-down-Exile- amount."

             I only understood half of what Dex had done and said, but I trusted Dex completely.  He was extremely talented and he was quick to assure me that this wasn't the first ability controlling gadget he'd made. And by that I don't mean the ability restrictor he made for Sophie in Everblaze. The gadgets he's making control their abilities safely instead of preventing them. 

             But apparently Fintan understood it better because he said,quietly, "You made a gadget to control her pyrokinesis," which was unnervingly accurate. And I couldn't help notice that he did NOT look thrilled about that.

             "Um-that pretty much covers it," I said. " And before you demand to why-let me explain."

             Fintan was quiet as I told him everything , but he didn't look at all surprised. I had the feeling he'd been the one to spark their supply. He did look surprised however when I explained my plan.

             "It might work," he admitted, to our collective surprise. If Finatn admitted it might work, it might actually work! "BUT," he added, "don't hold your breath."

              "Why?" Dex asked,looking frustrated. " It seems like a good plan."

              "To you, maybe," Fintan said. "But are you a pyrokinetic? No." His eyes fixated on me. "But you are. So I would have expected you to have not have missed such a crucial detail."                  

                "What detail?" Linh said, finally speaking up. Her voice and face betrayed no panic, but storm clouds were noticeably gathering above her head.

                  Fintan's eyes wandered to his bare wall before he said, " The fact that that chemical will save someone and will make someone more powerful, but like all chemicals it has its consequences."

                "Which is...?" I pressed when he fell silent.

                 Fintan's eyes turned grave as he whispered," It will gain control of the host and if that host lets go, then all is lost."