Sixty-seven

For the rest of the ride, I sulk, and pout, worse than a child. I realise that without Mason the balance is too fragile for me to sustain in my current condition. Even when I was in perfect health I struggled to find a happy medium where my powers wouldn't turn on me, in the blink of an eye. Sadly, whatever Anika did, it has bound us until death and perhaps beyond. It remains to be seen.

The thought of whatever they have done to an unborn Mason has my blood curled in my veins. And his mother, I can't imagine what they must've put her through to get what they wanted.

They should have let me die if that was my fate.

" You're awfully quiet," Gerald hums at my side, " Would you like to continue playing our game? Find the secret?" Oh, joy. He found a name for it.

" No," I grumble under my breath, but he hears it," Maybe," I sigh, " Yeah, sure go ahead," I give in, because what else are we supposed to do while he drives? We've made considerable progress since I reclaimed my passenger seat, and we are rapidly approaching Morston. Still have a little over half a day, but it's a relief. Whereas, I'm not even close to being ready to face the enemy that's been hiding in the shadows.

Clearing his throat, Gerald gives me an apologetic smile before he begins dissecting my story, " Where were we again?" He asks rhetorically," Ahh, yes," He hums, " We were discussing your beloved mother," I scoff at that. She is far from beloved. Whatever sentiments I had towards the woman who gave birth to me died prematurely.

" So, maybe not so beloved," He sighs, " Do you think that there is a possibility that there might be a faction out there, one that possesses the same abilities as you that might want vengeance or claim the absolute power over the other daiō? " Not that I know of.

" No," I say but it lacks confidence. There are too many unknowns, still and the power of deduction can only get you so far.

" Not that I know of," I amend and he nods in assent.

" Expect the unexpected, " He says cryptically and I turn to fully look at him.

" Elaborate," I demand, he nods and takes a deep breath.

" When we break new ground for mining. We have this saying, ' expected the unexpected'. It's a simple concept but has saved the lives of many men. Accidents happen while digging in the belly of the underground for precious metals and stones. Water ingress, unstable ground, defective machinery, equipment malfunction, etc. There is a long list, I teach my men to follow a set of checks to control what they can. But what happens when certain things are out of control?" He poses yet another rhetorical question, and I wait for him to offer the answer. Truthfully, in my opinion, when something unexpected happens you brace for impact and pray that the damage is minimal.

" You take precautions. You may not be able to control or prevent it from happening but you can change the outcome, by being prepared for it to happen. Even though it is unlikely to happen, if it does you can't allow yourself to be caught off guard. Those few seconds that you spend getting your shit together, might make a difference in how it ends. So keeping that in mind, if I were you, I'd expect the worst in this situation. This is one of the reasons, I didn't stop you from leaving the colony or the hospital. Your instincts are telling you that something is wrong. And you're probably right," He adds somberly. I can't argue with that kind of reasoning, for once we understand each other at a different levels. One that requires one to have lived through countless unexpected situations, one that resulted in casualties.

" At least we agree on something," I say with a deep sigh and he chuckles.

" I don't remember ever disagreeing with you," He gives me the side eye and it's my turn to chuckle.

" You haven't spent enough time in each other's company to have disagreements," I counter, and he shakes his head.

" I think spending almost three days crammed in a tiny space offers plenty of opportunities for disagreement," He retorts with a slanted smile.

" I was ill half of that time so it doesn't count. Now tell me about you and Sophie. The woman has feelings for you. Why brush them off?" Gerald heaves out a heavy sigh and frowns. He'd spent the entirety of the trip keeping the conversation focused on me. The tables have turned, and he has suddenly become mute.

He doesn't answer, not right away, anyway.

" Sophie and I have known each other since we were children. We practically grew together. She, her brothers, her father, and her uncles, have been in this business for far longer than mine. She is a bright capable girl stuck on the hamster wheel. She loves life but also wants to become a doctor. She doesn't want to choose between those two. So she does them both, as you have already seen," He huffs out a frustrated breath, his nostrils flaring," If I were to give in and start daring her, she wouldn't be allowed to set foot in a mine. She would have to choose between mine, her boys, and myself. I can't ask that of her. For some odd reason, she loves digging through dirt, mending broken bones, patching up wounds, and I can't see myself down the road being able to watch her do that. So, I let her be. It's her choice after all. If one day she decides to leave all of that behind, I'll be the first man to ask her on a date and then her hand in marriage," Oh. I didn't see that coming. So, the feelings are mutual.

" How about you give her a nudge in the right direction," I suggest, thankful for the distraction his little story has provided," Ask her on a date?" I tack on, and he laughs like I've lost my mind. Sighing, I lean back in my chair and look at the star-spangled sky. Maybe I have. My love life is in shambles, I'm in no position to advise anyone.

" One day, but that day hasn't arrived yet," Gerald says with a finality that suggests that this is where this conversation ends.