The Institute (Falling Ash Chronicles #1) by Kira Lynn Farnsworth
Authors: Kira Lynn Farnsworth
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locker door, shrugging.
“I think if there was a problem they would tell us,” I pointed out.
“They’re bringing in a Soothsayer,” Chardonnay said. My jaw nearly dropped. A Soothsayer? It had to be bad. They were only brought in as a last resort. A Soothsayer was rare, even rarer than me, and in high demand. They had the ability to see into a person's future.
“When?” Sarah asked, her voice echoing my stunned thoughts. Chardonnay’s ice-cold stare softened as she smiled, confident that she’d regained everyone’s attention.
“Sometime this next week. Some people better watch out. The Institute doesn’t take lightly to traitors,” she called after me. I nearly snorted again. Yeah, like anyone would think I was capable of being a mole.
Chapter 7
I exited the gym and jogged down the stairs, following the general melee towards the cafeteria. I couldn’t wait to tell Mike what I’d heard. As soon as the thought entered my head it gave me a pause. It had been a long time since I had someone I considered to be a friend, a confidant.
I shook it off, thinking back on the conversation I’d overheard. So, there was a mole at the Institute. How long had that been going on? If it was bad enough they were bringing in a Soothsayer, why hadn’t we heard about it before now? How many of our missions were jeopardized? What about the Scorpions, who’d barely left?
In my distraction I nearly careened into a crowd that had gathered at the bottom of the stairs, just outside the mission hall. I skidded to a halt, barely avoiding smashing my nose into the back of some kid’s jacket. What was the holdup? I stood on my tiptoes, trying to see what was going on. I spotted a head of blond hair and sighed, partly in relief, partly in annoyance. The Scorpion team was back.
Somewhere ahead of me I could hear someone yelling and cursing. I wiggled my way through the sea of people, for once grateful for my diminutive size. It made it that much easier for me to slip through. I broke through the crowd and stopped, stunned at the sight in front of me.
Tim was here. They’d brought him back with them. Something must have happened; they were only supposed to be questioning him. There were obvious signs of a struggle. He was being held between Jose and Tye, his arms twisted behind his back. Tye had the beginnings of a nasty bruise coloring his jaw while Jose had a line of dried blood coming from his brow. Kate and Jonathan stood to the side next to Jeremy, both looking none the worse for wear. Of course. Why would they get their hands dirty?
My eyes fell to Tim. Something in me cracked. I wasn’t sure if it was my own sympathy or a reminder of Canda’s love for him. He looked so broken, like a man pushed to his limit. His tight curls looked greasy and dank. His face was gaunt, bearing a haunted expression I recognized. It was the expression of great loss.
“Who’s that?” a girl whispered, terrified eyes pinned on Tim. She huddled in the shadow of the boy standing next to her. They both looked familiar, but I couldn’t place them.
“Shh!” the boy hissed. His eyes were focused on Kate and Jeremy, his neck craned at an awkward angle. The girl fell silent, waiting impatiently for him to speak. “Kate says he was expecting them. He knew they were coming,” the boy finally said. The minute he spoke I remembered where I knew him from. He was in my stealth class. He had super-sonic hearing.
“How is that possible?” the girl asked, though I suspected I knew. This had to be the work of the mole. Tim’s head shot up. His bloodshot eyes narrowed on the girl, then passed her, centering on me. Fire sprung into his gaze. One minute he seemed to be weakening, the next minute he turned into a madman.
“Elsabeth! Elsabeth, you know the truth!” he yelled. I sucked in a breath. He couldn’t be speaking to me. But he was. He knew my name. How did he know my name? The students around me edged away, and none too soon. Tim
“I think if there was a problem they would tell us,” I pointed out.
“They’re bringing in a Soothsayer,” Chardonnay said. My jaw nearly dropped. A Soothsayer? It had to be bad. They were only brought in as a last resort. A Soothsayer was rare, even rarer than me, and in high demand. They had the ability to see into a person's future.
“When?” Sarah asked, her voice echoing my stunned thoughts. Chardonnay’s ice-cold stare softened as she smiled, confident that she’d regained everyone’s attention.
“Sometime this next week. Some people better watch out. The Institute doesn’t take lightly to traitors,” she called after me. I nearly snorted again. Yeah, like anyone would think I was capable of being a mole.
Chapter 7
I exited the gym and jogged down the stairs, following the general melee towards the cafeteria. I couldn’t wait to tell Mike what I’d heard. As soon as the thought entered my head it gave me a pause. It had been a long time since I had someone I considered to be a friend, a confidant.
I shook it off, thinking back on the conversation I’d overheard. So, there was a mole at the Institute. How long had that been going on? If it was bad enough they were bringing in a Soothsayer, why hadn’t we heard about it before now? How many of our missions were jeopardized? What about the Scorpions, who’d barely left?
In my distraction I nearly careened into a crowd that had gathered at the bottom of the stairs, just outside the mission hall. I skidded to a halt, barely avoiding smashing my nose into the back of some kid’s jacket. What was the holdup? I stood on my tiptoes, trying to see what was going on. I spotted a head of blond hair and sighed, partly in relief, partly in annoyance. The Scorpion team was back.
Somewhere ahead of me I could hear someone yelling and cursing. I wiggled my way through the sea of people, for once grateful for my diminutive size. It made it that much easier for me to slip through. I broke through the crowd and stopped, stunned at the sight in front of me.
Tim was here. They’d brought him back with them. Something must have happened; they were only supposed to be questioning him. There were obvious signs of a struggle. He was being held between Jose and Tye, his arms twisted behind his back. Tye had the beginnings of a nasty bruise coloring his jaw while Jose had a line of dried blood coming from his brow. Kate and Jonathan stood to the side next to Jeremy, both looking none the worse for wear. Of course. Why would they get their hands dirty?
My eyes fell to Tim. Something in me cracked. I wasn’t sure if it was my own sympathy or a reminder of Canda’s love for him. He looked so broken, like a man pushed to his limit. His tight curls looked greasy and dank. His face was gaunt, bearing a haunted expression I recognized. It was the expression of great loss.
“Who’s that?” a girl whispered, terrified eyes pinned on Tim. She huddled in the shadow of the boy standing next to her. They both looked familiar, but I couldn’t place them.
“Shh!” the boy hissed. His eyes were focused on Kate and Jeremy, his neck craned at an awkward angle. The girl fell silent, waiting impatiently for him to speak. “Kate says he was expecting them. He knew they were coming,” the boy finally said. The minute he spoke I remembered where I knew him from. He was in my stealth class. He had super-sonic hearing.
“How is that possible?” the girl asked, though I suspected I knew. This had to be the work of the mole. Tim’s head shot up. His bloodshot eyes narrowed on the girl, then passed her, centering on me. Fire sprung into his gaze. One minute he seemed to be weakening, the next minute he turned into a madman.
“Elsabeth! Elsabeth, you know the truth!” he yelled. I sucked in a breath. He couldn’t be speaking to me. But he was. He knew my name. How did he know my name? The students around me edged away, and none too soon. Tim
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