New World

Chapter Twenty-two

Savi followed Lady Gisela to her laboratory. She couldn't stop herself from feeling a little apprehensive. She was going to gain a new ability, one that wasn't even in her genetics. Lady Gisela had left Cerulean behind, but she had told Savi that she'd need Cerulean's help to train in Mesmerizing. As a Beguiler, he would have a similar struggle to her trying to fight off the temptation to control everyone and convince them to do anything he wanted to do.

"I'm going to need to inject you with this fluid," Lady Gisela warned, raising a needle connected to a long tube of light blue solution. Savi shuddered upon seeing the needle's sharp tip. It reminded her a lot of Will's repeated treatments from Elwin. "It's completely safe," Lady Gisela soothed. But... wasn't it untested?

"Isn't it"

"It's safe," Lady Gisela repeated. Savi tried her best to trust her grandmother, but it wasn't like her faith was unwavering. She faced Gisela with fear in her eyes. Gisela let out a long sigh. "You want to be a Mesmer, don't you?" she asked impatiently. Savi nodded shakily. "Good. Then take this. You need this, remember?" Savi nodded again, but she couldn't peel her eyes away from the needle. "Look away," Gisela commanded.

Savi couldn't, so she just covered her eyes. Fear shook her body.

"If you continue shaking, it'll hurt more, and I'll have to sedate you," Lady Gisela said dryly. Savi forced herself to stop shaking, making herself meet her grandmother's eyes, a steely determination overcoming her. "Good," Gisela noted, and without warning, she injected the fluid into Savi.

Savi barely had time to blink twice before she passed out.

She woke up in a dimly lit room. Someone was bent over her, cerulean eyes concerned, and she stood up, terrified. She recognized him, but she couldn't place it. Her brain was fuzzy, her memories failing her. "Move," she commanded, and he stepped back, a dazed look overcoming her eyes. Then her brain registered what she'd just done, and she screamed in terror and shock. "No! I didn't mean – I'm sorry!" she cried.

Cerulean stood back up. "Resist it," he whispered.

"Resist what?" she shouted, deranged.

"Resist the temptation to control me. Resist," he whispered, and she was sure he'd used his commands as a Beguiler.

She struggled with herself before calming down ever so slightly. "Thanks," she mumbled.

"It's the hardest when you lose your temper," Cerulean added. "So... try not to, okay?"

"That's going to be hard," Savi admitted, "since we're going to be spying on Keefe and Sophie." She spoke in her own voice again. She didn't dare use Nemesis's.

"Savi... look. It's going to be fine. You're on the right side," Cerulean whispered. "Everything is going to be okay."

She wished she could have his certainty. But she wasn't sure. Was she on the right side?

Spying on Keefe and Sophie began the very next day, and Savi had taken to controlling Keris to stop her red panda from making so much noise. She felt guilty about it, but it had to be done. She just felt worse when Keris stared at her with those sad eyes.

"It's not like I want to do it," Savi muttered regretfully as she packed.

The door swung open and a hooded figure stepped in.

Savi's appearance was concealed and she was hooded as well, so no one could tell who she was. Out of fright, she shouted, "Who are you? Tell me!" The last two words came out as a command, and the hooded figure sucked in a breath before admitting, "I'm Rayni Aria."