Ten minutes later, we’re in the air, soaring high over the mountain.The higher we climb, the more beautiful the view becomes. The jagged peaks of the mountain range stretch as far as the eye can see, and the sky is a perfect clear blue, not a cloud in sight.
We bank right, flying nearly sideways for a moment, and it makes my stomach lurch. I’m not used to constantly being in the air. Gray says there’s nowhere else he’d rather be, but I get queasy whenever they do their sharp turns.
Evlynne grins. “Trust me, it’s worth every stomach drop.”
I just stare at her. “What’s your angle?”
“No angle. I was a total quat to you yesterday, and this is my way of apologizing.”
“Really.” I can’t stop the sarcasm.
“Yes.”
“So you’re suddenly fine with Xavier being at the Dagger.”
She balks. “Fuck no.” Her profile is hard with disapproval as she gives me a sidelong look. “You shouldn’t have brought him here. He’s a threat to our cause.”
“He saved my life,” I say in a soft voice. “I don’t take that lightly. And for what it’s worth, I truly believe he’s severed all loyalty to the Command.”
I’m not convincing her, which is confirmed when she scoffs. “We can agree to disagree, then. I’ll never trust Ford.”
“What about me?” I can’t help but ask.
Evlynne thinks it over too long for my comfort. “Undecided,” she finally says. “But Gray likes you, and I trust his judgment.”
She’s saying all the right words, but I still feel like this is a trap. I just can’t see what the endgame is. She’s not going to throw me off this chopper. Or hell, maybe she will. Maybe murder isn’t something she’d bat an eye at. I lean against the headrest, doing my best to shake off the sense of impending doom.
“We’re landing down there.”
We crest another hill, and I peer at the vast expanse of jagged rocks and green valleys. It isn’t the landing zone that captures my attention.
I gasp. “What the fuck?”
Evlynne glances over, smug. “Told you.”
The lagoon lies nestled in the shelter of the rocky cliffs that forma semicircle around it. Its waters shimmer in shades of violet, and it almost looks alive as the colors shift and undulate with the breeze. It’s the most incongruous sight. Completely unnatural yet surrounded by nature. The reflection of the sun in the purple water only heightens the supernatural effect.
“How is this even possible?”
“No clue. It’s a natural phenomenon. We tested the water and found it has the same consistency as the rest of the fresh water on the mountain. Some of our scientists suggest it could be minerals, but our tests never indicate unusually high levels of anything.” She shrugs. “Just magic, I suppose.”
“I don’t believe in magic.”
“Miracle, then. A miracle of nature.”
“Don’t believe in those, either. There must be a scientific reason behind it.”
My answer seems to intrigue her. “So I suppose you believe our abilities are also based in science?”
“Of course they are. It’s a genetic mutation.”
“Yet the gene has never been isolated,” she points out, and I don’t have an argument for that.
Several minutes later, she brings the chopper down and we land on a flat stretch of grass. This landscape is so odd to me. So much green, even this high up.
I stand at the peak for a moment. The ridge is silent, and the air feels thinner as I draw it into my lungs. I take in the rugged cliffs and brown peaks. There’s no snow on them, but the tips are shrouded in mist. I notice Evlynne grabbing a backpack from the helicopter and swinging it over one shoulder.
“How far is this?” I ask skeptically.
