A Controller's Destiny (Unit Matched #3) (17 page)

Everyone is silent for a few moments trying to take in that fact my mother is a traitor.

“I need to get back to Unit.” I finally declare.

“Let’s get packed up.” Amaya gets to her feet and helps Xaviera up.

“No.” I jump up to my feet. “Thaddeus has his presentation tomorrow. You guys can’t just leave.”

“Yes, we can.” Xaviera steps up to me. “You’re family. You need us. We’re all going. End of story.” Her words are precise and leave no room for argument. 

Chapter 21

Hello, Mom

The drive back to Unit is uneventful. Graham drives most of the way and then Oliver takes over after that. We don’t stop a lot and we eat in the van. I feel bad for Xaviera, but she’s a real trooper through it all.

Once we reach the gates of Unit, Oliver heads straight for the King and Queen’s house. There’s no point in wasting time. We need to tell them everything. Xaviera had called ahead to make sure that they are home and to tell them it is important.

I can’t get the fact out of my head that my mother is the mole in Unit.

My own mother.

I think back to all those nights when she was constantly pounding the prophecy into me. Night after night, it was the same speech.

Looking back on it now, it almost seems as if she was brainwashing me. She wanted me to believe that Zane would kill me. I believed that I would die.

“Shorty.” Graham takes my hand to help me out of the van.

I’ve walked into the King and Queen’s house a million times, but today it feels different. I’m almost scared to tell them the truth, because it’s my mother. I am supposed to have a loyalty to her, but she lied.

She lied to everyone.

Queen Stacy is the first to grab me and hug me tightly. I can feel her tears on my neck.

“Oh you sweet, sweet girl,” she sniffs. “I’m so happy that you’re here right now.”

“How did you know Mom?” Xaviera asks her. I knew that she hadn’t told them anything.

“Justine called us. She said that she had a bad feeling that something was going to happen in New Orleans. When you called, we just knew.” Queen Stacy hugs Xaviera and Amaya as tightly as me.

“So, my mom called you. When?” I question her.

“Sunday morning.” The King answers. “We were trying to figure out how to get down to you six, but Justine said that there was no quick way.”

I roll my eyes. “Of course,” Graham takes my hand.

“Are we missing something?” the King looks between us all.

“Yes.” I step closer to them. “We need to talk.”

The King nods and leads us to his office. I stand tall in front of him and the Queen and let it all out. I tell them everything that Zane told me, everything about my mother, and everything about Mother Nature.

They stare at me with wide eyes, trying to take in all the details that I’m throwing at them. I’m afraid their heads might explode, but once the shock seems to wear off, they’re loaded with questions.

“What happened after she shot herself?” the King asks.

“There was this very thick black fog and everyone in the room disappeared. Even the ones back at the hotel,” Thaddeus explains.

“Where did they go?” the Queen whispers.

“We have no clue.” Xaviera answers. “They’re gone.”

“I’ve been trying to get in contact with the clan in Georgia, but there’s no response. I’m sending a few Protectors down there to check it out.” The King tells us. “I want to be sure that they’re all gone.”

“What about my mother?” I ask the question that’s spinning in my head.

“Gia, she needs to be dealt with,” Queen Stacy says.

“I know.” I hold my head up high. “She needs to leave Unit immediately. We have no idea the secrets that she’s told Zane or how far her lies spread.”

“Gia,” Graham squeezes my hand.

“No.” I growl at him. “She needs to be banished and sent as far away as we can send her. If we’re going to continue Mother Nature’s plan, she can’t be here.”

Everyone in the room stares at me as if I’ve lost my mind. I’m well aware that I’m the shy, meek one, but right now, I could spit fire from the rage that’s boiling in me.

“I know she’s my mother, but Unit is my home and I’m loyal to it and Mother Nature,” I explain further, making sure they understand where I’m coming from.

“No one in this room doubts your loyalty, Gia.” The Queen steps up to me. “Let’s get everyone over here.”

We all go into kitchen as the King and Queen make their calls. Xaviera hands us all bottles of water, which helps cool my dry throat. We remain quiet and in about twenty minutes the Edwards’, the Centers’, the Thomas’ with Rebecca, Amaya’s sister, and my mom arrive.

“Oh my baby.” My mother wraps her arms around me and her light brown hair covers my face. She always smells like jasmine. “I’m so glad that you’re okay.” She smiles, but it doesn’t quite reach her eyes. For the first time, I can see the evil and deceit in them.

I never noticed it until now.

Graham pulls me away from her, and I’m thankful because I could claw out her eyes and not even think twice.

“Everyone in my office,” King Douglas bellows out the order and we all clamber to the office.

Graham keeps me close to him. “Calm down. I can feel your rage,” he whispers.

“I want to kill her.” I am seething.

“Oliver,” Graham calls. “Calm, Gia.”

Oliver nods and touches my forearm. Instantly, I don’t have the rage in my anymore. Oliver lets go and goes back to Amaya.

“Now, that everyone is here, I have a small request for all Protectors in this room; I order you to protect Gia until I hand down my decision.” The King nods over to me.

“As you wish.” The Protectors’ accept the order.

I squint at the King because I’m not sure what his plan is.

“Everyone in this room is aware of the Prophecy and that our children are part of it.” The King begins. “In the past forty-eight hours, it has come to life.”

There’s a collective gasp in the room. I look at my mother and she’s hiding her mouth behind her hand. I can’t tell if she’s smiling or not. 

The King goes on to tell of what has happened to us. He tells them every detail that I have told him, except for the part about my mother. For some reason, he leaves it out.

“I have one announcement and then we can go on.” King Douglas goes over to Xaviera and takes her hand, taking her to the front of the room. “There are no words that can express how much I love you or how proud you’ve made me. You’re wise beyond your young twenty years. I feel that, with everything that I was told today, you need to take your rightful place now, instead of later.”

I whip my head to Amaya and she’s staring at me. Both of our eyes are wide.

“Xaviera Edwards,” the King takes off his ring and slips it on her left hand. “You are now Queen Xaviera. With that, Thaddeus will take his place next to you as Prince Consort.” He winks at her. “Also, your Pairs will stand by your side until the end of your time.” He kisses her forehead and says something quietly in her ear causing Xaviera’s tears to roll down her cheek.

“Girls.” The King…er…Mr. Anderson calls for us to come forward.

Amaya and I stand proudly next to Xaviera, our Queen.

“Take care of her, like I know you will.” He smiles down at us. He takes the Queen… um… Mrs. Anderson’s hand and heads over to where the rest of our families are standing.

“Now what?” Amaya whispers.

“Now, it’s time for my first banishment.” Xaviera answers quickly. “Step back.” She waves us back to our positions and Thaddeus stands next to her taking her hand.

“Ms. Bates, before I tell everyone the rest of the story, do you have anything you want to tell us?” Xaviera’s voice is loud and clear, and there’s no hint of nervousness in it.

She’s going to be an amazing queen.

“Should I have something to say?” Mom answers her. I can hear that she’s confused, but I’m not buying it.

“There’s a lot for you to say, but let me enlighten you.” Xaviera begins and tells everyone what we had figured out. Everyone is staring at my mother and I watch her face remain emotionless.

“Now, Ms. Bates, the question is why. Why did you do it?” Xaviera crosses her arms.

Mom looks over at me and I see her face changing. She looks at me as if I’m grossing her out in some way. I can’t figure it out. Graham holds onto my shoulders and I know that he’s looking at her, too.

“Just get on with it,
Queen
Xaviera.” Her top lip curls in disgust as she says her name.

“Oh, you don’t have to worry, I will. However, I still want to know why you betrayed my Pair and Unit?” Xaviera pushes.

My mother turns back to me and takes a couple steps to me. She searches my face and I can tell she’s deciding if she’s going to tell us or not.

“Fine, if you’re so eager to know,” she gets right up to my face. “I hate you.” Mom’s words are low and cut me like a knife in my heart.

Of all the things that she could have said, that’s not what I had expected.

“Why?” I feel the tear roll down my cheek. Yes, ten minutes ago, I wanted to banish her, but right now, I’m staring at the face of my mother.

“You ruined my life.” Her teeth are clenched shut as she hisses at me.

“What?”

“Zane and I were meant to be together. We had the perfect plan to take down Unit and all its stupid Rules that kept everyone under their thumbs. This place makes me sick. Then you came along and ruined it all. I tried so hard to get rid of you, but Zane kept telling me not to. Then he was banished and I was going to follow him, but he told me to stay to keep tabs on everything here. I wish he would have killed you.”

My mouth drops. My own mother. The woman who gave me life, hates me and wishes I was dead.

“You’re my mom. We would stay up late at night and talk. We did everything together.” I try to rationalize my whole life, but my thoughts are jumbled in my head.

“Please,” she rolls her eyes. “I only did that crap to get information from you. I couldn’t wait for you to be out of my hair and I could go back to Zane. We had plans, and like always, you ruined it.” Her brown eyes narrow at me. “Just like you always do.”

I lunge at her as a surge of rage pulses through me. “I’ve ruined nothing.” I scream at her. “Every day you’ve lied to me. My whole life is a lie. How dare you try to turn this on me? You could have left me and been happy with Zane concocting your evil plans.”

“I was forced to stay to make sure I knew of your powers and strength.”

“Is that why you told me I would die? You wanted me to die.”

“More than anything.” She had an evil sneer to her lips and I saw all of the hate written on her face.

“I hope you and Zane are very happy in whatever hell Mother Nature sends you to.” I’m nose-to-nose with her. She’s as short as I am.

“All that rage and evil that you’re feeling right now,” she stares into my eyes. “That’s because of your father and me, and when you give into it, it’ll be the greatest experience of your life.”

“I will never be like you. My loyalty is to my real family.” I step back to Graham’s arms.

“Ms. Bates, you are hereby banished from Unit.” Xaviera speaks the Latin spell to remove her powers. Mom glows a bright yellow and then it fades quickly. “Amaya, Graham, Mrs. Edwards,” Xaviera points out the Protectors in the room. “Make sure that Ms. Bates leaves Unit this moment please.”

Graham tightens around me.

“Go.” I tell him and he lets me go.

Mom stares at me for another moment. I can tell all her powers are gone. She has nothing now.

“Let’s go,” Amaya tells Mom and they walk out the door.

I stare at the door for a moment before Mrs. Centers comes over and hugs me. I don’t even notice that I’m crying until I sob on her shoulder. I’m not sure how long she held me, but I needed it.

“Gia,” Xaviera gently rubs my shoulder.

“Your Highness.” I smile brightly at her when I pull away from Mrs. Centers.

She rolls her eyes. “Stop it. I’m still Xaviera to you.” She hugs my neck and I laugh when her belly kicks me.

“I think the baby is happy, too.”

Xaviera sighs. “I’m sorry about your mom. But, I will always be there for you. No matter what.”

“I love you, too.” I tell her, hugging her tighter. “Queen Xaviera.” I whisper.

“I’m starving how about we all head over to the Diner. My treat.” Mr. Edwards tells everyone and we agree.

Once we all walk into the Diner, I send a quick text to Graham, hoping that he’ll arrive soon. I need him to hold me. I know it’s silly, but I feel safer with him close to me.

I know that my mom can’t hurt me. She has no powers left. I could break her like a twig. I shake my head. I could never do that. No matter how mad I am at her, I truly couldn’t hurt her. Especially now that she has nothing.

“Gia,” Xaviera touches my hand as we all sit down. “He’ll be back in a little bit.”

I nod and wipe the tears from my cheeks. I’ve done enough crying to last ten lifetimes.

I’m not hungry; I think I’m going to go home.” I stand up.

“Let us take you.” Mr. Centers stands with Mrs. Centers.

“No, please. I need to be alone. I’m less than a mile away.” I put my hand up. Everyone nods.

The snow has melted a lot since we left the other day. Even though it’s March, it still snows in Vermont. I’m just thankful that there isn’t that much snow on the ground now.