Chapter 9: Emotional Explanation

Cadence opened her mouth to protest but realized her argument was futile. She looked over her shoulder at Eliza who was also still standing. "All right," she finally said, sighing. She glanced back out the window as she walked back to her seat, seeing her friends fade into the distance. She knew she could easily cover the ground in just a few steps if she were out of the plane, but destroying the exit and wrecking the plane would accomplish little, and despite the fact that she wanted to make sure Aaron was okay, she knew there was not much she could do to help him. Jamie would be the best person for that, and he was right there. Still, having lost one man she used to love made her realize just how important Aaron was to her, and the urge to run to him when she saw him struggling had been instinctual.

As she re-buckled her seatbelt, she realized that Eliza felt exactly the same way. Now, however, was not the time to contemplate those implications, and she pressed them out of her mind, reluctantly returning her thoughts to Jack and her attention to Hannah.

"I'm sorry," she began, looking into Hannah's calm hazel eyes. "He said… he said he was fine. But obviously he was lying."

"Or understating," Hannah offered.

Cadence nodded. She knew his intent was to spare her from worrying about him. Nevertheless, she couldn't help but wish he had just been honest with her. She shook her head, seeking clarity, and refocused. "Are there any emotions you cannot modify?" she asked.

Hannah paused for a moment, considering the question. "Yes and no," she finally admitted. "I can modify all emotions to a degree, but there are some I refuse to change."

"So you have control over it, then?" Cadence asked.

"Yes," Hannah nodded.

"Jamie doesn't, not really," Eliza chimed in from across the aisle. She had changed seats after the deplaning debacle. "If he touches someone who is in pain, there's not much he can do to control the flow of power."

Nodding, Cadence considered the statement. When Christian had implanted her IAC, there had been a malfunction, which had allowed an unbearable amount of data to flood Cadence's mind all at once. Her reaction had made Jamie think she was in pain, and when he had come to her, in an attempt to help, he had actually instantly healed the incision Christian had made in her eye, locking the device inside. Jamie had not been able to control the flow of his power then, and she would have been in dire straits if Aaron had not been there to help her learn how to control the device. "You're right," she replied, meeting Eliza's violet eyes. Turning back to Hannah, she asked, "Which emotions do you refuse to adjust?"

"Sometimes it depends on the situation," Hannah began, "but most of the time I do try to avoid grief. People need to go through that process. Though, members of the Passels don't necessarily need to always," she added almost as an aside.

The Passels were the three branches of the Clandestine Ternion: Vampires, Hunters, and Guardians. Cadence assumed she was speaking only of the latter two Passels, however, since she could imagine Vampires having very little need for grief counselors. "I see," she replied, nodding her understanding.

"I try not to touch love, either," Hannah admitted. "It's too messy, and one can never tell if one is gambling with fate."

Cadence almost chuckled at that. It made sense. "Anything else?"

Hannah's pause this time seemed rather meaningful. "Dejection," she finally replied, pointedly.

A furrow formed in Cadence's eyebrows, not sure she quite understood. "Dejection?" she repeated.

"Yes," Hannah affirmed. "As in, when one loves someone who does not return that feeling. I tend to stay out of those affairs as well.

Cadence nodded her head in full understanding. "That makes sense," she agreed. Glancing across the aisle, she could see that Eliza had leaned back in her seat, chewing on her thumbnail and staring straight ahead. Cadence wondered briefly if her change in demeanor had anything to do with Hannah's comment but decided it was not her place to ask. She looked back at Hannah then and asked instead, "How long have you been part of the team?"

Hannah seemed to consider the question. "For a very long time," she finally replied. "I know your grandmother, and I worked with your grandfather, as well," she added with a smile.

"You did?" Cadence asked returning the smile. "Oh, wow. That's amazing."

"Yes," Hannah agreed. "Lovely people. I really miss having them around."

Cadence nodded. "I bet my grandma would love to see you. You should stop by and visit sometime."

"I should," Hannah said, nodding. "Maybe I will." She reached over and placed her hand softly on Cadence's leg. Despite her explanation that she did not have to be touching a subject for her powers to work, Cadence suddenly felt a surge of calmness and was glad that she had met Hannah. The plane was in flight now, and it would not be too much longer before they arrived in Lincoln. "Now, what questions do you have regarding our procedure once we arrive?"

Cadence was a bit confused. "Well, I think everyone is still at the hospital," Cadence explained. "Taylor said something about there being an issue in the morgue. I'm not exactly sure what she was talking about. But I guess I'll call her when we land and figure out where we need to go. Jack's parents have a hotel room, so they might be there. I think Eliza is supposed to go to our hotel," she added, glancing back at Eliza who seemed to be carrying on a conversation with someone through her IAC. Her facial expressions were changing rapidly, which was always a sign to Cadence that Eliza was conversing.

"All right," Hannah said tentatively. "I suppose we will make our way to the hospital and then ascertain exactly what is going on and whether or not Elliott and I need to take any special precautions."

Again, Cadence felt confused. It was as if Hannah had some knowledge Cadence was not privy to. Yet, she did not feel inclined to ask. Rather, she felt another wave of calmness spread through her mind, and she simply shook her head in agreement. She completely trusted Hannah's judgment and would allow her to take any steps she felt necessary to handle whatever the situation may be. She leaned her head back against the seat, taking slow, deep breaths, emptying her thoughts of every care that had previously invaded her mind. Before she knew it, she was dozing off, dreaming of better times at home with her group of friends.