"Of course." The Seeker poured a cup from the dresser next to him and handed it to her.
The cold, pure liquid washed away the remnants of medication coating her mouth and fogging her brain.
"My brother, Luke, is he okay? Was he hurt?"
"Your brother is unharmed." He waved his long fingers in the air as if to shoo a fly or dismiss a thought. "So let's get down to business, shall we? It hurts me that the students I work so hard to protect are destroying everything we've built here. Tell me, Lucy, why are you and your friends rebelling?"
"You really think I'm going to give up our secrets to you?"
"I am not interested in your secrets, only your motives. I want to understand how this has happened. It was not in the plan, and it perplexes me." His eyes glowed an unnatural white, and he curved his lips into something that looked like a frown, but lacked any humanity.
Lucy couldn't tell if he was lying. Either her powers had been shut down again, or he could block her. She would have to assess him the old-fashioned way.
"You have spies in every corner of this school. How can you not see why we'd rebel? We aren't safe here anymore. You had my best friend impregnated against her will and locked up. She escaped, and now you and your goons are torturing, whipping and killing students. Why would you do this to us and claim to want us safe and happy?"
All her frustration, all her fear, boiled over. She knew she should have stopped talking, forced herself to calm down, but the words poured out of her, louder and louder, until she was all but screaming. "You treat us like property, like a weapon to be used and discarded. We've made this organization millions of dollars, maybe more, with our talents, and now you do this to us. We're not weapons. We're human beings. Those are just kids out there, and now one is dead!"
The Seeker nodded. "I agree. This has all gotten out of hand. You have no idea how... valuable you all are. I wish we could all live free in the world, at peace and happy, but the people out there are not ready for what we can do."
His long fingers gripped the glass of water next to him as if it was a neck to be choked. He took a sip and set it back down. "I loved someone once, deeply. She too wanted a normal life in the world. There are groups whose sole purpose is to destroy us. They killed her, but only after torturing and raping her. People are afraid of us. They use our services, yes, but deep down they loathe us for our power. They will never allow us to be their equals, ever. If we hide in the shadows like nightmares, it is only until we can claim our rightful place in the world."
Lucy flinched from the pain and adjusted herself in the bed.
The Seeker stood up and fluffed her pillow for her. "This school was created as a haven for kids with para-powers. The assignments became necessary in order to fund all that you see here, and further research into our gifts. The breeding program, while controversial, is needed to keep our race alive. Without it, the world would run us into extinction. Besides, we don't want children born god-only–knows-where, with dangerous powers they can't control. Don't you see? None of this is meant to hurt you, Lucy, it's meant to help you, to help all of us."
The Seeker held Lucy's eyes during his speech. Everything about his body language suggested that he spoke the truth, but her judgment clouded with the rage at his justifications. "All this sounds so sweet coming from your lips, but you're talking about rape, essentially. Forced breeding, killing babies through accelerated growth treatments—how can you justify any of that?"
He face contorted into that of a monster, and his voice was so icy cold it could shatter windows. "A regrettable necessity."
And just like that, like a demon transforming back to something akin to human, he was himself again. He brushed off his white garment, though nothing had stained it. "We are using safer methods now, and what we have learned will help us better protect you and our kind. Without these sacrifices, our enemies would even now be hunting us down one by one and exterminating us.
"I know Mr. Black slated you for the breeding program, and it will not happen. That was a mistake. You and Luke are needed in other ways. You are incredibly valuable to this organization. You could be great leaders among our kind, a Queen and King to the masses of paranormals looking for safety and guidance."
Lucy fought the fogginess of her brain, as his words lulled her like a dream. She allowed her anger to feed her clarity, to keep her alert despite his masterful manipulations. "So I'm too good for breeding, but it was okay for Sam? And Drake? And why aren't the students told? When they're old enough, why aren't they given at least the chance to live in the normal world? We've trained our whole lives to blend in and control our powers. Don't you think we could make it work if given a chance?"