Free The Elders by Dima Zales

beautiful.”
    I put my hand on her shoulder and just stand there as she slowly turns the rest of the pages.
    With an audible sniffle, Hillary jackknifes to her feet.“Okay, let’s get back to business.” Her voice is overly chipper.
    She makes her way back to the kitchen, and I follow, trying not to trip on the carpeted stairs.
    “Why don’t we bring George in, so your parents can’t overhear us?” I suggest when we’re back in the kitchen.
    “Good idea.” She walks over to him.
    “Wait. Are you still doing the talking?”
    “No, you can do it,” she says. “If there’s onefamily trait we share, it’s our ability to skirt around the truth.”
    “Don’t forget awesome looks.” I’m glad she seems to be back to her normal self, at least outwardly.
    “Right, and our supreme modesty.”
    I chuckle and watch her bring George in. When he materializes, George crosses his arms and looks at us expectantly.
    “Darren needs your help,” Hillary says. “Darren, please explain your situationto him.”
    I proceed to tell George the story in the way Hillary and I discussed. I don’t mention irrelevant things, such as dating a Reader girl, or things that could get me in trouble, like killing Kyle. I stress the things I suspect Guides would care about, focusing mostly on the fact that Thomas, another Guide, was kidnapped by the Enlightened.
    At the mention of the Enlightened, I can tellI have George’s undivided attention.
    “The Elders will want to hear about this,” he says, his eyes gleaming. “The Enlightened fascinate them, and if they took Thomas, of all people—”
    “Wait,” Hillary says. “How would the Elders even know who Thomas is? He’s not exactly powerful.”
    “We like to keep tabs on Guides who have, or could have in the future, access to powerful Unencumbered individuals.”

    Hillary looks confused, but I know what George is insinuating. “This is about Thomas being in the Secret Service, isn’t it?” I ask.
    “Your nephew shares your wit,” George says approvingly. “Yes, indeed. The Unencumbered do not get any more powerful than the so-called Leader of the Free World.”
    “So the rumors are true,” Hillary says. “Ambassadors do control human affairs at the Elders’ bidding.That’s why you’re keeping an eye on any potential competition.”
    “I will not dignify rumors with a response.”
    “Knowing you, that means yes,” Hillary says, frowning.
    “All I can say is, if we Guided the Unencumbered, the world would be a better place for it.” George smiles at my aunt. I wonder if he still has some kind of feelings for her—assuming he ever had them, that is. He might’ve also beengetting pressure from his family for this alliance.
    Hillary snorts. “In that case, I guess you’re not Guiding them, since the world is turning to shit.”
    “We’re only speaking hypothetically. But you’re wrong. The world is getting more peaceful as of late, a happenstance that would imply someone is looking out for everyone’s interests.”
    “Really?” Hillary gives him a disbelieving look. “With allthe violence happening everywhere?”
    George’s smile fades. “Human society is an extremely complex system that would be very difficult, if not close to impossible, to Guide perfectly, especially for a tiny group such as ours. Still, again hypothetically, you are being unfair. Violence has diminished compared to other times in history.”
    “Violence is down?” Hillary lifts her eyebrows. “Maybe inthe Elders’ secret hideout, but not in the world I live in.”
    “That’s a common misconception,” George says. “The media makes things seem much worse than they really are. Trust me, compared to humanity’s turbulent past—a past where no one, hypothetically, Guided the direction of world events—things have steadily improved.”
    My aunt is wearing a scornful expression. “Oh, please. You consider theHolocaust a decrease in violence?”
    “No.” George’s face