He stiffened.
“He did dream implants, Brokk, so Emory would be afraid of you. So, he could have her. If you think that’s love and that Memphis is doing the best for everyone, you can watch as he sends this rebellion to their grave. I’m going to find another solution other than death.” It all came out of her in a breathless rush, and Brokk’s face hardened further as she shook her head. “Ask him for yourself. I’m not leaving it all on the shoulders of our queen.”
Not waiting for a reply, she stood up and jogged out of the room, trying desperately to run from the truth of her own words. Thinking of Memphis didn’t hurt any less and being in the same room as him was her own personal torture. Especially when he couldn’t take his eyes off Emory.
Whatever messed up relationship they had was over. Her gut twisted at the thought, already missing his touch, the warmth of his lips on hers.
Slowing to a walk, she rubbed her eyes tiredly. She needed to forget about Memphis and needed to decide what her next move was going to be. There needed to be a resolution that didn’t rely on Emory.
Nyx wandered into the empty dining hall, leaving her room and the training room behind her. Breaking into a brisk walk, she wove down the hallways, her footsteps echoing into the empty space around her. Three a.m. was a quiet time, and she relished in every second.
Arriving at the elevator doors all too quickly, she stepped inside, a plan quickly formulating in her mind. It was time she took her fate into her own hands; it wasn’t Memphis’s choice to decide who she died for. And it certainly wouldn’t be Emory. She was a distraction and clouded the minds of two lovesick school boys. They couldn’t win against Adair. He was too strong; six years of death and hiding was proof of that.
She let her hair down as the seconds dragged on. All she saw around them was a bleak future, but at least they were alive. She would not risk her entire family’s existence for Emory to fail.
The elevator ground to a stop, and she took a sharp right, heading toward the watchtower. Jaxson’s shift was about to end, and he wouldn’t question her. She quietly ran down the hallway that led to the staircase to the watch tower. Her body thrummed with adrenaline, and she skidded to a stop beside a closet. She needed to grab a few things - she slung a worn jacket over her shoulder and strapped twin blades onto her thighs. There were always stashes in case of an emergency.
The cold night air washed over her when she trotted up the stairs, and she pushed the worn door open.
Jaxson sat on a wooden perch, his chin resting against his hands as he stared longingly onto the horizon.
She spoke softly, “Go to bed, Jaxson. I have it from here.”
Snapping to attention, he jumped slightly, not having heard her come in. “Nyx, you scared me a bit there. How are you?”
She winked at him. “I want nothing more than some peace and quiet under the stars.”
Nodding solemnly, Jaxson hopped down. Before leaving, he placed a burly hand on her shoulder. “We have to be prepared not to give up hope for Alby.”
His words were like a weight anchoring into the ocean floor. Climbing on the perch, Jaxson left, the door swinging closed behind him, Nyx closed her eyes. She could move forward with this. It was already too late to convince Memphis of another plan to overthrow Adair. He believed in Emory like he never believed in her.
He has and would always choose Emory.
Her chin wobbled and opened her eyes. There was no going back now.
She silently said goodbye to the man she loved, and her eyes searched the land stretching out in front of her. To her left were the woods, and beyond that was an escarpment of mountain terrain...and Adair. Reaching out her mind was as simple as breathing to Nyx. She brushed against a thousand consciousnesses, and a thousand whispers sounded back to her. But she only searched for one, and she didn’t have to wait long.
“Adair said to stay put! We follow his orders, and we wait. Anyone who says otherwise is breaching direct orders, and you know what that means...”
The scouts were northeast of them, hiding out just outside the blocked perimeter that Byrd provided, and her pulse quickened. Nyx stood and, in one fluid motion, flung herself off the side of the tower. Her feet scrambled, trying to find foot holes as she held on. Once secured, she made the treacherous climb to the ground. Her muscles strained with the effort, her white knuckles shining back at her. She glanced below her and could see the grass now. Excellent.
Closing her eyes, she let go, her arms tucking into her chest, and she summersaulted through the air. She was nothing but freedom and the wind screaming around her. She was rage; she was power. She was no one now but this.
The ground met her quickly, and Nyx landed nimbly, her fist planted in front of her, her feet already trying to push off the dirt. She didn’t wait to hit the ground running, and her purple hair swung behind her. She calculated that it would only take ten minutes for her to find them or vice versa.
Sweat slicked her body once more, her thoughts flying with the possibilities of what she was about to try. Trees blurred past her, and weaving in and out, she felt the electric pulse of Byrd’s façade when she passed through it. She couldn’t look back. She wouldn’t. There was no room for weakness or second guesses. She saw the scouts before they saw her. Their red sashes were beacons in the night.
“Well, well, well. Lookie what we have here, boys.”
There were five of
