Azarius leaned over her, and she blinked in confusion. “We really have to go.”
Dusk was speckling the clouds outside, and she got up. Had it already been so long? The more time she wasted, the more people suffered. A shiver ran down her spine, and she tried to shake the feeling of unease from her dream.
Looking at Azarius’s dark circles under his eyes, she asked, “Haven’t you slept?”
“No.” Brushing past her, he walked outside. Following him, she was instantly yanked down to a crouched position.
“Look, you have to listen to me. Do exactly as I say.” His eyes burned into hers.
He is afraid. Glancing around, seemingly, they were still alone in the ruins of the city.
‘He is always watching’, Brokk’s words echoed in her mind, and she nodded to Azarius. He held out his hand, and she took it.
“Stay low. Move fast.” He dodged out, and she was wrenched into his world.
They were lithe and lethal. Her heart was pounding, but adrenaline pushed her forward, closer to saving Alby. They continued moving in the shadows, and suddenly, Azarius stopped and squeezed her hand. She looked past him, and two soldiers dressed in black stood about two buildings away from them.
“We have to do it quietly, no abilities.” Dropping her hand, he passed her his knife, pressing it in her palm. He unsheathed another from his boot and moved forward, motioning for her to sweep around the other side.
They closed in on the guards and fast. Azarius moved first, and Emory followed. He grabbed the guard by his hair, exposing the soldier’s throat. Emory gulped down her scream as Azarius’s knife swiped across the stranger’s flesh in a crimson smile, the man dropping dead.
Azarius moved on to the next soldier faster than she could register, killing him as well. “We have to take their clothes. You can’t continue in that, and it will be our cover to get in.”
Kneeling and with shaking hands, she tried to unbutton the first guard’s shirt. Don’t look at his face. She didn’t realize Azarius had moved beside her until he cleared his throat.
“Let me do this. It will be faster.”
She looked up, and a wave of gratitude washed over her at his gesture. Stepping away from the bodies, she ducked behind a pile of rubble a few feet away. It wasn’t long before she emptied her stomach; she tried to suck in deep breathes through coughing.
This was her world. This was the violence that Azarius grew up in. It was their survival that was always at stake.
This isn’t right. Anger, white and hot, coursed through her toward Adair, toward her family. No matter what it would cost her, she would set things right.
Coming back, Azarius handed her the clothes. Looking awkward he faced the other way as Emory quickly changed in the baggy uniform.
“Here, I found this. Put it on.” He held out a worn cap, and she quickly put in on, tucking her hair in the back.
Azarius assessed her, and looking pleased, they set off again. They weaved through the rubble, every turn Emory preparing herself for the point of no return. They walked until the streets seemed to widen, and they came to a steep plateau.
Azarius said quietly, “There it is.” He gestured to the valley at the base of what seemed to be a series of grottos, streams running along its base.
She spotted three soldiers at different locations, watching out.
“This is where we blend in. Let me do the talking.”
She wanted to tell Azarius, obviously, but she held in the retort. Emory wiped her clammy hands on her pants and tried to steady them. This is it.
Setting off at a brisk pace, she kept her head slightly ducked, allowing Azarius to take the lead. It wasn’t long before they approached the first cave and nearest guard.
“Urgent news to report. Rebels spotted along the Western boarder. They are armed and look to be collecting numbers,” Azarius said.
The guard gave Azarius a brief look then nodded his head. “Report directly to Dex. He will want to collect them with the others.”
Azarius dipped his head in recognition, and they were in.
The others? Numbness spread through her.
At first, everything was dark, so she stayed close to Azarius to not lose her footing. An eerie glow was their only light to navigate the hanging stalactite that hung from the cavern walls. Further and further, they traveled until a gentle slope brought them to their first room. Emory gasped at the unexpected grandeur, resulting in Azarius shooting her a glare.
Spiralling in front of them, weaving in and out of caves, was a city built in the ground. Hundreds of soldiers bustled, some shouting commands, groups greeting each other like old friends. Azarius didn’t miss a beat. They traveled in the throng, lanterns hanging off the walls, giving them better light. Even though it was night, the city seemed more alive with energy buzzing in the air.
“Azarius.”
“I know. We have to find where they are keeping them,” he whispered back to her flatly.
“If we find this Dex guy, then we find them.”
He nodded, and they wove through the crowds. She took in this world Adair had created, had hid away in while he destroyed what he thought wasn’t good enough.
“Over there.”
A younger man stood, fidgeting with his hands and looking uncomfortable as the soldiers hurried by. Azarius looked him over and then barked, “You there!”
The soldier’s head snapped up, and he came over to them at once. “Yes, sir?”
He couldn’t be older than fifteen, and Emory’s gut wrenched.
“Where is Dex, my partner and I are to report to him immediately.”
His face drained of color, and he stuttered quietly, “D-d-dex is with the prisoner’s, sir. We are all to report to the stadium at once.” With that, he slipped away in the crowd, not looking back at them.
“We have to split up,” Emory whispered. “I’m too noticeable. Someone is bound to see that something is off. If I can find them, I can
