An older man steps next to Melody and raises his chin. "You aren't. We volunteered and would be honored to fight amongst you."
"But why?" I'm threatening to take their livelihoods from them. I don't understand how they are okay with all this.
"Does it matter why?" Luke frowns, and his sounds tone disapproving. "We shouldn't turn down any fighters."
"It does to me." Times like these are the very ones I realize that Luke isn't the best leader. He only thinks of his people or his own agenda, not all of the realms or species. "These people live here and will have to deal with all the repercussions. I don't want to ask something of them that will make their life harder when this is all said and done."
"Don't be a fool." Damien cackles as he catches up to us. "This is why you're weak."
"No, it's why we want to fight with her." A lady I had seen several times in the market steps up front and glares at the two men. "We've been ruled by people who dictate to us what to do without concern for our wellbeing. The whole market is a ruse. Most of the money we receive from sales go to them. It's hard to make ends meet." The lady points her worn finger at me. "She's different. I've seen her kind spirit and willingness to help. This is the type of leader we need. Someone who cares for everyone."
"Oh, please." Damien pretends to gag and rolls his eyes.
"Well, I for one am not going to turn down help either." Brad scans the new arrivals and rubs his fingers over his lips. "Do you guys by chance know any other way Chris can sneak inside?"
"Yes, in fact we do." The older man rubs his hand along the loose skin right under his chin. "I've served Ria for many years. There is a secret entryway that only the people who work for her know about. Luckily, I'm one of them."
"And how do we get there?" Luke arches an eyebrow and rubs his fingertips together.
"It's a tunnel that leads from the living room and takes her to this house right here at the end. It's vacant, and there is a reason for it. It's a way to escape or smuggle things in without anyone seeing since all eyes are on the fortress."
"Okay, Luke, Damien, Brad, and the crew go attack the fortress similar to last time. That's what she'll be expecting." Dax pulls out a knife and glances around. "That will give the rest of us the opportunity to sneak in undetected."
"Don't you think I should go with her?" Damien's eyes flash red, and his shadows creep out, one brushing my skin.
Damn, why are those things so freaking cold? "No, you can cause a lot of damage with your powers. You are one of the best ones to keep Ria distracted." Maybe if I stroke his ego, he'll relent faster.
"Hmmm..." He runs his fingers through his hair and chuckles. "Well played and true. That's fine. Let's get going."
Brad throws his arms around me and pulls me into a hug. "Be safe."
Wow, maybe he does still care about me a little.
The six of them walk off, leaving me with the Water people and Dax. "All right, let's go. There's no time like the present."
"Fine, but we can't go into the fortress until we know the other ones are in place and causing the distraction." Dax bites his bottom lip and sighs.
"We can hear it from the tunnel. It isn't deep, and you can hear what's going on above." The old man cringes. "That's one way she finds out stuff."
Why am I not surprised she eavesdrops? We just need to go. "Show us the way."
The old man pulls out the key and walks to the door at the back of the house. He has it open within moments and walks in, not turning on any of the lights.
I grab Melody's arm and lower my voice. "Are you sure all these people can be trusted?"
"Yes, I would never put you in danger." She reaches out and pulls me into her side. "None of the citizens here are happy, and these are the ones who've had enough and are willing to make a stand."
"Okay, let's do this." I walk through the door, following the man with Dax and Melody right behind me and the remaining six following after them. We follow the old man into the pantry that is off the kitchen, and he presses a button that's hidden at the bottom of the last shelf. A door creaks open, causing dust to fly over everyone, and cool, stale air from the tunnel hits my nose.
Great this is going to be fun.
"Don't worry. It's not a long tunnel." The old man enters the tunnel, and we are immersed in darkness.
I'm so glad that my eyesight is great, or I would be hurting. The others stumble behind me, and Dax grumbles. "Don't run into me. You're going to knock me over."
"Everyone calm down." Hell, I don't want to use my powers, but right now, I don't have a choice. Otherwise, someone is going to get hurt on the way over. I loosen the hold on the blanket and pull at the vibrant purple strand. Soon, my hand lights up, illuminating the tunnel.
"Oh, thank God." The old man sags with relief. "I thought we were going to have to find our way in the dark." He begins moving again, and I hold my hand high so everyone's path is lit. It's not long before shouts echo in the tunnel.
Something above us crashes, and the walls around us begin to vibrate.
"Get moving and quick. They've started fighting, so we need to get in." Dax's voice is loud, and he places his hand on the small of my back. "Let's get this done."
"Here we are." The old man stops when
