“Not to you, at least,” he said.
“You searched the restricted database.” Miya walked the length of the room. “The captain already vetted me. I thought I was safe.”
“Well, Christopher's an idiot. I thought you were deep under cover for the United.”
“What now? Are you taking me to Ciondo?”
“No. Never. I'm not taking you anywhere you don't want to go.”
“Then what? What are you doing to me?”
He lowered his arms but didn't reach for any weapons. “I'm here to help you escape and hide somewhere safe.”
“Don't treat me like I'm stupid.”
A groan, a shrug, and the son of the High General said in all seriousness to her, “I'm a traitor.”
Miya stared, her mouth no longer working to question what he meant.
“I'm fighting to destroy the Phaedra's regime,” Zayne said. “My friends are the ones who ruined Christopher's mission with Becka Rogers.”
Nope.
Not buying anything he wanted to sell her, especially not that.
Chortling, Miya resumed her pacing, chewing her thumb nail. “You really do think I'm stupid.”
“We both know the truth about each other. We could destroy each other. So, we'll both stay quiet.”
Her breath was starting to come back in spurts, her heart slowing just a little. “You, the golden boy of the empire. A traitor? Please.”
“Turns out I'm not very golden. Do you want to sit down?”
“No.” She nearly screamed the word.
“Okay. You just look really shocked.”
“Yeah, well, I am really shocked.” Miya tried to shake the numb feeling from her hands and breathed out slowly. Maybe she did need to sit. “Do you know what Christopher plans to do to my family?”
“I didn't until yesterday.”
“Then you should know I'm not leaving. Tell the Phaedra I'm not falling for whatever twisted plan this is. He'll have to arrest me and force me away.”
A pained look came over his face. “Christopher Garrison is a cruel, sadistic man who will crush you for the fun of it once he gets bored or you stop being useful.”
“I know all of this. I'm still not leaving. He's going to kill my entire family and lay Caspador to ruins.”
Zayne sighed. “What if I can handle it for you?”
“What if? What if. Well,ifyou aren't lying to me, andifyou really are a traitor, can you stop this?”
An uncomfortably long pause. “Possibly.”
“At least you're honest.”
“Christopher already almost killed you. I should force you out of here.”
“So why don't you? Instead, you told me to point a loaded gun at you.”
