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Instinctively, I reach an arm toward Ellie and push her behind me.
“I knew it,” snickers Fohri. “I knew it all along. I’m not one bit surprised to come back and find you playing around with my toys. You lied to me, Ihokha. So much for not wanting to get close to Ellie…”
My mind goes blank as I sputter over my words. Nothing coherent comes out.
“I couldn’t find Brilyk around, strange considering that he is supposed to be Ellie’s permanent guard. Perhaps you two have been taking turns using her, is that it?”
“What the fuck are you talking about?” I growl.
“Never mind, I need not waste another minute of my time with you. I’ve returned because I got bored, and well, I’m in the mood for a bit of fun with Ellie here.”
Behind my brother, a set of burly guards approach, stopping by his side. With the only exit blocked, I push Ellie back and spring for my brother, hoping to create a distraction long enough for her to run.
“Get out of here, Ellie, don’t stop running!”
My hands come within an inch of my brother’s neck but there comes a flurry of movement from the guards. My world suddenly turns to black.
25
BRILYK
Imake it to the village, panting breathlessly under the hot afternoon sun. As enticing as stopping to rest sounds right now, I know I have no such time for luxury. For the rebellion, any new information has to be passed up the chain of command as quickly as possible, especially if it bears an effect on the outcome of our mission.
I press forward, delving deep into the center in search of Gavarn. Given the risk we take by going against the leadership of Infnore, it was deemed unsafe to have just one main hideout, meaning I’ve got a handful of buildings to run around to and check.
I breeze through the streets like tumbleweed in the wind, bouncing from hideout to hideout. As I go through each spot with no luck of locating Gavarn, a stark realization hits me. Where the fuck are the rest of the leaders? One usually hangs out at each outpost.
I leave another hideout, stepping out onto a mostly empty street save for a few dfam.
“There’s no rebels here at all… Not even on the streets.”
Trying not to panic, I begin walking at a casual pace on the sidewalk. While I play it cool on the outside, internally I am doing my best not to lose.
Something’s not right here,I think to myself.I can’t find a single member of the cause…
At that moment, my mind thinks of the worst. I suddenly feel unsafe in this village, as if everyone else is watching me like spies for the enemy.
Ihokha couldn’t have possibly led me here as a decoy… right? Could he have double crossed me?
I drop a coin from my pocket. While bending down to pick it up, I shoot a glance over my shoulder. No one is behind me.
Somehow I doubt it,I think to myself in an effort to calm my anxieties.He seemed too genuine when we were talking in his office… But he could be a very good, convincing actor… Oh no! What if he himself got discovered—that he was trying to help us? I better get out of here.
Suddenly, a pair of arms wrap themselves around me, one covering my mouth and the other restraining my arms. I kick and lash out, trying to shout as I’m dragged into a dark alleyway. The few dfam littered about like trash in the streets have their backs turned to me, though I doubt they would have done anything to help.
“Bastard!” I shout through a muffled voice.
“Calm down!” says a familiar voice as the arms spin me around. Standing before me is a wary, wide-eyed Gavarn. “It’s me, Brilyk.”
“Gavarn?” I ask in confusion. “What the fuck is going on around here? Just where is everyone?” I ask.
“Things have gone terribly wrong,” he says, shooting a glare back towards the street. “The assassination didn’t go according to plan.”
“What happened?” I ask, a sudden sense of dread washing over me.
“It was supposed to be a clean hit,” he says, walking back and forth as he runs a hand over his hair. “We studied the routes for hours and even caught sight of the carriage he was in…”
He turns back to face me, a look of desperation in his eyes. “But when we commenced the attack, he wasn’t there! It was all a decoy!”
