The Defenders release us, and I look up to find Forest hurrying across the room, then bending over a small lump on the floor. I blink several times, trying to make out the small form.
And then my heart stops. Because I’m staring at Elijah.
CHAPTER FIFTY-THREE
Oh no. Forest is going to kill him. Right in front of me.
I race to Elijah’s side, shove Forest over, but he’s like a boulder and doesn’t even budge as he begins gathering Elijah in his arms, and it’s then that I realize Elijah’s been beaten. He’s unconscious, one eye swollen shut, bruises all over his arms and neck and face and dried blood streaming out of his nose and the corners of his mouth.
And rage. My blood is boiling over with pure, undiluted rage.
“Put. Him. Down,” I say through gritted teeth, tears stinging my eyes.
Forest pauses, then gently sets Elijah down and turns to face me. “Ember, let me explain—”
“You said you wouldn’t hurt him you arrogant son of a jackal!” And I’m suddenly on Forest, pounding him on the back, screaming at him, and he’s saying something but I don’t care. And a string of curse words leaves my lips as I hit him over and over and over until someone grabs my arm and pulls me away.
“He’s trying to help, Ember.”
That voice. That achingly familiar voice. I whirl around to find none other than Aurora Whitcomb, my twin, holding my arm, keeping me from attacking Forest.
“You?” I don’t know how she got here, how she managed to escape the caverns and travel all the way back to Frankfort so quickly, or who gave her permission to wear my cargo pants, gray shirt and black vest, but I don’t care. Because the stab of betrayal. “I thought…I thought you were…good.”
She releases my arm, stares at me with those green, green, green eyes, and I wonder how I could have ever thought she was good when her eyes look just like Titus’s. But unlike Titus, she doesn’t appear to be mocking.
“We came to help.”
We? The red haze of rage slowly ebbs from my vision and I glance around the room, immediately noticing the Fearless Five, Jonah Walker, and Mcallister. Rain looks just as confused as me.
“What the shoddy inferno is going on?” Rain asks.
“We don’t have much time to explain,” Mcallister says, stepping forward. He’s once again the captain, the serious Defender I knew when I first came to Frankfort. And he’s dressed in his old uniform and the sight of him as a Defender makes my stomach hollow. “After Elijah was captured, the Fearless Five came and told us everything, about how Forest caught you guys and you were scheduled for execution, and about how Elijah was captured as well. The Five came to rescue Elijah. They’re taking him back to camp.”
Already Isaac is picking up Elijah’s body, cradling him in his arms, and the Fearless Five—now Six with Elijah in tow—head out of the room, neither Defender stopping them. Aurora must have compelled the Defenders to do nothing. They walk out the door, and then it’s just me, Rain, Forest, Aurora, and Mcallister.
“So you…you’re not…going to…kill us?” I ask Forest.
He looks at me, and I catch a glimpse of the Forest I knew. Pain etched into his face, a profound sadness in his eyes. The look of sudden understanding and empathy and comfort. But I don’t think I can ever fully trust him again.
“Aurora,” he says in a husky voice. “Told me everything.”
I wonder what he means by everything—if he means the truth about Titus, or about her upbringing, or about the Resurgence secrets, but it doesn’t matter right now, because it looks like they’re both on our side. For now.
“So you’re going to help us?” Rain asks in obvious disbelief.
Forest nods.
I wouldn’t believe him, except that I don’t think the Fearless Five or Jonah or Mcallister would be here if they didn’t trust Aurora and Forest.
“So what’s the plan, then, brother?” Rain asks, smirking. “You think that just because you’re setting us free, we’re going to lead you straight to the Resurgence? You think we’re going to trust you because Princess Aurora here told you stuff? I trust her less than I trust you.”
“We’re not going back to the Resurgence,” Aurora says. She looks so much more in her own element here. More in control, less afraid. “Ember and I are going to lock Titus up,” she says. “And then we’re going to take over the country.”
CHAPTER FIFTY-FOUR
Whoa. What?
“Today?” I ask.
She looks at me. Nods. “If you’re willing. I know exactly where Titus is at this very moment.”
There she is. My loophole.
“Which is…” Rain says.
“In his office, obviously,” she snaps at Rain. She looks at me again, her eyes softening. “He has no idea I’m in town or that Forest is helping you escape. And I also know the secret passage ways through the capitol building. We could take Titus down and take control of this country. Today.”
“Who’s going to take control?” Rain asks, crossing his arms. “You? Forest? No offense, but I’m not about to take the leadership out of Titus’s hands only to give to one of you.”
“Ember will take control,” Walker says. “It’s the only way the Resurgence will feel completely comfortable. Not everyone trusts Aurora yet. Mcallister and I had to sneak her out, unfortunately.”
“With good reason.” Rain shoots Mcallister a glare. “She’s going to get us all killed.”
“I’m trying to help,” Aurora says.
“We will only comply if you agree to kill Titus,” Rain says.
Aurora’s jaw drops. “We’re not going to kill him.”
“See?” Rain starts laughing. “You’re already proving your disloyalty.”
“He’s my brother!”
“Titus dies, or we’re not working with you.”
“He has information we might need.”
“What?” I ask. “I thought he told you everything.”
“He’s told me a lot, but not everything. He has information about the other tribes that I don’t have.”
“I know all about the Indy Tribe,” Rain says.
“Not the Indy Tribe, you arrogant toad,” she snaps. Rain blinks and takes a shocked step back. “The tribes in the south,” she continues. “You are aware there are more tribes, aren’t you? No? I guess you don’t know as much as you let on, do you, Rain?”
He narrows his eyes.
She looks at me. “Titus has a pact with a city called Nashville. They’re kind of fond of Titus, and won’t be too thrilled if we take him down and change the government. Nashville is larger and stronger than we’ll ever be.”
“And far more brutal,” Forest says, looking at me. “You think we’re bad? Nashville does unspeakable things to innocent people for no reason at all.”
My stomach drops. The fact that this isn’t the worst of it, that even after we redeem Ky, there might be more problems ahead, is discouraging.
Aurora sighs. “They’ll have something to say about us killing Titus. Besides that, though, Titus is also the only one who has codes to the armory, so if we want to defend ourselves, we’ll need him alive to do that.”
“We need to make a decision fast,” Walker says. “It won’t be long before he figures out what’s going on.” He pins me with those emerald eyes. “You need to make a decision, Ember. Are you ready to lead this country? Do you trust Aurora and Forest enough to work with them?”
My heart takes a violent leap at the sudden pressure. “Do you trust them?”
He swallows, then nods. “With my life.”
I look at Mcallister, who nods. I look at Rain, but don’t even have to ask if he trusts them because he’s shaking his head no too quickly. I look at Forest, staring at me with those honest eyes. He’s an open book again, but I don’t know if I’d ever be able to fully trust him after he arrested us. Then again, I trusted Rain after he turned me in to the Rebels Circle, so why shouldn’t I give Forest the same second chance?
But what’s our other option? Go back to the Resurgence? Aurora knows the secret passageways through the capitol building, and Titus isn’t expecting us right now. If we run away, he will expect an attack. So this might be a good opportunity. This might be perfect. And call it twin bonding or whatever, but I feel in my bones that I can fully trust Aurora.
So I nod. “Let’s do it.”
“What?” Rain asks. “Are you out of your shoddy mind?”
“What would you do, Rain? Go back to the Resurgence and wait another month for plans to come together?”
“Better to wait a month for a good, solid plan than to blindly follow the two people who tried to have you killed. Several times. They’re going to lead this country to hell!”
I look at Walker. Decide maybe it’s better just to shut Rain out for now. “What’s the plan.”
Rain’s mouth drops open. “Impulsive little—”
“You, me, and Aurora,” Walker cuts in. “Will take the back passageways to Titus’s office. Forest, Mcallister, and Rain will go get the antitoxin.” He turns toward Aurora. “That was the right code that you gave Rain, wasn’t it?”
“Yes.”
Rain snorts in disbelief.
“Good,” Walker says. “All the Defenders are compelled to follow Forest’s orders, so it shouldn’t be too hard for them to enter the capitol building through the front and make their way to the basement where the antitoxin is stored. Then we’ll come meet you guys in Titus’s office.” He shrugs. Grins. “Easy.”
“What could possibly go wrong?” Rain mutters sarcastically.
“Aw,” Aurora says, puckering her lips at Rain. “The impulsive Rain Turner isn’t in control anymore, is he? How does it feel, Rain? To not have everyone blindly follow your lead?”
He barks out a laugh. “Don’t worry. When everyone figures out what a complete traitor you are, they will be more than willing to follow me.”
She rolls her eyes, and is about to make another remark when Walker steps between them. “Alright, guys. Let’s get going. We don’t have a lot of time before Titus suspects something.”
I turn to leave, but Rain gently grabs my arm. “You know this is a terrible idea, right?”
I swallow, but can’t seem to squeeze my answer out, because I don’t really know what my answer is.
He nods, as if understanding, then chucks my chin. “Stay safe.”
We leave the room and part ways at the front of the prison, Aurora compelling the Defenders in our group, Forest compelling those in his group. The two most untrustworthy people have our lives in their hands.
A Defender pulls a vehicle to the front of the prison. Walker takes the front seat, and Aurora and I sit in the back, and the jeep lurches forward, weaving through the golden streets of Frankfort to the capitol building.
“So,” I say, looking at Aurora. “What made you change your mind? I mean, just a week ago you were defending Titus to the death. Why are you suddenly eager to work with us to take him down?”
She looks down at her hands. “It’s…a long story.” She peeks up at me, smiles a sad sort of smile. “I’ll tell you everything when this all blows over. I promise.”
“Are you sure you’re ready to face him?”
She nods too many times too quickly and says, “Yes. I’m ready, I think. It’s time. It’s past time to make things right.”
Walker instructs the Defender where to park, someplace at the back of the capitol, and then Aurora leads us through a small back door, which opens by a series of codes she has memorized.
The door clicks open, and we step into the dark tunnel. The hall is narrow, the ceiling low enough that my head just almost touches it. Using a flashlight, Aurora leads us up a flight of stairs, through a few more winding halls, then stops at a door.
“This is it,” she whispers.
My heart begins pounding because whatever—whoever—is on the other side of that door could have the power to end our lives. But this is what I signed on for when I refused to cross the bridge. This is what I signed on for by not listening to Rain.
Rain.
Are they succeeding with their plan to get the antitoxin? Please watch over them, I pray. Because right about now would be a perfect moment for God to show up and tell me exactly what he meant when he told me to “prepare the way.”
I nod at Aurora, but Walker places his hand on my shoulder. “I’m going to hang back. If something goes wrong, we’ll still have the element of surprise if Titus doesn’t know I’m here.”
We both nod. Then Aurora pulls a little white gun from her belt, twists the doorknob, and pushes open the door to Chief Titus Whitcomb’s office.
CHAPTER FIFTY-FIVE
Light floods the hall, blinding me, but Aurora doesn’t waste any time as she bolts into the room, and by the time my eyes adjust, she has Titus in a chair, a gun held to his temple.
His eyes are wide, darting from her to me then back to her again, and he blinks several times, and I’m pretty sure I’ve never seen him this disoriented before. How the tides have turned. Because he always enjoyed antagonizing me. He always liked playing mind games with me while watching me squirm.
But.
Look who’s squirming now.
Finally, after a beat, he smiles. Smiles! He grins that dazzling grin, and looks completely calm and out of place with a gun held to his head. I’m just now realizing he always uses this grin when he’s out of sorts. It’s his default expression.
“Ah, sisters,” he says, his eyes shining with deceptive warmth. “You’ve finally met. I was afraid this would never happen. I was afraid one of you would die off, leaving the other in a haze of mystery, never knowing her other half. But, here you are. Conspiring against your older brother. Both impulsive, as always.” He slowly turns his head to look straight at Aurora and now the gun is pointed at his forehead. “Come, now, Aurora. Enough with this game. It’s fun flirting with the thrill of treason, but in the end, you know you will only fail. You need to think about you actions. Remember what I taught you? You need to think about your future and the future of Ky.”
He seems so smooth and not nervous at all, and it kind of throws me off, but Aurora doesn’t miss a beat.
“Step down, Titus, and declare Ember chieftess.”
Her boldness surprises me.
“And why,” Titus says, smiling, “would I do that?”
“Because you’re not fit to be ruler. You’re a spoiled, immature boy who has no place in a position of leadership.”
“And you think this…commoner can do a better job? She’s only completed eight years of school. Rain would be a better leader than her. Or Forest. Why not choose Forest, Sister? Don’t you love him? Just weeks ago you couldn’t stop talking about him. So why choose this ignorant farmer? Hm? Is it because she’s your twin?”
It really unnerves me how he’s talking about me like I’m not even here. Insulting me, even. It actually makes me a little less scared and little more…angry. In fact, I kind of wish I had a gun of my own so I could just kill him and get it over with. Why won’t Aurora shoot him?
She glares at him, her gun held firmly in place at his forehead. “She should be leader,” she says. “Because she knows this country better than you or I ever will. She knows it inside and out. She knows its citizens. She knows the real problems of Ky and she knows how to fix them.”
I glance at her, wonder how she can sound so confident in me.
“Problems?” Titus says. “What problems?”
“The problem of starvation,” I snap. “And inequality and, oh, I don’t know. Slavery?”
He rolls his eyes and looks at me with a bored smile. “We covered this, Sister. Ignorance is different from slavery. The Proletariats aren’t even aware of their pathetic circumstances
. It’s win-win, really. We live in comfort. They remain unaware.”
“It’s win-lose.” I step toward him, stifling the urge to grab the gun from Aurora and shoot him myself. But she seems to think we need him.
He sighs and looks at Aurora. His smile is gone now. “Please set the gun down, Rory.”
Rory? It’s strange hearing Titus talk to her so personally.
“Declare Ember chief,” Aurora says.
He blinks several times. Sighs heavily. Stares at his desk and says, “I’d really hoped for more from you. More leadership, less doing things for other people like your commoner twin here. More grit and less softness. No matter how much I tried to prepare you, training you in mortal combat, teaching you to stifle your emotions, instructing you how to dish it out when people give you crap. I thought I taught you well on one-upping and blindsiding. It’s what our family is known for. But you always possessed this…softness. This pathetic empathy for others. You were always the weak one. Even as an infant. For a while I thought I was making you stronger. Less feely. But then Krin came into your life and messed everything up.”
Krin? Was she Aurora’s tutor?
Her hands are visibly trembling. “Tell me why I shouldn’t kill you now?”
Yes! I think. Kill him! End it now!
“Because I have information you may want.” He lifts his eyes to hers, bored expression still carefully in place. “Tell me, dear sister, don’t you ever want to see Gideon again?”
Now it’s her turn to blink, blink, blink. “He’s gone.”
Titus snorts. “He’s alive and well.”
“H-how do you know?”
“Who do you think was responsible for his disappearance?”
An audible breath escapes her and her hands are suddenly trembling, and I’m screaming in my head no! But it’s too late because in the moment her hands lower just an inch, Titus is on his feet and he’s got her wrist in a tight grip and he twists it until she drops the gun, and after one more blink he’s got the gun in his hands and is aiming at Aurora’s temple.
ashen city (Black Tiger Series Book 2) Page 33