by Kyla Stone
Micah and Silas exchanged glances. Silas shook his head. Micah gave a small jerk of his chin in agreement. They were in this together.
“We aren’t leaving without Amelia,” Silas said.
Theo rubbed his forehead. “Did you see the guards surrounding her? There were dozens. There’s no way we can reach her.”
Silas whirled and pointed a shaking finger at Theo’s chest. “You let her go into the lion’s den, unprotected, and now you’re not going to get her out?”
“What about Harper?” Micah asked. “She can help us.”
“Harper is only one person,” Fiona said.
Micah shoved his glasses up the bridge of his nose with his thumb. Anxiety roiled in his stomach. He felt sick. “I thought you said you had more soldiers on your side.”
“Not ones with that kind of access,” Kadek said. “Look, Cleo anticipated this. That’s why she went ahead with the plans for attack.”
“Anticipated what?” Silas asked in a low, dangerous voice.
“Amelia is an elite. She’s one of them. It makes sense that she’d want to stay here, in comfort and decadence—”
“No!” Micah said too loudly. Several people glanced their way. He lowered his voice. “No. You don’t know what you’re saying. You don’t know her.”
“Amelia would never do that,” Silas said.
Micah glanced at Silas. Only a few short weeks ago, Silas had expressed his own doubts. But now his jaw was set, his body rigid, his eyes flashing with anger at Kadek’s insinuation. “If you won’t help us, we’ll go get her on our own.”
“And get yourselves killed,” Kadek snapped.
Fiona put a soothing hand on Silas’s arm. He jerked his arm back like she was infected. A shadow of hurt passed across her face. “We underestimated her security. I’m sorry. I imagine even if she wanted to leave—”
“She does!” Silas hissed.
“She looked pretty happy next to the president in her fancy dress,” Kadek snapped.
Silas stared daggers at Kadek. “She did the same thing for my father. I guarantee you she wasn’t happy then. And she’s not happy now. So why don’t you shut your mouth before I make you—”
Kadek strode forward until he was inches from Silas’s face. “Are you threatening me?”
A two-guard patrol rounded the corner down the street. A nighthawk glided above them.
“Keep your voices down!” Micah moved beside Silas. He turned to Theo, Kadek, and Fiona with steely determination. “We’re not leaving. No matter what’s coming. We’re not leaving Amelia behind.”
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