Where the Unknown Lie

Chapter 38 After Effect

"What if Shane was in on it?" I ask, turning my head to Kanna and Kallum as we make our way down the tunnel. They had expanded it, so the taller members of the guild no longer had to duck and crouch down when using the tunnel. To short people like me, there was no difference.

"I don't think he is," Kallum said calmly, like usual.

Kanna nodded in agreement, "He wouldn't have said he wanted you to succeed him if he was planning to see you hang."

I pondered it for a second, thinking over Kanna's reasoning, "Okay, you're probably right. But what if Xavier had more people on the inside willing to help, like a group of followers? We need to exterminate them."

"Good point." Kallum nods and Kanna hits him.

"Okay, we get you to Shane's office, you explain that to him. We get him to call a meeting, have him announce that you were captured, get him to sound excited like he was in on it and they succeeded. Then you come out and kill or capture all those who cheered or looked excited."

"You're overestimating Shane's abilities here," I said, although I seriously considered the idea. "That's our main plan then. We need to get people up to the surface as quickly as possible and move the horses, move any supplies that Xavier knew of, and prepare for an attack just in case. I'm not sure as to what they know about us."

Kallum nods, "Okay, I'll tell the others, an official order so to speak, I'll get one of the entrance people to come with me. I'll bring whoever I trust, Ollie and Noah, the people who don't hate you. Who knows you."

I nod, "Good, we need to get this done quickly and smoothly. Tell everyone to be careful, they'll be looking for me so don't act suspicious. We also need to send for my family, I think Aiden and mother will be fine they don't have any files at the guild, so Xavier wouldn't have gotten them, Dad on the other hand..." I trail off.

"Don't worry, Nao. He'll be fine." Kanna murmurs my name, it felt like a welcoming home. It felt so natural and normal, it showed me that everything was going to be okay.

When we exited the tunnel, Kallum stayed and talked to the entrance guards whose faces soon turned grave when they saw that I was disguised as a boy. Kanna and I moved quickly through the halls, using the servant's passages to get to Shane's office more quicker. 

I burst into the office, and the door slammed against the wall as Kanna and I walked in.

"Talk. We need to talk right now." I say frantically looking at Shane.

"Amare?" The voice made my eyes draw wide. 

I looked to who sat in the chair, he stood up and I threw myself at him. A reflex I think, nothing more. "Dad!" I choke. 

"What's wrong?" Shane looked at me in confusion before I told him everything.

"Kallum is gathering people to move the supplies and horses to the separate locations. He should be done soon. We have extra people guarding the entrances just in case. We need to find any other rats in our system."

"Do you have a plan?"

"Everyone should be in the mess hall right?"

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I stood with my back against the large oak door. Everyone should be in the mess hall, Shane sent people to gather everyone at the guild to tell them Xavier succeeded when he failed. Miserably. My father stood on the other side of me.

"I can't believe that happened..." Father murmured, "You should have killed him."

"I did." I whisper back, "Back then... I couldn't bring myself to kill him. I was too naive."