" No..." I mumble." He couldn't do that... If he did... He would've saw it a long time ago."
" We're one Freya...in a sense." Xaden says quickly pacing. " Aetos is good.. But he can only see bits and pieces, I read on it. So he'd need to keep us alive. Keep me live so make sure."
" I don't think he'd be the diabolical."
Xaden looks at me, " Really Freya.. Don't tell me your defending him I swear to Malek-"
" NO asshole! I'm not! I'm trying to say though Dain is not stupid... He's not that smart to plan something so..." I sigh, " Like it's out of a rule book."
Xaden licks his lips, " Like I've told you one, I've watched him these last two years. If he wants to power he'll go through every rule to get to it Freya. He needed to think this through...." He shakes his head. " I knew he never liked me, especialy when you came but he tried so damn hard to keep us apart then....nothing... at least not for a little bit. I thought he just gave up but he was still."
I see Xaden's face redden as he slams his fists on the table. " It was obvious..It was so damn obvious!"
Everyone now was gathered looking at him wide eyed in silence.
Garrick speaks up, " We know the venin are coming... They warned us.. We still have time to get the hell out of here. If we leave-"
" And abandon all these people down there at the trading post?" Imogen points. " That goes against everything we've been trying to accomplish. If we leave we'll be no better then-"
She cuts herself off looking at me, she looks away just as fast looking towards Xaden. I tear my gaze away from Imogen to Xaden who was looking at me then around.
" Gryphons are approaching..." Liam says making us all look.
" Soeli, go get them." Xaden orders.
Why are more coming over here?
Soeli jogs out to meet them, while Xaden still seems to be thinking. Then there was an explosion making us all jump.
" What the hell?!" HEtta asks, " Liam what's going on?!"
Liam seems to take a few steps back paling " They're here... The venin... They just appeared."
Xaden let's out a breath as the fliers come in. " Your outpost is abandoned?" The talls brunette says.
" They know about the shipments." Xaden says quickly, there was another explosion making us all jump.
The girl pales, " So this was planned, your leaders planned this."
Xaden nods.
" I have seven riders all equipped with weapons to fight. We can but you some time to escape, You've done enough for us Xaden Riorson, your parents would be proud."
Xaden tenses as she says this, all of them do. " We're traitors." He states. " There's nowhere we could go, surely they'll look for our bodies. If this- The venin don't kill us- Navarre will."
He looks at everyone in the room now, " I took responsibility for all of you, if any want to flee-"
" No way in hell." Bohdi states, " I'm not running."
" Me either." Imogen says.
Garrick shrugs, " I'd rather die serving for the helpless then the blade of any of those assholes in Navarre. You know I'm in."
Hetta seems to be having a battle in her head but with a breath she nods, " For my dad, and Fen. I miss them, and if I can talk to them soon, and help save families so they don't need to be broken, that's what I'll do."
Xaden nods looking at Liam. Liam gives his grin at Xaden, " Loyalty makes you family, Then today... I'll die with you brother."
Everyone nods in agreement. They'll fight.
Xaden shakes his head. " Give me a second... Prepare your dragons. This very might be the last time. Freya stay here for a second."
Everyone nods glancing at me as they leave the room. I look at Hetta and Liam who look at Xaden and I solemn.
Xaden waits until Liam closes the door before looking back at me. " We don't have much time-"
He takes a step forward and I take one back. " Don't." I warn. " Don't try anything."
" I wasn't." He says softly. " And I'm not asking you to stay Freya."
I furrow my expression as I look at him. " You want me to leave?"
" I want you to do something for me. I know I don't deserve it, after everything... I'm asking for a favor." He says quickly. " Take Hetta and Liam and go to Eltuval. That's where everyone else will be gathering, if they see you- Dain sees you- you tell him you left, That you abandoned me. Make him take Liam and Hetta back..please. I've always known he's cared for you and I know he'll be crazy to have you back-"
" - What? NO!"
" Freya please." Xaden aks smore urgently. " Do it for them, not me. If there's anything I could give you Freya to keep them safe I would, I would... I made the deal, I made then go into the quadrant, I made them do the shipments-"
" Then you'd need to come with." I say quickly. " I can't leave you... I won't.."
After everything, there was still that pull. I hate him... I hate Xaden but it would feel wrong, it would feel like leaving a lamb or a baby in a den of ravenous dragons. It's just wrong.
" Freya please.... Sloane is crossing this year, She needs Liam and Hetta."
" If you die, I die." I say quickly. " If Liam and Hetta are stuck there... If Dain is as crooked as you say he really is, what I'm just figuring out he is... He won't keep his promise to keep him alive. That's why you need to come with.. But even then... I saw the look on his face Xaden. I'm not one of them anymore. No doubt he already told someone, his dad, my mom..."
Xaden lets out a breath, knowing that might be very well true. " I can't leave them. Not after everything."
" I know. Everything you did, was for them. Your loyal to your people. They're sure as hell loyal to you." I take a breath. " I picked them, I picked you. And I'm not running to Dain or anyone else admitting I made a wrong decision. When I'm dying I want my mother, Dain and everyone else to think I died fully loyal to your cause. I'll die a traitor, but that's better then letting them know I died for a lie. So today if it ends... No one will mourn me. And I'm alright with that."
Xaden looks at me for a few seconds before nodding. " Ok. Before we go I just want to say-"
" You've been doing what you thought was right. At least I know that truth."
I don't let him get another word in before I opened the door and went down the stairs to where eberyone was gathered. Can't believe I'm fighting with rebels and damn gryphon riders.
Another explosion hit.
" They're not breaking the wall yet." Liam informs.
One of the riders had a map, " There's about 300 people here, villiage here, clock tower in the middle, clearing all around. We have the flight advantage. We can drop off civillians...here..." She points to a clearing on the far side, " They'll run and be protected by the moutains.. It'd be a few days but they'll reach another village."
" The goal is to save the people first no matter what and...cover for Rhys." Xaden declares a little hesitantly.
" My dragon will be perfectly fine, We don't need your protection." I snap looking at him.
" Rhys also can use his fire against Venin, and wyvern if they show up.." He answers.
" Wyvern?! Wyvern exist?" I ask suddenly.
" Venin made them-" Hetta starts before I intercept, " I know! I know the story but...." I pause, " All our dragons wield fire."
" Rhys also isn't a normal dragon." Bohdi responds.
" He's just defected, he and his fire are just color defected!"
" No Freya.." Xaden answers making me look at him. " Fire..dragon fire..can't kill a dragon. But it burned through Ambers.."
I notice he's talking slower, as if to make me understand something. " Wyvern..can't burn wyvern. Dragons can also burn a wyvern."
I glance around, " What? What does that even mea-"
My head snaps to Rhys, he stands there solumnly. Same with everyone else.
" I'm a halfblood. Just like you Freya Sorrengail."