"All this...the revolution," Briana swallowed, struggling with her words, "it wasn't supposed to happen?"
"It's taken me years -years of jumping between the right people and manipulating behind the scenes - to finally break the bonds between Princeps and people."
It felt like the world had shifted beneath her feet and Briana staggered.
"And it was all for me...it's my fault?"
Hansel read the horror in her expression and he gripped her shoulders to get her to look up at him.
"They deserve this Briana."
"How-how come I remember that the revolution happened?"
"I jumped back in time. I took control of it – meaning I can alter the timeline. My guess is that you had no control over the jump." She nodded in agreement and he smiled sadly down at her. "You haven't been taught." But she would have been – in the other version of the future...
This was a lot to take in.
Hansel tapped her nose to get back her attention. "Nothing you do will change things now. Your future is set. You were meant to come here."
"No!" Briana twisted out of his reach and stepped back away from him. "No, I don't want to believe that!"
"Why?" Hansel seemed alarmed by her reaction. "What's wrong with the future?"
Briana thought about this. The future had better equality, better living standards, and better education – there was good progress in technology and medicine. People were generally happy.
"Err nothing but...Dalton, Emily –"
"I know this is hard on you." His voice was very gentle, "you don't remember so you can't understand." She stared up at him. "But please trust me."
"Why are you crying?"
He brushed away his tears hastily, seeming embarrassed.
"I was so scared that I'd altered things too much. That you'd never be born. You asked me to come back, to do this work but I never could." He reached up to caress her cheek. "I couldn't risk losing you. When you died I – I couldn't ignore your request any longer."
Briana went very still. It was strange to be told things she'd said in another life. Strange to think there was a version of her that died. She didn't register Hansel's movements until she was already tightly enveloped in his embrace. "You have no idea how happy I am right now. We can be together."
Briana's arms remained limply at her side.
"I-I'm very confused right now," she managed to stammer weakly.
Hansel sighed and let her go.
"I know. I know. Briana, we don't have much time. I'm being watched, I shouldn't be meeting with Emily." Right they were supposed to be on opposing sides – but they weren't, not really... right? Briana rubbed her forehead. This was far too much to suddenly take in.
"You need to jump out of her body," Hansel told her - his tone firm.
"What?"
"Swap places with me."
"I can't – I don't know how. Why don't you do it?" Briana spluttered, in a sudden panic.
Hansel ran his fingers through his hair, ruining the suave style he'd been sporting.
"They call me Hungry Soul. I devour the soul when I jump into the body. It's what makes me the strongest but I also can't help it. You're a proper shifter – you swap places."
"So Emily is in my body right now – but what does that mean with time travel..."
"Briana," he shook her shoulders urgently, "we're out of time. Jump."
"No."
"Just try."
"No – I don't know what that will mean for Emily. I won't risk hurting her."
"Everything is already in motion Briana. In Emily's body... you might suffer a lot." The pain this idea caused was evident in his intense gaze. Briana nodded, couldn't he understand? That was precisely why she had to stay.
"She's just a child, Hansel." Her mouth was set determinedly. "It's right that I take her place."
**
"Mr. Farshadow?" called Aaron. In was lunchtime and most the assembly had left to fetch a quick bite. Trying to agree on a new form of government was leading to many grueling debates. They were starting to go around in circles, biting their own tails, confounded by one lingering problem. What to do with the Princeps? Abel had remained behind and sat staring blankly ahead, his mind racing with possibilities.
"Yes?"
Aaron moved to Abel's side so that they couldn't be overheard.
"We intercepted this."
Abel's eyes snapped to focus and he seized the tiny crumpled note.
"It was written by the Princeps' wife," Aaron spoke softly. She was plotting an escape and from the contents of this note, this wasn't her first secret correspondence. That was troubling.
"Who was this message for?" Abel asked, his voice constrained.
"Lancelot Bertrand, his wife's a close friend of the family."
"Arrest the Bertrand family. I want them questioned."
Aaron nodded, turning to leave.
"Where's Thurber?" Abel asked, touching Aaron's arm to keep him.
"He's speaking with the press."
Abel got to his feet also. Progress in the assembly was beginning to grind to a halt. It was time -he and Thurber needed to put their heads together.
**
Felipe escorted Briana back to the family's rooms. As he shut the door behind her - Briana almost opened her mouth to stop him.
"Why did they want you?"
She turned at the sound of the Princeps' voice.
"You're back." She breathed a sigh of relief. "What happened? Did you..."
"I won't back down."
She nodded in understanding. He hadn't retracted his veto.
"What did they want with you?" Antonia had reached her husband's side and both were looking at her with concern.
"Err nothing really," Briana cast her gaze furtively about, "just trying to feel out my opinions on things."
Antonia frowned.
"Why?" She asked, her tone skeptical.
"They want to know if your suitable alternative." The Princeps surmised, looking thoughtful.
"What?" Briana's eyes widened in alarm. She'd just said the first vague thing that came to her head.
"Did they seem happy with your answers?"
"I – I don't know."
A loud crash from the other room made them all freeze and Dalton skidded through the door.
"Dad there's a helicopter!" Dalton cried out. The guards were all on their feet. The Princeps pulled Dalton close to him. "It pulled down the boards." The Erebus' were quickly ushered into a corner. They watched in astonishment as more of the window boards slammed down, ripped apart by hooks attached to army helicopters. Men came down on wires and burst through the openings, landing nimbly on the carpet. Both sides opened fire. Briana screamed and the family ducked down, huddling protectively together.
When the gunfire stopped Briana's muscles were paralysed and she couldn't even raise her head. She felt the Princeps move beside her.
"Mantel?" The Princeps asked, his voice dazed by shock. Briana flinched. Was it Sergeant Major Mantel? Did this mean that this was...Coward's Call Massacre?
"You have the army, Princeps." The Sergeant informed them gruffly. "We are at your service."
"No!" Briana leapt to her feet. This would be a victory for the revolution. "You can't fight them!" Hansel's words came back to her, 'nothing you do will change things'.
The massacre would either happen because she interfered or because she failed to. Either way, she could only be responsible for it. She swallowed back the hot bile that had risen in her throat. They heard screams from below.
"What's happening?" The Princeps ran to the gaping hole in the place of windows. A fierce wind billowed out his smart jacket. "You're using tanks on the protestors!?" The Princeps bellowed over the noise of the helicopter's rotors.
"They're traitors."
Antonia gripped her children's wrists tightly.
"Richard!" She shouted - the wind whipped at her hair pulling it free from her bun. Dead and injured guards lay on the ground around them, blood seeping into the carpet. "Let's go with them!"
The Princeps turned to look at them, tears shining in his tired eyes.
"I swore, I swore I wouldn't spill any blood."
Antonia gazed beseechingly at her husband.
"Please, Richard! Think of the children."
Tears slipped down his ashen face, dripping from his quivering jaw.
"Please," he shook his head sadly, "don't make me become a monster."
Briana put her hand over her mouth to suppress threatening sobs. Antonia's face was aghast.
"Princeps?" The general asked gruffly.
"Stand down."
"Richard!" Antonia shrieked in outrage.
"Surrender!" The Princeps yelled over Antonia's cries. "I order you to surrender to the people!"
Coward's Call Massacre – so called because the ones that started it turned tail and fled. They were cut down though, one by one as traitors of the people. They put down their weapons and were slaughtered where they stood.
Briana sank to the floor, her knees smacking against the hard ground. 'You asked me to come back.' She clutched her head in her hands. She'd planned this... 'I couldn't ignore your request any longer'. She fought back the urge to scream.
I'm not human, I'm one of the Shade. I'm a monster.
**
The True Hearts were in an uproar - there was panic and violence in the streets. The protestors had gotten hold of the tanks and the army's weaponry and were threatening to use them if their demands weren't met. The Commons doors opened and an expectant hush settled over the room. Abel Farshadow, Thurber Gale and Briana Snowe strode into the room.
It was Briana that spoke first.
"The Princeps' rule is over."
"We need to discuss-" But this speaker was quickly heckled down by the majority. Briana had done well, they had the support of the assembly.
"The people are looking to us." Abel addressed the room, "we have their backing only as long as we speak with their voice."
"What needs to be done is clear," Thurber spoke up, his voice resonating throughout the grand chamber. "From this day on the Princeps is nothing more than a common criminal. And he should be treated accordingly."