“You will not speak of any of this to anyone,” Cassiel ordered. “You will not mention the Main Facility at all or what has happened there. You won’t tell Charlie or the others that the wards have fallen, nor will you discuss anything regarding the facility’s location. Do you understand?”
“Yes, sire,” Eddie said in a small voice. “I understand completely.”
“Very good,” Cassiel replied, holding his head high. “You may resume your duties.”
Cassiel crossed his hands, then turned and walked off in the opposite direction. Eddie watched him go, but the moment he was out of sight, his shoulders sagged. He steadied himself against the wall for support.
I tore my gaze off him, though I swayed in my chair. I couldn’t make sense of which way was up or down. The Warden’s protective wards had fallen. The Emperor had found where the rest of the Elves were being held, yet he was just going toleavethem there? He wasn’t going to storm into the Main Facility and end the Elvish camps for good? I couldn’t fathom the Emperor would be so heartless.
Our conversation from the gardens came back to me, and I recalled what he said about suffering. I believed Cassiel to be a good person, and I understood he had to make the toughest decisions as Emperor. Cassiel probably thought that sending his army to the Main Facility would cost us soldiers we couldn’t spare, not when our armies were fighting The Mission on all fronts and barely surviving.
But if he thought he could just leave his people in the hands of the Warden to spare his own soldiers, then he was making the wrong call. I couldn’t stand by and let this happen.
I whirled my chair around. “Come,” I ordered Abigail and Eldin. “Eddie might not be able to tell the others about this, but we can.”
We hurried back to the royal quarters as quickly as we could, and I stormed into the room. “Everybody up! We have matters to discuss.”
Danny lifted his head and moaned. “Not with this headache, sweetheart.”
“I couldn’t give a shit about your hangover,” I growled. “There are more pressing matters at hand.”
Groans traveled around the room as everyone awoke. They must’ve noticed the urgency in my tone, because they all sat upright. Charlie heard the commotion and came rushing out of our bedroom, already fully clothed. Kallie and Marcus emerged from Kallie’s room in bathrobes, squinting in the morning light.
“What’s going on?” Charlie demanded.
“The Mission's wards have fallen. Your grandfather found the Main Facility,” I blurted.
Charlie stumbled backward. We’d been waiting for this information for months, and I’d just dropped the news like a bomb. He steadied himself and straightened up. “We have to join the Emperor’s Guard and go after the Warden.”
“That’s the thing,” I urged. “Your grandfather isn’t going to free the Elves in the camps.”
Charlie froze. “What do you mean? We need to gather all our soldiers as soon as possible. If the wards have fallen, then we have an advantage. We need to liberate that camp before the wards are reinstated. What did my grandfather tell you?”
“He told me nothing,” I stated bitterly. “In fact, he doesn’t want us knowing at all. I overheard him ordering Eddie not to tell us. Eddie must’ve been with him all night, gathering this intel. That’s why he never returned to our quarters. I don’t think Cassiel has the soldiers to spare, because he’s convinced he can’t help the people imprisoned in the Main Facility. He believes they’re a lost cause, but I won’t settle for that. We have to at leasttryto free them, while we have the chance. Cassiel might not have the manpower, but we do. We’re demigods, and we don’t need an army to back us up. We can do this for him and free the people the Warden has locked up!”
“Your highness,” Eldin protested. It was the first time she’d ever questioned me, as it wasn’t within her rank to do so.“Forgive me, but you don’t know what you may be walking into. If the Emperor doesn’t want you to go, there’s probably a good reason. I have to advise that you don’t do this.”
“You don’t understand,” I argued. “You don’t know Cassiel the way that I do. The things he’s said to me… I know the way he thinks. Cassiel has good intentions, but he doesn’t want to help because he believes people will always suffer, and that sacrifices must be made for the greater good. He doesn’t believe putting his resources into liberating the camp will be worth it, because it’s a risk to do so. He’d rather keep his army stationed where they’re at near Malovia, to keep The Mission at bay. He believes the victims at the Main Facility have to pay the price for the greater good, but if Ilamanthe is built off of letting these people suffer, then I don’t want it. I want to live in a world where we help each other, and these people need us right now. Cassiel isn’t even going to try. He’s given up, but we won’t.”
“Then we’re going,” Charlie decided.
Alistair raised his fists. “Hell yeah. We’ll fuck ‘em up all right.”
Chancey stood. “Ivy and I are in.”
“Opal and me, too,” Ez volunteered.
Wherever you need me, I will go, Oberi added.
“Princess, it sounded like the Emperor was only trying to protect you,” Eldin noted. “Are you sure?”
“He doesn’t need to protect us,” Charlie insisted. “He thinks we can’t handle this, but we proved yesterday that we can. We’re better than this, and we’re strong enough to take it, because these people need our help.”
Marcus turned to Kallie and took her hands. “You don’t have to come with. You’re not strong enough, not after what happened yesterday. You need to stay here and rest.”
Kallie shook her head. “I know you’re worried about me, but I can’t stay here if all of you are going. Ihaveto help.”
Marcus frowned, then nodded. “Then stay close to me, pretty girl. When do we leave?”
