He unzipped his jacket so everyone could see his double seals and tossed it on the ground in front of Mellie. “Kneel.” He pried her hands off the back of his shirt and guided her to the jacket. “Hands in the air. You're safe.”
Mellie lowered onto his jacket, clutching her hands to her chest before he lifted them for her.
“Keep your hands visible and stay here.”
This kind of violence rarely broke out in a shopping district frequented by elite. From a young age, most citizens learned what to do when soldiers drew their weapons in the streets and silenced themselves without any warning. No one here, apart from fellow soldiers, witnessed anything like this in person normally.
“On your knees,” Zayne shouted to all those who watched the mob of soldiers circle the two on the ground. “Stay still and keep your hands visible.”
People began to lower, especially once some in the crowd pointed out the Phaedra's seals. Soon, everyone followed the order, parents hiding their children behind them.
Something went wrong that these civilians were targeted in public and managed to escape into the daylight. The Phaedra didn't want brutality on the streets of his loyal and faithful servants.
He didn't know how to help the mother and son escape this situation when it had already escalated so much.
“Sergeant Zayne Riven.” He identified himself when he approached, hands raised. “What the hell happened here?”
The Phaedra wouldn't complain about Zayne taking charge of this messy operation before the entire shopping district witnessed more blood sprayed across the ground.
Two privates stepped aside to allow Zayne entrance into their circle. The woman cradled her unconscious son, holding pressure to the gash on his forehead.
“Who are they?” Zayne asked.
“Followers. She came to pass a message to a spy for the United. The spy never showed, but—”
“She brought her son with her to deliver a dangerous message?” Ridiculous. Zayne's glare shot toward the commanding officer. “Did you not learn discretion in the academy?
“We made a tactical error.”
“How can I trust you won't make an error and shoot one of the good people out here?” He crouched, and the woman clutched her son tighter, drawing back. “I'm taking your son inside and calling for medical. You'll follow me and keep your hands where these soldiers can see them.”
She shook her head, scooting away, even though she was surrounded.
“You're panicking,” he said. “Take a deep breath. Your son needs you right now. He's your boy, right?”
Refusing to answer, she only stared desperately into Zayne's eyes with the same resolve and fury he always saw in Kira's.
“I'm picking him up now. Stay calm.”
Though she didn't concede, she didn't fight when Zayne pulled the young teen from her arms. A terrible cry left her lips, and she bowed forward, body following after his. Zayne thought of his own mother and her love for him and his siblings. This woman's desperation cut through him.
He hefted the boy into his arms and rose to his feet. “Be civil,” Zayne said to the commanding officer before returning to the restaurant they had fled from.
Once inside, soldiers cleared the civilians out. Zayne placed the boy on a table and scanned him for further injury. Blood wet his hairline on the right side.
“I'm a medic,” one of the soldiers said, and withdrew gloves from his bag.
The commanding officer stopped beside Zayne. “I take full responsibility for those families seeing this.”
He didn't care about hiding blood from the people out in the streets who normally lived such comfortable lives. He cared about the mother who watched her son right now, knowing they'd both die.
Zayne couldn't save her, but he might be able to save the boy.
“No one is going to like hearing about a child dying,” Zayne said. “Did he do anything?”
“No. It's the mother.”
“Then transport him to the hospital. I'll ask the Phaedra for grace. It'll garner favor with the public.”
