“I'm sure you're being a perfect sweetheart,” Imani said.
Zayne flicked another almond off his leg.
Ashantae studied him thoughtfully. “So, you're in a spiral because the only option for breaking Kira out of your parents’ house is to do it yourself or to pin it on someone you don't mind your father chopping into a hundred pieces.”
Zayne held his breath. “Yes.”
“If you do break her out, then all of this is gone,” Ashantae said. “The investments we use to fight the war. Intelligence that saves countless civilians. Your influence at the highest levels of the Phaedra's inner circle. And the future of using High General to destroy the Phaedra and any successor.”
Every word drove a spike through his chest. Despite the fact that Imani just threw almonds all over him, she reached across the table and slid her hand over his.
“On the other hand,” Ashantae said. “Break Kira out, and you stop the Phaedra from slaughtering hundreds of Followers.”
Kira or the rebellion.
He lowered his eyes to the table. “I'm aware that keeping my position in the regime is better for the long-term tactical and political advantage.”
“If you live long enough,” Ashantae said. “If you don't fail. It might be clear in theory, but not in practice.”
“I say maybe you could do more with one dying breath than a lifetime at his side.” Imani held his eyes across the table. “I, for one, would love to see Zayne Riven fighting un-fucking-leashed with nothing holding him back.”
The challenge stirred inside him. What Zayne wouldn't give to escape this prison and do all he wished.
“It's hard to say, Imani.” Ashantae simpered. “He's not replaceable on the inside. No one except Brock knows all that he does, but just from what I know, it would be devastating to lose.”
No longer did Brock smirk. “The best option is to find someone to break her out and take the fall. We can't leave her to be tortured, and Zayne shouldn't abandon his life's mission.”
“I did consider killing him.” Zayne stared at a scratch on the table.
“Him?” Brock looked around at each person and back to Zayne. “Surely it's not the Phaedra you're casually floating killing?”
“I haven’t killed him before because the regime doesn't end with him,” Zayne said. “He's particularly ruthless and effective, but even so, the Phaedras are not broken by the death of one when it gives life to the next. And my father will stand in the gap of the transition. If I killed him, my brother would step in.”
He lifted his gaze to see everyone staring at him in silence, brows pinched or expressions drawn.
“So even if I kill the Phaedra and half my family, the war continues, and the regime lives on, and the assassinations fuel more atrocities. But he does deserve to die, and it's unlikely the next Phaedra is as cunning. His death would create a great distraction for freeing Kira.”
Ashantae eyed him. “You're going to murder the Phaedra despite concluding it's operationally ineffective in order to break Kira Stiles out of Ciondo?”
“No.” Zayne's attention returned to the crack in the table. “I considered it, that's all.”
“Holy hell, Zayne.” Imani pinched the bridge of her nose.
He shrugged. “I've always wanted to kill the Phaedra.”
Brock snorted, and Zayne's glare rose to him.
Ashantae and Imani looked curious now, but Zayne silently warned his friend not to piss him off.
So, of course, Brock opened his mouth and twisted the story however he liked. “Zayne kissed Kira three years ago and never stopped watching over her. She doesn't know it's him because he was masked. And he won't admit he's emotionally compromised.”
“You really do want to die.” Zayne leaned across the table with a scowl. “I am not compromised.”
A moment of quiet settled before Imani let out a disgusted groan. “You're making the woman you kissed think you hate her? Zayne Riven. Zayne Riven!”
Ashantae wasn't speaking or reacting, just watching him with quiet concern.
His nostrils twitched with far more anger than he'd let any of them see. “Kira is an asset to the rebellion. She's a good person, and she deserves every effort to save her.”
