Chapter 33 #2
“I assume that was why she pushed so hard for Crowell to recruit me,” Blackmere adds behind me.
Skies forbid Blackmere ever becomes a king…
Rowen glances between us. “What do you expect me to do?” he asks. “Call the whole thing off and lose the trust of all of Candora? We won’t get another chance like this to make our demands clear to the queen now that we’re out in the open.”
“The queen isn’t even in Candora,” I argue.
Swearing, Rowen brushes a hand over his graying hair. “That’s why she pushed for us to move this week. And here I thought I was taking control when I put things in motion a few days early without telling her.”
I grimace. “As I said, Helena is going to use your movement for her own gain—not yours.”
“I can’t call it off,” Rowen says.
“Would you rather things get worse for you lot?” Blackmere asks in a growl.
I step between Blackmere and Rowen, commanding Rowen’s full attention. Ever since learning about Helena’s plan, I’ve been trying to think of the best way forward, and the answer hits me like one of Elliot’s unforgiving tackles when we spar.
“Don’t call it off,” I say, still organizing my thoughts as I talk. “Go about things a different way. Storme said you have a communication network set up, so if you can somehow get enough people out spreading the word to do something less disruptive, with some luck you might be able to minimize—”
“That’s easy,” Rowen interrupts, waving a hand. “Do you really think I don’t have contingencies for everything? I just need to signal the right letter when it’s time.”
“Signal the right letter?” I frown.
He nods. “I don’t trust you, Alverra, so I won’t get into the details.
” He looks me up and down with narrowed eyes.
“But we had a dozen different plans put into place. Plans that everyone who chose to be a part of the movement knows and understands. All I have to do is give the signal. For the record, Helena only knows about half of them because I don’t trust her either. ”
Rowen is smarter than I thought. “How will you signal that many people?” I ask. If it’s taking most of the night to put everyone on alert and get them ready, wouldn’t it take just as much time to let them know which plan to follow?
Rowen chuckles dryly. “I know our country is stuck in the past in a lot of ways, but we do, in fact, have technology like mobile phones.”
“But they haven’t been using technology before now!” Callum says in my ear, so loud that I jump and let out a startled curse. I thought he was helping Astrid with Virek; has he been listening this whole time?
“You good, Prince?” Blackmere asks, giving me a smug grin when I glance back at him. Either he knows I have an earbud connected to someone, or he’s happy to see me caught off guard.
“Brilliant,” I grumble, then repeat Callum’s comment to Rowen.
Though Rowen’s expression is full of suspicion, he answers my question. “Like I said, we’re out in the open now, so there’s no point in continuing to hide.”
“You could be arrested for treason as soon as you send that message,” Blackmere says, shrugging when we both look back at him. “Wasn’t the point of doing everything by word of mouth so you can’t be implicated if things go wrong?”
“I’d like to see anyone present evidence to prove my guilt,” Rowen says. “Or anyone’s, for that matter. The people are allowed to speak their grievances.”
“A strike isn’t talking about grievances,” I argue. “That’s action, and action can be prosecuted.”
“Then we pivot to a silent protest, though the people may not go for it.”
Before I can respond to that, Callum is in my ear again, this time with a sharp edge to his voice. “Sander, Storme’s line just disconnected.”
My whole focus turns to him as my heart skips a beat. “What?”
“It’s our least popular plan,” Rowen says at the same time Callum says, “She found Helena, then her earbud disconnected from her phone.”
Cursing, I look from Blackmere to Rowen, who both look at me with confusion. Astrid wouldn’t willingly part with her phone when it’s her only lifeline outside the building. Something must be wrong.
But if Rowen isn’t confident that he can get his followers to do a peaceful protest, then he’s going to need more persuasive power. Like from a prince who agrees with the people that change is necessary.
“I’ll help you,” I tell Rowen. My stomach twists into a knot at the thought of leaving Astrid on her own, but Helena won’t be able to exploit the chaos if there isn’t any to begin with.
Helping Rowen could be our only chance to save Candora.
“If I publicly support a silent protest, will the people follow your plan?”
“What are you doing?” Callum asks.
I ignore him.
Rowen presses his lips together, studying me carefully. He’s too intelligent to trust me completely, but I hope that also means he’s intelligent enough to see that his best play is the one I’m suggesting. “Maybe,” he says after far too long.
I’m going to have to rely on that ‘maybe,’ just as I’ll have to be okay with no longer hiding in the shadows if I do this.
“Then tell me what I can do to make it happen.” I turn to Blackmere, swallowing the worry that claws up my throat as he narrows his eyes at me in suspicion.
“Astrid went after Helena,” I tell him, praying I can trust him. “And I think she’s in trouble.”