Chapter 37
New Pharia City
Brir
Artemis was sitting at the counter, flipping through a book, when I placed the breakfast plates on the table. I found my ring glinting on his hand made me smile like a fucking lunatic.
Sitting down opposite him, I took a moment just to watch him. His intensity was endearing and a sight to behold as he drowned in the world between pages. His eyebrows furrowed as his bright eyes gazed down, pouring over the lines written on the pages.
My tail flicked lazily as I pulled the book away.
“Hey!" he said, hands gripping it.
“Hey,” I echoed back, not wanting to disturb his peace. “Eat, Artemis,” I said.
Artemis glanced at the food before him, his eyes lighting up with surprise. “I didn’t even notice. Thank you.” He took a bite of his food, chewing slowly as I narrowed my eyes at him. I placed one hand on his book and slowly pulled it towards me. He just grinned over his plate, stuffing more meat into his mouth.
We had just finished our breakfast, and Artemis was taking the dishes into the kitchen when there was a knock on the door. I got up from the table, where I was studying the book that Artemis found so interesting, to answer whoever was knocking.
Merrick stood on the other side, Soren next to him. I raised an eyebrow at them.
“Arya is calling us to a meeting,” Merrick told me, one arm slung around Soren's shoulders. Soren was tiny for a human. He was even smaller than Artemis.
"Alright, we'll be right there," I replied, closing the door in his face. I glanced over at Artemis, who had paused while drying a dish. His eyes met mine, curious and questioning. “It’s time. Let’s do that later.”
Artemis set the dishes down and looked up from the sink. “So she’s finally calling the meeting about my sister.”
“We knew she would,” I replied, running a hand through my hair.
My heart sank at the look on his face. I knew he wanted to track down his sister, but Arya was right. It was too dangerous. We would never be able to enter the facility, which had to be surrounded by the human military.
“I won't put you in danger again, Artemis,” I said, pulling him into my arms. “Arya is right. It's better to let Leonovus go and see what he can do.”
Artemis seemed to struggle with the words momentarily, his eyes clouding with confusion and hurt. He stiffened in my grip before slowly relaxing, his arms coming up to wrap around me as well.
"I know," he murmured after a while. "I understand the risks, but... she's my twin.”
“That’s also why we need to let Leonovus go,” I told him. “How do you think she would feel if something happened to you while trying to rescue her?”
He sighed, rubbing the back of his neck. "I know, Brir." Artemis fell silent. He leaned into my hold, his arms slowly rising to return the gesture. We were entangled in our own little world for a moment, and the heartbreaking realities that clouded our lives momentarily lifted. “I just worry.”
I held him closer, trying to offer some comfort. "We're not abandoning her, Artemis. We're giving her the best chance we can. Leonovus is one of the best infiltrators in the group. He'll do everything possible to find and bring her back safely."
"Promise me, Brir," Artemis said, pulling back just enough to look deeply into my eyes. His azure gaze was filled with a desperate plea, the white light of the room reflecting in his irises.
I took his hands in mine, the coolness of his skin contrasting sharply with my warmth. "I promise.” And I sealed that promise with a kiss before leaning my forehead against his. “Now, come on. Let's go up to Arya’s and see what's going on,” I said, kissing the top of his hair and tickling my nose as I breathed in his scent. He always smelled so amazing. I pulled back and laced my fingers with his before I pulled him through the door.
Merrick liked to take the stairs. He hated the elevator, saying the ground wasn’t supposed to move under you. I didn't care. I lived underground, and though I used to always take the stairs, Artemis loved the elevator.
With Artemis in tow, we moved toward the elevators. Artemis stood quietly next to me as we waited for the doors to open, his fingers lightly drumming against mine in a rhythm only known to him. His nervousness was palpable, an energy that vibrated between us.
Shouting could be heard behind the door of Arya's apartment as soon as we exited the elevator.
The harsh, guttural cries of frustrated voices were like a physical blow. Artemis instinctively squeezed my hand tighter, his knuckles whitening under the strain, and I saw a flicker of worry spark in his eyes again.
“Well, that sounds like a party,” Artemis said, looking warily at the door at the many voices shouting at each other in a language I knew very well but that Artemis had no chance of understanding. It was from my world, but the voices were so loud, yelling over one another, that even I couldn't understand a damn thing they were saying.
I gave Artemis's hand a reassuring squeeze, my thumb brushing against his knuckle in what I hoped was a calming gesture. He shot me a weak smile, but it did nothing to erase the tension from his face. The shouting grew louder as we approached the door. It felt like we were walking into a shit storm.
The moment the door swung open, chaos washed over us. Arya stood at the head of the table, hands plastered to its flat surface, clawed fingers digging in as she tried to rein in the meeting. Nidra and Theodora were shouting at Leonovus, who was shouting back. Leonovus was snarling. He was pissed.
As soon as we entered, Arya turned to us, her eyes stormy and filled with desperation. "I was hoping you’d be here sooner," she snapped, her gaze darting back to the chaos before her.
“Don’t start,” I told her with a frown. “Merrick just got us.”
I led Artemis to a chair next to Merrick, who had Soren on his lap. Not wanting to be away from Artemis right now, I followed suit, pulling Artemis down on my lap.
The three others ignored us, continuing their argument.
Arya, seemingly fed up with the yelling, slammed her hands on the table, a crack of sound that echoed through the apartment and silenced everyone.
“Enough!” she shouted over the three. All heads swiveled in her direction. Nidra, Theo, and Leonovus had never gotten along. It didn't help that Leonovus was a cocky ass, and after seeing him fight at the warehouse, I knew he had the skill to back up his bullshit.
“What the fuck is going on?” I asked, my hand trailing down Artemis’s arm.
Everyone turned their heads towards me.
"It's Leonovus!" Nidra spat out, her silver eyes blazing with anger. "He's got a plan, and its fucking bullshit.”
"I'd like to hear it," I said, my gaze shifting to Leonovus, who had gone strangely quiet.
Leonovus straightened as Arya raised her hand to keep him quiet.
Arya signed, then turned her purple eyes towards me. She studied me for a second. “Leonovus thinks we should send the people I saved the other day back to the military to spy for us and find out what's happening.”
I raised my eyebrows at this, processing what Arya had just said. "So, you want to use people who have been rescued as bait?" I questioned, a bitter tone lacing my words.
Leonovus shrugged his broad shoulders. "It's a good plan," he stated angrily. “We need information.”
“It’s a fucking suicide mission. Arya branded them. Those humans are just starting to trust us. They are good people!” Nidra countered.
“Good people don't join a military that is dead set on killing a whole population,” Leonovus snarled.
Theo chimed in. "We can't assume their motives, Leonovus, nor do we have the right to gamble with their lives."
The room exploded into tumult again, everyone speaking at once. The rescued humans, afraid and scared, were now subject to internal politics.
“That's not true!” Artemis piped up, and every head turned towards him. I saw his skin turn pink and lifted my hand to cradle his neck. “I joined to save my sister.”
His voice was a whisper, but the weight of his admission carried through the room. A silence fell over us. The conflict momentarily paused as all attention was directed towards him.
Nidra's eyes widened as she listened to Artemis's words, her expression softening slightly. "See? Artemis is right, " she asserted. “You shouldn't judge them so harshly. We should at least give them the chance to prove themselves." Nidra directed a pointed glance at Leonovus, who growled, showing his sharp teeth and fangs lengthening from his anger.
“Those assholes just attacked our city! They could have killed people!” Leonovus's explosive reaction sent a ripple through the room as his frustration got the better of him.
"And they were led to believe they were doing the right thing," Theo interjected, her calm aura managing to soothe the room's tension. "They were manipulated, deceived. They are all victims here. Arya knows this. She saw their memories. She chose to save them.”
Leonovus seemed taken aback, a rare show of hesitation flashing across his face. "Maybe so," he conceded, his voice grumbling. "But innocent or not, those humans are dangerous. We need to keep our guard up."
“Stop that shit!” Arya yelled, glaring at Leonovus. She stood up from her chair, her posture rigid and poised for a fight if needed. "This isn't us versus them. We are here to talk about Artemis’s sister. I need this taken care of.”
Soren nodded in agreement, looking between Artemis and Arya. "I think we should reconsider, at least for a few people. They may not be as bad as we think."
Leonovus scowled, still unconvinced. “Reconsider?" he repeated, his booming voice echoing off the stone walls. "You want us to reconsider our stance against a group that nearly brought our city to ruins?"
“You know that’s not what I meant,” Soren told him, his voice rising.
I reached out and took Artemis's hand, squeezing it tightly. “We have to consider what we’re asking them to do,” I said slowly, wanting everyone to hear. “No one should be trusted blindly, but we can’t judge them all by the actions of a few.” I glanced at Nidra, hoping she understood where I was coming from. “If they don't want to do it, we shouldn’t force them. That isn't our way.”
Arya shut her eyes, rubbing the bridge of her nose. "Alright, enough with the arguing. Let's focus on finding a solution that works for all of us." She glanced at Nidra, who had remained silent throughout the discussion. “Nidra, I understand that you have grown attached to the new humans, but–”
“How dare you?” Nidra growled, eyes narrowing at Arya. She snarled. “You taught us that, Arya. You dragged our world out of what it was and brought us into a new area, and now you want to drag us back.”
Her words hung in the air, heavy as a thundercloud. Arya opened her mouth to respond, but Nidra raised a hand to silence her. "No," she said firmly, her gaze like steel.
“But our world is dead, Nidra,” Arya said sadly. “We may not have a choice. We have to protect this new home.”
“That isn't the Arya I knew,” she snarled back. Nidra’s feathers fluffed up, and her eyes were murderous.
"Enough, Nidra!" Leonovus interjected. His deep voice reverberated around the room, momentarily halting the heated argument. He looked hard at the enraged woman, then turned to Arya. "Our choices are limited," he admitted.
Then the shouting started again. The whole table this time. Merrick included. Soren, Artemis and I sat quietly, trying to follow, when Soren's head turned towards Arya's radio in the corner of the room. He looked puzzled, regarding it for a second before he tapped Merrick's arms that held him, and Merrick let him go. Soren stood up slowly, making his way over to the radio. No one noticed his movements. My eyes followed him. Artemis wasn’t paying any attention to Soren. He was trying to follow what the hell was happening around us.
Soren reached for the radio, hand hesitating over the dials before he carefully adjusted one of them. A crackling noise added to the room's noise. I turned back to look at the arguing group, but no one noticed. I could barely hear it over the screaming.
Then, he stopped his head tilting towards one of the speakers, his eyes going wide. I could just barely hear a man’s voice over the speaker.
“Hey,” Soren tried to talk over the others, opening drawers next to the radio and searching them with hurried hands. I tapped Artemis’s hip, bringing his attention back to me. He noticed Soren and stood up off my lap.
The others just kept shouting.
“Arya!” I tried to call her name, but she didn't hear me either.
“Hey!” Soren tried again, a little louder. This time, Merrick's head snapped in Soren's direction.
“Soren, what’s wrong?” Merrick tried to call out to the other man as he stood up from his chair and approached his Keala. Arya noticed the movement. Her eyes tracked Merrick.
Soren lost his patience, anger filling his features when he raised his hand to his lips, and a whistle tore through the room, bringing everyone to silence. “Shut the fuck up!” Soren screamed.
They all froze as though caught in the tendrils of an invisible spider's web. Soren's shout echoed in the sudden silence, hanging in the air like a testimony of his anger.
"Listen," he insisted, gesturing towards the radio. His dark eyes were wide and full of urgency.
Soren turned the volume up on the radio, and a language I didn't recognize came through the speakers. Soren’s face paled a little.
“What language is that?” Artemis asked, confusion written all over his features.
“No idea,” Arya said as she approached the radio. “Nothing from our world. The inflection in the voice reverberating through the speakers seemed hurried, desperate even.
“It’s French,” Soren said as he searched a drawer. “I need a pen. Now!” He pulled open another drawer.
"No time, just translate!" Merrick implored, the urgency in his voice echoed by the clenched tightness of his fists.
Soren shook his head, squinting at the radio as though trying to wring understanding from the machine itself. "I can't just... It's not that clear. It’s on repeat.”
My fingers stumbled across a pen in my pocket, which I promptly tossed to him. He caught the pen deftly and moved to a nearby piece of parchment, pressing the pen's tip down and transcribing the sounds crackling through the speakers with haste that made his hand blur.
The message seemed to start over again. Soren crossed out several words as he listened and rewrote new ones above them. Deciphering the message. We all waited for him to tell us what was happening.
After an eternity, he ran a hand over his face, leaving a smear of ink across his cheek. He sighed heavily and turned to us. Uncertainty and fear mingled in the depths of his gaze.
“It’s a message from some rebel group,” Soren told us. His face was pale. His eyes looked right past us all.
“Keala. What did it say?” Merrick asked him. All eyes were on the human.
“The military is gathering more troops. They are going to attack the city again." He said it so quietly that I would have missed it if I didn't have better hearing than humans.
“That’s not so bad,” Merrick said reassuringly to his mate. “Soren, we proved we can hold the city.”
I watched as Soren swallowed. “Those were directions on how to bring the barrier down. The orders were to kill Arya on sight. That she was the key to the shield.”
Silence seeped into the room as Soren's words hung heavily in the air. Arya stiffened, her usually fiery eyes wide with shock. The radio continued to crackle with a terrifying melody.
The rest of us exchanged looks. We had faced danger before, but a direct order to kill one among us shook us all.
“Oh my god,” Artemis said, jaw slack. The look of horror on his face made my heart race.
“How long do we have?” Nidra asked, both pairs of arms at her sides.
“They are coordinating efforts. All four cities are sending aircraft. They are going to shoot her down.” Soren's voice trembled, his eyes still fixed on Arya. She stood there, her face ashen, the fire in her eyes extinguished by the dark realization.
“How long until they get here?” Arya asked Soren. I could see her hands trembling. The city had only survived once because of what she could do, but I didn’t think that would be a choice this time.
Soren hesitated momentarily, his eyes flickering to the paper and back to Nidra. He took a deep breath and answered tremblingly, "We have... maybe a week."
An audible gasp echoed through the room as we digested the severity of Soren's words. We had one week—seven days—to prepare for an attack that could annihilate us all.
"We can run," Merrick suggested, his voice quivering. "There are places we can go, places they can't reach."
My first reaction was to drag Artemis from the room and take him back to the bunker, where he would be safe, but I knew Artemis wouldn't leave. He wasn’t a coward. But I saw his face fall because I knew he wanted to scream that she was supposed to look for his sister, but he would stay quiet. Even though he loved Apollo dearly and wanted her back, he wouldn't put his needs over the hundreds that were in the city.
"But we can't just abandon the city," Nidra said, her voice full of conviction. She was barely over five feet but had a commanding presence that filled the room. Those extra arms could also pack a punch that would knock a grown man down. "These are our homes. The only ones we have now.”
Artemis's arm brushed against mine, a silent plea for strength. Arya glanced at all of us, her gaze finally settling on Artemis. Her eyes were hollow, too aware of the doom that awaited us. She swallowed hard, stepping back and leaning against the wall for support.
“What do we do?” Artemis asked. I hated that he was because it tore my heart from my chest, knowing all he wanted to do was look for Apollo. Everyone here, including Arya, had forgotten that he had a sister who was probably being tortured, and he couldn't ask for them to help her now. I would find a way to split off so we could plan to look for her.
I took him in my arms, holding him close, kissing the top of his head, trying to give him comfort.
"We fight," Theodora said. Her lips pressed into a thin line.
“We prepare the city. I will take care of them,” Arya said, her face grim.
“That's not a good idea,” I told her, knowing that the monster inside of her probably could handle it, but it might kill her this time. “You got sick last time. You can't do that again.”
“What?” Merrick looked over Soren’s head, worry threading his voice. “You didn’t tell us that.”
“I can handle it.” She glared at me. “There was nothing to tell.”
“You can't,” Soren said. “The message was clear: They attacked the city last time to see how to break your shields. They figured it out. Now they are going to rain down hell on New Pharia. You have to get the people out of here.”
Arya's jaw tightened, but her gaze didn't waver. She glared at Soren, her eyes burning with determination. "Leaving isn't an option," she said, the words hard and unyielding. "It's never been an option. This is the only home they have left. You would ask me to have them abandon it." Arya looked murderous.
"I agree with Soren," Theodora said, her voice as stern as the look she cast on Arya. “The risk to you is too high.”
“He has a point, Arya,” Leonovus said, and we all turned to look at him. He was usually the quietest one in the group, but his voice carried a sense of authority that made everyone stop and listen. “If they attack again and go for you, they could kill you. Then, we don’t stand a chance. Everyone will die.”
Arya's eyes flashed with anger. "But it's my home too! I can't just abandon it!" Clawed hands curled into fists, nicking her palms. Purple blood dripped between her fingers.
"Arya…” Merrick started, but Arya turned on him, snarling.
“I’ve heard enough!” she spat, her anger manifesting in a physical form as the air around her started to shimmer and crackle with energy. “I know the risks! I don't need all of you reminding me.”
“This is our home, too,” Merrick told her.
“Don’t you dare, Merrick! You all but abandoned me after your Keala died. You have not been here to build this city,” Arya snarled at him.
Merrick flinched, his eyes glazing over with an old, deep pain. His fingers reflexively curled into the back of Soren’s shirt, balling the material up in his fists as if the comment had physically struck him.
I watched as Merrick's face fell because I knew she was right and would also have the same ammunition for me. I had been living in a hole since my village had been massacred. Since Calea had died. I had let my grief consume me.
It was Soren's voice that drew all of us back to the situation. “You welcomed us here with open arms, something I am so thankful for, but you have children here, Arya. A lot of them,” Soren continued in a soft, pleading tone, his gaze holding hers. “We can't just stand here and watch them get slaughtered.”
“You think they would be safe out of these walls?” Arya said much more gently to Soren than she had shut down Merrick. “Where can we go?” Tears filled her eyes.
“There has to be somewhere,” Soren said.
“What about Vale's underground city?” I offered, my voice barely louder than the radio, playing the message on a loop. It wasn’t a perfect solution. I knew why the city in Kansas stood, why people had chosen to stay, and why they weren’t coming here to Arya. What they believed Arya was.
“That's in Kansas,” Arya said, frustrated. “It would take us weeks to get there with all the people in the city. That's hundreds of people sleeping outside in the wild. You all know what it's like out there. The people here are not fighters; most don’t even know how to swing a weapon." Arya fought back, moving away from us, and I could see the tears in his eyes. "I am not condemning us to death on the road!” she growled, her voice choked with emotion.
“But it’s death if we stay,” Soren countered quietly. Merrick’s hand ran up and down his back.
“We have a herd of almost forty Lepots, each of which can carry two people. They are strong. They could also pull carts. They are violently protective. They would let nothing happen to their riders or their cargo,” Nidra chimed in.
Arya's eyes flicked over to Nidra, the fire in them seeming to dwindle. "Nidra, we can't put all our faith in the Lepots. As protective as they are, there are things out there they wouldn't stand a chance against."
“You know the Rizugae would protect everyone if you asked. They did when we first came here,” Merrick added, his voice hopeful. The Rizugae were extremely powerful and could also help transport people.
“Do you know how many Rizugae we lost to the humans when we came through? Dozens. Missiles will kill them,” Arya snarled back at Merrick, “I promised them I would never ask them to do that again.”
“They are going to bring missiles here. You would lose them anyway," Soren said, not looking at her. His gaze was on his feet.
Arya studied him.
"Yes, " she exhaled, her face sorrowful. “That's true, but at least here, they will die protecting their city." Her shoulders slumped as the weight of their predicament bore down on her. Arya stood before the group, a formidable leader stricken by the grim reality of their plight.
“We should ask the people,” Theo said. Her three eyes were studying us all. “The people should be the ones who decide. Not us. We can’t speak for all of them,” she said, looking at Arya sternly. Theo had known Arya the longest and was usually the person who could bring reason to the young Ellid. “You know that's the right choice, Arya.”
Arya stared back at Theo, her face unreadable. Silence hung over the group as Arya seemed to wrestle with herself. Her eyes moved among us, each glance filled with a haunting uncertainty.
She looked at each of us in turn, her gaze intense and her expression a mix of determination and distress. Finally, she spoke in a steady but shaky voice, "Alright. We will ask the people.”
Arya turned, flung the door open to her apartment, and marched straight out. I knew she was heading to the roof.
“Come on,” I said to Artemis, lacing my hand with his and pulling him towards the door. Everyone else followed suit. We all got into the elevator and took it to the bottom floor, even Merrick.
Arya's voice rang out from the roof.
“Everyone to the square. Town meeting.” When her voice stopped echoing around us, I pulled my goggles on before I walked out the doors. I looked up to watch Arya jump from rooftop to rooftop.
We all walked to the square. Arya stayed on the roof, away from us. I knew she felt betrayed by us.
The square filled up quickly. Everyone was on edge from the recent attack. Their faces were a mixture of confusion and fear. Whispers passed from ear to ear as they gossiped amongst themselves.
Soren and Merrick's adopted daughter ran up to him when she spotted them in the crowd. Merrick swept her up into his arms. The human youngling was much smaller than Merrick but stood almost as tall as Soren. Merrick placed her onto his back so she could see over the crowd.
When everyone arrived, Arya jumped down, her booted feet thunking to the ground. Wraith, the alpha of the Rizugae, walked up and gave her his paw. We watched as Arya climbed up, and he raised her towards his back. The Rizuga sat on his haunches, Arya's legs straddling the creature's neck, legs dangling over his shoulders, and her head high over the others.
In a loud, clear voice, Arya began to speak. Her words rang out across the bustling square as she laid out the scenario that had led us all here. “They are coming back with more people, and if they bring more people, they will surely bring more firepower. They are going to attack this city again.” Arya told the hundreds of people, who started to look at each other with fear. She held up one clawed hand to keep them silent. “We have two choices: we stay and fight, or we can run.”
“This is our home!” someone shouted. “We should fight.”
“The shields won't hold against more firepower. They didn't hold last time. Arya rebuilt them,” Theo said to the crowd. “You all felt the mark burn when she did.”
A flurry of voices erupted around her words, murmuring, shouting, crying. Families held each other more tightly, elders shook their heads in despair, and the younglings looked uncertain but resolute. Many bore the mark of Arya's shield, a glowing rune inscribed on their palms that pulsed with her power.
“If she rebuilt them, then she can do it again!” someone else shouted.
No, she couldn't, and I let go of Artemis to step forward. “Every time she does things like that, it runs the risk of killing her. It takes a lot of her blood to do that. You all know this. It could put her life at risk," I said to the crowd. I got a glare from Arya, but she didn't correct me. I looked up at her with sad eyes. I knew I was hurting her. She didn't want to give up another home. "But we must be realistic," I continued, echoing across the quieting crowd. "We can't afford to lose Arya.”
The crowd was silent as everyone absorbed the somber truth. A few low murmurs began to rise as people spoke to their neighbors, discussing the implications.
In the distance, a low growl sounded, and then another, as the gathered Rizugae began to sense the mounting anxiety in the crowd. Their fearsome protectiveness was palpable before one howled. The others followed, silently silencing the crowd.
Merrick spoke up, his voice echoing through the square. "We have faith in Arya. She has been able to rebuild and strengthen our home beyond anything that anyone else could do. If you are anything like me, I don’t want to lose her to fight these people.”
“I don’t want to abandon our home,” Arya said. “If you all want to stay here, I will fight. I will do everything in my power to keep you safe. This is our home, and I don’t want to leave either. I will die for you as I have lived for you.”
Then Emily’s small young voice rang out over Merrick’s shoulder. “Our home is wherever all of us are. Buildings don't make a home. This isn't our home if we aren't all together and alive. It's just the place we all almost died for.” Tears leaked out the corner of her eyes, and Soren gathered her back up in his arms. “I don’t want to stay if it means losing you.”
The crowd fell silent again, Emily's words reverberating off the surrounding stone walls. The little girl's words were profound. Arya's lips quivered, and she looked around at the faces of her people, their lives interwoven with hers.
"I..." she began, her voice barely audible against the murmurs of agreement rippling through the crowd. Emily's words had struck a chord. I was very proud of the youngling who had already lost everything and had just found another home. She had wisdom that many did not have.
Leonovus stepped forward, his gaze firm but understanding. "Arya, we have faith in you, but we also have faith in each other. This city is our home, but our love for you and each other means more than any city, and I think everyone here feels the same.” Leonovus's eyes held so much in their depths. He was begging her to understand. He was speaking against her. I could see the betrayal in her eyes as she looked at all of us. “We love you more than any city.”
People shouted in agreement, and heads nodded. Tears fell on Arya's face as she studied her people.
"Alright," Arya said, her voice gaining strength. "We stay together as a family. As Emily said, our home is wherever we are. If that means we must leave this place to protect our people, then so be it."
The crowd heaved a collective sigh of relief.
“How many days do we have?” Meta stepped forward and asked, grim determination on his face. “How many days until we have to leave.”
Arya looked at me then.
“Three,” I said to them. "We will have three days to gather everything and prepare. We will have to leave on the fourth day.”
For a moment, the crowd was silent. Then, slowly, heads began to nod. Murmurs of acceptance rippled through the people as they absorbed the reality of their situation. Three days. It wasn't much time at all, but it was something.
“We will leave via the tunnels because you can guarantee that they will be watching the roads, so do not pack anything that isn't of utmost importance," Theo added.
Arya tapped the side of Wraith's neck, and he stood Arya sliding backward to sit astride his back. Wraith turned away from the people moving towards the barrier's borders, taking the city's leader with him. The Rizuga loped off with Arya, who never looked back. She would follow whatever the people wanted. She left the planning to us.