Chapter 53 Ezra
“So what are you suggesting?” Helena demanded. “That we believe him?”
I sat across the table from her in the large tent that we used for gatherings. “I am suggesting nothing,” I said. “Only that Laraesa’s father is missing.”
“So are half the people who lived at the sanctuary.” She waved her hands around exasperatedly.
“Their bodies were accounted for,” I said simply. “His was not.”
Helena shoved herself away from the table. “Rafael admitted it, Ezra. He admitted that he has been feeding Stanhope information for weeks.”
“I am aware of that, I was there.” I looked to Liv and she said nothing.
“Our trade routes.”
“I know.” I agreed.
“The extractions.”
“I know Helena! I know.” I was growing tired of going round and round, and my irritation was beginning to flare.
“Then how can we believe a single word that comes out of his mouth?” I sat silently, trying to see things from her point of view. Liv still remained silent. She stared at a Midnight Star Bloom that sat in a small cup on the table.
“We rescue his brother.” She finally spoke, breaking the stifling silence in the tent.
“What?!” Helena and I spoke as one.
“Absolutely not.” Helena stared at her as though she had sprouted another head.
Liv finally lifted her gaze from the flower. “If Rafael is telling the truth, Stanhope has his brother.”
“And?” Helena scoffed.
Liv’s brow furrowed. “And he is innocent.”
Helena laughed incredulously. “His brother betrayed us.”
“His brother did. He did not.” She was eerily calm.
“He gave Stanhope our trade routes, information about the girls.” Helena paused and when neither Liv nor I responded she continued. “Information that put every person in this camp at risk. And you want to save his brother?”
“I want to save an innocent man. Yes.” Liv stood tall and unwavering as Helena scrunched up her nose at the idea.
She stared down at the Midnight Star Bloom on the table.
“You told me we do not stop doing what is right when the cost becomes devastating.”
Helena froze. “This is the right thing, Hell.”
“He is not one of us,” Helena said.
“Neither were the girls before we saved them. We need to save him too.”
Liv took Helena’s hand in hers, her gaze dead serious.
“I may never forgive Rafael for what he has done, and I would never expect that of you either. But I cannot promise you that if Stanhope had taken Ezra, or you, I would have done differently.”
“You would have told us,” I said plainly.
“Would I?” I stared at her. “If telling you meant Helena died?”
she asked. “If telling Helena meant you died? Can either of you truly say with confidence that you know without a doubt I would have?”
I did not answer her. I could not. And neither could Helena.
Because although we did not want to admit it, we knew she was right.
“We can argue the rights and wrongs of Rafael’s choices until nightfall. It changes nothing. If Stanhope has his brother, then there is still one innocent person in Verith who needs us.”
She looked between us. “We have one final extraction.”
“Alright, so it is decided. One final trip into Verith. But how do we know we are not walking into a trap? How do we know his brother is actually there? We do not even know what he looks like,” Helena challenged.
“Rafael is coming with us,” I said.
“No.”
“Helena, it is not up for debate. He can help us find his brother, he knows what he looks like, and he will be able to tell his brother we are safe to leave with. Rafael will come with us. We only need to figure out when.”
Helena crossed her arms and scowled. She knew there would be no fighting this because it made sense.
“Now that we have all calmed down a little, we can go and tell him, and perhaps leave him some light this time.”
I looked at Liv with a teasing smile. She gave me a completely unapologetic look, because she had absolutely meant to leave him in the dark.
“I will not see him,” Helena said coldly. “You can tell him without me.” Liv nodded and took my hand, and we headed for the cave.
Liv wrapped her vines around the stone to move it, and when we entered the cave, Rafael sat against the far wall in the back of the space. His knees were pulled tightly to his chest and his head rested on them. His head rose when we stopped before him, but he did not speak.
“What you have done is not absolved,” Liv told him.
“And you may never have our trust again. But this rebellion was built on the belief that we do not abandon those who need us most. Right now, that person is your brother.”
He nodded. “You will remain in the cave until we have planned the rescue, and it is time to leave.”
Liv set a plate of food and some water before him.
“You must understand that we cannot share any details of the plan with you. For safety reasons.” Rafael smiled solemnly at her.
“I understand. And I am grateful to you and beyond remorseful for what I have done. Truly, had I known he was going to attack the sanctuary I would have warned you.”
Liv winced at the mention of that night before walking out of the cave and returning with a blanket and pillow for him.
“I will stay in this cave for the rest of my life and spend an eternity showing you how sorry I am,” Rafael said.
I could see in Liv’s eyes that she wanted so badly for this family to be whole again. And perhaps eventually she may find her way to forgiving him, but it would not be soon, and it would not come easily. Raf took hold of her wrist before we left.
“Please tell Hell I wish to see her. I wish to explain myself, to apologize, perhaps grovel.”
Liv chuckled at the last bit and I found myself smiling with her.
Liv closed the cave once more, and we returned to the tent.
Helena was still sitting there, sharpening a dagger now.
It was a slightly terrifying scene. She did not look up from the blade when Liv sat beside her.
“He is asking for you.” Helena continued to sharpen the knife, faster now. “He wishes to apologize.”
“Absolutely not, Liv.” Her strokes against the blade became more uneven and heavy. Liv sighed.
“Fine. But he is coming on this mission with us.” Liv took my hand, and we moved toward the tent flap to leave. “So, you will have to speak to him eventually.”
“Eventually,” Helena murmured.