Chapter 9
BACK IN CHARGE
The General came out of the Castle to meet us as soon as the SUV parked outside the entrance. He’d brought along a bunch of his Watchers too. They took hold of Senator Gaines and escorted him into the Castle.
I was still sleep-deprived—the half-hour drive hadn’t changed that—so I unfortunately blurted out the first thing that popped into my head. “They let you go?”
Rather than be annoyed, the General was clearly feeling victorious. Something that must have been his version of a smile lit up his face. “Yes, they did. Once they heard what Senator Gaines had done. Once they knew that he is the traitor, not I.”
“So, you could say that you have Savannah to thank for clearing your name.”
The General’s eyes narrowed to tight, hard points when Conner stepped out of the SUV, smiling like he had every right to be there.
“Surprise!” Conner said brightly.
The General frowned at him, and I swear the temperature plunged twenty degrees in the blink of an eye.
“Conner helped me discover the truth about the Senator, General,” Kato told him.
“So you could say that you also have me to thank for clearing your name.” Conner grinned. “You know, whenever you’re ready.”
Conner really was playing with fire. We were standing on the Castle’s grounds, a facility back under the General’s control. There were at least a dozen Watchers here right now, and the Knights were sworn to obey his commands too.
Luckily, Conner had picked a good day to live on the edge. The General was in a very good mood.
“I’ve suspected something was wrong with Senator Gaines from the very first moment that I met him. I just couldn’t prove it. I never thought I’d say this, but you kids do have your uses.”
“Even a Rebel?” Conner said, his eyes twinkling with amusement. He was obviously really enjoying this.
“Yes, even a Rebel,” the General grunted.
“But Conner is not really a Rebel, is he?” said Kato. “He’s a hero.”
The General’s eyes narrowed. “I wouldn’t go that far.”
“No, he is a hero,” I said. “Conner and the other Rebels were right all along. They knew the Apprentices had been kidnapped, and even when no one believed them, they kept looking for those Apprentices. They left the Castle—gave up being Knights—rather than give up on the missing Apprentices. They are selfless, chivalrous, and brave. Isn’t that what it means to be a Knight? Isn’t that what it means to be a hero?”
“I suppose,” the General begrudgingly admitted.
I looked at Kato. “Conner and the others should be made Knights again.”
He nodded. “That would be an appropriate course of action.”
“I will determine what constitutes an appropriate course of action,” the General said sharply.
“And they should be given medals for their heroism,” I added.
Irritation flashed in the General’s eyes. “We don’t reward people for rebelling. What kind of message would that send?”
“That Knights should always do the right thing.” I smiled at him.
Conner chuckled. “Life has been so much more fun since you’ve come to the Fortress, Red.”
I winked at Conner, and he winked back.
Kato, on the other hand, remained serious and professional. “What’s going to happen to Senator Gaines, General?”
“He and the other traitors in the Government will be tried for their crimes. I don’t expect the trial to be made public, however.”
“Why not?” I demanded.
“They sold children to Prince Fenris in exchange for boxes of supplies. If that got out, people would riot. Order would be disrupted.”
“Maybe it’s about time this broken world order is disrupted,” Conner said.
“Perhaps.” The General’s eyes were bloodshot. He looked like he hadn’t slept in days. “But we’ve had quite enough disruption from you, Conner. You played a crucial part in identifying and apprehending the traitor—”
“I want that engraved next to my statue.”
“But I will not—I cannot—look the other way for long. Now get out of here before I have you arrested.”
Conner winked at him, then he disappeared.