AN: Thank you for the reviews and for reading. A short chapter, but finally not a long update.
"Don't move. Please."
Zephyr met her eyes. She could read the clear I-told-you-so in his gaze, but she focused on the one with the knife. "Come on, Rho, what are you doing? Put that down."
"Can't. Not till he proves who he is."
"Or you get us all killed. This tent isn't going to be empty forever."
"He's a double agent, Fae."
"Zephyr? Zephyr is a double agent."
He ignored the bald disbelief in her voice. "Yes. And I need proof." The knife ticked up on Zephyr's neck. "So he's going to find it."
"Or what? You'll kill him? What if he isn't?" She flung out an exasperated hand. "You'll kill him for not having proof to find?"
Avaric shook his head. "He is, Fae. I wasn't sure until tonight, but when we split up, I knew."
"How?"
"I saw him with a guard, shaking hands."
"You saw him shake hands. In the dark. From halfway across camp. Are you sure of what you saw?"
"I'm sure."
She crossed her arms. "He says you're the double agent."
Avaric barked a laugh. "Of course he does." His eyes ran over her, and he frowned. "And you believe him. That's why…"
"Shut up," she hissed. "That's not anything. I never said I believed him."
Zephyr's gaze hardened.
"But you holding a knife to his throat leans more toward his point than yours."
"I had to. He was going to pin this on me. I know it. Oz, maybe kill us both. This stupid mission would be the perfect cover. I wouldn't last the night." He drug Zephyr back and dipped to rifle through some pages. "There has to be something here that proves it."
"So tie him up and put that down. I'll help you find it."
Zephyr scoffed, and Avaric brought the knife up against his throat, forcing the commander to tip his head back. "You believe this drivel? Awfully convenient that now I am the traitor, isn't it?"
"Think, Fae, he had opportunity every step of the way. Who would question the commander? You've never seen him contact anyone, yet somehow he has information for another mission?"
"Obviously he's contacting someone."
"The other side!"
She rolled her eyes. "If he can contact the Gale Force without us knowing, he could contact the Resistance just the same."
"Fine, but," Avaric let out a breath of frustration. "He misplaced the obstacles on the bridge."
Zephyr snapped back, "No, you misplaced the bomb." Avaric pulled the man's head back farther.
"And the train full of Animals I had to watch slaughtered? You told them where to be, and ordered us to derail it."
"No, you knew, and told them which train car to stock, and where to wait."
Avaric let out a growl at that, and she stepped forward. "Av, don't do this. If it's proof you want, you won't get it this way."
He turned to her with wild eyes. "Do you believe me?"
Did she?
She eyed the knife. Zephyr twitched, and Avaric ticked it higher. She expected the commander's eyes to be afraid, but they were cold.
Fearless.
She'd never questioned his loyalty. His zealotry was almost to the point of obsession. Could he really betray the cause? But if she admitted the truth to herself, she desperately wanted to believe Avaric's innocence.
She bit her lip, eyes dancing between them.
"Honestly? I'm not sure. But I'd rather trust you than Zephyr."
Avaric flashed her a tense smile.
She edged a step toward them. "Why don't you give me the knife?"
He hesitated, and Zephyr flashed her a knowing smile, confident in the trap.
"You have to trust me, too."
For a moment, no one moved. Then Avaric held out the knife.
Zephyr flung an elbow to catch him in the gut. She snatched the knife before either could strike, and earned herself a slice across her palm. But at least they wouldn't kill each other.
Probably.
Though at this rate, they'd pummel each other to death.
"Stop it," she barked. Without effect. Zephyr slammed a fist to Avaric's chin, but he dodged back, minimizing the impact. So Zephyr dipped smoothly in a kick to his knee. The leg crumpled.
She wasn't stupid enough to push between them or strong enough to pull them apart. She fidgeted with the knife. The vicious skill from both would be impressive, if she didn't want the other person to live.
Avaric rallied with a punch to the nose that sent the other man reeling. By all the bleeding, he'd broken it. They slammed into the tent's support pole. The canvas shuddered with the impact, but somehow stayed up.
"Stop it, you idiots. You want to bring the camp down on us?"
Avaric slapped an arm around Zephyr's neck. "Knife," he grunted. His eyes flicked to hers. "Fae, now. Knife."
She hesitated. "Not if you're going to-"
"I'm not. Unless I have to. Come on." He held out his hand, but Zephyr shifted his weight, nearly freeing himself. Avaric snapped his hand back to support his wrist. "Fae!"
She stepped toward them, knife out.
Zephyr froze, studying her reaction. Her eyes darted between the two. Avaric, or Zephyr?
Avaric? Or Zephyr?
She flipped the knife hilt first into Avaric's hand. It might be stupid. She had no more reason to trust him than Zephyr – less, really. But she did. Damn her, she did.
He pressed the blade to Zephyr's throat. "Hold still," he panted, more factual in tone than threatening. "I don't want to kill you, but I will if I have to. You should know that after what you've made me do."
The tent flap swung in. Her warning had been too late after all. A soldier ducked out to call, "You're right. In here."
A dozen guards flooded in, and with them, the Wizard. "Oh, Falcon. Lovely."
Avaric backed away, his knife still firm against Zephyr's throat. Neither acknowledged the Wizard. Well, at least she knew for a fact that one was a traitor. Not that it was a comfort.
His eyes fell on Elphaba, and he grinned. "A new Calypso? I didn't know you'd even been informed on the last failure."
"Calypso's not a weapon?"
"Oh, it is. It definitely is." His eyes ran over her. "Say, do I know you? You seem very familiar."
She glared at him defiantly. "Does it matter?"
"Where have I seen you?" He tapped his chin and shook his head. He turned to a guard in mock confession. "It's going to bother me all day."
"Not after I kill you it won't."
He barked a laugh. "Oh, yes, she'll do nicely."
"Leave her alone," Avaric snapped. The Wizard spun on him, and he edged a step back, Zephyr's chin nearly vertical now.
"Oh? And you plan to stop me?"
Please, Oz, let him be the right choice.
"I'll kill him," he threatened, but the Wizard was unperturbed.
"That would be unfortunate, but these things happen. Sorry, Falcon."
She felt an irrational relief. They'd lost their leverage. But Avaric hadn't been the traitor.
She'd toed her way to them, and the Wizard clucked his tongue. "My, my, little birdies. Where do you hope to fly to?"
Avaric flicked a gaze sideways, and they shared a grim expression. The tent held no real weapons, other than the knife. They could take a few without, but not so many. Not without surprise in their favor.
The Wizard maneuvered them back, step by frustrated step, with a deceptively warm smile. "Nowhere to run, little one. Nowhere to hide."
Cornered, the panic beamed from Avaric's face. He couldn't fight and hold Zephyr. Her back bumped up against the canvas, and the Wizard's smile broadened.
"Now, come along. No need for histrionics. Let's get you started with your new life, Calypso."
Whatever that meant, she doubted it would be pleasant.
She set her hand on Avaric's elbow, the muscles flexing even at her touch. "You should know..."
"Oh?" The Wizard lifted his eyebrows with mocking patience. His quarry trapped, he could humor her. "What's that, dear?"
"I'm resourceful."
His eyes flicked left and right, finding nothing to worry him. He tilted his head.
"And one more thing."
Her hand slid down Avaric's forearm. The Wizard laughed and waved her on. "The suspense is killing me."
She turned to him with a cold stare and perked a shadow of a smile. "Tents are canvas."
She yanked Avaric's hand away from Zephyr and drove the knife into the thick cloth. The momentum of his weight behind it ripped a large gash, and she dove through. Avaric tumbled after. They bolted for the shadows, weaving through the tents and out of sight.
The Wizard bellowed an alarm.
"Get to the horses."
"So bossy," he teased. They sprinted that direction, but he couldn't keep up. She glanced over her shoulder at him. Hobbling, and holding his ribs. Zephyr had done a number on him. She raced ahead.
The lone paddock guard gave little resistance, and she handled him with a rock to the forehead. She flung herself atop the closest horse and galloped back for Avaric.
"Thought you left me," he panted. He half-fell toward her, and she stretched a hand out.
She heard the shout, knew weapons were being leveled. Even flat against the stallion's neck, she made an easy target, but she couldn't leave him.
He grabbed her hand, and the cut reopened. She grimaced.
"Come on."
He hauled himself up. The weight nearly dislocated her shoulder, but they managed it. He collapsed against her, and she spurred her heels into the horse's sides.
A makeshift fence loomed ahead. The horse whinnied, but they couldn't afford to avoid it. A bullet whizzed near hear. She ducked down, urging for more speed. It whinnied again, but she spurred it on. If it reared, threw them… But it didn't. They launched over the fence and galloped into the treeline.
She drew the reigns tight, and circled back to study the camp. But Avaric grabbed her arm.
"No. Another day."
"If we don't have another opening?" She'd not let Zephyr get away with this.
He shouted over the wind. "If you take this horse one step toward the camp, I swear I will yank you down and haul you into the woods myself."
"Well, when you put it like that…" His forehead fell against her back. "The woods it is." Shouts came from camp, rallying their pursuers. But with a large force came a slow mounting. She didn't bother looking back.
Until she heard the crack of thunder in the distance.