Chapter XXV

I Miss You So


(Paine)

The journey back to Zanarkand was a rough one. My legs felt like rubber and I could barely go five steps without collapsing. I had to pull myself together before I got back to the hideout or Kaiser was going to suspect something. Just the thought of him discovering that I was no longer under his control was enough to make me cringe. I shook those frightening thoughts out of my head and recounted the last part of my evening.

After I had left Baralai's body with the other priests I teleported to the outskirts of the Calm Lands and absolutely lost it. I had managed to keep my cool just long enough to ensure that Baralai's body would be in good hands. Once I was alone, though, was different. If there had been anyone around to see or hear me they would have been horrified. It felt like I was being ripped apart from the inside out, starting with my heart. I probably resembled an old knitted sweater that was slowly being unraveled one string at a time. It wouldn't be long until I was a disorganized, unraveled heap on the floor.

I felt pathetic. I couldn't believe that I had let this man that I had killed entrap me so. I never thought I would find the kind of love that my parents had possessed for each other with Baralai. I hadn't wanted him to become my weakness. I had even told him as such, which is why I tried futilely to distance myself from him. In the end, he had still become everything I didn't want him to turn into, everything I was scared of. He had become my fatal attraction but I couldn't hate myself for it.

I want him back, I thought, pressing my body to the ground and wishing I could sink into it. I would give anything to bring him back. As horribly cliché as it sounded, it was true. I was never one to be a mushy romantic but I found all those sayings starting to make sense, strangely. At first I thought there was something wrong with me but after only one second of thinking I quickly tossed it out the window. I really was truly in love with him, so much so that I was actually seriously believing that we could have possibly been soul mates.

I swear to you, Baralai, if I get out of this alive I'm moving to Guadosalam just so I can be close to the Farplane. I swear it. I rubbed my face in the grass to rid it of my tears then slowly got to my feet. I had a long walk ahead of me.

I managed to get all the way through the Calm Lands and half-way up Mt. Gagazet before my legs once again decided to give out on me. I had no idea how long I laid there in the snow. I was too busy watching the snowflakes flutter through the sky to care about the passage of time. Watching the snow fall was hypnotic and relaxed me to the point that I had completely forgotten why I was here. I figured I should get up after I could no longer feel my arms or legs. I was pretty sure that wasn't a good sign.

After taking a few moments to warm up my numbed limbs. I continued on my way. I wasn't worried about getting caught by a Ronso guard, all of them were sleeping. Even if there were any Ronso patrolling the mountain I wouldn't care one bit. I was way too exhausted to bother with trivial things like that. I could feel my feet start to drag in the snow and a yawn crept up my throat, catching me off guard. I wanted nothing more than to fall asleep right where I was but I didn't really want to get hypothermia.

It felt like it took years to finally reach the ruins of Zanarkand. My vision was beginning to blur around the edges and I caught my eyelids drooping a few times. I almost jumped out of my skin when someone grabbed my shoulders and I just about shoved a fireball down Tobias' throat before I knew it was him. I stared at him, a dazed look on my face, wondering if I was hallucinating. I felt Tobias' mind touch mine and I knew instantly what he was looking for. I tried to stop the automatic playback of the day's events in my mind but it was like my stop button was broken. If it wasn't for Tobias' hands tightly gripping my shoulders I would have already sank to the ground in a heap.

I was thankful that he didn't say anything. The silence between us was strangely comforting which helped me calm down. I felt ashamed that Tobias was seeing me like this. I had never felt so weak in my whole life. Tobias caught on to my negative thoughts and sent calming, reassuring feelings through the link.

"You have nothing to be ashamed of, Paine," he whispered into my mind. "What happened to you today was very tragic and I commend you for keeping your sanity intact. Any other person would have done themselves in by now. I never knew your Baralai, but I'm sure that he would not want you to suffer because of this."

Tobias' words struck a chord within me. He was absolutely right. Baralai told me not to hate myself, but it was so hard not to. A large part of me didn't even want to leave The Invisible at all anymore. What was the point? Or better yet, refuse Landon and Tobias' help to survive the explosion of my element that would kill Kaiser. I really had no reason to return to the outside world. I had friends that cared for me, yes, but it wasn't the same as the relationship I had with Baralai. No, I can't take the coward's way out. I can't do that to Rikku and Yuna. Gippal and Nooj have already lost one of their comrades. They don't need to lose another.

Tobias nodded and gave me an encouraging smile as he followed my thoughts. My breath caught in my throat as I realized that I wasn't on my own in this place. I had friends within this community of assassins that cared about me and were going to help me come up with a way to escape. I had to face it; I was the only one with big enough balls to go up against Kaiser. I was the only one that could take him out.

"What do I do next?" I rasped, surprised that my voice had decided to work.

"Customarily you would report to Kaiser as soon as your objective is completed but it's late and I can tell you need some rest." You can't imagine my surprise when Tobias teleported us straight into my room. I was shocked because I hadn't felt an additional power drain and I instantly began to wonder how he had managed to not include me.

I was too tired to ask him and willingly followed his lead as he guided me to my bedroom. I unbuckled my sword belt and threw it away from me, not caring where it landed. I collapsed onto my bed and let out an audible sigh of contentment, so glad that I was in my bed and not still laying in a snow bank on Gagazet.

Right before I drifted off the fleeting thought of the kind of dreams I would have floated through my mind. It wasn't enough to keep me awake but gave me the feeling that I was being watched somehow. I don't know how long it was before the dreams started but once they began there was no way I could stop them.

The only way I could describe the dreams was comparing them to being haunted by a vengeful spirit. It was like Baralai was torturing me for allowing him to die. I swore I had died in my sleep and gone straight to Purgatory to answer for what I had done. It felt like I had committed a crime and was on trial. Every few hours I would wake up and find myself soaked with sweat and tears. I was convinced that I wouldn't get a wink of restful sleep at all this night. I practically tore my uniform off of my body and reveled in the feeling of the air cooling my heated skin.

After the dreams passed, which felt like it took years, I fell into a deep sleep. I was blessed with the kind of sleep I so desperately wanted and needed instead of the plethora of haunted dreams that I had been assailed with. When I woke up I couldn't tell what time it was because my eyelids were crusted shut. Once I rubbed all of the sleep out and pried my eyes open the only light was coming from the living area and spilling into my room. I was still naked so I got up and put on a fresh uniform. I needed a shower badly but that could wait until I reported to Kaiser.

I slung my sword belt around my waist and marched out of my room then stopped so suddenly I almost fell flat on my face. Kaiser was leaning up against the counter, twirling an apple around in his hand. I kept my face passive but under the surface I was perplexed. I hadn't even sensed that he was here, but I hadn't exactly been looking for him either. I think I need to start being a little more observant.

"I was just on my way to see you, Kaiser," I addressed, making sure I was putting on a flawless act.

He eyed me critically for a few moments, his glowing yellow eyes searching mine and attempting to detect any lies. I was fortunate to be a very good actor. "I was surprised that you didn't come to me immediately after returning from your hunt. At first, I thought something had gone wrong."

"Forgive me," I said, inclining my head respectfully. "I was on my way to report to you when Tobias ran into me. I suppose he deemed it necessary that I rest. I was much too exhausted to oppose."

Kaiser nodded and set the apple back on the counter behind him. "I can only imagine how tired you were. You slept for four days." I gaped at him, absolutely thunderstruck. Had it really been that long? Had I really been that exhausted? "I'll deal with Tobias later. Now let me see your dagger," he said, holding his hand out for the weapon.

I swallowed, my throat convulsing sporadically, as I tentatively reached for the hilt of my murder weapon. My fingers hovered over the hilt. I didn't want to touch the blasted thing ever again but once I gave it to Kaiser I wouldn't have to worry about it anymore. After taking a deep breath I wrapped my hand around the top of the handle then yanked it out of the sheath and presented it to him.

He plucked it from my grasp and held it in front of his face, inspecting it like he was a collector of rare artifacts. His glowing yellow eyes narrowed just a fraction and he smirked. "You have done well, Paine," he said, his eyes traveling up the length of the bloodied blade all the way to the tip. "I wish I could have been there. I'm sure the killing blow must have been spectacular." His eyes met mine, waiting for a response.

"Yes, Kaiser," I all but choked out. "It was very...satisfying indeed." It nearly reduced me to sobs to speak such slanderous things. My mouth felt extremely filthy, like I had just eaten a handful of dirt. I couldn't believe that I had actually let those foul words come out of my mouth. You have to keep up the act, my mind told me. That's the only way you're going to survive this. If anything, do it for Baralai.

A pleased smirk appeared on Kaiser's face. "You have done exceptionally well. I am very proud of you." He smiled down at me like a father would do to his daughter, which unsettled me and made me feel very uncomfortable. It seemed like I was being scrutinized more than anything. "You are free to do as you please from now on," he said, then turned and left my room.

I locked my door before getting in the shower. I'm not sure why I locked it. I really wasn't thinking. If Tobias or Landon came to check on me I knew that they wouldn't be bothered to use the door.

I turned the water scalding hot and stood under the stream, the tiny rivulets of water turning my skin an angry red. After a few minutes I didn't even feel the heat. I only felt the numb tingling as the water continued to rush over my body. It was a rather good distraction actually. Once I was practically choking on all the steam I turned the water ice cold to let my skin cool down.

I wasn't really sure where to go or even what to do after I redressed. I discovered that it was mid-morning so I had missed breakfast. Lunch wasn't until one o'clock so I had a while to go. I left my room, bringing the apple Kaiser had placed on my counter with me to satiate myself until then. I wandered aimlessly through the hallways for a while before leaving the hideout and making my way to the ocean. I walked along the edge of the water, carefully nibbling on my apple and staring at the small waves that lapped onto shore. The sun's rays painted the surface of the water in various shades of yellow, orange and red making it seem like the ocean floor was on fire. It was hauntingly beautiful.

I found a boulder large enough to sit upon and gladly settled on it. My thoughts took a drastic and unwanted turn as I remembered the night that Baralai and I sat on that grassy cliff overlooking the crystal clear ocean of Besaid. That night had seemed like it had happened years ago but I could still remember it with shocking clarity. The way the stars twinkled brilliantly, the smell of the ocean...the smell of him. I had never talked so openly with anyone since before my parents died. It was odd. Being around him was almost infectious. I felt like a completely different person when I was with him. I thought it ridiculous at first. Why in the world should I feel the need to be so open with him? Rikku would go green with envy if she ever found out.

I wanted so badly to smile as I remembered all the times that we had shared together but instead of smiling my lips involuntarily turned down into a grimace. I was glad that I couldn't see what my face looked like. I bit down hard on the inside of my cheek, relishing the sting as my skin tore.

"That won't help you know."

I had a retort ready on the tip of my tongue before I even realized who it was. I fought it away and swallowed it when my eyes met Landon's bright blue ones, but turned away almost instantly without offering him a greeting. I was just a little annoyed by how both him and Tobias could find me when I thought that I was unfindable. Whenever I wanted to be left alone either one or both of them were able to find me like I had a beeper on me. Sometimes it made me wish that I didn't have the abilities I possessed just so I could actually be left to my own thoughts, but I would never tell Landon or Tobias that. Those thoughts were only the products of the more selfish part of me.

Landon reached his mind toward mine slowly but as soon as I felt his soothing touch I pushed it away and erected an impenetrable blockade around my thoughts. "Can I not get any kind of reprieve?" I said through clenched teeth. I hadn't wanted that to come out so rude but I wasn't in the greatest of moods at the moment and it escaped before I had the chance to censor it.

Landon was silent as he came to stand next to the boulder I was sitting on. He stood a considerable distance away, giving me my space, and looked only at the sun as it rose steadily into the sky. "I know two things, whether or not they are true is up to you. The first is that you don't really want to be left alone," he began. "and the second is that isolation will only make it worse."

Damn, he's good, I thought with ire. I sighed as I pulled my knees up and rested my forehead on them. "I'm only here now to destroy Kaiser," I said in a voice that I was shocked to call my own. "Nothing else matters."

"We must wait for the opportune moment," Landon replied, his answer only succeeding in making me even more agitated.

I scoffed as I lifted my head. "And when in the hell will that be?" I asked, unable to hide the anger in my voice.

Landon smiled as he finally looked at me. "In exactly six days." I was becoming more confused by the second and his cryptic response was not helping. I didn't say anything but made sure my face gave away what I was thinking so he would continue. "In six days Kaiser will be celebrating the thirtieth anniversary of his ascension as leader of The Invisible."

I frowned. "Thirty years? Has it been so long already?"

Landon nodded. "Kaiser is older than he appears. It's his magic that keeps him looking so young."

"Is he really that powerful?" I asked in disbelief. "Is his magic really so powerful that it would make him practically immortal?" Frankly I found it very hard to believe. If what Landon said was really true then what Kaiser possessed was more valuable than anything in Spira.

Again, Landon nodded. "Every member of The Invisible possesses the ability. It comes hand in hand with the magic we are trained to use. Kaiser has just had more time to tap into his fountain of youth."

I narrowed my eyes in thought. I still didn't believe it. If I possessed such an ability I was sure that I would have discovered it by now. "How do you know all this?"

He chuckled. "I'm not sure about you or Tobias but I've taken to reading Kaiser's thoughts on a daily basis. His mind is truly as interesting as it is puzzling."

"Puzzling?" I questioned. "How so?"

"Out of every member of this organization I have never seen him so enthralled by anyone like he is with you." For a moment I thought he was only joking but as soon as his eyes met mine I knew he was speaking the truth.

I swallowed, not really wanting to find out the reason why but asking anyways. "What does he find so intriguing about me?" I asked, shifting positions so I was facing him. Our conversation had taken a turn that I hadn't at all been expecting and as reluctant as I was with finding out I needed to know just in case I was able to use that information against Kaiser in the future. Maybe if I used it to my advantage...

Landon stared at me like I had suddenly been turned into a fledging greenhorn. "You've never read Kaiser's thoughts before?" He asked, almost sounding like I was the only one who hadn't.

I shook my head as I remembered all the times I had talked with Kaiser. Reading his thoughts had never really crossed my mind. I also never really cared what he was thinking about. "No."

Landon's chest thrummed. "You should try it sometime. His mind is an immense well of information." He paused and absentmindedly scratched his jaw. I could tell that there was something else he wanted to say to me but he was expertly hiding it. I could sense that he was indecisive over sharing what he was concealing but it only lasted a few seconds. "Kaiser is actually looking for you right now." I was caught off guard by his sudden outburst.

I had to close my eyes to prevent Landon from seeing me roll them. I was never one with very much patience but it seemed that the events that had transpired a few days ago had left me with very little of everything. I could care less if Kaiser was looking for me or not. There was no escaping him though, much to my distaste. I sighed heavily, resigning myself to my fate, and nodded. "I'll make sure he finds me then."

Landon dipped his head once then swiftly teleported away, leaving me with my silence. It took me a few minutes to motivate my legs into moving and, once I was up, even further coaxing to make them cooperate. It felt like a whole day had passed by when I finally reached the hideout. All this moving in slow motion was really starting to irk me. I took a deep breath and pressed my fingers to my temples, not allowing my irritation to get the best of me. I still had an act to keep up.

I wasn't sure where exactly Kaiser was looking for me so I decided to just go back to my room and wait for him there. He'd find me eventually so I wasn't at all worried or concerned. I was just another loyal member of his organization after all. Ha, right...

I was surprised to see him standing nonchalantly outside my door, waiting for me. I slapped on the best acting face that I could as he turned his face up towards me as I approached him. I knew telling him that I had heard he was looking for me was a bad idea because, after all, Landon had probably plucked that information right out of his mind.

"Sir?" I questioned, trying to sound confused.

"I've something to tell you, Paine," he replied, his voice as smooth as honey. "Walk with me, please."

I fell into step next to him as we continued down the hallway. What Landon told me about reading Kaiser's mind more often briefly flicked through my thoughts but I dismissed the notion, not really wanting to know what he wanted to tell me in advance. To be honest, I didn't want to know at all.

"I've had my eye on you ever since you were brought to me nine years ago." I had to force myself to listen. I had an idea about where this was going. "You have the makings of greatness in you, Paine, and you deserve to be so much better than an ordinary member of this organization."

I just wished that he would get to the point but I had to be patient. I graciously inclined my head towards him. "Thank you, Kaiser."

One corner of his mouth pulled up ever so slightly and his yellow eyes twinkled momentarily. "So I'm making you my second in command from this moment forth." His smile widened and I knew that he wasn't playing around with me. I didn't need to read his mind because it was written all over his face.

I made sure not to miss a beat. "You have honored me greatly, Kaiser. You will not be disappointed." Saying that to him felt unbelievingly good because I wanted him to remember those words before I killed him. I wanted him to realize how foolish he had been to think I would be his lap dog for the rest of my life.

"I know I won't be," he replied, pausing and gazing down at me with an unreadable expression.

Before I could register what was going on, Kaiser had pinned me up against the wall, pressing his body against mine and hovering over me. I chanced touching his mind to figure out what he was trying to do and my stomach twisted in revulsion when the lust he felt overpowered me. When he smashed his lips against mine I had to fight the impulse to roughly shove him away and deck him in the face. Even though the thought of kissing him back was totally repulsing I knew I had to reciprocate. If I didn't he was going to suspect that I wasn't under his control.

I reluctantly snaked my arm around his head, tangling my fingers in his short hair and arched my back as he gripped my sides, pulling me ever closer to him. I bit back the tears that wanted to form in the corners of my eyes. I was disgracing Baralai's memory by doing this. I was disgusted with myself and knew it would take a long time until I felt clean again.

He began to slowly back away from me, pulling my bottom lip into his mouth as he did so, making me want to vomit. When his bright yellow eyes met mine I put on the most convincing pleasantly surprised expression that I could even though I wanted to scrub my mouth with a ball of steel wool. He grinned at me and swept his fingers through my bangs then dragged them down my face to my jaw line. My nausea doubled.

"You're more lovely than I could have anticipated, Paine," he whispered, his face still right in front of mine. "You have no idea how long I've wanted to do that."

"Better late than never," I answered, feeling like cutting my own tongue out as soon as those words had left my mouth.

He grin widened and I knew that I had successfully fooled him. He lowered his lips to mine once more and I felt my bile rise to the back of my throat when he slipped his tongue inside my mouth. I bunched my hands into tight fists as I nearly lost control of my anger, but Kaiser took that as a sign that I was enjoying what he was doing. When he deepened his kiss even further the impulse to knee him in the groin almost won out. Right when I could no longer stand to have his mouth on mine, he backed away with an extremely pleased look on his face. I tried to look as seductive as I possibly could and still look convincing. A low rumble reverberated through his chest as he pressed himself against me, wrapping his large hand tightly around my hip and grinding our pelvises together. Pretending I was enjoying that was the hardest thing I had to do yet. I had no idea that it was going to get even harder.

"I have eyes for no one else, Paine. I claim you as mine," he said, gazing into my eyes like he was trying to look into my very soul. His words made my stomach twist into a half dozen indiscernible knots. If my plan backfired, I was screwed.

"I would have it no other way," I replied, hating myself for saying that but knowing I had no other choice.

"Good," he said, trailing his fingers down my face one last time before walking away.

I stood in a daze and watched him until he disappeared around a corner at the end of the hall then roughly wiped my mouth with both of my hands. I felt like throwing up right there. No amount of brushing my teeth would make the memory of his kiss go away. A part of me was glad that Baralai was gone so he wouldn't have to find out about this. No one is going to find out about this. Ever.

It wasn't until after lunch that Landon and Tobias called me to meet them inside the dome. Neither of them were surprised when I told them that Kaiser had made me his second in command. Apparently they had known he was going to do that even before I had left to eliminate Baralai.

"And why didn't either of you tell me this?" I asked, just a little shocked to discover that they had been keeping it from me.

Landon and Tobias shared a quick glance before Landon reluctantly answered. "We wanted you to hear it from Kaiser. That news was his to tell." His answer wasn't what I was expecting and it only quelled my irritation. I understood...to an extent.

"Whatever," I mumbled under my breath. I needed to change the subject so I said the first thing that came to mind. "So what's going to happen on Kaiser's anniversary?" If he had made a grand event out of it when I was younger I would have noticed so I was guessing that nothing extravagant was going to come about.

"Nothing really," Tobias said. "It's just like any other day to him. This is the first time he's ever named a second so you might be able to find out more."

I rolled my eyes and made no attempt to hide it. "Wonderful," I replied. I could barely stand being near Kaiser for more than five minutes but now that he had 'promoted' me, as well as claimed me, I was probably going to be with him all the time. Lovely... That thought made my stomach twist into about fifty knots. I wasn't sure I could keep up the act for another six days.

"You have to," Landon said, following my thoughts. "This is the only time when we can catch him off his guard."

I nodded, still unsure of myself but ready. I sat down on a piece of rubble and folded my hands over my face, a million possibilities of what could happen flashing through my mind. My ear twitched when Tobias took a step forward but I didn't want to look up. I already knew what he was going to say.

"We know what you're going through, Paine. We hear it every time you open your mind to us." He stopped short for some reason that I wasn't sure of. I didn't want to listen to anything else he had to say though. I didn't need an additional reminder of what I did. I felt like plugging my ears and screaming like a child just so I didn't have to hear it.

"Tobias, enough," Landon murmured softly. I couldn't stop the sigh of relief that fought its way out of my chest at his words. I knew that Tobias was only trying to help but it was only making the current situation worse. When Landon spoke again he was using his mind. "He was trying to say that you're not alone. Remember that."

I moved my hands away from my face and met his eyes, nodding once. "Don't worry about me. I'll be ready."

Without another word from both of them, they left me with my thoughts. I lingered there in the Chamber of the Fayth for a few moments longer before I left as well. As doubtful as I was, I needed to pull it off. There was no room for failure.

The next six days were a few of the hardest of my life. Every time I was around Kaiser I was dancing around on eggshells, afraid that the slightest change in my attitude would alert him that something was wrong. He also insisted on publicly showing his affection for me when we were around the other members. Having to constantly pretend that I enjoyed kissing him was equivalent to torture. The only reason why I survived and kept my sanity was the constant coaching and confidence boosting that Landon and Tobias did. They were the stitching that was holding me together. When I thought that I was falling apart at the seams they pulled me back together and gave me a swift kick in the ass to keep me going. I never would have succeeded without them and they knew how grateful I was for their help.

"Ah, Paine, there you are," Kaiser greeted as I entered his room. He was sitting in the far corner of his living room, polishing his sword meticulously. "I was wondering where you were," he continued as he looked at me, waiting for an explanation.

"Forgive me. I had a few...loose ends to tie up in preparation for tonight."

He smiled as he returned to polishing his weapon. "I think you're more excited about all of this than I am."

I had to quickly clamp my teeth down on the inside of my cheek to prevent from smiling. The past six days almost felt like a dream, similar to sitting in the backseat while someone else directed me. Frankly, I couldn't believe that I had really done it. The fact that my deception was so believable made me feel extremely conscientious. It felt like I had a neon sign blinking above my head telling everyone around me that I was up to no good.

It almost made me feel like I should be looking over my shoulder to make sure I wasn't going to get caught, especially since I had talked Kaiser into making a ceremony out of his anniversary. I had taken an enormous leap by suggesting that and was so relieved that he had taken the bait. I was guessing he believed that I loved him back so I knew that my influence over him had tainted his judgment. I even succeeded in including Tobias and Landon in the ceremony for the sole purpose that I need them to give me their power to ensure my survival. The amount of practice and training that both of them had put me through would definitely not be in vain.

"I feel it is necessary that every member realizes how hard you have worked to get here. Everyone else is just as excited." For the millionth time in six days I was disgusted with the words that had come out of my mouth. All I wanted to do was take a bar of soap and scrub my tongue until it was raw.

I physically saw Kaiser's chest puff up and it immediately reminded me of a chocobo that was trying to show off. I reluctantly touched his mind and had to feign the act of scratching my chin to hide the fact that I was about to gag. Ever since I began to listen to Landon about reading Kaiser's mind did I really figure out exactly how infatuated he was with me. The man actually thought he was in love with me. Hearing what I already knew from his mind was nearly as bad as having to pretend I returned his sentiments.

At least tonight is the end for him. I had to hold back the smug smile that was fighting to be seen.

I cleared my throat to rid myself of any trace of that smile. "Do you need anything else?" I asked, keeping my voice as level as I could.

He sat in contemplative thought for a few moments as he gazed at the now flawless blade of his sword. "Actually," he began. He rose from his seat and crossed the room towards me. I groaned inwardly as I heard his intentions in my mind, a fresh wave of nausea hitting me. "I want a kiss from my gorgeous second-in-command."

"Of course," I acquiesced, leaning into his chest to give him what he wanted even though I just wanted to get the hell out of there.

His lips crushed against mine and his arms wrapped firmly around my back. The kiss was much shorter than most of the other ones he gave me and I was slightly surprised, glad but surprised. When he backed away from me he tenderly cupped my cheek with one hand and smiled at me. I smiled back at him just to save face. "Be sure that all preparations are completed by tonight."

I nodded. "Yes, Kaiser." He let go of me and I swiftly left, briskly walking away from his room. I was glad that he hadn't kept me overly long. I had roughly eight hours to eat something and get some more rest to make sure I would be at my full potential. I didn't have enough time to sit with him and stroke his ego.

I smiled when I saw Landon and Tobias waiting for me next to my room, each of them carrying a paper bag. Good, they managed to sneak into the kitchen then. I had missed both breakfast and lunch because all three of us had gone over our plan more than a dozen times with a fine tooth comb. I had memorized it after the third time but Landon wanted to be sure we didn't mess up. I knew that there had to be absolutely no margin for error but after the seventh time it became extremely tedious.

"Thank you again," I said as I accepted the bags from them. "I imagine getting all this must not have been very difficult."

Tobias chuckled as he shook his head. "Of course not. Too easy in fact. We probably could have taken everything if we wanted to."

Landon couldn't hold back a chuckle of his own. "We'll leave now so you can eat and get some rest. We'll have one last run through while Kaiser is giving his speech."

I didn't attempt to hide the distaste in my voice. "Is that really necessary?"

Landon nodded and sent me a knowing look. "Just to be sure."

I rolled my eyes as they walked away but couldn't hold back a smile at Landon's tenacity for detail. I made quick work of the food they had brought me. I hadn't realized how hungry I had been. Once I was finished eating I threw away all the trash then collapsed into my bed, falling asleep relatively easy considering what was going to be happening mere hours from now.