This is a long update! hope y'all like it! oh, and as a fair warning, i did not proofread this at all before posting it. deepest apologies for any glaring mistakes/typos!
"My nightmares are usually about losing you. I'm okay once I realize you're here." - the Hunger Games
Don't let them see you weak.
This is what the rebels wanted.
You're going to fail.
You're the only one who can fix this.
Maxon says you can't fix this.
The fate of the children rests in your hands.
The fate of the country rests in your hands.
The fate of Maxon rests in your hands.
Thoughts swirled around in my head as I leaned against my bedroom door, arms wrapped around my chest as if they were the only things keeping me together. I knew that Aspen and Carter were looking for me to keep looking for a way to clear Maxon's name but I needed this time to myself.
We had just hit another dead-end. We had found Maxon's sword hidden in one of the safe rooms on the fourth floor but no indication as to who had used it. No fingerprints. No signs of who had taken it. Just Owen's blood smearing the sharp blade.
The trial was two days away and we were nowhere near finding any indisputable evidence that Maxon was innocent. I had barely slept between having to take care of Win, rule the country, and find a way out of Maxon's predicament. I knew he would hate to hear that I was helping Aspen and Carter but I was one of the only people who believed deep down that Maxon was innocent. So far it seemed like word of this hadn't gotten out; the servants and maids were under strict instruction to not so much as breathe a word of this to the press. The results of the press finding out about this would be disastrous.
Even more disastrous was what would happen if we couldn't prove Maxon wasn't guilty. I would have to kill my husband. I would have to sign the paper ordering his death. I would have to sit on that dreaded raised platform and watch him take his last breath. I would have to live the rest of my life staring into the eyes of our children and explain to them some day that their father was dead. Because of me. Because I had failed them as a mother and wife.
Someone knocked on the door I was leaning, making me jump. "Miss, are you in there? Officer Leger and Officer Woodwork are looking for you," Mary's sweet voice called into the bathroom.
I wiped my face and took a deep breath, only to find my lungs still shaking. "I'm fine. I'm just using the toilet," I explained in as much of a normal voice as I could muster.
"They've asked to meet with you in your office once you're finished," Mary reported.
I hated lying to my maids. I knew that Mary was not fooled one bit by my strong act. She knew me the best of any of my maids and she could see that with every false report and dead-end a bigger crack formed in me. If I could just see Maxon, if I could visit him I would be able to rally a little but Aspen told me that it was essential that I stay away if I want to avoid getting accused of being a co-conspirator. Luckily Aspen was able to visit him as the head of security and he assured me that Maxon was doing okay. I just needed to convince myself of that.
My room was empty when I swung the door open. I looked around the room and made sure that no one was in there and then walked over to Maxon's room. The whole place was filled with his smell but it seemed like it was fading with every day that went by without him in it. Working quickly, I took his handkerchief and splashed his cologne on it, just like he had done with my perfume when I was away. I didn't know if that soothed me or just made me miss him even more. I was positive that the boys noticed but I wasn't about to make any apologies. Not when my husband was facing execution for a crime he didn't commit.
Walking into our study, I was greeted with the familiar sight of Aspen, Carter and August. They had become something like the three musketeers in this endeavor to prove that their friend was innocent. Aspen's face was drawn but I recognized the hope that was still lingering in his eyes. "I have something for you," he told me.
I took in the empty trays of lunch on a table nearby. "What?" I asked with baited breath, sitting behind my desk.
"We have a polygraph machine coming in. If we hook Maxon up to that and ask him if he did it, it'll show that he's telling the truth when he denies it. The advisers will see that he clearly is not the murderer."
"A polygraph test," I said, testing the words out. "Why haven't we thought of this before? We have to do it."
August frowned and cut in. "That does nothing to tell us who's responsible though," he pointed out.
"But that's not the primary concern. Right now we just need to get Maxon out of jail and in the clear. With him at the helm, I feel confident that we can find the killer," Aspen explained.
"We have contacted the family and sent our regards, correct?" Carter asked.
I nodded. "I sent them a message myself. Seeing as my husband is the only suspect here, I didn't want to do too much."
"That's good. Doing too much would make you look guilty," Aspen told me. "Now the polygraph can't come in until tomorrow morning. For now we just need to contact the advisers, tell them that we're doing this, and develop a list of questions to ask him tomorrow. We also need to think of a good story for the sword."
"It may be Maxon's but he didn't use it. I know it. He's not a skilled swordsman and Owen is; Maxon wouldn't win a sword fight with him. If Maxon wanted to kill him, he would have shot him," I pointed out for what felt like the hundredth time.
August shrugged. "Not if he wanted to get away with it." We all rolled our eyes at him, causing him to raise his hands in defense. "Okay, dumb thing to say. I get it."
"And we still need strong evidence to prove that he isn't the one who used the sword."
"We know it must be someone who lives in the palace and can be invisible. Which means either a guard or a servant. They're the only ones that could sneak around and also get in and out of one of the safe rooms," I told them. "Or another adviser."
Carter frowned. "Owen was the only adviser that seemed to be completely against you guys though."
I shook my head. "They're all fake. And they'll protect each other before the protect Maxon and I."
"Dangers of being a power-couple," August mumbled. "Georgia and I ran into the same issue. You both are so powerful combined that those below you can't help but lash out against you. They have to band together in order to protect themselves. They'll say anything, do anything, to make sure Maxon is at fault. That's what we're really fighting against here."
I was restless that night, unable to fall asleep even with the kids all in the bed with me. Win was finally starting to sleep through the night but my body was still left with the sleep schedule of not actually sleeping. The next morning I left them with Marlee and the promise to tell her right away how everything goes. I could barely eat my breakfast though with the excitement of Maxon's upcoming liberation pulsing through me.
"We have a simple enough list of questions. Where's the sword, did you kill him…questions among those lines. As long as he stays calm he'll be free by noon," Aspen said as we descended into the basement of the palace to the interrogation room. "Just as a warning, he doesn't look too good. He's lost weight this week from not being properly fed. He's in no danger of malnutrition; he's just not getting the typical diet for a man of his stature."
"It's fine. As long as I see him," I told him. But I did still feel guilty. He wouldn't be in that position if it weren't for me throwing him in jail.
The advisers were already crowded into the room behind the one-way glass and thankfully they all bowed when I walked in. If not they would have been next in line behind Maxon to go in jail. Aspen and Carter were the ones doing the interrogation as some of the head security guards.
Carter led Maxon in and I could see what Aspen had warned me about. He did look dreadful. Along with not being fed properly, he obviously hadn't been sleeping much either. I was starting to suspect that it was just impossible for either of us to sleep apart. But at least I knew that he would be back in my bed tonight. I watched my husband get chained to the steel chair even though I doubted he could escape very far in the state he was in.
"Okay, King Maxon, we just have a few very simple questions for you. Answer either with a 'yes' or 'no' and nothing else," Aspen explained as Carter hooked him up to the polygraph machine. "We'll start off easy, okay? First, is your name Maxon Calix Schreave?"
"Yes," Maxon answered, his voice gravelly.
Aspen checked something off on a list in front of him. "Are you king of Illéa?"
Maxon nodded and then quickly said, "Yes."
"Are you married to America Singer?"
"Yes." The needle was scrawling along the page evenly, not spiking at all. Not that it would. Everything he'd been asked so far was absolute truths.
"Okay, now with the harder questions," Aspen warned. "Were you in a meeting with all of your advisers the same afternoon your sword disappeared?"
"You mean the same afternoon when those same advisers openly disrespected my wife? Yes," Maxon snapped.
Aspen sighed. I could feel Maxon's anger radiating through the room from the other side of this glass. I pressed my hand there, just wanting to run my hand through his golden hair or lay it on his chest to feel his steady heartbeat. "One word answers, Maxon. Please," Carter reminded him.
"Do you know the current whereabouts of your sword?" Aspen asked.
"No." My breath hitched when I heard a beep echo through the room and saw the needle jump. The advisers started grumbling behind me as Maxon fought against his chair. "What? No. I mean it, no. I don't know!" Maxon refused.
Aspen held up a hand but he glanced nervously toward the glass, toward me. Maxon didn't know where his sword was. Why was the machine saying he was lying? "Okay, were you in Queen America's room the whole night when Owen was killed?"
"Yes," Maxon answered with a bit of anger in his voice. Again, the needle jumped. This time a bit higher than last time.
"Did you…" Aspen began but he had to clear his throat. He looked toward me again before continuing. "Did you kill Owen Harris?"
"No." Another beep. The needle was jumping maniacally. "C'mon, Aspen, this machine is wrong. You know me. You know I wouldn't do this. This is wrong! I didn't do it! You have to believe me!" He was screaming now, his hands pulling on his restraints. He looked straight at the glass to where he knew I was standing and started talking to me. "Ames, please, believe me."
My hand slid down the glass as I watched him struggle. Advisers were yelling and Carter had to actually hold Maxon down as he unhooked him from the machine. There was no way this was happening. This was supposed to free Maxon, not condemn him. Maxon yelled as he was led out of the room, thrashing against Carter to get free. "I believe you," I whispered, putting my hand back on the glass.
The advisers were still yelling at each other and I had to leave the room before I lost it. I ran all the way up to the third floor, falling on to Maxon's bed because I didn't know where else to go. My tears were absorbed into the pillow and I heard the door squeak open to my suite.
"America?" Marlee asked softly, sitting down next to me. "America, what happened?"
I didn't get a chance to answer before Aspen, Carter and August joined me inside the room. "America, I'm sorry," Aspen said quietly.
"We have to keep looking," I said into the pillow, not looking at any of them.
"America, you saw that test. The polygraph said he was lying," Carter told me.
I shook my head. "He wouldn't lie. If he did it, he'd own up to it. Now we just have all the more reason to find evidence to prove he's innocent."
Aspen sighed. "Please, America, there's nothing we can do."
I sat up quickly to look at all of them. "Are you serious? One failed polygraph and that's enough for you all to just give up? The trial is tomorrow. Are you really about to just accept that he's going to die?"
August frowned and shuffled his feet uneasily. "There's nothing more we can do. The advisers were all there, they all saw it. We can't do anything more."
"So this is it? You're all just abandoning him. He's innocent and you all agreed to help me prove that! How would he feel to know that you're all such lousy friends? What if he does get free and finds out you did this? What then?" I demanded. "I can't look at you all anymore. You're all despicable."
"America," Marlee whispered.
"Get out!" I shouted, pointing to the door. "Get out of here! Now! Go!" Marlee took a step away from me like I had shocked her. Carter put a hand on her back and led her out, sending me a wary look. Aspen was clearly furious at me and simply stormed out, not even looking at me. August lingered though, watching me as I curled back up in the bed and crying fresh tears.
They were all absolutely right. There was nothing else we could do. In our quest for incontrovertible evidence, we had found it but only evidence that proved Maxon guilty. I knew it was a trick but what else was I going to do? Tear apart the polygraph machine to show that it had been tampered with? That would never work. I would do all of the damage in that scenario.
I couldn't keep my fingers and toes still though. I walked over to Maxon's photo collage and looked at the various pictures from the years. After six years of marriage, the wall was pretty much covered with snapshots from our lives as well as several pictures from Maxon's childhood. I had my favorites of all of them. There was the one of his mother and me from that day in the Women's Room as well as a picture of all of us Elite. There were a few pictures from our wedding, from after the twins were born…all of the milestones we had gone through together were documented right there. With Maxon gone, who would keep doing that? Who would be there to make sure we have something to remember that one sunny day by?
"I'm not letting you die," I whispered to myself, lifting a picture from our wedding day off of the wall gingerly. My real favorites were all on my desk but this was still a good picture. It was one of the two of us walking down the hallway after the wedding, holding hands, crowns perched perfectly on our heads. Even though our faces weren't visible it still was obvious that we were smiling and laughing. One of the happiest days of our lives…what good was that memory if both of us weren't here to appreciate it? "I made a promise to you and to our country that I would be loyal and just. I will not break that promise," I vowed.
But once I was back in our study I realized that it was a lot easier said than done. I had not even twenty-four hours before the trial and more evidence to prove Maxon was guilty than innocent. I devoured some of the books to see if there was any loophole for a situation like this but I couldn't find anything. It all led to the same, impossible outcome where I would have to sign the paper for my husband's death.
A guard entered the room and I recognized him as one of the younger guards that worked along the palace wall. "Yes, Brad?" I asked him.
"Your Majesty, reporters are swarming at the entrance," he reported.
"What?" I exclaimed, shooting to my feet.
He raised a hand to try to placate me. "They don't know who the trial is for yet. They've been asking us to tell them but obviously we won't disclose anything. Unfortunately, it's only a matter of time before they find out it's the king."
"And when they hear that, we're done," I mumbled, sitting down again. I squeezed my temple and contemplated my options for a few minutes. "Okay," I sighed, "find Officer Leger and tell him that the palace is on lockdown."
Brad's eyes widened. "Your Majesty…" he began. We hadn't had an absolute lockdown since the days of Kellan Slep. Surely not since Brad or half the other guards had been working in the palace.
"No one is to leave or enter the palace unless granted permission by me. Understand? The advisers are to stay here for the night in their quarters on the second floor," I ordered. It was a risk. Whoever it was that was trying to frame Maxon would then have unfettered access to the palace for an entire twenty-four hours but there was one way I could ensure that I had ultimate control. "And I want each adviser to have his own guard with them at all times. They are not to leave their rooms without a guard there. Officer Leger will make those arrangements. And I want the Imperial Guard patrolling the third floor around the clock."
The young guard still looked confused but he nodded. "I can pass that message along for you, Your Majesty." He bowed quickly and left to go find Aspen. I walked to the window, imagining the supposed swarm of reporters on the other side of the wall. Maxon briefly mentioned once that we could tear it down but now I knew that we could never do that. That wall was the only thing giving us privacy. If I had my way, we would have passed a law by now ensuring that no reporters were allowed on the premises at all.
It felt good to stretch my legs of power for a little bit. I looked at the corner of my desk where the paper sat with Maxon's signature scrawled at the bottom of the page, granting me full power of Illéa. This made me think of the time that the New Asians attacked that military base and I answered back with just as much ferocity. Where was that girl now? Had I really become soft since becoming a mom? No. I refused to believe it. What would that version of myself done in this situation though?
I knew the answer before I really had any time to contemplate. She would have completely disregarded the rules and done what she believed would make the most good out of an otherwise desolate situation. That was what I had to do. I had a relatively calm report prepared for the Report that night but behind closed doors, the palace would be anything but calm.
Maxon had given me absolute power. That meant he trusted me. Despite everything I had done to make him think otherwise, he still believe in me to do the right thing for us. For us and for the country. He would be upset by this but he had no choice whether or not to accept what I do for our own protection.
I paged Aspen up to my office. He found me sitting behind Maxon's desk, the map of Illéa spread out in front of me. "Send the special forces out to Kent, Clermont and Carolina. Any protests are to be arrested on site, no questions asked. I want a simultaneous attack on the Southern Rebels' headquarters as well. Send drones, make it an airstrike."
Aspen frowned. "What? Ames, we don't know for sure that they're still using that place as headquarters."
"Doesn't matter. People need to understand that Illéa is not a country that will tolerate any sort of rebellion."
"Why the Southern Rebels though? Why now? Why are you focusing on this tonight?" Aspen asked and I could hear the wheels spinning in his head, making connections.
I looked up at him. He looked tired and was surely still mad at me for my explosion earlier but he was still here, still listening to me and taking my orders. "I don't think this is just a coincidence, with Maxon. That polygraph machine was sent from the south, the same province where the rebels were housed in six years ago. And who else would go to such dangerous efforts to get Maxon killed?"
"You think the rebels may be behind all of this?" he asked, not even mentioning the failed polygraph test anymore.
"No," I said quickly, cutting off the end of his sentence. "I think the rebels did this."
The morning of the trial I woke up early and dressed in silence. Mary did my hair simply and then I put on my favorite dress and blazer. The only thing getting me through the morning was the knowledge that I would get to see Maxon later. No matter the circumstances, I could look into his eyes and ground myself again.
When I walked into our study though, Aspen was obviously waiting for me with news. "Don't get too excited but all hope may not be lost yet," Aspen told me.
Despite his warning, I couldn't keep my heart from jumping at his words. "What happened?" I demanded. This was what I had been hoping for. The special forces people were due to arrive that morning in the various provinces as well. Maybe if they had found something in the headquarters for the rebels we could find a way to free Maxon.
"August had his men tear apart that god-forsaken machine last night. They found that it had indeed been tampered with. Someone installed a remote receiver in it, meaning that they could press a button from a thirty foot radius and set it off," Aspen explained.
"So all we would have to do is find that remote," I finished for him. "What do you mean for me to not get my hopes up? This is great news!"
August came in and I could already see him shaking his head. "They're Ones. We can't search their rooms unless you issue it," August reminded me.
"Then I'll issue it. What's the problem here?" I didn't understand. Why did they seem so hesitant?
"By the time it's issued and the advisers are made aware, we'll only have a couple hours to search. There's no way it'll be thorough enough for us to find it in that short amount of time," Aspen explained. "And even if we can prove the polygraph was tampered with and have that evidence discounted, it still doesn't completely clear him of the charges."
"There's something else as well," August added. "We searched Owen's email and found that he was getting threatening emails from an anonymous address. The last of which had been sent the night of his death, promising that he would be killed. I have my people already looking for the sender but the downside is that they said it's a twenty-four hour program to run. They only just started a couple hours ago."
I nodded, taking all of this in. There was a lot on my plate right now but I welcomed it all with open arms. It was an improvement over twelve hours ago when I had nothing. "Okay, so what do I have to do today?"
"Get Maxon's testimony. Let the advisers have their time to play. Then call for a respite until tomorrow so that we can finish all of this." I thought about what they were proposing. This was exactly what we needed. This was what I had been hoping for. Could I do this? Could I rein in the advisers enough to get them to agree to a recess? Of course I could. I was queen of Illéa. There was nothing I couldn't do. Except for maybe save Maxon.
"I'll do it," I told them. We talked for a few more minutes where Aspen confirmed that the press was still unaware of who the trial was for. That at least let me breathe easier.
In the courtroom I took Maxon's seat, which was raised higher than the rest of the seats there. The advisers all bowed and hushed as soon as I sat down. Carter then wasted no time in leading Maxon to the center of the room, directly in front of me. He met my eyes the moment he entered the room. I could see that he was tired and all out of hope but I tried my best to reassure him through my eyes.
Maxon gave his testimony, his voice bordering on desperation the whole time. He explained how he had retired early that night, discovered that his sword was indeed missing, resolved to look the next day, and then spent the whole night with me. I wasn't able to back that up though since I was his wife. That pitted up against the polygraph test had no chance.
The advisers brought that up, of course. They all agreed somewhat unanimously that the polygraph was enough to convict him but I pleaded that as queen, I had every right to postpone his conviction until the next day. They disagreed but they had no room to overturn my decision.
As of that night, we had not yet found the remote or the original address of the person sending Owen threats. Also, there was not yet any news from the Special Forces officers who were looking for any southern rebels they could find. Figuring that I had nothing else to lose, I made my way to the basement to visit my husband.
The guard down there protested half-heartedly before letting me through to the cell block where Maxon was staying. We had a set of bars between us but we made do. "You shouldn't have come," Maxon whispered, pressing his forehead against mine between the bars. He didn't sound all that ungrateful for my visitation though.
"I had to see you," I answered back. "I couldn't wait until tomorrow night to be reunited with you."
He shook his head. "Ames, you don't have to build up hope for me. I know how this is all going to end. I was in that room today."
I squeezed his hand. The guards had to take all of his jewelry and accessories, which included his wedding band. It was in Aspen's safekeeping because he would be bending the rules too much by giving it to me. His hand looked strange without the familiar band of silver there. "A little help would be nice," I told him. He had to have something in mind to help me out.
"I told you to stay out of it," he sighed.
"You didn't honestly think I would do that, did you?" I asked him. "Seriously Max, do you know me at all?"
He sighed and I felt his lips brush my temple. I heard the guard clear his throat from down the hallway and got the impression that I was quickly running out of time. "Listen, I was able to write some letters. One for you, three for all of the kids, and another one for the baby you're pregnant with now."
I frowned, not understanding what he was talking about. "Maxon, I'm not…"
"You don't have to spare my feelings America. I know." Was he really that out of it that he was delirious? I couldn't believe this. "You should get going. I love you, America Schreave."
"I love you too, Maxon Schreave," I answered but my brain was preoccupied with his apparent slip into insanity.
I practically ran up to our study and called Aspen up there. He looked disgruntled about the late hour but when I explained the letters to him he piped up and frowned. "That doesn't make any sense. He knows there's no way you're pregnant. There is…there is no way you can be pregnant, right?"
"Aspen, Win is only three weeks old!" I reminded him, shocked that he would ask me that.
"I just had to make sure," he said, holding his hands up. "But then why would he write that letter?"
My eyes widened. "It's another letter to me. I'm supposed to read it." I tore the envelope open and unfolded the paper. The message was brief but it meant everything.
Look unto the southern moon and the truth will be revealed soon.
That was it then. Maxon knew it was the Southern Rebels as well. I just needed to find a way to put his words into action. I didn't have to think long because August burst into the room with a paper in his hands. "It's the Special Forces guys. They have someone in custody downstairs."
Aspen and I both pretty much ran back toward the dungeons and immediately into the interrogation room. I was met with an older man, probably in his forties. Under a layer of grime I recognized a custom-tailored suit. He looked at me with scathing eyes, his bangs hanging over his eyebrows. "Hello," he greeted me first.
I marched right up to him and grabbed him by the tie. We only had about ten hours before the trial. Every moment that passed was precious. "Who did it? Which of your men are working here on the inside?"
He laughed. "You'll know soon enough."
"Tell me!" I shouted, pulling him closer to me and then pushing him back into the chair roughly.
"Ames, calm down. August's men will find out soon enough," Aspen said in a cautious tone.
The man laughed again. "You mean, the men tracking those emails? They'll surely lead you somewhere but my men will get here first. If they're not here already."
Aspen took a step forward as my hand went slack. "What are you talking about?" he demanded in a cool voice.
"You have played your part in this plan rather spectacularly, Your Majesty. I have to say, I wasn't sure how well you would do but so far you've been completely predictable. Right down to your ordering the Special Forces to capture me," the man said cryptically. "It's almost a shame this plan did work so well. I'd hate for you to lose your husband to a rebel attack the night before he's supposed to be set free."
I straightened up and looked to Aspen. "We're still on lockdown right?" I asked him.
"Oh, you are," the man interrupted. "No one can get in the palace. That's a shame, isn't it?"
"What do you want?" I growled at him.
He smiled darkly. "I think that's rather obvious. We want you and Maxon gone. Your children with no chances of being rulers. That's what we want. Its what we've wanted for years, decades even."
As soon as the words left his mouth, the alarm blared through the palace. "Maxon, Shalom, Amber, Win…" I listed off all of the people I needed to make sure were safe.
"No time!" Aspen said, grabbing me by the waist and throwing me over his shoulder. I pounded against his back but he was too strong, even with a bum leg. He carried me down the hallway to a hidden safe room.
"No, Aspen, don't do this to me again. Don't make me hide like this again," I pleaded. "Let me help!"
"I have to get Maxon to safety, Mer. I don't have time to argue with you." And with that, the door was sealed and I was alone. Again.
Just like last time, I was left with no way of telling how long I was in there. Every minute I flip-flopped between worrying over my kids and worry over my spouse. I couldn't separate my thoughts. Just hours ago I was sitting with all of the evidence I needed to spring Maxon and now…it had all fallen apart. I wanted to blame someone but with what that man had said, apparently it was all my fault.
It wasn't long before I started to feel the familiar discomfort that came from not feeding Win for a long time. I felt a twinge in my chest, the telltale sign of my breasts becoming engorged. She was probably inconsolable at that point from not having her mother and the twins…I couldn't even imagine their fear. I at least could trick myself into believing that they were safe and comforted by Marlee or Lucy or any of my other friends. At least they were probably all together.
It seemed like hours later when the door swung open. A guard I only vaguely recognized was standing there in a bloody uniform. He looked tired and had no doubt been fighting but he was there which meant that the monarchy was still standing strong. The rebels had not taken over. "Where's Maxon?" I demanded immediately.
The guard nodded and helped me to my feet, holding my elbow as he led me upstairs. We didn't have to go far before I found Maxon standing in the rubble of the foyer. I hadn't seen this sort of destruction since the last rebel attack. "Maxon!" I called as soon as we rounded the corner and I saw him.
"Ames," he called back, running toward me. We met halfway down the hallway, colliding in a fierce hug. I grimaced from being squeezed so tight but it didn't stop me from melting into his embrace. My knees literally were weak from relief. "God, I was so worried. They caught them, America. I'm free. I love you. I love you, America. I love you."
The words just tumbled out of his mouth as we clung to each other. His lips brushed my neck and shoulder. He was free. It was almost too much news to mix together. He was still holding me tight which was sort of strange. "I love you Maxon," I breathed out, the fire in my chest starting to distract me.
"I'm never letting you go," he vowed, leaning back to plant a firm kiss on my forehead. "I have to tell you something but we need to get the kids first." We walked as close together as possible up to the third floor and found the kids being shushed by Parrah and her mother.
As soon as we walked in the kids ran to us, hugging our legs. Parrah had Win in her arms and immediately passed her off to me and I inspected her little body, breathing out a huge sigh of relief when I saw that she was unharmed. Maxon dismissed the two women so I could have some privacy to feed Win.
Amber draped herself over my legs as Shay cried into Maxon's shoulder. My husband knelt at my feet, obviously unable to be apart from me. "What about Marlee and Carter and Aspen? All of them? Are they all okay?" I demanded, my stress surely doing nothing to placate Win.
"Carter and Marlee are both fine as well as Aspen and Lucy. They're with their families," Maxon listed reluctantly. He was leaving something out. He knew something I didn't.
"Did you get to safe room?" I asked, wondering how he had gotten out before me.
He nodded. "Aspen said he had gotten you to safety and then put me in my own. It was awful. I'm so tired of being separated from you during these attacks. Luckily, I think that thanks to your Special Forces attacks we should be done with them. Aspen came to get me first, knowing that I probably just wanted to be free."
"And…" I prompted, knowing there was more to his story.
"Aspen, Carter and August all went to fight the rebels. They're all trained, after all," Maxon explained. He couldn't look at me. Something was wrong. Soon I realized that he never told me where August and Georgia were. No. There was no way. After all Georgia had just been through with the loss of their baby…no. "August…he…" he could barely get the words out and I couldn't form a coherent thought to stop him. To tell him that he didn't need to explain this to me. "August is dead."
...I probably should have warned you that it was coming but i honestly didn't think of it until I was already halfway through this chapter. Don't hate me!
So yeah, good news is Maxon is okay and the Southern Rebels have apparently been put down again. Bad news, well...i don't need to repeat it, right? And more along the bad news side of things, i am going back to school on sunday so updates will be a bit slower. luckily i'll be coming home quite a bit this spring to help my sister with her wedding though so maybe then i'll have more free time (but realistically, probably not).
Thank you again for all of the lovely reviews!
Renee: I completely understand that! One of my favorite Selection Fics on here seems like it is all about the politics and not so much about their relationship so i know it is kind of a bummer. i just know that as a writer i get bored sometimes with all fluff. plus i don't feel totally confident writing fluff or smut or a combination of those two so i like to throw politics in for a bit of drama.
ARoseAndrews: I feel like execution would definitely be the punishment for murder in Illea though, right? If they throw teen moms in jail and whip little boys for stealing food i don't think that is such a far cry.
Guest: *peeks out from behind bulletproof armor* are we good?
gabbana403: GLAD YOU LIKED IT!
prnamber3909: dude! okay, so i was out at lunch with friends yesterday and i was pissed about something and venting to them and my friend Gabbe was like "Are you even mad, bruh?" because apparently my mad face is just a sad face. anyway, your review made me think of that. i guess i just don't have a mad face.
booklion4: *snaps fingers*
Mac: Well, Maxon didn't have a trial at all so i hope that's cool with you! and yes, it was lots of fun to go back to fluffy little puppy engaged maxerica (I am very aware that that was not a real combination of adjectives).
AirBalloon: não se preocupe com isso! Sou capaz de ler Português ok, pois é um pouco semelhante ao espanhol ... eu só não posso falar isso! obrigado por colocar o tempo para a leitura embora. e você deve definitivamente tentar escrever. não se preocupe com os erros. apenas explicar aos seus leitores o que você está tentando fazer!
Weatherbug02: whoever invented Tumblr is either an expert procrastinator that wanted to share their wealth of procrastination tools or a dictator lying in wait trying to take over the world via memes and Josh Hutcherson fandoms.
Kaiara07: your baby is okay!
.9: i know.
theselection98 (Alexis): updates are the best birthday presents! And America seemed to do pretty well with holding her own. next we'll start to see more of Maxon taking control again for reasons you may be able to guess.
Angelic Angel-Perfect: it all will be explained in the next chapter!