The Death Kingdom

Chapter Two

"What are you talking about?" I shoot back, my glare hardening on Atwood's annoyingly handsome face. Even with age, he hasn't lost his appeal and he tends to know it too.

"Fynn and Akita are needed here when not meeting with you to gather what information you've learned. They have more responsibilities here than you do Saige." He talks to me like he's scolding me for misbehaving. "You've always been the best at extracting information when you need it and I want to put those skills to good use."

I try not to think about how I'm good at extracting information because I'm bloodthirsty and the people I interrogate know it too.

"I'm no spy Atwood," I quip back, frustration growing inside me. "I'll be imprisoned before I can finish my first day."

"You'll have a few days to go over tips and trick from our spymaster—"

"Why don't you just send him in?" I question.

Atwood gives me a sorry gaze, his features softening.

The King likes to hire young attractive females to be his servants. I know this and yet I still want to argue.

I let out a long breath of air and cross my arms over my chest. "The chances of me returning are slim to none."

"Yes." He doesn't deny it, he just stands there and studies my face.

I get the feeling he's doing this on purpose. Like at last he's found a way to test my loyalty and wants to see what I decide. If I'll agree to risk it all for the rebellion or not.

I want to say it isn't fair, but he's given me a whole year to figure it out. Normally, I wouldn't even hold a position like the one I have because I haven't claimed my undying loyalty, but I happen to be so good at what I do Atwood let it slide this one time.

I understand why it's necessary to have squad members willing to die for their cause. It's because if we ever get captured Atwood needs to rely on the fact that we won't give up the location of our camp and send a thousand people to be slaughtered.

I'm surprised Atwood hasn't forced my hand sooner, but damn if I wish he would've held off even longer.

I'm not sure what it is, why I'm not fully committed. Fynn and Akita are both tied in forever and yet even though I consider myself a part of their family, I still don't have quite the same beliefs.

I'm not sure if it's about the fact my father is off as a part of the king's military fighting in the war against the neighboring Kingdom of Valterra or something else.

After my mother passed away from illness when I was fifteen my father was forced to do the one thing he could do to provide for me without the additional income my mother brought in, and that was to join the King's military and fight in the war.

Eventually, he'll come back, especially if he becomes too injured to continue fighting, and I don't know what I would do then. He has no idea I've joined the rebellion and believes I still live in our little ramshackle house down by the river.

He still writes to me whenever he can and I have a routine where once a week I travel back to the city and head to the post to see if there's a letter. It's something I look forward to every week and I try not to get too excited when I go, but I can't help myself.

I haven't seen my dad in a year and a half and I miss him like crazy. We've always been close, I'm my father's daughter in most aspects of my life. I always had more in common with my father than my mother, but I've always loved them fiercely and know they've loved me with that same fierceness.