The Helerian

30. You look like absolute shit

30. You look like absolute shit

"Jeremiah's life for mine. If you k-kill me, Jeremiah dies. If you release me, I'll release him. You have two minutes to decide," Alistair says. His voice is clear, a stutter giving him away though.

What now?

I leave Alistair with two guards and hurry towards my gang. Everyone looks worried and rightly so. Caspian appears to be in a heated discussion with Hemera and Silas. I hear the last snippets of it, "...a death sentence for your own father?"

"That's not what I meant. But, we can't let Alistair go," Caspian says sternly.

"Then let's kill the guard who is holding Grandpa," suggests Asher.

I look back to see the guard with Jeremiah. Anyone can take him. Surely it can't be that simple when it comes to Alistair.

"Let's try it then," says Caspian. He mindlinks one of the rebels to sneak up on the guard. We all look at Jeremiah in anticipation. The guard is knocked down in an instant, Jeremiah freed. He coughs but seems okay. Alistair chuckles and says, "Do you think I'm an idiot?" Yes. "Your dearest Jeremiah has consumed poison. So kill that royal guard for all I care, it will not change Jeremiah's fate. If you don't let me go, I'll never tell you the antidote."

Of course there's a twist.

Caspian stalks over to Alistair and punches him straight in the face. "Tell me what the antidote is."

Alistair wipes off the blood coming out of his busted lip and smiles, "Now where's the fun in that? Time is slipping away. Tick-tock."

Think Faiz think. And then the light bulb turns on.

"Amyra can get the cure out of Alistair's head," I suggest.

"Yes, that cou-," Hemera is interrupted by Alistair, "Oh I forgot to tell you the best part. Jeremiah here came to me a few days ago saying that he would like to fight against the rebels. He said that he's going to rid this earth of every human abomination. And that includes Tristan. So think twice before saving this man."

Caspian whispers, "How did he find out about Faiz?"

"That is my fault," Asher mutters, wincing. Caspian whiplashes in his son's direction and Asher is mumbling how it was an accident and he didn't know Jeremiah would do something so drastic. Asher, you idiot.

Meanwhile Amyra looks at her Grandpa stoically and asks, "Is it true?" Jeremiah's silence answers her question. Honestly I'm not surprised that he tried to collaborate with Alistair. Both of them have one thing in common: one hates me and another hates humans, i.e. me. But that doesn't mean that I want Jeremiah to die.

"So what's your decision then?" asks Alistair. All of us look at each other. He has managed to bow seeds of puzzle and indecision in all of us. Stupid smug Alistair. Even when he has lost everything, he still has his ability to manipulate.

"Let him die," we all turn to look at Amyra. Her face expressionless as she replies.

"Amyra, what are you doing?" I mindlink her but no answer comes. She moves towards Alistair and even he looks astonished by her response. Then he smirks, "Shedding your good girl attitude Afiyah?"

"Goodness isn't an attitude," Amyra says as she reaches Alistair. Before I can even blink she slaps him and then grabs his head.

Everyone takes a sigh of relief and lets Amyra do her thing. Meanwhile Jeremiah is apologizing to Caspian, Mila, Silas and Maia. Then he turns to me and is about to say something but I shake my head.