Unknown.

26- Traitor.

Before we reach the heavily armed army, Wolfe tugs at my hand as he turns, pulling me along with him. We run across the glowing streets, our shadows casting across buildings and houses that we pass by. Some people scream, and others even try to stop us, but we dodge everyone. Behind us, Gage, Marcus, and Ellie sprint after us, weapons in their sweating hands.

When we finally... And I mean finally near the castle, we hide behind a building to scan the place. The tower looms tall, walls upon winding walls creating its outer look. Windows cover the place, along with flags of a black color, but only one doorway presents itself. Right in the center is a pair of huge double doors, guarded by hundreds of soldiers of which scout the place out, watching their fellow men fight at least a mile in front of them.

"How are we going to get past?" I whisper to my team, their eyes glued to the scene in front of them. "Wolfe and I don't have weapons..."

Ellie digs in her right pocket and pulls out a knife--one that looks as if it has never been used--and passes it to me. Marcus, too, passes over a weapon, but he hands it to Wolfe. Wolfe thanks him with a nod, but then looks to me.

"What do you think we should do, Eve?" Wolfe asks me, his eyes ready, his hands steady.

Everyone meets my gaze and I just stare at each of them in shock. "Me?"

"You've risked your life for us more than any of us have." Wolfe informs me, glancing away from me only to nod along with the rest of the team. "Do you think you can lead us in a plan?"

I stare at Wolfe in disbelief for a few seconds, but then my mind clicks and an idea formulates.

"The only way we are going to get past them is to sneak by them while creating a diversion... Don't you think?" I say aloud, my voice sounding stronger than I had thought it would.

"Yeah..." Gage whispers back, his eyes lit up. "I have an idea." He doesn't hesitate to tell it to us, saying, "Those men out there are not evil. They were probably hired to protect the people, so if they think someone is in danger they will drop everything to help, don't you agree?"

Nobody answers because he continues. He says, "Ellie can act as if I am putting her in danger, creating a diversion. You three can head on into the place."

"Okay." Wolfe replies to him quickly. "But Ellie, you need to change... They can tell you are an Aureate."

A lamppost a few yards away casts us into the shadows of the town, but even in the dim light, all of us watch in astonishment as Ellie yanks off her shirt and reveals her bra: a thin, strapless bra hiding her small chest.

"My pants are different, they wouldn't be able to tell..." Ellie tells us as she drops the shirt on the ground and looks at us like we are idiots. "Why are you guys looking at me like that?!"

"No reason." Gage lies, his eyes wide in the dark.

"Let's do this." I say aloud, though on the inside, my gut is screaming at me to turn around and run the other way. "On the count of three, okay?"

When everyone nods, I start counting. "One... Two..."

I glance at Wolfe, and he shows me a look of confidence. Building up my courage and trying to catch my breath, I tell them, "Three."

Ellie screams as loud as she possibly can, her voice coming out raspy and young. I jump at the sound of it, but Gage yanks out his knife as calmly as possible and points it towards her. Ellie flashes him a smile, but then runs out into the opening, not stopping when she reaches the sunlight. Instead, she rushes right up to the line of guards and cries out to them with so much agony coursing in her words, I almost believe she is in trouble.