REVOLUTION: A Rebel Among Monsters ✔

Twenty••Sneaky Plans

Though her fears darted about before her—Eldians yelling, removing her status, blaming her for pushing them to make the crystals choose Melaynia—Valnia sniffled, dried her eyes, straightened up.

Lexa fiddled with a stack of paperwork. "She has no clue the Monsters are in seclusion because of her. They evacuated her out and summoned me. I imagine she's confused, but... we can't say a word. Not until we have a solid course of action."

"Right, so... what options do we have? And to what extent am I involved?" Valnia cringed; getting herself deeper into this mess would only worsen the outcome, she knew.

But... I can't risk her taking the brink of their anger.

Even if they concocted a phenomenal plan, Valnia saw her dreams and her future flying out of her hands, faster and faster into the sky, out of reach. She should have known Melaynia wasn't a good fit.

"I think... Melaynia has to leave the Lair," said Lexa, tearing Valnia from her visions, causing her to gasp. "Yes, it's drastic, but... until further notice, it's our best solution. She can't be near the Eldians, and I'd suggest she be gone before they emerge. They fear her, so I have no clue how they'll react when they return. But I won't take fateful risks."

Less than a week underground, and Melaynia had already gotten herself kicked out. And dead in the eyes of all Ceruleans, she had nowhere to go.

"I-I... can't abandon her." Valnia gulped, her composed posture melting with each breath she took. "There must be another way. Hide her? Keep her busy with tasks that don't involve being too close to their chambers?"

Lexa's fingers curled, but not in anger. Her expression instead flickered with fear, apprehension. "Understand this. An untrustworthy and rebellious recruit... they've never seen that. Not even with your recruits that disappeared. They were suspected later, based on past behavior, without the procedure to prove it... and only accused of rebellion. But Melaynia... they told me they considered locking her up above ground, in the Monster Island prison. They said deal with this. Valnia... if I don't whisk her out, I worry what they'll ask me to do next."

Biting her lip to stop it from trembling, Valnia attempted to stand; but her limbs shook so much she fell back onto her seat. "She's rebellious, okay, b-but... locked up there? No. No she can't be. It would only rouse her further."

"I know." Lexa dropped her chin. "I'm sharing with you what they said, not what I want." Her neck jerked up, and determination spread across her face in hues of crimson and beads of sweat. "As her trainer and supervisor, and her sister, you have a say in her fate. But... this discussion doesn't leave this office, am I clear? Until she's a confirmed and trained recruit, her life is in your hands. So... here are the plausible options."

Plausible.

Valnia shut her eyes and sucked in a heavy breath. Perhaps getting Melaynia out of the Lair might be beneficial, in the long run. Perhaps some fresh air, fresh ideas, and distance, would help her grow, get used to her destiny, accept her part.

"Okay," she swallowed an acidic gulp of saliva, "tell me."

"To execute what I've formulated, a certain amount of lying and trickery will be involved." A simmer of mischief stirred in Lexa's eyes. "And I'll need approval, which means I'll be disturbing the Eldians... and they won't like it."

Lies, furious Monsters, sending Melaynia off... dangerous.

"And you're... sure?"

Lexa took the first paper atop the stack. "We will send her on a mission. A fake one."