The Rebel Assassin

Chapter 44: Forgiveness

Do any of you writers have those moments where you start a chapter like "i think the words are broken, do i even still know how to write?" but then by the end you're like "oh good i think i do" because this was that chapter for me

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If Jaden was going to be following us to Solangia — and he absolutely would be — I was going to have to break the news to the rest of the rebels. And that meant telling them I'd snuck out last night. And that meant explaining why I had to get a message to Ysmay so urgently. And that meant revealing how Englescroft had planned to corrupt our revolution.

Predictably, there was a lot of yelling involved.

People get so uptight about sneaking around cities in the middle of the night and killing foreign diplomats and rescuing kidnapped mentors, not to mention unraveling international conspiracies. In these cases, I like to think it's my duty to be the one person casually leaning back in my chair with my feet on the table, smirking at every available opportunity to smirk.

The end result of our meeting was that by the time the Protector invited us to dine with her that evening, we were all on the same page. When the Protector hinted once again over the main course that she would like to know what we were planning, I set down my glass with a decided thump and told her exactly how we were going to upend Queen Magali's throne.

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Leaving for Solangia tomorrow made a good cover for loudly announcing that we were all going to sleep early and were not to be disturbed. That would have to be enough to keep anyone from checking on us, because tonight there were three of us sneaking out.

Nemia, ever practical, insisted I get a few hours of sleep before we left, which was probably smart. I, ever impatient, insisted we still leave shortly after midnight, which was probably less smart.

Wes met us outside and I led us all down the street, no one speaking until we were some distance from the Hall. It was Wes who decided first that it was time to break the ice.

"You know everything you said today was insane, right?"

"Yeah," I said. "I get that reaction a lot."

"I mean, I'm not questioning you. Every crazy thing you do seems to mostly work out—"

"Mostly being the key word. Don't encourage her." Nemia grinned sideways at me.

It was true that when my plans failed, they failed spectacularly, but I had to immediately try to elbow her off the sidewalk as a matter of principle. The ensuing scuffle forced a change of topic, as Wes laughingly and uselessly tried to hush us.

"I can't believe you two," he complained. "You act like you're not even worried."

"About what?" Nemia leaned against me, trying to push me off balance. I slung an arm over her shoulder and shoved my face into her hair, mussing it and raising another peel of laughter.

"I don't know, any number of things. Iso's people coming after you in revenge, for one. That doesn't even worry you?"

Nemia shoved me away gently and swept her tousled hair back. In the months since I first left the capital, she'd let her curling, chin-length hair grow out for the first time in years. Now, loose, wavy, and midnight black, the way strands of it fell over her face and didn't quite stay behind her ear made me want to run my hands through it. Meanwhile, she was looking back at me with concern to match my admiration. "He has a point."

"Nah, we don't have to worry. Me and Jaden and Joshua left a gift for Iso's people last night."

"Now, what kind of gift do you leave your worst enemies who already have everything?" Wes wondered.