Coming Back Down

Matryoshka

  Running outside, bodies were rushing toward the palace. Sirens blared, and people were running and fearful. Guards tried to maintain order by guiding people through the streets like shepherds did sheep.

  Wildly looking around, I tried to see if Roan and Enan were anywhere in sight, but I couldn't find them.

  "Viper, please!" Madi called out to me, and I turned on the girl with a dangerous look in my eye. "Viper!" She screamed as a guard grabbed her and started dragging her toward the palace. "Viper!" I went the opposite way of the crowd, ignoring Madi's screams for me as I ducked into an alley. She had the blood, the Primes knew she did from Josephine pretending to be Clarke, and they wouldn't do a damn thing to hurt Madi since she was their future survival.

  The Primes would keep her safe, and ultimately out of the way so that I could do what had to be done. I had my hopes so high on Sanctum being home, but Sanctum was not our home. Then I had my hopes on the new compound to be built just for us, and now that too was off the table.

  Unless something was done.

~

  "You're a liar."

  "Believe me, I wish I was. But your daughter's not one with the Primes. No one is."

  A man growled while knocking something down on the first floor as I crawled up beside Gaia and Echo on the second floor.

  "I sacrificed my baby boy....for nothing. My wife couldn't live with that. She laid down in the offering grove a year later, and I still believed. I believed." He cried.

  "It's not a lie. Jordan tried to tell us the truth." The woman sniffled.

  "Okay. The ship is back, the fuse is lit. Now how do we get our people out?" Gaia whispered.

  "Relax. Revolutions take time." Echo replied.

  "I don't care about their revolution. We need to get our commander out of here."

  "She banished you. Still, she's all you care about. Let's hope the null guards are more easily swayed."

  "Meaning what?"

  "Meaning if they don't rise up and overthrow their false gods once they learn the truth, we're gonna need a plan B." Echo glanced at me. There was a knock at the door and Echo went for her bow.

  "Everybody get in position." Ryker said calmly before answering the door. He stuck his head out to talk to who was there while Echo had her arrow trained on the opening just to be safe. "Go directly back to your quarters. If you get stopped, you show them my work orders." Ryker turned to the others after shutting the door.

  "Wait. What do we do with what you told us?"

  "Nothing yet. Once enough people know the truth, we can change things peacefully." Ryker told the trio before they left.

  "Peacefully, huh? Keep telling yourself that, Ryker." Echo popped off while going down the stairs.

  "What is it? What's wrong?" Gaia questioned.

  "They're executing one of your people tonight for killing Miranda."

  "Madi?"

  "No, it won't be her. She's a host. If I know Simone, she'll let them choose who dies themselves."

  "How do we stop it?"

  "We don't. I'll need you to add a scope to my bow and get me to a window with a view of the execution."