Cade spun to look at his brother. He appreciated the cyclical nature of the situation, but this was not how it was supposed to happen. He was supposed to protect his brother, just like his mother told him to. Cassian should’ve been back in the western sector, living his life. Not here in the Dome, handing it over.
“Truth,” Finch declared, cutting through the shocked silence, unprompted.
Cade barely held back his glare but that only seemed to put a satisfied smirk on Finch’s face.
“It was an accident. I didn’t mean for any of it to happen and I’m sorry. But it did happen and I’m turning myself in. Cade shouldn’t be punished for my crimes.”
By the look on Lia’s face, this wasn’t part of the plan. Cassian had blindsided her too. But along with the shock, there was a hint of pride coming off her. Cade started to regret the impulsive words that he’d spoken only minutes ago. He had already told Deianira that he wasn’t the killer. Now, there would be no doubt in her mind that Cassian was responsible and he would lose his brother all over again. For real this time.
Deianira nodded to Hewn and he stood, cuffs already coming off his belt.
“No, wait!” Lia interjected.
Hewn didn’t stop. Cade’s heart clenched as Cassian stood from his seat and brought his hands together. He was really going through with this.
Lia stood and physically put herself between Hewn and Cassian.
Cade was shocked, yet again. What changed?
“Back up!” Cade discreetly cringed at her tone. He knew that Hewn wouldn’t respond well to her order. “We have information that you’re gonna want to hear.” Lia looked at Deianira while she spoke.
Cade stared at her, amazed to see that the same girl who would never have stood up for his brother a few weeks ago was not only defending him, but protecting him.
Deianira’s cold eyes stared Lia down. “I’m going to need a little more than that.”
Lia turned her head to Cassian and motioned for him to go ahead. At Cassian’s hesitant look, Lia delivered a hard smack to his shoulder. That got him talking. Ah, that’s the Lia I remember.
“My father’s leading a resistance on the outside. He’s planning an invasion.”
Deianira looked bored. “We’ve had resistances before.”
“But this one might work,” Cassian responded, eyes flicking to Lia for approval. She gave him an encouraging nod. Cade’s head was spinning. Not only at Cassian’s words but at his and Lia’s behavior.
“What makes you think that?” Deianira asked as she shifted her elbows onto her knees, legs parted, and looked at Cassian intently.
At her change in posture, Cade couldn’t help the bolt of lust that shot through him, but he quickly shook it off as Finch’s eyes flitted to his with a look of confusion.
Get it together.
“He has allies outside of the western sector,” Cassian said nervously before adding, “and on the inside. In here.”
Deianira’s face momentarily tightened before she schooled her expression in a flash. Cade’s best friend, however, didn’t miss anything.
Lia held her hand up to Cassian. “That’s enough. If she wants more, she can grant your freedom.” Seemingly satisfied, Lia retook her seat. “So?”
Cade didn’t have to look at Deianira to know that she was furious. If he knew one thing about her, it was that she didn’t like not being in control and Lia had just put her in a really bad position. On one hand, he hated that she had been cornered like this but on the other, he couldn’t be mad at Lia for putting his brother first. It’s what he asked her to do and Cade wasn’t sure if he could’ve thought as quickly as Lia just had.
“We’ll let you know.”
That was all Deianira said before she left the room without a glance in Cade’s direction.
Deianira
He was protecting his brother.
The fact only had Deianira more conflicted. Cade had risked his head so that his little brother might live. While she didn’t want to take that from him, she had a job to do. She was Queen and her emotions were not supposed to interfere with her duty. Her mixed feelings were enough to tell her that she should take a step back and get her priorities straight.
One thing Deianira wasn’t conflicted about though was Eulalia. Deianira had to admit, it was a good move. But at that moment, she wanted nothing more than to throttle her. She came to her palace making demands. If it weren’t for the potential threat, she would have dragged her over the table. Leaving Cade and his companions in the room, Deianira and her council stepped outside of the room to deliberate. She stayed silent, waiting for someone else to speak. She didn’t know what to think and hoped that someone else could set the tone.
Jude did.
“We know he’s telling the truth but how do we know his information is any good?”
“If he was just trying to save his ass, I would’ve seen through it,” Finch interjected, offended.
“No, I’m not saying he’s lying.” Jude corrected Finch. “But what if he’s just delusional or has bad info? We would’ve caught word of a resistance that big.”
“Not if they have an insider. We would have intercepted,” Hewn considered.
Who would conspire against me with outsiders?
“I think we should listen to them. It’s more logical to overshoot than to come up short.” Salem responded.
Deianira looked at her sentinel with a cold, sarcastic smile.
“Didn’t you hear the girl? If he isn’t absolved, we’re not getting anything else. We release the murderer or we risk our lives. All we have is their word.”
She scolded herself for the bitterness that laced her tone as she referred to Eulalia when Salem’s eyes honed in on her, seeing something on her face that everyone else was yet to pick up.
“I think it would be a mistake,” Jude argued. “Since when did we negotiate with criminals?”
Hewn nodded. “I agree. I believe them but the Prima Act is clear as day. He committed a crime and there is a punishment.”
Salem cocked her head at Hewn. “So you’re suggesting that we ignore potentially vital information that could save thousands of lives for a law that was put in place centuries before any of us were born?” She wasn’t trying to have an attitude with him, she was genuinely trying to understand his thought process.
“Well, it’s protected our people this far and as Her Majesty said, we’ve had resistances before.”
“But this one might work.” Salem reiterated Cassian’s words almost robotically. “It is highly unlikely that they would make such a bold statement if it weren’t true. Sooner or later, we’d find out if there truly is a resistance and if it were untrue, they’d be punished anyway. They can’t afford to not be sure.”
“Have you no faith in our defense systems and security?” Jude defended Hewn.
“I did before two outsiders walked in here like it was nothing,” she responded calmly.
While they had been arguing, Deianira had already made up her mind. It was a huge risk, but she was willing to do what had to be done, as Jude loved to remind her. Blocking out the startled objections, she opened the door, slipped back into the room, and locked it behind her. As Jude reopened the door, she summoned two shadows to hold it in place while she retook her seat and ignored the confused faces in front of her.
As the pounding on the door grew louder, Deianira spoke over the noise from her council.
“How do I know your information is good?” she asked, parroting Jude’s earlier concern.
Deianira didn’t pay any mind to Cade’s sigh of relief and kept her focus on his brother.
“The informant gave us the officials’ trading schedule. That’s how I knew the route that the truck would be taking for us to sneak on and get in through the loading dock.” Cassian rushed out.
Deianira considered for a moment. They’d already established that he was being truthful and his explanation made sense. What were the chances of him stumbling across the truck at the right place and the right time? This could be a huge mistake. If her people heard that she had violated the act, they would lose faith in her. But if they were alive at the end of it, it would be worth it. Taking a deep breath, she met Cade’s eyes for the first time since he’d been seated.
“Cade Alden and Cassian Alden, you are hereby absolved of your crimes in the eyes of the Gods and under the ruling of Her Majesty the Queen, Deianira Rikar. For the rest of your time here, however long it may be, you will remain in the guest wing of the palace, under guard. You are not to leave your rooms unattended for any reason.” She flicked her eyes to Eulalia. “You too.” Deianira leveled them all with a blank stare, masking the crippling anxiety she felt over the words she’d just said. “Talk.”
After taking down as much information as she could from Cassian and Eulalia, Deianira requested for some enforcers to escort them upstairs and left the room.
Releasing the door, Deianira walked out into the hall paying no mind to the shocked, angry, and confused faces of her council.
“We need to talk,” she called over her shoulder, heading to Jude’s study. “Now!”
