Page 44

She breathed deeply as she tugged on her shirt to straighten any wrinkles and then sat up taller in her seat. “Now, you will not be going on this rescue operation. Without you, there is nothing to hold the Calvernon family to their promises. You are theonlything that keeps them in the game and willing to assist this rebellion. Now, I’ve been through this with you multiple times, child, and every time you disobey me and do as you wish. It ends here.”

I snorted. “Fat chance of that.”

Sasha glared. “Youwillfollow orders or I will have you placed under house arrest.”

“What?” the word blurted out of my mouth.

“I’m warning you, Mara. I cannot have you in harm’s way. You are to remain at the Calvernon Estate, and you will not go on this mission.”

My temper flared. There was no way in hell I wasn’t going. I didn’t trust Sasha. “I’m going.”

“Don’t push me, child—”

“I’mgoing,” I shot back, raising my voice. “I don’t trust you, Sasha. Since the hospital, everything you’ve ever done has been double-sided.” I wasn’t blind anymore. All she wanted was power just like everyone else. And she was usingmeto do it. But I was tired of being used. I wanted my brother back.

Her eyes narrowed. “That’s quite the insult, and it is not deserved.”

“Oh, come off it, Sasha. The only reason you’ve done anything for me is because I’m your golden ticket back into Telvia. Don’t act like you care about me, or like you actually want to save my brother.”

She held my stare for a moment before she settled back into her chair. “Be that as it may, nothing changes. You shouldunderstand the need for me to keep you safe quite clearly. The answer is stillno.”

“The answer is going to beyes,” I said as I leaned forward in my chair. “I don’t trust you. How do I know there’s even an actual operation going on, huh? For all I know, you could just be telling me one fat lie so that Ithinkthere’s a mission when there isn’t.”

Sasha’s eyes were calculating, emotions passing through as she pursed her lips. “Very well. I’ll place cameras on the team so you can watch the footage yourself.”

I paused, surprised by the offer. Camera footage would allow me to watch them, see the whole thing for myself. That was a legit option, but…but what if it was all faked? My entire life in Telvia was a fake, wasn’t it? Politicians could be quite deceiving and insanely clever with the lies and stories they told. What if a team was deployed, but it wasn’t real? Just a staged operation. Or, what if they did it, saved my brother, and then killed him or something?

No. No, I didn’t trust her. I didn’t trustanyone.

I shook my head. “No. I go. That’s the only way I’m doing this.” I caught her gaze and held it. “I go. I take the lead on the whole thing, and I pick my team. People I trust and I know will be with me on this.”

“That’s absurd. I will not let you go, and even if I did, you lack sufficient experience and training to lead an entire team on an operation like this.”

My fingers balled into fists, nails digging into my palms. “Fine. Then I pick a co-leader.”

“Absolutely not.”

“I’m not arguing with you, Sasha. Those are my demands. I go, I pick my co-leader, and I pick my team. That’s the deal, or I’m not marrying Wes. You lose your golden ticket into Telvia.”

Her eyes widened as her back went ramrod straight. “You’re being unreasonable—”

“You’re not winning this. You force me to stay, you lose your chances of winning Telvia back. The only way you possibly come out winning is if we do this my way.”

The tension was thick, and I watched as Sasha ground her teeth, and the little vein on the side of her head pulsed, looking as though it was about to rupture completely.

“Well?” I pushed, giving her a steely glare, trying my best to channel my inner Wes.

Sasha closed her eyes, steepling her hands and resting her lips against her fingertips. She took several deep breaths—I presumed to calm herself down. She and I had already experienced several run-ins like this before, but never in my life had I pushed her so hard that she lost control of herself as much as she did today.

After what felt like an eternity of silence, Sasha finally opened her eyes, calm returning to her aged face. “I will meet your terms, child, but only ononecondition.”

“No. My way or—”

“Then you don’t go at all. I will lose my golden ticket, as you say, and find another way of bargaining with the Calvernons.”

Wait, I wasn’t expecting that. “Okay. What’s the condition?”

“I will allow you to pick your team leader, your team,andallow you to go on this mission. But…two of my own operatives will go with you.” I shook my head, but Sasha put her finger up. “Let me finish. I want you to come back alive, child, as I’m sure you want to as well. I will meet all of your demands, but I will assign two operatives to act as bodyguards for you. Your team will focus on the mission and your brother. My operatives will focus solely on you and ensure that you make it back alive.”