INDIGO

I was walking through the Rebel base again, side-by-side with Wolf. There was a moment of silence between us, leaving my mind free to wander back to earlier.

As I left the conversation with Trysha at the Blood Battles, my eyes drifted up to the Assassin box. The Alderidge's and Cormac's were still there—I could see them better from my new position. Again, I thought of how much they did for me and how much they lost for me. I couldn't leave them hanging. And Wolf was right. If they kept searching for me, it was possible that they would unearth the Rebels and put everyone at risk. They might've been kind, but they were still Assassins loyal to the Crown. They would kill every last Rebel, children and defenseless included.

I needed to let them know I was alright without telling them I was here or they could use my presence to track down the Rebels. So, before I even told Wolf what I learned, I asked him for a piece of paper and a pen. Surprisingly, he had both with him.

After thinking for a long moment, I wrote out the note slowly and in the best handwriting I could muster.

I am a friend of Indigo Fluor and would like to notify you that she is safe and sound. However, she does not wish to be found at this time. She says that she misses all of you very much and will visit each of you when the time is right.

And, for the Alderidge's, keep your white rose bushes intact. Indigo loves to visit them on occasion.

I most likely wouldn't ever get to see them again, but I could hope. Maybe someday, when all of this passes over, I'll get to truly the Alderidge's for all that they've done and explain to the Cormac's what really happened to Axe. It was a futile hope, one that had little chance of becoming a reality, but it was all I had left. An inkling of hope.

Holding the note tightly, I snuck into the Assassin box using different servant tunnels and sticking to the shadows, and then approached the bartender in the area. Pretending to be a loyal Assassin, I ordered Mrs. Alderidge's favorite drink and asked the bartender to deliver the note with it.

I snuck back out before the note was delivered. I didn't want to see their reactions. I wasn't sure if I could handle it.

Cree came running down the hall, pulling me out of my thoughts.

"You're right," he told me as he held out a piece of paper. "One of our spies managed to steal a Raven's plans. It only talks about the parts within the city, but they're trying to smuggle something through here."

Wolf nodded as he took the papers and asked me, "And how did you know this again?"

"The Ravens were talking about how they suspected that the Rebels got their plans and needed to be more careful."

It was a lie, clearly, but a necessary one. I wasn't comfortable with telling him about Trysha. If he didn't trust me, then perhaps I shouldn't trust him back. Not after everything I've been through. At least, not until he's earned it.

"And you're sure the thing that they're smuggling is your mother who they're planning on kidnapping from Cressida?" Wolf asked.

Cree's eyes widened as he looked between the two of us. "It's your mother?"

I nodded to both of them.

"That's one hell of a coincidence," Cree noted, though it wasn't accusing but rather a remark.

I shrugged, trying to keep my face straight as I felt Wolf's grey eyes stared down.

"So, are we going to intercept her?" Cree asked.

Wolf nodded. "Let me make a plan and speak with Laine and then we figure out what to do."

"I'll get her cell ready in the meantime," Cree said and excused himself.

Only after Cree turned the corner did Wolf speak.

"It was Trysha Dayholt, wasn't it?"

I stilled.

"The Ravens didn't put the specific object that they're smuggling in their plans, which means they're keeping those details out of their dealings and communications," Wolf explained. "The Raven in the conversation would never have told the mercenary what they were stealing if the mercenary was only a part of the job for this specific city. Still, you knew. My best guess is someone told you since she's your mom and the only Raven who still cares about you is Trysha Dayholt."

Why does this always happen?

Still, I stood my ground, staring him right in the eye despite his heavy gaze. The last time I had a conversation like this, Damien got the best of me. He rendered me useless. And while this doesn't have the same gravity as knowing my malicious intentions for the Crowns, I still needed to stand my ground.

"Yes, it was Trysha," I confirmed. "And I chose to withhold that information because, quite frankly, I don't know if I can trust you. So if you want to accuse me of being a traitor and lock me up, go ahead. I did what I did and I stand by it."

Wolf took a long look at me before finally saying, "I wasn't going to accuse you of anything, not without knowing your reasons."

Now, I was thrown off guard. Was he trying to make me slip up? Coerce me into giving something else away by making me feel comfortable?

"I'm not the Crowns, Indigo," he added quietly.

I looked away. I knew he wasn't a Crown, but others are also capable of evil. How could I ever truly know who he was?

But, at the same time, I knew I could trust him, didn't I? But perhaps that's just foolishness. There had to be something that would evoke his darkest nature and I learned not to trust those who hid that nature well.

"But," he continued after a long moment, "if your actions put anyone here in danger, you will regret it."

I looked back into his eyes and, from our close distance, I could tell that he meant every word he said. He laid out his worst intentions for me to see and I wasn't quite sure what to think of him anymore.

Only when he stepped back did I realize how close we were. He shoved his hands in his pockets and the boy I was accustomed to seeing around base returned.

"Anyways, we should check on Nydia before she accidentally drops sweets everywhere and the base is swarmed with rats."

His sudden shift left me speechless and I only nodded before we continued down the metal hallway, all alone.

"Speaking of which," Wolf continued, "she's been a bit more eccentric these days."

He paused and then corrected himself. "A lot more eccentric."

Finally regaining my composure, I shook my head, "I didn't notice."

"And I don't expect you to have. I only noticed because I've known her for a long time, but she's definitely crazier than normal. And, as far as I've observed, it's usually a sign that she's not doing well. Something's wrong, Indigo. We need to figure out what and make sure she's okay."

I nodded. "I don't know what could be bothering her."

Wolf hesitated. "I have a guess, but you're not going to like it."

"What is it?"

"The Intellect Queen, Erilia Kingston, was killed in a bombing. It left the family in pieces."

I was confused. "But why would that bother her? She was only friends with them for your cause."

"No, she only became friends with them for the cause. Nydia was always the perfect undercover spy, but she always had a single, and probably the biggest, problem—she gets attached too easily. Whatever you saw there, that bond that she had with them, that was real even if her identity was not. The only reason she's back here is because we warned her that she would get attached and she's too stubborn to admit it.

"She's not loyal enough to them to betray us, but they're still her friends, Indigo. And they always will be."

I looked down at my feet as we walked. He was right. I hated it but he was right. And I was foolish enough to have her be the only person in this base that I trust.

"Still," he continued, "it could be something else and we need to figure out what it is."

"I'll do my best."

Wolf nodded and we stopped in front of her door. He took a dramatic breath and said, "Let's hope she didn't adopt an ostrich," before knocking. There was the sound of shuffling and a metal pot crashing to the floor followed by her creative cursing—which replaced the typical curses with the rare sweets she didn't enjoy—and then the door was thrown wide open.

"Nydia," Wolf greeted as he was about to step in, but she held up a hand.

"Did you bring snakes?"

"No."

"Are they following you?"

"You think I would betray you like that?"

"Answer the question, Reznor."

"No."

She stepped to the side and smiled. "Come in."

Wolf walked into her room and I was about to follow, but she stepped back in the doorway.

Nydia looked me up and down before shrugging. "You're not mean enough to bring snakes and they wouldn't find you interesting to follow. Come in."

"Thanks, I guess," I muttered and walked past her as she closed the door.

I looked around her room, just realizing that despite all the time I've spent with her, I've never been in here. There were papers, books, and snacks strewn all across her room. The only things placed tidily together were her bow and quiver and the dozens of arrows lined up by the wall on display.

She knelt in the kitchen—I should've guessed she would be the only person in the base to have her own kitchen—and picked up a pot before setting it back on the stove.

"I was going to make more caramel hot chocolate. Do you want some?"

"No." Wolf pointed at the far end of the room where a miniature towering maze stood by the window. "What's that?"

She clapped her hands as she jumped excitedly and practically ran over to the mess. "I made this out of water bottles! It's a fun home for Alex. See?"

Nydia placed her hands inside one of the lower levels of the "fun home" and pulled them out, her hands cupped. She smiled as she revealed a rat nestled in her palms.

I squinted my eyes at the rodent. "You built a home for a rat?"

Nydia nodded.

"He's always keeping me company," she said as she placed him on the top of the tower. "Loves to hang out in my room so I thought I would give him his own place."

Wolf's lips trembled as if he was struggling to keep his laughter in. "You did all that for the rat?"

Behind Nydia, the rat climbed onto the window's ledge.

Nydia nodded. "He's my favorite rat and we're very good friends. Now he doesn't have to go find a home and he can hang out with me forever!"

She turned. "Right, Alex?"

Before her eyes, Alex stepped off the second-floor window ledge and disappeared.

"Alex, no!" Nydia shouted as she ran forward. But it was too late. He was gone.

She peered out of the window in silence and Wolf gave me a look that said "I told you so."

After a moment, Nydia slowly stepped away and turned back to us, her expression saddened.

"Maybe I can give Rupert by the kitchens the home instead," she said, softly. "I'm sure he'll appreciate it."

We all looked at each other until Nydia's eyes flew wide and she stood straight.

"Oh, I almost forgot!" she said and ran to a corner of the room before brushing a few papers off of a painting. "I saved your painting, Indigo when they cleaned out your room. Here, take it."

She handed me my painting of a white rose on a dark background. It was an image I used to paint all throughout my childhood and what I started with when I decided to paint again a month ago. But I only ended up drawing dozens of white roses only to throw them away. They didn't feel right. Something was off. It wasn't with the image itself—it was a decent depiction of a white rose—but there was something else, something I couldn't quite put my finger on.

This was the only one left since I didn't discard it yet. Looking at it now still felt wrong.

"Thanks, Nydia," I told her anyway. She smiled a little.

"Anyways," Wolf started. "We have a very important mission to carry out."

Nydia's expression immediately rose, her smile growing as wide and twisted as normal as she clapped her hands.

"Great! Who do I get to mutilate?"