Hi everyone!

Thanks for your patience! As I mentioned in my announcements, I'm in the process of moving, which has been causing a delay in posting - but I really appreciate your patience!!! I hope you enjoy this nice long chapter!! Hopefully more consistent posts will be coming soon!

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Thank you!

Love,

Luckycharms <3



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Thea stared at the General with parted lips as an expression of horror washed over her face, any joy she had previously shown for the news of Niall's promotion vanishing instantly. "No... absolutely not. Niall, you know that can't happen."

He watched her from where he stood near the window of his office and the expression on his face made it clear that he agreed with her, though the words that came out of his mouth begged to differ. "I cannot go against the President's orders."

She stood up, startling the rest of the team into looking at her. "What was all this work for then?" Thea snapped, looking... enraged. "We worked so hard to get him to trust us and to work with us and for what, to have him sent to the State Police to be tortured and then murdered with the memory of him wiped away forever?"

"Theavi, I feel the same way-"

"Do you?" She asked. "Or are you just not trying harder... not fighting for him... because you've gotten what it is you wanted? You've gotten access to Tai and the title of Secretary of Defense now, after all?"

She didn't mean it, everyone knew that. She knew it too. And thankfully, Niall did as well, not seeming to be too bothered by her harsh words. "Thea, I know that this is a painful revelation and your deep connection to Rue complicates things but hurling attacks at me is not going to solve anything, and you know that," he responded, glowering a little. "We've discussed the consequences of these thoughtless outbursts, have we not?"

Not blaming him for his harshness, she let out a breath, her eyes watering as she sat back down. "Sorry," she said, right away, knowing well that she was being unfair. "I didn't mean it, I just... the State Police is notorious for their cruelty."

"State funded murderers," Luana mumbled, glaring at the floor.

"Exactly," Thea said. "I can't even bare to imagine if Rue would have survived before the attack, when he was the strongest he could possibly be in the situation he was in... but now? He still can't even stand up. He sleeps for most of the day trying to recover. And his mind is weak from the fact that we had to bring all of this trauma he's gone through back up. Right now, he needs care. He wouldn't be able to survive in the hands of the State Police."

"I know, Thea. Trust me, I know." Niall responded. "And though I disagree wholeheartedly with this decision, the President isn't wrong. The State Police does handle these sorts of investigations and since there are a lot of eyes on Achlis right now, it needs to be clear that things are being handled the correct way."

"So what, we're just going to throw Rue out to the dogs and just hope that they don't rip him to pieces?" Thea asked.

"I'm with Thea on this one," Luana said. "We agree to this then we're basically sending Rue to his death. And I may not be as fond of him as she is but at this point, he's practically one of us. And we can't just abandon one of our people."

Milo nodded enthusiastically in response to that as Kaya exchanged a glance with Julian that seemed to resemble pride. Aaryan was silent, his eyes on Niall, clearly waiting for orders like the rest of them should have been.

"You fools," Niall sighed, "I said that I cannot go against the President's orders. Not that we couldn't put our heads together and try to find some other way to get Rue out of this mess."

Thea's eyes widened.

"I have no intention of throwing him to the dogs," he said as he took a seat, "and Luana is right. Though he probably would hate the thought of it, he is one of us now. We need to put our heads together and find a way to stop him from being sent to the State Police. And if there is no way to stop that, then we need to find a way to ensure that the State Police don't touch him."

Thea let out a sigh of relief, a grateful smile growing on her face.

"Trying to brainstorm ideas to stop his transfer to the State Police may be a waste of time," Julian said, rather bluntly. "The President said that the transfer is to occur the end of the day today. Since that's the case, we don't have much time to do anything at all."

Though everyone in the room hated to admit it, they all knew Julian was right.

"Then we move onto the next option," Niall said.

"Maybe a deal of sorts?" Kaya suggested. "A deal that would ensure that the State Police keep their hands off of him."

"Communicating with the State Police is near to impossible," Julian added, his usual level of nonchalance still on his face despite the severity of the situation. "Jakob Karney has their chief, Anton Kennedy, wrapped around his fingers and we all know what Karney's thoughts on the Crows are."

"The son of a bitch would rather slit his own throat then provide any support to a Crow," Kaya frowned. "Alright, then it seems like our only other option is going back to the President."

Niall was frowning now too, not looking to hopeful with that idea.

"Or... the people," Thea suggested.

Everyone looked at her.

"One option is we go back to our original plan and add to it," she continued. "Rue's book of poems is being released today-" she looked down at her watch before continuing, "-in a little over an hour, actually. The news of Miriella's murder has already brought forth a huge level of interest in Rue and his story because he was her lover and the love he shared with her was why Rivier killed her-"

"That is true," Julian said. "The level of interest in Rue is much more extensive than we even imagined. I got word from a contact that one of the smaller bookstores in the Residential District has a lineup forming outside of it already."

Thea's eyes widened as she looked back at Niall. "The people know Rue. They're interested in him and his story. And I'm sure... once this book comes out and people read it, they'll understanding him, or, at the very least, they'll hear him out."

"And so?" Niall asked. "What are you saying we do?"

"We make another spectacle."

As usual, Milo caught on first, his eyes widening before he nodded. "Brilliant, brilliant!"

Thea smiled. "There are protesters outside the Achlis gates as we speak... protesting because they have a moral compass and understand that what Rivier did was wrong. Aiverian or not, it is safe to say that they have a soft spot for Rue... they have to because they've come to care for and sympathize for the beautiful, purely Aiverian, Miriella and Miriella loved him," she said. "So... what would happen if we sent a few people, maybe Julian's civilian contacts, into the mix and had them spread the rumor that the State Police was taking Rue from the hospital and to his death?"

Luana began to beam. "Yes! We could even add a bit of spice to it. Say that they're trying to silence him to protect Rivier."

"Exactly," Thea said, though she didn't fail to notice that Niall's brows were furrowing a little with concern.

"We could send people to the bookstores to spread the rumor too... that would be more people who we are certain are interested in Rue," Milo added.

"Then they'll all move to the hospital," Thea continued. "The State Police will come, they'll take Rue, and everyone will see them do it."

"Relying on a rumour is risky, especially when we're doing something as specific as guiding people to the hospital" Niall, responded, seeming to want to hash out all the details of such a plot, "how do we make it clear that we had nothing to do with this?"

"People can put two and two together," Thea responded. "Rivier brutally attacked a prisoner who was hospitalized... we can nudge the people a little into figuring out that the prisoner he attacked was Rue."

"Thea is right," Julian said. "My contacts say that people are already putting the pieces together."

That seemed to relax Niall a little bit.

"The timing of it all would be perfect too," Milo added. "The book of poems will be published within the next hour and it doesn't take that long for people to read a small book of poems. The fact that it is the 'Before" section, which highlights Rue's pacifism up until the murder of his brother will make people sympathize with him and the rumour of him being at the hospital will be trickling around after we give the nudge so people would head there out of curiosity and be there when the State Police come to get him."

"It'll put pressure on the State Police to ensure that nothing happens to Rue. Yes, that is a good idea," Niall turned to Julian, "I trust this is something you can handle?"

"Of course," Julian smiled now. "It'll be one of the easier things I've had to do over the last couple months."

Niall let out a soft chuckle, knowing that he had certainly been putting Julian to work recently, before looking back at Thea. "Though that certainly may help with ensuring Rue's safety... it doesn't guarantee much at all. The State Police may simply wait for the situation to die down before proceeding how they usually do... it's happened before. This is a temporary solution, but we'll need to think of a long term one... a way to make sure he gets back in our custody."

"Which means we'd need the President's blessing once more," Kaya sighed.

Thea began to chew her lip as she thought, trying to think of something that would interest the President enough to make him budge. It'd have to be something substantial. Something that even he would find to be a worthy trade for Rue's life.

Then, Thea's head shot up.

The action made everyone turn to look at her and though they expected her to speak, she hesitated, the words being caught in her throat for a moment.

For the first time in a long while, the feeling of dread she once had of turning on her people filled her again. It was a relatively foreign feeling to her now, seeing as she understood Niall and the team and all that they stood for. She trusted them. She knew they were fighting for the right thing. For the people who deserve to be fought for.

And sometimes fighting for the people who deserved to be fought for meant making sacrifices.

It meant sacrificing others.

And Thea knew, with certainty, that she would sacrifice a lot if it meant saving Rue.

She took a deep breath. "I may have a plan-"

"Sir!" Thea was cut off by Mrs. Railer barging into the office.

Niall stood, looking at Mrs. Railer with an expression of concern. "What is it?"

"The phone!" She said, quickly, pointing at the telephone on his desk.

Niall looked down at it before looking back at Mrs. Railer. "Who is it?"

"The man claiming to be Tai!" She gasped, making everyone else in the room gasp as well as they all turned and looked back at Niall.

His brows were furrowed. "He called the office directly?"

"Yes, Sir," she said. "But if you don't pick up quickly they said they will disconnect!"

Everyone stared at Niall as his eyes dropped to the phone, his eyes widening in surprise.

This was another unexpected turn of events... he certainly had not expected Tai, or at least, the man claiming to be Tai, to call so soon. Frankly, he expected that they would never call. Ever.

When he didn't pick up right away, the frustrated Mrs. Railer took a few long steps, crossing the room quickly. She then proceeded to lift the receiver and hold it out for him, mouthing, 'hurry.'

Niall took the phone from her and took a breath, well aware of the eyes of his team boring into him. "General Killian speaking."

"Niall Killian," the deep voice on the other line said, the smile in his voice quite evident. Niall could also hear a creak in what sounded like a chair leaning backwards. "This is Tai."

Niall paused for a moment, wondering what tone he should take to deal with these people. Eventually, he decided to just be blunt. "I have reason to believe that you are lying to me. You are not Tai."

The man on the other line, Anban, probably, according to what Thea had learned from Rue, chuckled. "So the Little Crow was smart after all."

Niall raised a brow. Little Crow? The thought brought forth the memories of his mother, the sound of her voice as she sang the usual lullaby, the one he now played often on the piano, echoing in the back of his mind.

Of course, Niall figured out quickly that he was referring to Thea, but the sudden, unexpected reminder of his mother made him feel unsettled.

"Well, for the purpose of this call, I am Tai," the man continued. "And I've decided, after a long discussion with my colleagues, that we do want to proceed with meeting you. Soon."

"I see," Niall started. "And though I am quite honored, to who do I owe the thanks for your change of mind?"

"No one but yourself, Niall Killian," the man said. "Well, I suppose you and your team. We must admit, we have been following along on the drama that has been unfolding at the Capital... the drama which stars our dear comrade Rue, and you lot have most certainly piqued our interest. I suppose you can say that we are more eager than ever to learn more about you and your aspirations, while at the same time, wanting to make sure that we are clear on what our needs are."

"And what are these needs?"

"Something that can be discussed in person, of course," Anban said. "Is it safe to say that you are still eager to meet with us?"

"Of course," Niall responded.

"Excellent," the man responded. "How about the day after tomorrow?"

Niall's brows shot up. "That soon?"

"I meant it when I said we are eager."

"It will be quite difficult for me to drop everything and show up the day after tomorrow," Niall said, ignoring the shock on his team members face, shock that was strong enough to make Thea stand up and gawk.

"If you care enough, you will make it work, Niall Killian."

Niall frowned. "Where? In Illia?"

The man chuckled. "Oh no, of course not. I would never knowingly allow a sweet little fawn wander into the den of a pack of wolves," he said, making Niall's frown deepen further. "We will meet elsewhere, somewhere that we can assure your safety and ours."

"And where exactly were you thinking then?"

"Hmm," he thought for a moment, though Niall could tell he was simply being dramatic. Surely, they had all these details well planned out prior to calling him. "How about Imanay? That little town up in the mountains of Kiryu?"

Niall could hear the smirk in his voice as a chill ran through him. It wouldn't take a genius like Milo to figure out that the selection of the town that Niall had dreamed of one day running away to was quite intentional. "Quite a random, yet oddly specific place."

"We wanted to make sure you are comfortable... away from the prying eyes of the State."

"Of course."

"Do we have a deal then, Niall Killian? Imanay, the day after tomorrow, bright and early at 6am. Right before sunrise."

"You have a deal."

"Good. Keep in mind, we expect you to be there first, and don't forget to bring all that we lent you. We expect that you've done what you've needed. Oh, and we'd also like your whole, intimate team there. You show us all your cards if we are to show you all of ours."

"Of course."

"Splendid. We will see you there," he said. "Oh, and General... no funny business, please."

Niall let out an amused breath through his nostrils.

"Because trust me... you will regret it."

Before Niall could respond, the line went dead.

Niall pulled the receiver away from his ear and looked at it for a moment before sighing and setting it down.

"Welll?" Thea asked, almost immediately.

"Well... we've got a meeting with them. The day after tomorrow. At Imanay."

"Imanay?" Julian questioned.

Niall looked at him and nodded. "I know... they've clearly done their research."

"That is concerning," Kaya responded. "We're the ones who should be steps ahead."

"Exactly," Niall frowned. "And they're not really giving us much time to catch up to them... I have absolutely no idea what to expect." Niall then looked up at Milo, who shook his head, confirming that even the genius drew a blank on this.

"What about Rue?" Thea then asked.

"We continue to focus on Rue today and tonight. We leave for Imanay tomorrow. They want all of us, and judging by the knowledge they already seem to have, I'd imagine that they know exactly who to expect to be there."

"But what if we need more time with Rue?" Thea asked. "What if we need tomorrow?"

Niall paused to think, clearly understanding how much this new turn of events complicated their plans. "Let's not waste time then and get straight to work. We cannot miss this opportunity to get in touch with Tai but we also cannot risk losing Rue. I expect that means sleepless nights for all of us for the next couple days, so let's get to it."

Niall could tell that the answer he gave was not sufficient, especially to Thea, yet there was nothing else he could think of, nothing at that point, at least. Nevertheless, the team echoed their agreement before Niall let them go.

Then, he was on his own... a tension and anxiety welling up within him.

Something felt... off. And he couldn't figure out what.







By the time all of the teams plans had been set forth on the Aiverian public, Rue's first book of poems had been released and only just after midday, Julian had gotten word that hundreds of copies had already been sold.

Unsurprisingly, majority of the sales were taking place up in Elore, but the numbers sold in Aiveria, particularly in the Capital, were still quite impressive. And the best part was that the numbers would only rise from this point as word continued to get out.

Once the rumor of Rue's location had officially been leaked by one of Julian's contacts, along with hints that there was a possibility that Achlis would go after him, just as expected quite a bit of a crowd started to make their way to the hospital, enough so that the hospital had to shut its gates and set guards out in front of it, only allowing actual patients and emergency vehicles in.

It was certainly a risky situation, but things were going as planned.

Thea was, unsurprisingly, a woman on a mission.

Once she got word that the gates of the hospital had closed and we were nearing the time that we expected the State Police to show up, Thea, Luana and Aaryan jumped into Niall's personal car and headed down to the hospital, harboring plans of their own to add to the commotion at the scene.

Niall wasn't entirely pleased with what Thea had suggested, knowing well that she was going to be putting herself at risk... making the entirety of Achlis know for certain that she was behind this whole thing or, at the very least, had something significant to do with this.

But she didn't care.

"I would put my life at risk a hundred thousand times if it meant protecting Rue," she had said to Niall, her expression showing neither fear nor concern.

Certainly, her confidence was admirable, but it was as equally frustrating.

Niall had never once imagined that Thea would grow so attached to Rue... everything he knew about Rue suggested that such a thing would never happen... but here they were.

He was her soulmate, as she had said to him the night before he cut her hair for her.

She loved him. It was a unique, rare kind of love, but it was love, nonetheless.

And she was more than willing to fight on the front lines in order to protect him... something most soldiers weren't even willing to do.

Niall was beginning to see that everything Rue wrote in that poem he asked Niall to give her before that initial meeting with the higher ups was entirely accurate.

When the girl knew what she was doing and what she wanted and when to ask for help, she was certainly a force to reckon with.

The chiseling had begun on that stone slab, allowing the woman who she wanted to begin to peek out slowly but surely... and Niall was certainly looking forward to what came next.







As Aaryan drove Niall's car slowly through the parting crowd of people that had formed in front of the hospital, Thea could see that the large State Police vans had already parked along the front of the hospital entrances.

It was strange to see them so up close, partially because those vans were so feared by her people that they were almost mythological... like a vampire or a werewolf or a demon. They had become omens of death and despair, and being taken away in one meant the certainty of death.

They were creatures that swallowed their victims whole, and most times their bodies were never seen again.

Of course, as the guards opened the gates for the car that was clearly that of the General Killian- now Secretary Killian, really, since the news of Niall's promotion had already begun to spread- seeing the vehicles up close reminded Thea of something else.

She was reminded of the fact that the vehicles were not to be feared. They were just big, weighty pieces of junk, after all.

It was the people inside it that were the problem.

Their timing seemed to be perfect because as soon as they crossed through the gates, the unconscious Rue was already being rolled out in a stretcher, no care being taken at all. The sight of it made Thea jump out of the car before it even came to a complete stop. "What are you doing?" She shouted loudly for all to hear, causing the State Police Officers in their easily identify brown uniforms to look in her direction, glowering at her almost instantly.

It didn't frighten her... especially when she noticed the crowd of onlookers begin to quiet down, wanting to hear what was going on. She even heard someone say "that's Theavi Rhaanan... the State Employee who put the poems together!" Whether that was one of Julian's contacts or a random stranger, Thea didn't know, but that was more than enough for her to know that their plan was working. It gave her confidence.

However, to her surprise, it was the one man who was wearing a proper suit that made her hesitate for a moment.

It was Adrien.

He narrowed his eyes at the sight of her, clearly shocked by her hair.

After the whole debacle in the hallway in front of Niall's office, Adrien disappeared for some time. She had heard, through the rumor mill of Achlis, that he had returned to his family estate temporarily.

It filled Thea with relief to know he was gone, giving her an excuse to not think of what conversation would have to occur when he saw her again, her hair short now.

Yet here he was, back at the worst time ever... at the worst place ever.

Of course, his presence here maybe did make sense as she thought back to when Julian said that the State Police were in the pockets of Jacob Karney. Of course, Karney Senior would send his son to oversee the transfer of a person who had captured so much attention.

For a moment, the sight of him made her falter, but then she felt the presence not too far behind her... the presence of Aaryan.

She was soon reminded of how easily Adrien had been thrown around by him... and how willingly the people she loved had protected her. She also was reminded of the feeling of Niall's fingers in her hair, his cool skin brushing against hers as he snipped away at the heavy burden she felt.

And she remembered Rue's words.

She remembered who she wanted to be... and how what Adrien did to her was not her fault. Then, instead of fear... she felt anger.

Adrien was villainous.

Adrien was scum.

Adrien was nothing... he was nothing that she couldn't handle. Not when she had the support she needed... not when she had that newly formed backbone that held the love and faith and trust of those around her who mattered.

"That man was brutally attacked by Rivier!" Thea snapped as she proceeded to approach him. "You cannot treat him like a ragdoll when he is still recovering!"

Adrien's brow rose high onto his forehead, and when a State Officer stepped forward, probably to hold Thea back, Adrien held his hand up to stop him. "You're causing a scene, Thi," his voice held a false calmness. He was acting like she wasn't upsetting him.

"No, I'm not," Thea responded when she reached him. "The crowd was here well before I arrived."

"Stand aside or you'll get hurt," he hissed. "You are being an idiot."

At that moment, Thea felt the warmth of both Aaryan and Luana by her side, like fierce lions seething at the thought that a member of their pride was at risk. She felt the air change too, as if their urge to protect her was strong enough for it to emit some sort of aura.

But that was a good thing, because Thea felt it, and now nothing Adrien said could make her falter. "Hurt me then, try it," Thea pushed. "You may have gotten away with it once in front of your boot-licking followers, but you've got none of them here to back you up and hold me down."

Adrien was taken aback by her words, clearly not expecting anything of the sort. "Theavi, we are here on the President's orders."

"The President has ordered you to throw around an incapacitated hospital patient?" Thea snapped back, her words loud and clear. "I was told that the State Police is taking him as a witness in a murder case! You would think that they should take more care, wouldn't you? He's the piece that the State needs to throw Rivier into prison for the murder of his own daughter!"

The mood in the crowd of Aiverian's and Elorian's alike began to shift, curiosity turning into anger. Adrien sensed it too, turning his head to look at them for a moment before looking back at Thea, a rage now clear within his eyes. "Back off."

"No," Thea said back. "I don't know what role you play in all of this but you take care of Rue and make sure he comes out of this alive or I will ruin you," she threatened.

Adrien let out a wry laugh. "Pardon me? And how do you plan on doing that?"

Thea stepped forward and lowered her voice. "The half-breed General who I'm screwing around with, as you so eloquently said in my office a few months ago, is now the Secretary of Defense, second in command only to the President himself" she said, firmly.

"And you think I care?" Adrien asked, his voice rising. "Are you forgetting who I am-"

"Niall Killian doesn't have the same reverence for your family as Rivier did," Thea said. "And keep in mind that if we managed to do all of this to Rivier, imagine what we could do to Jakob Karney... a man who has so much blood on his hands that it's a wonder that he's not the devil himself."

"Watch your mouth, Rhaanan," he growled. "You forget yourself. You forget what I can do to you--"

"Is that a threat, Mr. Karney?" Thea asked, loudly. "Are you threatening me? In front of all these witnesses?"

Adrien held his tongue, his eyes darting towards the crowd of angry onlookers.

"For possibly the first time in our history, both of our peoples are banding together for one cause... it may be for something as simple as a love story that they have grown fond of, but whatever the case, you should be weary, Adrien. When both our people team together, we're rather unstoppable... I mean look at my team."

"You've lost your mind."

She stepped closer to him. "You want to be Premier one day, then do as I say," she said, her voice low again. "Make sure Rue stays alive and is safe. Because thanks to what's happened here today, everyone is going to be watching you... Mr. Karney."

Adrien was glowering, not blinking at all as she took a step back and turned to face the State Police who were also glaring at her with an expression the made what they thought of her quite clear. "This will be unlike every other time you've gotten your hands on a Crow," Thea started, addressing the Police, "if Rue is subject to any harm at all... anything... you will be severely reprimanded."

Some of the men scoffed, but immediately settled when the crowd shook the gates, cheering their agreements with Thea.

"I sat by that man's side day in and day out for the last few months," she continued. "I know every scar, every bruise, every scratch on him... if I see any new ones, you can be certain that Achlis will come down on you. Hard."

"Ridiculous," Adrien scoffed to himself.

"Because," Thea went on, "Rue is meant to be proof of how Achlis stands for justice and will fight for what is right, blind to how rich or powerful the criminal is. So, if any of you harm him, you will just be proving to the entirety of our nation that you are siding with a clear cut criminal."

The crowd outside the gates continued to cheer and Thea felt herself smile.

"Don't forget it," she said. Her eyes flickered at Rue for a moment, her heart aching at the sight of him, unconscious and unknowing of what was happening to him, lying in the back of that van their people feared so much. She hated that it was happening so soon... that she never had a chance to warn him.

For the time being, she just had to hope that her plan worked... that the State Police and Adrien were as intimated as she hoped they'd be. And with that, she turned to leave with Aaryan and Luana. Before she could take a step though, Adrien grabbed her arm.

Her head shot around quickly, a glare on her face when she met his eyes, and at the same time, both Aaryan and Luana stepped forward rather menacingly to her defense, the sight of which made Adrien let go immediately. "You are not allowed to touch me, Mr. Karney," Thea said. "I'm not your friend."

Adrien's face was scrunched up in anger... but then it settled ever so slightly. "Challenging my father like this is not the right thing to do."

"I'm not challenging anyone. I'm just protecting Rue."

"You would be wise to listen to me."

"I couldn't care less what comes out of your mouth, Mr. Karney."

"You know I did actually love you once?"

Thea's voice caught in her throat, surprised by his words. She hadn't expected that... especially not in front of Luana and Aaryan, the later of which stiffened at the proclamation.

Ultimately, however, her shock didn't matter. Whether it was true or not, his words didn't matter. "I couldn't care less, Mr. Karney," she repeated before turning to walk off with Luana, allowing Aaryan to stay back for a moment and glower at him for a little longer before turning to join them.

As they walked away, returning to Niall's care, she felt Luana beaming beside her. "That was cold, Thea. Beautifully cold. You did wonderfully."

Thea smiled too, however as she felt the adrenaline washing away and reality began to set in again, she was suddenly incredibly exhausted. Exhausted and sad and nervous and even a little confused.

She knew, for sure, that it was going to be a long couple of days.