Inside the bunker, Niva gave Butok an antidote to counteract the drug. "Come on, wake up." She smacked him across the face.

Butok drew in a deep breath and searched the room with wide eyes. Soon his gaze landed on his captor. "Niva." He said weakly as he shook his head to clear it. "What are you doing?"

"Getting revenge on the real people responsible for my sister's death. Something you should have done years ago."

"Niva..." Butok said as he blinked his eyes to try and clear his vision as the drug wore off. "You know your sister wouldn't want this."

"She was blind to the truth. Just as you are. That organization never cared about her. They don't care about anyone. They just want to be in control and have power. Lives don't matter to them. My sister and my precious niece died and they didn't care! And you!!" She turned and pointed her finger at him. "You just went right back working for them as if they hadn't caused the brutal murder of your wife and child."

"Sial believed in our cause! It is what she wanted!" He drew in a deep breath to calm himself. "I tracked down the male who did that to them and made him pay for it. After that, I had no choice but to continue living in a world without the two most important people to me in it. How dare you accuse me of not caring!" Butok fought against the restraints on his hands, which were attached to a steel pipe on the wall. "I wish I died instead of them. Every day. The only reason I had the strength to walk out of that house and not let the flames consume me is because she asked me to! With her dying breath she asked me to avenge our daughter's death and I did. That murderer suffered days of pain inflicted by these two hands." He held out his bound hands before fisting them angrily.

After a short moment of silence he spoke more softly. "Your sister wholeheartedly believed in what she was doing. The only way I could think to honor her was to continue on for her. It is what she would have wanted."

"You don't know what she would want." Niva replied angrily, shaking her head.

"I know she wouldn't have wanted this. She would be heartbroken to see the organization dismantled and humiliated. And all of its secrets revealed. She would be thoroughly disappointed and angry with you."

"No!" Niva yelled, pure anger coursing through her. "Just tell me where to find Plar and the others, so I can finish this." She seethed.

Butok just sighed and shook his head. "You know I won't do that, Niva."

"I spent years planning this." She paced in front of him. "For years I worked to befriend and manipulate and coax that idiot Daielle until he was putty in my hands, just so he could bring the downfall of this entire organization. But you and that guard had to ruin everything!"

"You are the reason Daielle went rogue?" Butok said in disbelief.

"He was already not right in the mind, Butok. I simply recognized my opportunity to use that to my advantage. I let him do his silly initiation tests and play his games. I built up his confidence and his anger. I had him so thirsty for power and convinced he was the homelands savior that he was completely blind to the gaping holes in my plans that would lead to his failures. He thought he was invincible. It was all too easy after I got rid of Tog and Meita."

"That was you?! We knew both of them dying was suspicious." Butok growled.

"I was too careful for you to figure it out. I waited an entire year in between their deaths and made sure they were completely different. One an accident and one to look like natural causes." Niva smirked. "I couldn't manage to get to Plar, but with her standing alone it was all too easy to have Daielle begin implementing the changes I needed."

Butok shook his head in disbelief. "This all makes way more sense now. Yet I'm still inclined to find it unbelievable."

"Now tell me where to find the remaining members so I can finish what I started!"

"You know me enough to know I will never tell you anything, Niva." Butok stared at her.

Niva stopped pacing and rested on her uninjured leg, her frustration seeming to multiply. "Five years. I've dedicated my entire life to this goal for five years. This is all I have."

"You have to let it go, Niva. Sial would want you to live your life and be happy. Not this."

"Let it go?!" Niva turned and yelled at him as she began shaking with rage. "There is no letting it go! She was my twin, my other half. Without her there is no me, Butok."

"Niva, please. Just let me help you." Butok pleaded. "Moving forward is the hardest thing to do, but I can help you. We can keep moving forward together. We can keep their memories alive and happy. We need to celebrate their lives and honor them."

"No... no!" Niva yelled as she stomped toward him, using the weapon she was still holding to hit him in the gut. He coughed and gasped for air as she continued. "You disgrace them, not me. You."

A sound from across the room had Niva turning abruptly and pointing the weapon at an intruder. "You! Niva yelled as she raised her weapon to point it at Rahn. "How did you-" her words were cut off as a strong arm reached around her throat and another knocked the weapon from her hands before securing her waist. She reached up and scratched at the skin on Butok's arm but he didn't budge.

"Stop this, Niva." He said gently. "Please. I do not wish to harm you."

She wiggled and fought against him, growling at him in response.

Butok looked up to see Rahn and Kietnan closing in on them in the small room, two guards close behind them. "It's over Niva. It's over." He said as if he were calming a child.

"No!" Niva yelled as she managed to turn and bite into Butok's upper arm until it bled.

Butok let out a roar as he released his hold on her. "Niv-" his words were cut off as he felt a sharp pain in his chest. He looked up at Niva, who's eyes were big and round as she stared at him in shock, just in time to see Rahn tackle her to the ground. Butok looked down to find a blade in his chest and his shirt beginning to stain dark red.

"Butok." He looked up to see Rahn standing in front of him, staring at his chest. He glanced to find Niva unconscious on the floor, a guard securing her hands and feet. He fell to his knees and his back leaned against the wall.

"Butok, it's ok. You're going to be ok." Rahn assured him, but her face showed only concern.

He opened his mouth to speak but found his voice came out weak and garbled. "It's ok."

"It pierced his lung, Rahn. Possibly more.

"No..." Rahn said gently as she shook her head.

"Rahn..." Butok whispered before he attempted to breathe in deeply.

"Niva, she..." he stopped to gasp for air that wouldn't come in.

"We heard everything. These cavelike halls really carry sound." Rahn attempted a lighthearted chuckle but it died quickly.

"I'm ready, Rahn." Butok said weakly.

"Wh...what?" Rahn asked in confusion.

"My youngling and my partner await me."

"No, don't talk like that. You can't just leave and get rid of me that easily. Who else is going to laugh at my crude jokes and tell me when I'm being too hard headed?"

"I think..." Butok tried to take deep breaths as he spoke. "We both know... you have... someone ... willing..."

Rahn shook her head. "Don't wear yourself out. Save your strength. We'll get you back to the medical ward and get you fixed up." Rahn wiped tears from her eyes.

"True friends... afterall... " he smiled and Rahn nodded eagerly. "You will make.... a great... Queen."

Rahn's eyes rounded in surprise as more tears streamed down her face.

Butok smiled and nodded at her and she eventually nodded at him in return.

Before she could blink, he took a deep breath and pulled his arm up to swiftly pull the blade out in one quick motion.

"No!" Rahn screamed in protest as blood gushed out of Butok's chest. She put her hands up to his chest to try to stop the bleeding. "Why would you do this?!" She cried as she leaned forward to apply more pressure.

"Rahn." Kietnan grabbed her shoulders but she shook him off and put her hands back onto Butok's wound. "Rahn, he's gone." Rahn looked up to find Butok's eyes closed and his body leaning awkwardly against the wall. Kietnan clasped both of her hands in his and pulled her away from Butok.

"Why did he do that?" Rahn cried into Kietnan's chest as he held her.

"I've seen that reaction to a chest wound before. The way he was breathing and speaking. He was dying anyway, Rahn. He knew that and he didn't want to prolong it. This way he passed on his own terms."

Rahn shook her head and sobbed into his chest for a few moments more. Eventually she managed to take a deep breath and wipe her tears away.

"Kietnan?" She said gently as she reeled in her emotions. "Take me to see your brother. Please."

"Nothing would make me happier." Kietnan offered her a small smile. He turned and led her out of the room, the two of them alone as the other two guards had already left to carry Niva out of the bunker.

"The only thing I couldn't figure out from where I was." Kietnan said as they walked out into the daylight. "How did he get out of his restraints?"

"I hid a small blade in his sleeve when she made me tie him up earlier. I wasn't sure if he was lucid enough to notice, but either way I guess he found it."

Kietnan raised a brow muscle at her. "You're going to have to fill me in on everything." He shook his head as he chuckled at the craziness of this entire ordeal. "But for now let's go check on my brother."



~~~~~~~~~~~~

Author's Note: Shorter chapter but a lot was revealed!

What are your thoughts?

I honestly had a hard time writing some of the chapters throughout this book, knowing there were holes in plans and seemingly useless moves made, etc. I knew it was all by design but was worried readers would think it was just weak writing. I hope this helped explain some of what happened earlier in the book!

Were you surprised?

And poor Rahn! I had a hard time writing her being emotional!