Page 108 of Dissent

“I’m so sorry.” I meant it too. Somehow, I felt responsible for it all. “It’s over, isn’t it? The Dissenters were destroyed.”

Sasha clucked her tongue in disapproval, giving me a stern glare. “Nonsense. I’m still alive, thanks to you. As long as I breathe, this rebellion has a beating heart. There’s a reason I’ve chosen a phoenix as the symbol of our order. No matter how many times they leave us for dead in flames, we will always rise again.”

“But, but you lost everything…”

She waved me off. “Child, I have been around for quite some time. I have my ways. We have taken quite a blow, that’s true. But it’s not the end for us. I have a few tricks up my sleeve that will ensure the survival of this rebellion.”

I nodded, mulling her words over in my head before remembering what really mattered to me. “What about my friends? Are they okay?”

“Your friends are safe.”

“Oh thank goodness…” The words fell out of me, and a weight that I didn’t even realize I had been carrying was lifted from my shoulders. I ran my fingers through my hair. “So, they’re all okay? All of them?”

“Yes.”

“Edith?” She was the one I didn’t see at the end of it all on that damn roof.

“She was fairly battered, just as you were, but she was found when reinforcements arrived. She was released from the hospital a week ago.”

The memory of Edith falling to the floor skittered the edge of my consciousness, and then the knowledge that she was okay filled me with relief. “What about Wes and Matias?”

Something flickered across her features that I didn’t quite capture. It was gone too fast, replaced with the serene calm I’d grown accustomed to from Sasha. “Both are fine. Matias fared the best out of all of us in fact, but his injuries still required medical attention. He was in the hospital for a few days, but was released a couple of weeks ago. Wes is still recovering in the hospital, same as you. His previous injury from the reconnaissance mission was severely aggravated when he thought it wise to carry 130 pounds up the side of a mountain.”

She arched a brow at me as my cheeks flushed with red. My memory offered me the image of Wes gripping his shoulder, grimacing.

“Of course,” she continued, “he also carriedmeup several flights of stairs. And for that, I’m incredibly grateful to him.”

Images of that night crossed my mind in quick spurts, cut scenes from a story I couldn’t fully remember. I looked up at Sasha. “Is he going to be okay?”

A soft smile graced her lips, but it didn’t quite meet her eyes. “Yes, he’s expected to make a full recovery.”

I blew out a breath, nodding my head.

“All three of them have been anxious about you.” She looked away at something, her voice taking on an odd timbre. “Matias has been here frequently, demanding that he be allowed to see you. I believe he may have worn out his welcome since they no longer allow him past the front door.”

A flush of heat crossed my cheeks as my heart melted slightly. “Really?”

She looked back at me, and this time, her smile conveyed genuine warmth. “Yes, really.”

I looked down, feeling embarrassment curl into me, but the good kind. The kind that came when you felt joy over the very thing that made you want to bury your face under a blanket while you smiled like an idiot.Thatkind of embarrassment. The silence stretched for a moment while I tried to smack down the swirls of butterflies in my stomach. Then, I remembered…I remembered Jacob on the roof, racing towards me before everything went black. The butterflies of love were quickly replaced by the raptors of fear.

“Jacob. What about my brother? Did he get hurt? Is he okay?”

“Mara,” her voice was soft as she took an elegant hand and placed it on mine. “Your brother did not return from the camp with the others.”

My heart skipped a beat. “What? No. No, please listen. He’s good, Sasha, and he can help us.” But the look on her face, the way the corners of her mouth tipped down into a frown, told me I wasn’t fully understanding.

“Child, your brother is not being held captive by me or anyone else part of this rebellion.” She breathed deeply, preparing herself. “When reinforcements arrived, so did more REG soldiers. From what I’ve been able to gather from the reports, Jacob was taken by the REG. The last intel I received was that he was being held prisoner back in Telvia.”

“No,” my hands flew to my mouth, covering my lips. “No! Please tell me you’re lying.”

“His willingness to help you escape did not go unnoticed by his comrades. My understanding is that the Telvian Council has placed pressure on Raúl to follow through with his warning to the people about aiding Dissenters.”

“Oh my god…” My eyes peeled back as open as they could. I couldn’t believe it. This couldn’t be happening.

Sasha squeezed my hand. “Jacob is Raúl’s only son. Understandably, he is struggling to comply with the Council’s request.” Straightening herself again, she drew back her hand. “As much as I am saddened by our losses at the camp, the story of Jacob’s willingness to help you has been spreading throughout Telvia. The Telvian Council has been trying to keep the rumors under wraps, but their efforts have not been working well. Between the news of your survival, your brother’s willingness to go against his own father to aid you, and now Raúl’s struggle to follow through with his threat…well, people are talking.”

I placed a hand on my chest, feeling my heart slam against my ribs as the sound of blood rushed through my ears.

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