Page 21 of Dissent

She gave a sardonic laugh. “See? That’s what I’m talking about. I don’t take orders from you here.” She leaned back in her chair, crossing her arms.

I pressed my lips together, glaring at her. I wasn’t sure what kind of predicament I was in. I assumed I was a prisoner, and they were planning to hold me for ransom or something, which meant I was in a bad spot. As Raúl’s daughter, I knew every Dissenter would love to see me dead, and I was no better off now than when I was at the palace. Fear brewed deep inside my core. I had to be smart about this. This was not the time to freak out. I needed to gather as much information as I could, figure out where I was, and then determine my options from there. Weighing my words, I looked back at Chelsea. “So, am I a hostage?”

Chelsea scrutinized me, then answered, “Probably.”

“Probably?”

“Probably.” She stood up, lifting her arm to type into her mini-tab. “Not really my business, ya know? My assignment was to kidnap you eventually, but when you said your parents were going to kill you, that kind of forced my hand. I don’t really know what Sasha wants with you, but hostage is a good guess. That knowledge is on aneed-to-knowbasis. AndIdon’t need to know.”

“Humph,” I grunted. I was feeling feisty now, and I just couldn’t help myself. “I guess noteveryoneis equal.”

Chelsea narrowed her gaze at me. If looks could kill, I’d definitely be dead. Her hands curled up into fists, one of them wrapped in a bandage. She started to speak when someone stepped in, opening a flap at the far end of the tent.

“Morning.” He was a young—roughly my age—tall and dressed in the same tan cargo pants and olive-green shirt as Chelsea. Attached to his hip was a sidearm, but I knew little about guns, so I couldn’t decipher much more.

“Hey, Matias,” Chelsea smiled, sauntering toward him. I couldn’t help but notice that her gait was different. A little smoother, softer, and…bootylicious. Like, those hips rocked back and forth…a lot. She brushed a swath of curls off her shoulder, tucking them back behind her ear. “What are you doing here?”

“I’ve been assigned to security detail. Headquarters said you messaged them that she was awake.”

Chelsea turned, motioning her hand toward me. “Yup.”

The boy looked at me, a gentle smile taking his lips. “Mara, right?”

I said nothing, staying serious and giving nothing away. If I was a hostage, who knew what they planned to do to me. I had to figure out how I was going to get myself out of this mess. But he appeared unperturbed by my silence.

“I’m Matias Alvarez. I’ve been assigned as your personal security detail. Headquarters is ready to see you now that you’re awake. Can you stand?”

Personal security? That was going to make escaping a little harder. “Why does—whoever these people are—want to see me?” I remained seated, back straight and displaying the best posture I’d ever had in my life.

Chelsea snapped, “Stop stalling and get up.”

“No love lost there, huh, Chels?” he teased with a smile. Her cheeks flushed. He turned back to me, stepping closer, bringing my attention to the rich brown color of his eyes, a perfect complement to the dark hue of his hair. He was cute.Sexy and hottype of cute. But he was still the enemy. “I’m not sure what Headquarters wants. I just know I’m supposed to get you there.”

Despite my desire to be obstinate, I found him to be rather disarming. “And what if I can’t stand? From what I understand, some idiot hit me pretty hard on the head.”

“Well, you seem pretty energetic to me, and Headquarters is pretty insistent. So, if you choose not to walk, I guess I’ll have to carry you.” It wasn’t meant as an endearing gesture.

The last thing I needed was to look weak in front of these people. I was the daughter of the Telvian president, and I should act like it. I squared my shoulders and held my head high as I slid my legs over the side of the bed and stood up, feeling a little shaky. I was able to keep them underneath me, though. “I’m ready.”

He smirked and nodded in approval. “I’m glad we could sort that all out. Follow Chelsea, and I’ll follow behind you.” With that, Chelsea led the way.

Outside my senses were greeted with crisp morning air and the smell of citrus and damp earth. I looked around, and when I did, I found myself frozen as I tried to take it all in. All around me was nothing but thick forest. Tall trees, green and bushy with pine needles, created a canopy of shade over the rows and rows of canvas tents that must have housed the rebel forces. They were everywhere. There must have been dozens of them. People were bustling about, working on different tasks. And they were all dressed exactly the same—tan cargo pants and olive-green t-shirts. Some had jackets to fend off the morning chill, while others didn’t seem to notice the cold.

I couldn’t even fathom how many of them there were. The rebellion wasn’t some band of a few radicals like Raúl had said. They were an army, and a well-trained one from the look of it. The thought sent a chill down my spine. Did the REG know? Did Jacob or Raúl or anyone know that there were this many Dissenters? Moreover, did anyone know that it wasn’t just desert beyond the wall?

Because that’s exactly where I had to be—beyond the wall. There was no place in Telvia with real vegetation like this. Somehow, Chelsea had gotten me out of Telvia and into…

Where the hell am I?

Focused on my surroundings, I didn’t realize when we stopped in front of a large tent—the biggest I’d seen so far. Chelsea pulled back the flap and stepped aside to let me in. Lifting my chin, I stood up straighter, and entered. Inside, there was a large, circular table that encompassed most of the space, but the center of the table was hollow. A massive device sat in the middle, but I had no idea what it was or what it did. The walls were lined with maps, covered with markings and push pins holding down colored slips of paper across the 2D depictions. But, once again, I couldn’t tell what these places were or evenwherethese locations might be.

There were a variety of individuals seated around the table. Some had military uniforms decorated with medals, while others were dressed more casually in the same outfit everyone else was sporting. They all shifted their attention to me as soon as I entered the space. Only one of them stood. She was an older woman, crow’s feet framing her gentle brown eyes. Wrinkles around her mouth were evidence of a lifetime of laughter. Her gray hair, laced with brown hues, was neatly braided and rested across her shoulder and down her chest, drawing my attention to the pin placed prominently over her heart. The symbol of the Dissenters—a single flame shaped like a bird in flight. Her motions were soft, but confident.

Chelsea stepped out from behind me. “President De’vor,” she began. “Ma’am, I present you with Mara de la Puente, daughter of the Telvian president.”

The woman nodded her head. “Thank you, Miss McKenna.” Her gaze then fell to me with a smile. “Mara, welcome to the Dissenters. I’m so glad you have finally returned to us.”

“Excuse me?” The question slipped out involuntarily.President?And what the hell did she mean byreturned?

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