I stood up and faced the bars, "I thought I wasn't on the execution list until the new leader was chosen for the clan."

"I'm sorry to tell you Jean, but as the leader of the Immunis I can sacrifice anyone necessary for the survival of the rest." John smiled through the rusted poles and shrugged. "I said you killed that man and I want you to be executed. There's no challenge Luke can make to pause my request to execute my own follower."

My eyes snap open almost as fast as I sit up. It's dark and I stifle the painful whimper along with the memories. John had wandered into my dreams again... it's been an while since that happened.

My gaze raises to meet Alaric's soft expression masked in the darkness. He sits on my bed and has his hands on my arms as Izzy peeks over his shoulder, pity and lament glazed over her eyes.

Trying to gather myself I push away from the both of them for room and clear my throat. "Watching me sleep? That's creepy."

Izzy shoves past Alaric and engulfs me in a warm, amiable hug. "John betrayed us all. I'm sorry you still see his ghost."

"He has to be dead to be a ghost." I try to laugh the overwhelming comfort of Izzy's arms as it thaws my frozen heart. Tears burn my eyes and I hesitate before resting my forehead on Izzy's shoulder, hiding from Alaric. My drowsiness and venerability chips at my brick wall. Still, it's impossible to tell if it hurts or releases the buried pain.

I only hold her long enough for my welling tears to suck back into their ducts. Breaking away I take a deep breathe in, "so, I slept talked again?"

"Yeah, which escalated into screaming." Izzy rubs my arms and helps me up. "I told James and Adam to take a walk ten minutes ago. I've been trying to wake you up since then. Thank god Alaric came to pick you up for the mission today, or I don't think you would've woken."

There's an awkward silence as Alaric stands up and leans on the doorframe. I wait for him to say something witty and unnecessary, but instead he remains distant. "We should get going Jean, are you sure you're ready to do this mission?"

"I need a distraction," I nod at him, "I'll be out in a second."

Alaric walks away silently out of the house and shuts the door behind him.

"You should've seen how worried he was," Izzy stares at the door and passes me some clean clothes. "I think he knows what you're going through. He held you with such care and protection. I was a little jealous."

I quickly turn and change, "he's wasting his time caring about me."

"Sure, say what you need to in order to feel better. I just hope you know you don't have to have feelings for the guy to care about him."

Shaking my head I walk out of the room before opening the door. Izzy follows me as I run into Adam. He walks past me like I don't exist while James stares at me intensely, "your REM sleep is extreme. I didn't realize you had that much hate in you."

"I'm full of surprises," I sigh as I squeeze through the doorway.

"No," James scrunches his brows, "your full of blood, organs and nerves."

I pause before turning around, perhaps I changed or maybe I'm having a single moment of softness. But either way I wrapped my arms around James for a few seconds before letting him go. "See you soon."

Alaric stands by two horses saddled up holding out my bow for me to take. Grudgingly I take it as I walk away from my friends. Not daring to look back at the faces who love, but despise me. Death never washes off easily, Roxy is no exception.

      《《《《《《《《》》》》》》》》

The sun hangs in the still air, ready to lower to the ground once again. Josef has relentlessly harassed Maverick for the past half hour. Only poking him and laughing resplendently.

I turn to Alaric who rides quietly staring at the canopy of leaves above us. He's been unusually quiet lately and it's starting to worry me. I'm not used to worrying about people other than Luke, my family or the Immunis.

I scoot my horse closer to him and tap his leg with my foot, "what's wrong with you?"

"So something has to be wrong with me for me to be quite?" He scoffs and shakes his head refusing to look at me.

"Wow," I scrunch my brows together. "That's not what I meant."

"Jean," Josef calls me and tilts his head away from the Alaric.

I speed up to catch up to him, trying to ignore the heaviness to my stomach. "What's up with him?" I whisper so he isn't able to hear me.

"He's just worn out and hasn't had time to relax much."

I hadn't took into consideration that Alaric is doing this out of the good of his heart. He doesn't have to go on back to back missions. He's choosing this.

Josef sighs and glances at Maverick who watches the bushes. "It also doesn't help that he is still suffering from the loss of—"

But before Josef could finish Maverick slams his elbow into his rib cage and glares.

"What?" I ask taking Josef's forearm, "who did he loose?"

Josef squishes his lips together, "sorry. It's not my story to tell."

I groan and let him go, "I feel like I'm in the dark."

"We will be soon if you keep talking." Alaric sighs from behind us. "We're almost there, stop opening your mouths and open your eyes."

We all grow quiet and move away from each other to avoid the temptation of a conversation. The sun sets nimbly and I can feel my nerves rise. I'll see my mom and Luke soon. We flick our hoods up and ride into the Bellator Clan. Calmly we approach some voices before Alaric hops off his stallion and we follow suit. He takes his water and wets some mud before spreading it on his face. Josef and Maverick do the same and I realize I drank all my water. Alaric looks and me and I point to my empty can. He sighs and takes some more mud in his hands and begins to spread it over my face, masking my features.

Alaric's closeness forces to me look away. Guilt torments my black heart as the solemnity of his eyes washes over me. "I'm sorry."

He shakes his head, "not now."

"I'm still sorry," I whisper and stare into his icy eyes. "I didn't mean to offend you."

"I said not now Jean." Alaric's voice hold hostility and frustration. He used my name so I decide to remain quiet and keep my eyes off of him. His fingers finally trail off of my cheek and we go and tie our horses up.

With our hoods down we walk into the street filled with people. Alaric pulls out a few rabbits on a string to act as if we came back from hunting. No one gives us a second glance and we continue forward. Josef talks to Maverick once again to make us less suspicious.

I find myself roaming towards the Immunis's camp out. My mom should be there, and it doesn't hurt to see how they are doing.

Alaric grabs my hand and shakes his head. "Where are you going?"

"I need to see my mom, especially after our successful hunt." I glance down at the rabbits and give a glare of my own before yanking my hand out of his. "I'll meet you at the place, I shouldn't be long."

"Then I'm coming with you."

"No, you're not." I grit my teeth, "I'm going alone."

Alaric turns back to Josef and Maverick. "Wait here, we'll be back soon." I scoff and storm off even though Alaric catches up to me quickly. "Stop being brash. You are going to get us caught."

I hate the tension that has grown between us. It makes me feel sick and uncomfortable. Instead of responding I lead us to a familiar broken building. The Immunis don't look the same; they're filled with weapons and look sick. They look like they're starving, and even young children have ribs poking out of their shirts. I stop and raise my hand to my mouth before leaning towards Alaric and pinch his shirt. Alaric glances over to me as a tear strays down my cheek. His eyes immediately soften and an arm finds its way around me. I turn towards his chest and try to hide a sob. The pain of my people has stopped my heart and broke the brick walls I built around it.

Alaric rests his head on mine and let's his second arm around me. Right now I need a friend and Alaric is a good choice.

A voice breaks the shuffling feet and whispers. "Are we just going to let them treat us like this?" A man yells standing on a piece of rubble. "They aren't protecting us! They're killing us!"

But before there's a response a man in black with a stick beats him down. Blood now drips from his mouth as he coughs.

"Suppression is a dangerous game to play Lady," Alaric whispers and let's me go. "Will you be okay?"

I nod and finish drying my tears, "I don't know where that came from. I'm sorry."

"Don't be," Alaric sighs. "I'm sorry for being rude today. I've just had a lot on my mind."

I nod and lead us into a building and up a set of stairs. Back into my old bunk, a thick layer of dust covers the room. No sign of my mom, but a small backpack rests on the floor catches my eye. Picking it up and dusting it off I recognizing the pail pink leather and chipped gold zipper. It's Roxy's bag. My heart lurches out of my chest and crashes into the ground. I grip the backpack to my stomach and rub the leather. There is something she left behind besides her distant memory.

"We're stealing things now?" Alaric asks peeking out the window. "We should be quick, we need to get out while it's dark."

I nod, leaving the room I bumping into a woman. Gasping I steady her wobbly body, "I'm sorry, are you okay?"

She looks up and wrinkles crease around her eyes and forehead. "Jean?"

It takes a moment to register, but the tired woman who looked ten years older than my mother, was my mom. I push myself onto her and let a chuckle escape. "Mom. I love you."

She smiles and sighs, "I love you too, but what's happening? You need to get out of here Jean, if you're caught you'll be sent to the pit and killed within the hour." My mom holds me close and flattens my hair with a steady palm.

"Okay," I sigh, "but you're coming with me. Meet me outside of this building and be ready to run. I'm not leaving here without you again."

My mom stares at with me with a million questions, but understands the pressing matters and remains quite. Nodding she takes Roxy's backpack and swings it onto her shoulder. "I'll be ready in ten."

I smile. "That's enough time."