Hi everyone,

Here's another nice long chapter for you all! I hope you enjoy! <3

Don't forget to vote and comment! And thanks as always for your patience! :D

Love, luckycharms !!!

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The morning air in Imanay was chilly, enough so that Thea's nose and cheeks were red, the feeling in them gone. However, the pain of the cold was far in the back of Thea's mind, seeing as there were so many more important things that she had to worry about at that moment.

After spending the afternoon prior spreading the rumor that the team was taking a day trip to a famous, luxurious hotel in Empro to celebrate General Killian's promotion, Kaya's idea, of course, the team departed from the Capital in the evening and arrived in Imanay a short while ago.

Thanks to Niall's friendship with the woman at the Inn, he found out that someone had called the Mayor of Imanay a few days before and requested for the small community center at the center of the town to be reserved for an important meeting.

The caller left the name Kova.

Now, Thea was waiting near the open doors of the community center, Luana, and Milo by her side, waiting for the arrival of the remnants of the Original Crows.

The arrival of... Tai.

Thea wondered if Niall was nervous... though she figured he must have been, seeing as with the silence of the morning, Thea could hear the creaking of the floorboards as Niall paced in the room directly above them.

At the very least, Julian was with him.

Sighing, Thea looked out at the empty streets of Imanay, too early and too cold for anyone else to be out. It was still dark out, but the sky was in the middle of turning a beautiful dark shade of purple in the east, specifically near the spot where the sun was expected to rise. It was gorgeous and peaceful and for a moment, as Thea's eyes shifted to the decrepit home on the hill that Niall had hoped to occupy one day, she began to understand more why he liked this place.

It certainly was an escape... an escape from all the nonsense going on in the Capital.

Her moment of peace was interrupted shortly after, however, when Thea spotted the headlights of Niall's car as it approached them. The car slowed to a stop at the entrance, Kaya getting out from the passenger side before telling Aaryan to go ahead and park it. Once he drove off again, Kaya let out a breath. "They're coming."

Thea, Luana and Milo straightened up instantly.

"I'm going up to let Niall know," she continued. "As planned, you three and Aaryan will stay down here. You are expected to be as observant as possible, try to get as much information as you can, without being suspicious... even if that means just keeping your eyes open."

The three nodded, though it was always unusual to see Kaya so serious.

"Remember that we know nothing about these people and for that reason, they have the upper hand," she said. "It can't stay that way for long."

"Yes, ma'am," the three said, though Luana, the soldier in the group, saluted her as well.

With a nod, Kaya turned and made her way in, turning to take the stairs up to Niall.

Thea found herself shuddering at the cold at that moment, and then the memory of sleeping in Niall's bed, his arms around her as his body warmed her infiltrated her thoughts. Somehow, it felt like centuries ago since they had confessed their feelings for each other... since they last kissed.

When was the last time she kissed him? Was it that morning after he had cut her hair?

Had it really been that long. Had they been so preoccupied that she hadn't had a chance to kiss him in that long?

She let out a sigh, the warm breath visible in the cool air.

She would kiss him... the next chance she got alone with him... she would kiss him.

"Thea," Luana called, pulling her out of her thoughts. "Look."

Thea looked up and saw three large military vehicles driving towards them, the rumble of the machine's engines deep and strong, the sound of what was left of the snow on the roads crunching beneath the wheels. Thea could even feel the earth shake at her feet, though it was not strong enough to wake the entire community up.

"Did they bring their entire force with them?" She heard Aaryan ask, though his voice made Thea jump, seeing as she hadn't noticed that he was standing behind her now.

She looked up at him and frowned. "Don't startle me like that."

"We have more important things to worry about than keeping up your anger with me," Aaryan responded.

"Like how on earth a group that has been in hiding for so long can afford to develop a military vehicle like that," Milo said softly. "I've never seen anything like it."

Thea's eyes fell on the line of three vehicles as they slowed to a stop in front of them and she hesitated. For a moment, she wished her brother were here. She knew that he could look at these machines and figure them out in an instant, the same way Milo could look at maps and know things that the rest of them could never know.

Though she may have known a thing or two about cars and aircrafts and trains, these massive vehicles were just a huge hunk of junk to her.

"I hope Niall knows they're here," Luana said.

Thea strained her ears for a moment, and when she found that the creaking of the floorboards above them had come to a stop, that was enough to answer Luana's question. "He does."

Suddenly, the doors of the vehicle at the front and the vehicle at the back flew open and out came about fifteen or so Crows from each, all dressed in uniform similar to what she had witnessed in Ilia months before, though more intense this time around. Black from head to toe, the rather handsome combat uniforms consisted of loose trousers, leather boots, a heavy coat with a bullet proof vest over it, masks and sunglasses to cover their faces and a helmet over their heads.

"They're uniformed as if they were special forces," Milo continued. "Incredible."

Thea agreed, though her awe was short lived when she saw that each one of the Crows that stormed out of the vehicles and perfectly lined up on either side of the entrance, forming a walkway in the center that led to the middle vehicle, held a massive, AK-56, the typical guns of the Crows. The same kind of gun that her brother had. "They're armed like the special forces too," Luana added, clearly noticing the same thing Thea did.

When the thirty odd Crows had found their positions, the passenger side door of the middle vehicle opened and out came Tai...or, Anban, at least.

Thea could hear Luana's breath catch in her throat, probably awed by sight of the gorgeous man whose uniform was unlike that of the rest of the Crows. He had the boots and the loose trousers, yes, but his upper body was covered with a more fitted, long sleeved black shirt with the sleeves pulled up to his elbows, seemingly not too bothered by the cold.

A smile danced on his lips as he lazily swung his own rifle over his shoulder, his muscles flexing underneath the fabric of his shirt as if the weight of that thing was nothing to him. Frankly it was almost as if he was showing off.

 After flashing a smile at Thea, Anban turned towards the backseat door that was behind him, opening it and allowing two more soldiers dressed identical to Anban out–Kova and Sinna.

The two men took their positions on the end of the two lines, but only after Kova shot an unfriendly glance towards the direction of Thea and Aaryan. Clearly, he was still upset that they had lied to him.

Whatever the case, their attention was diverted when, at the same time, every one of the Crows slammed their feet onto the ground before their arms swung up into a salute.

Thea's eyes shot back towards the car and stepping out of it was... the Principal.

She heard Luana's breath catch again, though, to be fair, so did hers... and Milos, and Aaryan's... and she imagined Niall was standing by the window above them, watching her as well, just as breathless as the rest of them.

The Principal was as beautiful as she was when they first met, and the elegance and authority she exuded was still there, despite the fact that she was no longer in a beautiful fitted dress and very tall high heels. Instead, she was wearing the same outfit as Anban, Kova and Sinna- loose black trousers cinched tightly around her very thin waist, a fitted black long sleeved shirt that hugged her perfectly, and leather boots, though hers had heels that were at least two inches tall.

Her long hair was knotted into an effortless, thick braid and it only barely covered the gun holster she had over her shoulders, two guns strapped in on either side of her.

"You were right," Aaryan said softly from his spot behind her. "She's in charge."

Of course Thea was right... if simply her presence wasn't evidence enough, the fact that the Crows stood at ease the second she waved her hand at them should have clearly proved the point.

The group did not waste a second, the Principal–or the real Tai–making her way towards the entrance while Anban followed closely behind, Kova and Sinna behind him. Despite this, however, to Thea, it felt like everything was going in slow motion.

She could feel Tai's power emanating from her as she approached them, with the way she looked today, Thea could see the woman's well-defined muscles, the fierceness in her posture, the steadiness in each step she took, and even the confidence in her eyes.

What did it take to become a woman like that?

Of course, Thea loved Luana and Kaya and greatly admired the both of them, yet despite the both of them being State Soldiers, neither of them looked like this woman.

So what did it take to be like her? Thea certainly wanted to know.

When they climbed up the steps of the community center and reached Thea and the others, Tai glanced over at them, a small smile gracing her face before she proceeded inside. She didn't seem to need to be told where to go, making her way up the stairs herself.

Anban smiled at them too, his smile growing when his eyes met Thea, but he didn't pause to talk. Instead, he followed closely behind Tai.

It was Kova who stopped in front of them, and he, unlike the others, was certainly not smiling. "No games, do you understand," he asked, rather coldly. "We have our best snipers stationed all over, so don't try anything."

"Loud and clear," Luana responded as Aaryan's eyes darted around to spot said snipers. It didn't take him long, because he leaned over to Luana the moment Kova turned around and whispered, "Four... that I can see."

"Women," Milo muttered under his breath.

Thea hesitated, leaning closer to him. "Huh?"

"Look closely," he continued softly. "About a third of the Crows here are women."

Thea paused, blinking, before turning her head back to the two lines of Crows who were standing as still as stones. Yes... if she looked close enough, she could see it. Some of these rebels were women... a little smaller, with shoulders that were not as broad and waists that were a little more narrow... Thea could tell that Milo was certainly right. "We may have to reconsider the Ravens theory," she said.

"We're going to have to reconsider a lot more than that," Milo said, turning to face Thea.

When Thea looked back at him, she could see that his brown eyes had darkened a little, his expression a little vacant as he retreated into his mind to work things out. She was used to this, seeing as they worked together often, but this time around, she didn't know what he meant.

Why did they have to reconsider everything?

"This confidence that they're showing," Milo began, his voice still low, "the military vehicle, the snipers, the rebels acting like a real military force, the leader coming out in the open with nothing but a shirt and trousers and two guns strapped to her... this confidence... it's significant."

"They're arrogant," Luana tried.

"No, no, they can't be," Milo insisted. "They absolutely cannot be arrogant."

"They couldn't have gotten this far with simple arrogance," Thea agreed.

Milo nodded. "Something isn't right," he said. "Things aren't adding up... if these people were smart, they would never have agreed to meet with us... they especially wouldn't have marched in here with so much about them out in the open for us to see... unless..."

Luana, Aaryan and Thea looked at Milo intently, waiting for him to explain his thoughts.

He looked nervous, his eyes shifting around as he thought. "Unless... unless they are certain that they've got the upper hand."

"The upper hand against the Aiverian State?" Aaryan asked. "If they thought they had the upper hand against the state then why wouldn't they just attack?"

"Not the upper hand against the State," Milo's frown deepened.

So did Thea, understanding where this was going. "No... the upper hand against the General."

After the brief show that Tai and her Crows put on, a show that Niall, Kaya and Julian watched from the large upstairs window with both tension and awe, Niall had resumed his pacing.

His primary concern at that moment was not at all the fact that Thea was right about Tai being a woman. Frankly, the beautiful and clearly impressive woman was the least of his worries at that moment. His concern was that he was here, with his team of 7, practically surrounded by thirty odd Crows with assault rifles. Not to mention the four snipers... and that was only what he could see from his spot near the window.

They were in a disastrous position.

At most, his team had five pistols among them–unless Aaryan brought his second one... that would make six pistols. Luana and Aaryan were effective soldiers but they would not be able to take on multiple assault rifles. Niall, Kaya and Julian were even better soldiers but by the time they made it down to the others, it would certainly be too late. And worst yet, Milo and Thea were entirely defenseless.

How could this have happened?

How could they have misjudged the situation so much that they did not expect something like this to happen? How could they not have assumed that they would come bearing arms?

"Sir," Julian called, pulling Niall out of his whirling thoughts with a gentle squeeze of his shoulder. "We cannot have predicted this," he said, clearly reading his mind. "With how secretive they have been, there is no reason why we should have expected them to come out like this, showing us what they have to offer."

"Julian is right," Kaya said, her arms crossed. "And even if we did expect it, what would we have done? Come armed with State Soldiers? If we wanted this meeting to happen, it had to happen this way."

Niall knew they were right, but was still frowning. "I'm certain they're going to ask to speak to me alone. When they do, the two of you will go straight down to Thea, Milo, Luana and Aaryan. Make sure they have backup in case anything goes wrong. Your priority is to get them and yourselves to safety, do you understand?"

"Yes, Sir," Kaya and Julian said together.

Right then, there was a knock on the door, though the guests did not wait for a response to open it. Before the echo of the knock could disappear, the door quickly swung open and the incredibly handsome man who Niall assumed was the fake Tai, Anban, was revealed.

After glancing at Niall for a brief moment, his eyes moved to Julian. "Ah, Captain Brayne... I heard you were a giant. Seems like the rumors are true," his smile only grew. "Six-seven or six-eight? Dear lord, what luck you have."

Julian didn't bother responding and Niall raised a brow, surprised by the fact that this was the first thing the man chose to comment on.

"Now, now, Anban," said the voice of the woman who appeared behind him, a voice that was deep and rich and as smooth as silk. "Must you really act like a child at a time like this?"

Tai.

Her voice was followed by the deep thud of her heeled boots against the wooden floors and the moment she stepped into the room, the energy shifted in a way that left Niall with a need to shudder. Her look, her aura, the strong scent of her perfume... everything about her was absolutely, incredibly intoxicating. Almost instantly he could understand why Aaryan and Thea had been so taken by her.

More importantly, just by looking at her Niall could see how, despite her being a woman, she was so clearly capable of reigning in a group of guerilla rebels whose whole ideology and purpose revolved around chaos. In his time at Achlis, even during his time as a soldier... or even during the time that he was simply the adopted son of the previous Secretary Killian... he had seen hundreds of captains and general and mayors and premiers and all the men came and went, calling themselves a leaders of some sort in both Aiverian and Eloria. Some were noble and righteous, but those men usually didn't last as long, so most were not. Yet, despite their morals, all of them were, without a doubt, unimpressive.

None of them were like her.

He could see something in her. He could even feel it-she had power and authority radiating off of her. This woman was a force to reckon with. Of course, that had to be the case. How else could a woman be a leader to a bunch of men who were so high off of their pride of being a man that they would pick up arms and join a rebel group such as the Crows? She had to be better than them. She had to be powerful and even frightening.

She had to be a leader... a mother... though not the kind and gentle kind that Niall had once been familiar with.

This woman was a lioness.

She was fierce and powerful... and when her black eyes met Niall's, he could see that though she wore a soft smile, she was viciously protective over those who she was meant to protect. She was not here to play games. "General Niall Killian," she said, her voice firm and strong. "Or should I say, Secretary Niall Killian. How lovely it is to finally meet you."

Word traveled fast, clearly. "Tai," Niall started, giving her a nod, "I would say the same about you, but you've brought dozens of assault rifles into a defenseless town."

The woman smirked. "The State has never been good to us, Niall Killian," she said as Anban grabbed a chair and set it behind her. "I would ask you to forgive me for my caution, but as a State Official, I'm sure you'll understand."

"You're putting innocent civilians as well as my people at risk."

"Ah, well you see, that is where you may not understand," she said as she took a seat, her posture perfect as she put one leg over the other. "My people do not run around and do whatever it is that they want to do. They follow orders. To a T. If you and your people behave then I will not have any orders for them to follow, and so no one will be at risk."

"Then let's not waste time," Niall said. "I would rather the armed Crows be as far away from here as possible, as soon as possible."

"Let's not," she agreed before glancing over at Anban, who nodded before walking to the door. "I'm sure you know that I want to talk to you alone?"

Niall nodded, before looking over at Kaya and Julian. The two looked unnerved, even Julian, who was usually so nonchalant. Nevertheless, they saluted Niall before following Anban out the door, shutting it behind them.

When Tai looked back at Niall, her deep red lips were still smiling. "Have a seat, Niall Killian."

"I'm fine with standing, thank you," he said. "I've complied with your terms, came here as you wished, with my team and without any threats. I hope now that you will hear me out? To see where I stand?"

"Of course," she leaned forward a little. "That's why we're here. To see where we each stand."

"Good," Niall said, though noticing at that moment that she had a very slight accent. It was so slight that any normal person would have certainly missed it, but he heard it. It was the accent that individuals whose native tongue was Old Elorian would have. This was certainly significant. Even with this simple information, Milo could narrow down her potential place of origin quite significantly. "My intention to meet and speak with you was primarily because of my desire to-"

"Please, Niall Killian, I have come here with open arms, risking my life and the lives of the people I lead. I expect more respect than this."

Niall hesitated.

"I want you to be honest with me, Sir," she continued. "And omission is not honesty."

"I'm not sure what you mean."

"From the beginning," she said. "I want to know everything. Particularly everything that has to do with Rue. How did we end up here to begin with?"

Niall let out a breath but wasn't too surprised by this request. Of course she would want to know the details. "I hired Theavi Rhaanan quite a few months ago to pursue the task of interviewing imprisoned Crows to get valuable information from them. Her primary goal was to work with Rue, of course, as he was second in command within both the strongest and most elusive group of Crows. Your group. We figured he could offer us important information in tracking you so that we could get to this position."

"And Theavi was okay with this arrangement?" Tai asked, leaning back a little. "The arrangement of interviewing Crows and giving up the information she learned to the State?"

"She was... not..." Niall took a deep breath. "Frankly, she was extremely disruptive and quite a nuisance. It took her a while to learn to trust me enough to work with me."

Tai let out a pensive hum before nodding. "Please, continue."

"Theavi began working with Rue, and it took quite some time but she managed to gain his trust," Niall continued. "Rue was on death row, as I'm sure you suspected, so when we realized he was opening up, we prioritized trying to remove him from death row, or at the very least, postpone his execution. Rue originally didn't seem to care much about saving himself but Theavi certainly won him over and he told her about his notebook of poems."

"Which she then proceeded to publish?" Tai tilted her head a notch. "I saw the excitement it caused. Quite impressive."

"Yes and no," Niall responded, "Theavi and the team used the notebook to gather as much information as they could, which led them to the archives in Abureth, which allowed them to find his older poems from his youth. Those were the poems that were published this time around. Though our intention is to publish the rest as well."

"I see," she nodded. "And so? This led to Rue being taken off of death row?"

"Yes," Niall nodded too. "Theavi managed to impress the President... not necessarily with the information she got on Rue, but by the fact that she put up an impressive fight against Jacob Karney and Keene Rivier. After this, as I'm sure you've heard already, Rue was attacked by Rivier. He was hospitalized and at that time, he told Thea about you... about how you can give us what we need to get Rivier removed from power."

"And then she showed up at my doorstep," Tai finished for him.

"That's correct."

"And now there is chaos and uproar in the Capital... a consequence of all of this."

"Yes."

Tai smiled. "Now, Niall Killian, this leads me to my next question. I am certain that you had not expected things to turn out the way they did. You hadn't expected to get Rue off of death row, you hadn't expected to have a means of getting rid of Rivier, you hadn't expected to become the Secretary of Defence so soon, you hadn't expected your team to be at the roots of the uproar that is beginning in the Capital as people call for the safety of an Elorian Crow who was once loved by an Aiverian Heiress with a father whose heart is more rotten than anything you will ever find in the trash heaps of the Railway Slums. And, of course, you most certainly had not expected your subordinate to develop such a bond with said Elorian Crow... the bond which has caused all of this, it seems."

"Yes," Niall agreed. "You're right. None of that was expected."

"So tell me now... what were your intentions at the start of all this? That day you hired the girl, what were you thinking?" She asked. "Had you intended on getting the information you needed and disposing of Rue once you were done with him? Or, in the case that he refused and stayed quiet, had you intended on stepping back and letting his execution go through?"

Niall hesitated, thinking for a moment. "Rue's life was never my responsibility," he eventually said. "At the time, my only goal was to get the information that I thought was vital in helping further the goals my team had in place. Whatever happened to Rue in the process was an afterthought. His death certainly would have been regrettable, since I did genuinely admire the man for his bravery... but at the time, his life was not my responsibility. He was just another Crow."

"And it is now?" She pushed. "Is his life your responsibility now?"

Naill was forced to hesitate once more, but eventually he let out a breath. "Yes. His life became my responsibility when he began to show hints of willingness to work with us."

"Why? Why does that change anything?"

"Because frankly, he has inadvertently become a part of our team."

"Really? Or is it because you have fallen in love with his benefactor?"

Niall felt his breath catch his throat, which was followed by a twitch in his eye that he was certain she saw. "What?"

Tai was still smiling, looking almost amused. "Listen carefully, Niall Killian," she started, leaning forwards. "In the time between our first interaction, when the girl you love and the boy who loves her appeared at our doorstep, my team and I have done deep and extensive research on you and yours."

Niall felt his palms begin to sweat, an unease swirling within him.

"And with what we have uncovered... well, it was certainly enlightening," she continued. "You put together a team of individuals who work well together not only because of their individual effectiveness, but also because they have managed to become bonded with one another. And you, Secretary, have grown to love them. You have made a family of these people."

"What are you getting at?" Niall asked, impatience trickling into him. "I thought we were not going to waste any time."

'We aren't wasting time," she responded. "Oh, this is a very great use of our time, actually. Because what I'm trying to tell you is that I understand what you say is your reason for wanting to work with me... to make our nation a better nation, or what have you. But Niall Killian, I refuse to work with anyone whose true motives I do not fully understand."

Niall released the breath he was holding, his chin raising slightly. "If you still do not understand our motives, then maybe the research your people conducted is not as good as you think it is."

"Oh please, don't underestimate us," she responded, "I know more about your teammates and their motives than you probably do. My concern however... is you."

Now Niall raised a brow.

"Why is it that I can't find anything about your past?"

Almost instantly, his uneasiness grew.

"And I'm not talking about your adoption by the late Secretary Killian. I'm talking about before that. Who is your mother, who is your father? Where did you come from? Why is it that you are fluent in Old Elorian despite spending most of your life in the Capital? Why-"

"I don't see why any of that is relevant."

"Oh, but it is. Knowing the details of someone's past speaks volumes on who they are now," she continued.

"People can change."

"Sure," her smile returned. "But the core of who they are... the reason they are the way they are... usually that is harder to change." Niall was about to argue but Tai did not let him. "Take Theavi, for example. She had a stable upbringing, a mother and father who loved and doted on her, a brother who, though a Crow now, considered her the apple of his eye... but most importantly, she had that grandmother of hers. A pivotal member of the Aburethian community, a strong, loud, proud woman, a leader who taught Theavi to be inquisitive and brave and to fight for what she believes is right. It's that mentality that led her to go to A.N.U., after all. She must have thought that since she was smart and had the grades, it was only fair for her to go to the top university in the nation. It was her right, even though she was both an Elorian and a woman."

Niall tried not to be swayed by her words... trying not to be bothered by how much this woman really did know.

"But then she met the son of Jakob Karney and everything she knew about herself fell apart."

He was holding his breath again, and his throat began to dry up.

She knew that too?

"On the night that she was assaulted, she must have thought... how could an inquisitive, brave woman who fights for what is right be brought down like this? How could someone who wanted to be as strong and loud and proud as her grandmother be broken down and silenced and humiliated?"

"How-"

"And so she became who you know so well now. A young, confused woman who was fighting with herself to try and do the right thing, but not knowing what the right thing even is... pretending to be confident when really she has become unsure of herself... trying to be brave when deep down, all she feels is uneasiness and anxiety. You see, knowing her past helps me understand her. It helps me know what to expect from her. No surprises."

Niall's eyes narrowed.

"Oh, and then there's Aaryan..." she continued, picking a piece of fluff off her trouser and flicking it away as she spoke, "with parents so wealthy that they were practically the elite of Abureth, you would think that Aaryan had it good, but he didn't. Unlike Thea's parents, his were oppressive, insensitive, arrogant and unpleasant... the only reason he turned out to be a relatively likable young man was completely thanks to that sister of his. She was rebellious and headstrong, and she wanted nothing more than for the two of them to be freed from their parents. They fought for each other... lived for each other... defended each other... but then she was killed by State Soldiers and Aaryan's innate protectiveness of his older sister led him to feel like her death was his fault. So he joined to Crows in the hopes of getting revenge."

"Alright I get-"

"Please, let me finish. You have no idea how much I'm enjoying recounting these stories to you," she said, smirking. "Aaryan thought joining the Crows would give him what he needed. Particularly Orynan's group... those men are known for their reckless abandon, after all. But he soon realized how in over his head he was. He was a rich, naïve, pretty boy and the horrors of Orynan's Revolutionary Crows hit him as hard as the reality of his sister's death did. It pained him to learn that the Crows who he thought were the solution were no better than the men who killed his sister. So he ran away, angry and spiteful and broken hearted and alone and then he met you."

"This is irrelevant-"

"And what did you do? Well, somehow you reigned him in. Somehow you convinced him to work for you. My theory is that Aaryan needs a solid, constant guiding figure... the figure he lost with the death of his sister. Maybe he saw that in you. Maybe that's why he listens to you when everything I've learned about him seems to suggest that his partnership with the likes of you should never have worked-"

"You've proved your point," Niall interjected. "Let's move on."

"I'll move on when I want to," Tai said with a chuckle. "I mean, I haven't even gotten to the good part yet."

"I don't need you to recount the histories of my team," he pushed, his tone a little more aggressive. "I know-"

"Do you?" she asked. "Last I heard you try to take a step back from that kind of thing. You've always taken the approach of only being told what you need to be told. Is that not the case?"

"That doesn't-"

"So you do know, then, that Luana's father was a genius... a lead researcher at the Aiverian National Space Agency... at least until he was captured and hung in front of the ANSA headquarters during the Anti-Elorian Pogroms as State Soldiers and Police just stood there and watched?" Tai asked as Niall stiffened. "You know that his best friend, an Aiverian who was sympathetic to the Elorian cause, was the one who ended up raising her? Surely this knowledge is significant, seeing as it makes sense why she'd want to become a State Soldier... to be someone who could do for others what was not done for her father."

"This is a waste of time," Niall hissed, an unfamiliar, protective anger bubbling up from deep within him.

"And Milo, oh my how interesting learning about him was," she smiled. "Who would have guessed... the son of the beautiful, renowned actress Deenah Emary! Did you know that, Niall Killian? Did you know that some director got her pregnant and promised to marry her, but then left her behind for a younger, prettier actress? Did you know that her pregnancy was what ruined her career? I mean, I always wondered what happened to her... did you? And did you know it drove her crazy? Did you know that when Milo was born his mother treated him like a demon because she blamed him for her misery and worse yet, she thought he wasn't beautiful... because of those brown eyes? Did you know that it was the abuse at home and the subsequent bullying at school was what isolated Milo in the libraries... so much so that his only companions became those books? Did you realize it was his dreadful mother that made him into the genius he is today? A genius who is so filled with love but so convinced that he can never be loved back?"

Niall's mind was racing, trying to figure out what it was she was trying to prove but unable to focus because of all the information she was throwing at him.

Yes.

Yes he did know.

He knew most of it, to some extent. He knew whatever it was that his people felt comfortable telling him. But knowing that she knew so much... knowing that she held the secrets that the people he cared about struggle so deeply with... it fueled that anger with him... so much so that for a moment, he didn't even know how to respond.

And Colonel Jaylen... a married woman... I would never have imagined a woman as boisterous and rowdy as that to have a husband-"

"That's enough."

"But then again, maybe it does make sense when you really think about it. It makes sense because she comes from an old, rich Aiverian family and the marriage was forced onto her. It makes sense when you realize that she ran away from it all and joined the military to get away from the old bastard she was forced to marry. It makes sense when you realize that she's been trying to get a divorce for years, yet despite the fact that she is now a powerful, successful woman in her own right... his say goes, and he doesn't want a divorce."

Niall's fingers twitched, the anger boiling up further when he noticed that Tai was watching him closely, a pleased smile on her face. She seemed to be thoroughly enjoying herself.

"Oh... and I couldn't forget Julian... the shocker of the century."

Niall's blood began to run cold.

"Not something I find so important... but the rest of the world would," her smile grew. "If the truth about him came out... as small and trivial as it may seem... why... his life would be absolutely destroyed, wouldn't it?"

"Stop it."

"Do you know what I mean?" She continued. "Do you know what I'm talking about?"

"I will not say it again, Tai. Stop this, now. You've made your point clear-"

"I wonder how well your team would function without Julian," she pushed, making a shudder of rage pass through Niall. "If the truth came out that he-"

"Stop it!" Niall shouted, his voice so deep and so cold that the fury resonated through it. However, what surprised even him was that when, within an instant, he composed himself again, he realized he was holding his gun.

He hadn't even realized that with one swift move, he had removed his gun, cocked it, and pointed it right at Tia's head.

And the woman did not flinch.

Her smile remained painted on her face, unmoving, as Niall lowered the gun, collecting himself once more.

After that quick moment of rage, he watched her face, and knew now what exactly she was doing... he knew now that she wasn't simply trying to waste time. She wasn't trying to show off her ability to recall information. She wasn't even trying to show him how successful her team was at getting the information she needed in such a short period of time.

No.

From the satisfied smile on her face, he could tell that she was trying to prove something even bigger.

She was trying to prove the control she had over him.

And she had succeeded.

"Tsk, tsk Niall Killian," she said, still smiling. "Please, put that away... or at least, take me out to dinner first."

Her nonchalance was eerie, making him question once more who the hell this woman was.

"I see you understand now who you are dealing with," she continued, her smile fading now. "And what I can do to you and those you love."

Niall lowered his gun further, hesitating for a moment before dropping his arm entirely. "What do you want?"

"I want you to know who's in charge now."

"Our intention was for us to be able to work together."

"I will decide when we get to work together," she said. "But for now, if you want to guarantee the safety of you and your people, your single focus, Secretary, will be returning Rue to us."

"We are already doing that," Niall snapped. "We've been working to free him for months now-"

"Free him and return him to us," Tai emphasized. "Then, at that point, I will decide if working with you is worthwhile."

"You'd be an absolute fool to think it wouldn't be," Niall argued. "Are you forgetting that I am the Secretary of Defense now? Do you know the significance of having me on your side?"

To that, she snorted, before letting out a short chuckle. "Oh please, Secretary, we don't need you. We never needed you. Whether or not we have you, or Rue, or even the Gods, for that matter, we would continue moving forward with our goals. Certainly, the recent turn of events has made things a little more... interesting... but that doesn't mean anything because we will always move forward. We will always continue to move forward to our goals... no matter what or who stands in our way."

"And what exactly is that goal?"

She continued smiling but stood now. "Did you think I would just spit that out for nothing in return?" she asked. "How about we do a trade?"

Niall didn't respond, instead, he just glowered at her.

"You answer my question and I will tell you what our next step is."

"What is the question?"

She watched him for a brief moment, before continuing. "What is it that my people could not find about your past?"

Niall felt his heartbeat quicken, his nerves rising as he began to sweat.

He couldn't tell her that. Why would he ever give her any more information?

But then again... any information she could give him, however small, could be a gold mine... there was the potential that Milo, and maybe even Thea... could take that information and draw so much more out of it.

"Well?" She asked, her head tilting to a side. "Will you tell me, or shall we call it a day? I would rather we head out before more of the townsfolk begin to stir we draw too much attention to ourselves-"

"The railway slums," Niall said, watching her. "My mother was born in the Railway Slums of Southern Kiriyu."

It was faint, but for a moment, he saw her smile falter.

Just like that slight accent, the slight twitch of her lip was significant. He wasn't sure what it meant, but he noted it.

"I was born just outside of it because my mother was kicked out of her home after she was raped by a State Soldier who disappeared afterwards. I was the product of that. My mother did her best to raise me but I never knew the man who hurt her."

She was still... more still than she had been during all the time they had spent together. Clearly, his response had taken her by surprise, though she worked hard to hide it.

"That's all there is to it," Niall said. "So now? What about your end of the bargain?"

Tai raised her head, seemingly trying to force her mind away from the information she just learned. "We intend on getting rid of the Premier of Elore. That is our next move."

Niall raised his brows, surprised, but before he could ponder on it more, she continued. "And that is all I have time for, Niall Killian," she said with a smirk. "Certainly, we will meet again, but until then, keep in mind what is expected of you.

She didn't wait for him to respond, turning and heading for the door.

When she opened the door, Anban was standing on the other end of it, looking almost as if he was expecting her to come out at that very moment. After giving her a lazy solute, he smiled at Niall, an expression of humor and amusement on his face, before turning and following his leader out, the two other Crows following closely behind him.

Moments after, he heard footsteps thundering up the stairs before Julian marched in and Kaya followed.

Julian's eyes widened at the sight of him. "Why is your gun out," he asked, his voice low but firm. "What happened?"

Niall was frozen as he reflected on the entirety of the conversation he had just had with this woman.

"Niall?" Kaya called, turning him to face her. "What the hell happened?"

"This is a game to her," he finally said, his frown deepening. "And she's already winning."