I don't know how long I'd been alone in the cell for before Thomas graced me with his presence.

Perhaps it had only been a few hours, although it felt like it was much more. I'd been brought bread and water on several occasions and slept for indeterminate blocks of time on the concrete floor, so the notion that I'd been here for several days wasn't outside the realms of possibility.

Not that I cared too much. Isolated and aggrieved, and with nothing to break up the monotony, inevitably the passage of time had become meaningless to me.

So, by the time Thomas paid me a visit I was feeling somewhat listless and dejected. Whether or not that was intentional on his part was anyone's guess.

When the older man unbolted the door to my prison and stepped inside, I recognised his face instantly from the occasions he'd addressed the civilians on our screens. He was shorter and slenderer than I imagined he'd be, with hazel eyes and wiry mahogany hair similar to Dominic's, but what he lacked in brawn he made up for in demeanour. Clearly used to being dogmatic, his air of authority was formidable.

"Matthew," he asserted. "We haven't been formally introduced. I'm Thomas Andekas."

"I know who you are," I responded disparagingly.

"Glad to hear it," he smiled, clasping his hands and ignoring my derisive tone. "I believe you probably also know my companion," he added, indicating the door with a nod of his head as another figure emerged from behind it.

Thomas' unwavering composure didn't prevent the fury from rising inside me when I laid eyes on his associate.

"Seren," I breathed, before unleashing my wrath on the unscrupulous gerent. "You said she'd be free to go!" I growled angrily, trying in vain to reach him as my ankle yanked the restraint taut.

"And she is," Thomas assured me, before addressing my friend with feigned compassion. "Am I keeping you at the Kinnisvara against your will or are you here by choice?"

"By choice," Seren confirmed sadly, although her anguished manner confused me.

"Why?" I choked out, unable to fathom why she'd be here voluntarily. She must surely know that I'd given myself up so that she could go home.

"Peter's here," she croaked out quietly.

My furious gaze turned back to Thomas.

"It's not really a release when you swap her for her partner!" I snarled savagely, my ankle pulling against the chain again as I attempted to launch myself forward.

"You misunderstand," the shrewd man explained calmly. "Both of your friends were arrested. You only negotiated the release of this one," he added, nodding towards Seren.

"That's because I didn't know about Peter!" I yelled in frustration, smouldering with resentment.

"Then it seems I had the advantage," he replied, retaining his composure. "This young lady doesn't want to leave her beloved, and I'm not about to force her to leave if she'd prefer to stay. From my perspective, I'd say it was a successful negotiation."

"You tricked me," I fumed, ready to explode.

"I simply exploited my enemy's weaknesses," he countered.

Whatever he called it, he was using technicalities to make it sound like he was being reasonable, and it riled me.

"Why did you even bring them here in the first place?" I probed. "Why these two? Why not my parents? Or do you have them as well?" I conjectured as an ice-cold shiver ran through me at the notion of my mother and father also being here.

"We found these lovebirds close to your property," he clarified. "They had your house keys in their possession, which we assumed would only be with people you trust, and so they were detained. And while we have guards confining your parents to their house, this lovely couple seem to be very important to you, so, given the choice, I'd really rather they stayed with us here on the Kinnisvara."

"Clearly I'm no longer a threat," I seethed in response. "Isn't it enough that I can't cause you any more problems? Why involve them at all?"

"I think it's time for you two to have a chat," Thomas replied nonchalantly, without answering the question. "I'm sure you have a lot of catching up to do."

Depriving me of any opportunity to respond, he slipped through the prison door, closing it behind him.

No doubt he was listening from outside.

The moment he was gone, Seren stepped forward and took my hands in hers, scrutinising me intently through glistening eyes.

"How are they treating you?" she asked, visibly concerned.

"It could be a lot worse," I verified. "Where's Peter?"

"In one of these cells, same as you," she said, confirming my suspicions.

"I'm so sorry, Seren, I didn't know you were both here."

"I know," she insisted.

"Did you manage to get into my house?" I asked, hopeful that she'd managed to retrieve my journal, but not wanting to contradict whatever reason she'd given for being in possession of my keys while Thomas was listening.

"We tried, but even days later it was still guarded," she confessed. "We did try to find your cat but ended up being brought here for questioning. I'm sorry Matthew, I know how much Tiger meant to you."

Nodding once, I gave her a hint of a smile, acknowledging that the message she's sent had been received. Her choice of words and mannerisms, including her abnormal use of my name, told me she was aware that our conversation wasn't private. While I was saddened that they hadn't found Tiger, she'd also successfully conveyed that she didn't manage to retrieve my journal, so it was likely to still be hidden in my drawer.

Not that there was much I could do with that information in my current unsavoury predicament.

"Thank you for trying," I told my friend. "Tiger's resourceful. I'm sure she'll have found some way of surviving." I couldn't afford to think she'd do anything else. It was outside my control, and right now we had more pressing issues. Like why I'd been left alone with Seren. "But I'm sure Thomas didn't bring you here to talk about my cat," I added apprehensively.

"He wants you to publicly retract what you said," she explained. "About the Katki being harmless and about the Andekas contaminating the water supply."

So that was the route the Andekas were taking. Attempting to regain the trust of the people by removing the controversy. If I 'admitted' I was guilty of treason, it would undermine my previous diatribe, painting me as a renegade and a liar while fostering support for the presiding family.

"Well, that's not happening," I insisted through half-clenched teeth.

The door clicked open and Thomas strode in before Seren had a chance to reply.

"Luckily for you, you have twenty-four hours to give it some thought," he stated, his tone patronising. "Come, my dear, I'm sure you're keen to visit your husband. I'll see you tomorrow, Matthew," he added as he led Seren from the room, bolting the door behind him.

I balked at his veiled threat. His not-so-subtle reminder that Peter was still in custody was clearly intended to 'help' me decide whether to 'confess' my 'deception,' since the outcome of refusing him was likely to be less than desirable for my friend. And while Thomas could theoretically force me to do what he wanted by giving me the Ravim, in order for my declaration to be convincing, I knew that it at least needed to look as though I was using my own free will.

Slumping to the floor with my head in my hands, I considered my options.  I needed to be rational about this, but it was difficult to keep emotions out of it when friends were involved. I didn't want anyone else getting hurt because of my actions.

However, it now seemed that it was no longer about preventing more suffering, but a case of deciding who the recipients were. Thomas had implied that I needed to choose between my friend, Peter, or the Katki, including Peter's own daughter, who would no doubt continue to be incarcerated if I proclaimed they were indeed violent.

But I had to consider that I had no way of knowing whether standing up to the Andekas would prevent the Katki from having a life of enforced slavery. Despite the Ravim supplies being mostly destroyed, I had to take into account that the general populace may not have believed my broadcast, and the Katki might still be hurt in some way if I refused to do what Thomas wanted.

However, even if I publicly retracted my statement, there was nothing to stop Thomas from continuing to torment my friends or myself afterwards as a deterrent to others who stood against the Andekas. Not only that, but society would be likely to remain broken.

This was about something bigger than all of us, and in my heart, I knew that Seren and Peter would agree.

I contemplated the last things that Seren had said to me while we were still able to talk freely to each other.

We're not going to stop fighting them.

We'll do what we need to do.

Her words told me that she believed we needed to defy the dictatorship. She'd been so zealous in her manner that I doubted she'd changed her mind. As a couple, I knew they were likely to prioritise Amanda's wellbeing over Peter's, and Seren's words playing in my head only served to reinforce that belief.

I also pondered the way in which Thomas had acted. If he thought that letting me speak to Seren and Peter freely would get him what he wanted, I had no doubt he'd let me do so. The fact that we were either being kept apart or closely monitored told me that he believed that if he allowed the couple to be candid, they would urge me to stand my ground.

And so, after weighing my options carefully, I eventually concluded that I should be steadfast in my beliefs and resolute in my conviction to them.

However, it still took me several hours to embrace the decision I'd made with enough determination to feel like I could see it through. The thought of possibly allowing my friend to be harmed when it was within my power to prevent it was going to test my resolve, so I knew that if I was going to commit to this cause, it had to be with absolute certitude.

When I eventually felt convinced, I then decided that for the sake of my sanity, I needed to focus on something else.

Lying down on the cold concrete floor, I closed my eyes and let my thoughts drift to my parents.

Without access to the journal, they were unlikely to understand what they would see as sudden extremist behaviour from their son, and I wondered how shocked they'd been to have seen me on their screen. As loyal supporters of the Andekas, would they see me as a traitor?

And how would they react if they found out I was in love with my Katki?

My male Katki.

The Katki who had reignited the flame of curiosity that had been extinguished and buried alongside Six Eight Three Two. The one who had given me the drive to search for the truth and the strength to act on the chilling deception that we uncovered as a result. The one who had captured my heart before I even realised it was being stolen with his kind spirit and gentle soul.

Focusing on Tobi's warm smile and infectious giggle, I reminded myself of all the reasons I'd ended up on this treacherous path, and why I was determined not to waver from it.

I jolted awake to the loud click of my cell door being unlocked and pulled open. I hadn't even realised I'd fallen asleep and had no idea how long I'd been unconscious for.

Gathering my senses, I pulled myself into a sitting position as one of the two guards deposited more bread and water on the floor next to me.

"Eat," she commanded.

I didn't need to be told twice.

Despite the bland taste, I was ravenous. I knew I'd need as much energy as I could get for the undoubtedly arduous day ahead, and the meagre provision was soon gone.

Unlocking the shackle that bound me to the wall, the nearest guard yanked me to my feet, handcuffing my hands behind my back. One sideways nod of her head towards the door made it clear that I was supposed to exit the room, and with little else in the way of feasible options, I obliged.

Taking extra care of my footing on the narrow spiral staircase, I ascended behind one of the sentries while the other followed me up to the main hall.

The low hum of voices reached me before I saw the faces of the small congregation. Other than the sentinels, I recognised the handful of people, including the entire Andekas family.

Seren stood with Thomas, her anxious brown eyes fixed firmly on her husband who was kneeling on the floor with his hands cuffed behind his back.

"Ah, Matthew," Thomas greeted me loudly, the chatter immediately fading at the authority in his powerful voice. "Do come and join us."

The burly sentry ushered me forwards, pushing me to my knees next to Peter as half a dozen heads turned my way. Even if I had seen a reason to resist, a lack of nutrition and decent sleep had taken its toll on my body, rendering me too weak to even try.

As I thumped to the hard floor, my attention turned to Peter. Much like me, he looked weak and exhausted, but otherwise unscathed.

"I hope you've given some thought to my proposal?" Thomas probed, bringing my gaze back to the officious brunette briefly, before a loud scuffle from outside the main entrance distracted me.

Apparently, the ruckus also confounded Thomas, who instructed one of the sentries to find the source of the disturbance.

"I won't be retracting my statement," I assured those assembled as the guard disappeared outside.

My eyes flicked to Seren. The almost indiscernible nod she gave me told me that she agreed with my stance. No doubt that also meant that Peter was also willing to do everything in his power to fight for his daughter, and that we'd make this stand together.

Thomas furrowed his brows and clenched his jaw, and from the seriousness of his expression, seemed as though he was about to strongly object to my declaration, when the outside door burst open.

A familiar voice brought my attention to the guard that Thomas had sent outside previously, who had returned with a struggling prisoner, hands tied behind her back.

"Let me go!" Elizabeth seethed as she battled unsuccessfully against the restraints that bound her.

My heart sank even further into the dismal abyss it was already in.

What was she doing here? Did she not understand that I wanted the people I cared about to stay out of this precarious situation?

The thought had barely registered when the pair were followed through the open door by another sentry.

Nausea resurfaced and my head felt light as my focus fell on the defeated expression of his platinum blond detainee, whose name I exhaled in a breath that was so quiet, not even Peter would have heard it.

"Tobi."