Several Perfects came out from the colosseum with shock collars hanging from their arms. One by one, they mounted them around our necks. I flinched when the needle pierced my flesh, but accepted the outcome. I could no longer say or do anything against Ta’Zan. Varga had taught me how to keep my mind focused, to stop the circuits from heating up and, most importantly, to avoid getting myself electrocuted.
“At least you won’t be wasting my time with your megalomania,” Sofia spat. “You’re a terrible leader, Ta’Zan, and you will go down in flames. Mark my words.”
“Sofia, be thankful that I’m allowing you to go back to your husband. I’m not the merciful kind. You should know that by now,” Ta’Zan replied, then smiled at Douma and Raphael. “You two will be held separately, until I decide what I’m going to do with you. And you will wear collars, too. They may not kill you, but they will hinder any thoughts of rebellion you might get.”
The Perfects snapped shock collars around Douma’s and Raphael’s necks. Douma gave Dmitri a brief, over-the-shoulder glance, followed by a faint nod. They’d talked about this already. They’d known they might get separated.
“What about me, Father?” Amal asked. “I had nothing to do with these people. They took me!”
“I know, my darling. You will join me once more, because you’re the only one I can fully trust,” Ta’Zan replied, then looked at Amane. “What about you? Will you further oppose me, like a wayward child, or will you come to your senses and help your sister serve me?”
Amane took a deep breath. “I’d rather be with my sister than locked up or killed. I’m not foolish or suicidal.”
“Amane, don’t!” Ridan said. “Don’t help him! Don’t make things worse!”
She gave him an apologetic smile. “I’m sorry… But I have to think about my survival. We’re over.”
“Ah, yes, you and the dragon.” Ta’Zan chuckled. “Don’t worry, Amane. If you prove yourself to me, I will let you visit him once in a while. I understand the need for a pet.”
My jaw clenched. Ta’Zan had no idea what he was in for. From this point on, we had to focus and do everything seamlessly, according to the plan. We’d set up all the details, every possible scenario and potential outcome. This… This was just a decent theater play.
“I’ll burn you alive,” Ridan grumbled.
“Careful, dragon. That collar delivers quite a punch,” Ta’Zan retorted, clearly amused. He motioned for one of the Perfects. “Put one around Amane’s neck.”
“But… I said I’d work for you!” Amane objected, her brow furrowed.
“That doesn’t mean I trust you,” Ta’Zan replied, pursing his lips. “You’ve already betrayed me once, Amane. I’m not going to let you fool me again. The collar will come off when I feel like I can trust you again. Not a day sooner. It’s either that, or a glass box. Your choice.”
Amane exhaled sharply, then offered a nod in response. The Perfect snapped a collar around her neck, grinning like a little kid. “I find it ironic that you’re finally getting to wear your invention,” he whispered.
I stifled a laugh, wondering if either of them had thought about what Amal and Amane had done, in terms of cheats and backdoors in every piece of technology that they’d created for Ta’Zan. Sure, we had collars around our necks, supposedly forever. And, if we dared to conspire against him or the Perfects, we’d get electrocuted.
As Ta’Zan turned around and went back in, accompanied by Cassiel, Amal, and Amane, and as the rest of us were herded in after him, flanked by Perfects, I was quietly content with our situation so far. Amane and Amal had created these shock collars—and they’d given us all the codes we needed to disable or take them off, at will.
The Perfects escorted Douma and Raphael to a separate enclosure, somewhere to our left, on the ground floor of the colosseum. They took us to the diamond dome, where we were going to be reunited with our people.
My heart felt heavy. Lead settled in my stomach. Fear gripped my throat. We were risking a lot to do what we were about to do. One look at Nevis, and my resolve came back with the strength of a cosmic storm. We were in the right place, and we were about to systematically take down the greatest enemy we’d ever faced.
Ridan
If someone had told me weeks ago that I’d fall in love with someone like Amane, I would’ve conked them on the head. If they’d told me that I’d feel so miserable watching her walk away with Ta’Zan, I probably would’ve laughed. But I wasn’t laughing now. I was bruising on the inside, uneasy and downright stressed out, knowing the kind of trouble she’d willingly gotten herself into in order to help us.
Then again, she was also helping herself and her sister. Ta’Zan had to be stopped, and our feelings for each other took a backseat on this one. I managed to look away as Amane and Amal walked quietly behind Ta’Zan toward what had to be his labs, while four Perfect guards took Douma and Raphael to another hall—their private prison, from what I’d understood. Having them kept separate from us hadn’t been part of the plan, but it wasn’t a deal breaker. We’d find our way back to them, eventually. They were our friends and allies, even though they belonged to a species that had been brainwashed into hating us.
The rest of the guards marched on both sides of us, escorting the entire group to the diamond dome. Looking around, I noticed that no one was comfortable with the shock collars—and I couldn’t blame them.
“It’ll take a little bit to get used to the pins in the back of your neck,” Varga said quietly as he walked by my side.
“Yeah, not my biggest injury so far,” I replied, then glanced at Sofia. “Are you okay?”
Sofia scoffed, shaking her head in dismay. “You shouldn’t have come here.”
“I wasn’t going to let you die, Mom. None of us were willing to do that,” Rose said. I could almost feel her anguish, as it was clearly imprinted on her face.
“It’s going to be okay,” Ben added.
He couldn’t say much else, given that we were surrounded by hostiles who kept giving us sideways glances. The air felt so thick between us that a mere flinch could trigger them. I kept my cool as they led us down the massive hallway.
The diamond dome doors opened wide. The Perfects motioned for us to go in. We obeyed, calmly walking into our temporary new home—a hopeful emphasis on “temporary.” Derek and the others quickly gathered in the middle of the massive hall, then rushed toward us.
“Sofia!” Derek gasped, then darted forward and took her in his arms. “Honey… You’re okay!”
She nodded briskly, then showered him with kisses. A few seconds later, the other prisoners reached us. It was reunion time, and it wasn’t easy to keep my eyes dry as I watched them hug and kiss each other as if tomorrow might never come.
“Sweetie! We were hoping we would never see you here!” Claudia exclaimed as she and Yuri wrapped their arms around Elonora.
“We had to come,” Varga replied.
Claudia measured Elonora from head to toe, as if checking to see that she was okay, before shifting her focus onto Varga. “You surrendered. You shouldn’t have.”
Jovi and Dmitri hugged, quickly joined by their grandparents, Xavier and Vivienne. Avril was nearly suffocated with kisses from her parents—Lucas and Marion were beside themselves.
Ben and Rose put their arms around Derek and Sofia, taking turns to kiss them and whisper kind words, thankful to be together again. Claudia and Ibrahim were practically shaking when Kailani came out of our group and hugged them.
It was good to see everyone together again. But at the same time, this wasn’t how we’d planned it. We’d seen ourselves coming in victoriously, opening the diamond dome doors and smilingly telling them that they were finally free.
Heath came out from the prisoner crowd and gave me a bear hug that nearly suffocated me. “Good to see you, Brother. Though I would’ve loved it if we’d reunited as far away from this wretched place as possible.”
