They all started laughing.
“Trent Vowler doesn’t have a kid!” The boss coughed he laughed so hard. "Besides, kid, you don’t have the Noble mark.”
“Do you really think that someone like Trent Vowler would give his son a mere mark like every other Noble?” I tore at my shirt until I was able to pull it away enough to show part of the brand. “How’s this for a mark?”
The bandit put Rix down and walked over to me. He tore my shirt open to display a mark the size of his palm over my heart.
“Check it and you’ll see that it was done by someone over level sixty.” I smiled, but I was feeling anything but confident.
“What are you doing?” Rix screamed.
“Atlas?” I heard Ether’s voice behind me. “What are you doing?”
“It’ll be fine.” I couldn’t look at her. But I couldn’t stand by and let them take Rix to an execution.
“That’s a high level mark alright.” He stroked his chin and looked over at Rix. "I don’t know…”
I could feel the tension in the air.
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“Boss, we gotta go!” Jax was carrying Justia and Ren on his shoulders.
The brown-haired man grabbed me by the shirt and threw me over his shoulder. He walked over and picked up Gesai.
“ATLAS!” Ether’s voice was accentuated by the tears I could now see running down her face.
“Daren, grab Rix.” The Bandit ordered while I was congratulating myself.
The blonde man carrying Oz walked over and picked up Rix.
“Wait!” I struggled, but couldn’t move. "That wasn’t part of our deal!”
“The deal was for someone worth more, but I’m not sure you are who you say you are.” He nodded at the other man. "So she comes along and if you’re lying…” He flipped me down so that I was in front of him. "I’ll send you with her when I turn her in.”
He scooped me back up and kept walking towards the boss room.
I didn’t have anywhere else to look, except back up the road where Ether was screaming my name. Aelin was holding her back while Fray was still on the ground. I tried to mouth I Love You, but I doubted she could hear me and I didn't want to give them an excuse to take anyone else.
I looked up the trail and kept expecting to see Trent come flashing in and vaporize the bad guys, but no one came.
We got to the door of the boss room and the ring went from black to red.
“It’s an Elite then.” The Bandit leader laughed. "Maybe I won’t be able to oneshot this thing.”
I burned the image of Ether into my mind as we went through the gate. I hoped that wouldn’t be the last time she saw me.
I closed my eyes and hoped I’d done the right thing.