When it finally came time to take a meeting with the leadership of the rebellion, Kiva led them to an unexpected place—a well, located at the edge of town. When they realized where they were going, everyone but Kaleb looked surprised, and Kiva noticed.

"Samira's been able to keep Zaman from permanently stationing urks or elites, but they still come through sometimes," Kiva explained. "We can’t resist the King's Authority, so we needed somewhere safe, hidden, and disconnected from the town to operate out of. And, since the Pavers weren't using it . . ."

She led them down the well, and into the secret entrance into what had once been the Pavers' headquarters in Shadefall. The last time most of them had been here, List had set most of the upper levels on fire, and the Pavers inside had been too busy evacuating their incapacitated to put it out. The above ground office was still a charred husk, but underground was a different story.

The damage List had done had been renovated, the remnants of the Pavers' ruined things disposed of, and new supplies and even furniture had been brought in. There was an armory, a general storeroom, a kitchen, bunks, and even a washroom.

Kiva and the outsiders were the only ones inside, but evidence of others working and living here was everywhere. It couldn't have been many people, but for as small a space as it was, it was a tidy, functional headquarters.

Xigbar let out an impressed whistle. "Cleaned the place up pretty nice."

"We did what we could," Kiva said, casting him a sidelong look. With just a touch of bitterness, she added, "Hope we didn't turn your room into a closet."

"I lived upstairs," Xigbar said, noting the touch of hostility and meeting it with a smile. "For what it's worth, I also disagreed with the number of people we were robbing."

"The number," Kiva said. "And not the fact that you were robbing people."

"And how much of the stuff down here have you paid for, Little Miss Rebel?"

Kiva huffed. "It's not stealing if it's from the Chosen."

"Uh huh."

Kiva looked like she wanted to keep arguing, but they'd reached their destination. She jerked a thumb to the door they all stood in front of. "The boss is waiting in here. She can give you the full pitch, and probably answer more questions than I can."

She gave a warmer expression to Valerie and List. "I hope you guys decide to stick around."

Then she left, and the outsiders entered to find Samira Shen, headwoman of Shadefall, sitting at a desk waiting for them. Samira looked as though she'd aged ten years in the last one. There were new worry lines on her face, and bags under her eyes. The scattered gray in her hair had become much more present, and her clothes looked like she'd fallen asleep in them the night before. At this desk.

"Well, if it isn't our favorite outsiders." She rose to greet them, shaking Arden's extended hand. "I see you've picked up a few more strays."

"I am trying not to make a habit of it," Arden said. "But in this instance, it's proven beneficial. Samira, this is Kaleb. An outsider like us, through we hail from different lands. Xigabr, I believe you already know."

"By reputation," Samira said, narrowing her eyes. "Switch sides then, did you?"

"My old crew stabbed me in the back. Decided to try something new."

Samira eyes Arden. "You trust him?"

"No," List and Arden said in unison. Valerie gave a noncommittal wave of her hand. Kaleb was the one to actually vouch for him.

"He wants revenge on the Pavers, he wants to live, and working with us is his best shot for both of those goals," Kaleb said. "You can trust that."

Kaleb met Xigbar's eyes, and did his best to silently callback to the choice he had watched Xigbar make in the canyon. To stay with them, to save them instead of betraying them. It would be harder for the others to take it on faith that Xigbar really was committed to them, so Kaleb had focused on the practical side of things, but he knew the truth. And he wanted Xigbar to know he knew.

It was a mixed success. Xigbar met Kaleb's eyes, but he seemed more surprised than grateful. Internally, Kaleb sighed. He'd seen List and Valerie carry out entire conversations without saying a word. Apparently, he and Xigbar still had work to do to get there.

If we ever will.

Kaleb shook his head. Not even a few months of having allies outside the Harvest, and he was already fantasizing about deeper friendship. He really was awful at the Principles.

Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit.

Samira reexamined Xigbar, and the thief gave his best smile. She was unimpressed, but shrugged. "If he's with you, he's with you, I suppose. And we aren't exactly spoiled for choice with recruits."

"I'd imagine," Arden said. "How exactly did you become the head of a rebellion against the Chosen?"

"I didn't know the Songs, the old Chosen, but Egon's wife was my friend," Samira said. "I've hated Zaman as long as I've known him. I only have this job because enough people trusted me and were willing to listen to me, and he needed something to pacify us after killing Diyah, so that something was me. For the longest time, I thought the best thing I could do was run this town as best I could and keep it out of Zaman's attention. But then I found out what Kiva and the boys were up to."

She shook her head. "It wasn't much at first. Mostly vandalism, stealing, causing trouble. I told them they were being reckless, and making more problems, not a difference. Apparently, they took that as constructive criticism. They started making plans. They hit Zaman in places it actually hurt. They burgled a headman loyal to Zaman, and gave the money to families who'd lost people to monster attacks

"Egon and I both met with them then. We told them they were being stupid. That they were going to get themselves killed. And Kiva turned that around into an argument that if we knew better, we should be the ones organizing things, not them."

Her eyes fell for a moment. "To tell the truth, it shamed me. To see children—to see my son—act when I did not. To see Diyah's daughter to more to avenge her friends than I did mine. So, I did what they suggested. I took the reigns. But I still prefer not to think of this as a rebellion."

"Why?" Valerie asked.

"True rebellions don't work in Xykesh," Samira said. "The last time someone really tried to end Digax's rule, the dragon wiped out the entire city that was leading the effort, and spent months hunting down people in the province until there was nothing left. The Tyrant will not tolerate challenges to his authority. But her does permit his Chosen to be replaced."

"Like with the Songs," Kaleb said. "Zaman killed them to take the job in the first place."

"As long as whoever is in incharge acknowledges the King's rule and pays tribute to him, Digax does not care who his Chosen are, or what they do," Samira said. "We could never win a war. Not against Digax, or even against Zaman. But with the right strike, at the right time, with the right preparation…we could remove him."

"So long as someone took over," Arden noted. "Who would that be?"

Samira saw Arden's direction immediately. "I don't want a throne, or a pretty badge of office. I want my people to be safe. I've been making more and more contact with the other headmen and women, gauging where their loyalties and ambitions lie. I am not the only one unsatisfied with the Chosen's rule. When he is gone, those of us with a vision for a better Lochmire will meet to appoint a new Chosen."

Arden nodded, accepting this. "I admit, politics was never my particular field of study. In truth, for what I've seen, I think I would like to see a Lochmire run by you, Shen. At the very least, more than I would Zaman's continued stewardship."

"So, kill the king, become the king," List said. "Great. We're in. When do we start?"

Samira didn't say anything immediately, but her face brightened a notch. "Most of this last year, we've spent moving as carefully as we can, conducting operations with limited chance of crossing elites or anyone else who can use the King's Authority, keeping focus off of Shadefall, and reaching out to spread our messaging. Most outsiders either don't care about Xykeshan politics, or they are keeping their head down, because they know being an outsider is only legal as long as you stay out of trouble."

For a flash, Valerie remembered the feeling of a noose around her neck.

"José is one of our only outsiders, and he's one young man with a full enough workload as our best spy," Samira said. "With you five, we can move more openly, and more quickly. If we can gather everything that we need, we can be ready to make a move on Zaman by tax season, at the start of summer. Even if he gets the problems at the border with Trandore sorted, he'll be busy organizing the tribute to Digax. It will be the best time to strike at him."

Assuming Valerie's math and date tracking were all in order, it was late winter now, which meant Samira's plans were likely going to involve a very busy spring for all of them. But they hadn't come here for a vacation.

"Just tell us how we can help," she said.

Samira gave a full smile then, before glancing ruefully at her desk. "As much as I'd like to get started now, I've been down here too long, and I still have a town to run. Get settled in down here; we can't have five of the Chosen's most wanted fugitives staying in our most popular bar. As soon as I have something for you, I'll let you know."

With that, the meeting wrapped, and the outsiders were again joined by Kiva, who led them to the bunkroom where trunks of things were everything they'd left in the Scaled Maiden was already waiting for them. Since that wasn't much, Kiva had also taken the liberty of stocking footlockers with basic necessities for each of them. Nobody else lived in the headquarters, she explained, but fellow rebels from other towns slept here while they were in, and she, Daniel, and Thomas would sleep here when they were up late prepping or if any agents of the Chosen came to town.

They were just in the process of claiming bunks—Valerie and Xigbar taking top bunks, List and Kaleb below them respectively, and Arden in a bottom bunk in another corner of the room—when José appeared in the doorway.

"José?" Kiva asked. "What are you doing here? How are you here? I thought you left to get back to the army?"

"Ah, but what would be the magic of me just telling you?" José asked. When Kiva narrowed her eyes, he shrugged. "The portals the little man makes stay open a while, if you know how to coax them out. Once I knew everything was clear with my other bosses, I came back to see how our new friends were doing. Well, no?"

"We're here to help," Valerie said.

"Excellent, excellent," José said. "Because I have a few ideas to run by all of you. How do you feel about another prison break?"