The revelation hung heavy in the air, a suffocating shroud of loss and despair. Erin's words, choked with a grief that threatened to spill over, washed away any lingering skepticism I held about her past. Tears welled in her eyes, reflecting the flickering firelight in a heartbreaking mix of defiance and sorrow.

A strangled gasp escaped Finn’s lips, usually so quick with a witty remark. Even Kass let out a soft breath of shock. The weight of Erin's confession settled upon us all like a leaden blanket.

The question remained, unspoken but burning bright in my mind – what about Caleb? Was he truly one of them, or had he played a part in the King's purge? The flicker of doubt, once a small ember, now roared into a raging inferno.

Just an hour ago, Caleb stood beside the King, his face an emotionless mask. How could he have been a firebrand at Falcata, a kindred spirit yearning for change, and now be the King's loyal guard? Confusion warred with a newfound understanding as I looked at Erin, whose tear-streaked face held a silent answer.

Without needing words, I understood. Erin wasn't just a survivor of the resistance at Falcata, she was the one who had taken action. A slow realization dawned, replacing the suspicion with a chilling certainty.

Erin, her voice barely a rasp, spoke, confirming my suspicions.

"A few weeks ago, when I left after our argument, I went to the castle. I suspected...the King wouldn't die, but he could be neutralized. Paralyzed, perhaps. Kept away from the prisoners he controls." She paused, her gaze flickering to the window as if reliving the scene. "Wolfsbane. It weakens the muscles, renders them useless. I laced an arrow with it."

Erin's voice, though a whisper, echoed in the room, heavy with the weight of her decision. The assassin. The one who tried to cripple the very man Caleb now served. A wolfsbane arrow. That must have been the gift the King was talking about. The revelation slammed into me, a cold fist around my heart.

Suddenly, the tangled web of Caleb's actions began to unravel, and a horrifying possibility emerged.

"You," I breathed, the word hanging heavy in the air. The pieces were clicking into place with a horrifying clarity. Erin, her face etched with a mixture of grief and determination, simply nodded.

"I fled after seeing what the poison did," she continued, her voice barely a whisper. "I needed to get back to you, to report what happened. But..." She trailed off, her eyes taking on a distant look. "I found him outside the castle walls. Caleb."

A chill ran down my spine. "Caleb?" I echoed, the confusion battling with a growing sense of dread.

"The guards were dragging him out of the dungeons. He was weak, barely conscious. The poison..." Erin choked on the words, her hand flying to her mouth. "He must have gone to check on the prisoners, the ones bonded to the King. He was affected too."

The revelation hit me like a physical blow. Caleb, bound to the king by the same cruel magic that held the prisoners captive. The assassin and the king's loyal guard – connected by a poisoned arrow and a shared fate.

"That's when I knew," Erin said, her voice a mere tremor. "He was trapped. Bound to him."

Her eyes met mine, a desperate plea for understanding flickering within them.

The air crackled with a tension as thick as the smoke curling from the fireplace. Erin's revelation hung heavy, the weight of it settling on my shoulders like a leaden cloak. Caleb, the rebel leader, her partner in crime, her twin flame – bound to the very King he once dreamt of overthrowing.

"He told me then, after he woke up," Erin rasped, her voice barely audible. "After the first…executions." A shudder wracked her, the memory raw and painful. "He went to the King, a desperate plea. Offered himself as a spy, an informant, in exchange for his friends' lives."

My blood ran cold. A spy? Caleb, the rebel, reduced to stooping to the King's level? Yet, a sliver of understanding flickered through the confusion. Desperation could breed strange choices, especially when faced with the brutal murder of friends.

"The King…agreed?" I managed, my voice a hoarse whisper.

Erin nodded, a single tear tracing a path down her cheek. "He saw Caleb's potential. A rebel turned loyalist, a fly buzzing close to the heart of the resistance. Valuable intel, the King must have thought."

A bitter taste filled my mouth. Used, manipulated. Caleb's rebellion twisted into a distorted loyalty, a leash held tight by the king. The anger that simmered within me threatened to boil over.

"But why serve the King now?" I pressed, my voice laced with a sharp edge. "His friends are dead. What does the King hold over him now?"

Erin shook her head, her eyes filled with a deep sadness. "He has us now. He thinks he can still work from within, find a way to sever the bond, to free himself and maybe find a way to dismantle the King's control from the inside."

A spark of hope ignited within me, a fragile ember amongst the ashes of despair. Could it be true? Was Caleb playing a long game, a desperate gamble to topple the very system that held him captive?

Unauthorized usage: this tale is on Amazon without the author's consent. Report any sightings.

But doubt gnawed at the edges of hope. Was Erin naive, clinging to a shred of possibility in the face of a harsh reality? Only time, and perhaps Caleb himself, would reveal the truth behind his allegiance.

The silence stretched, thick with the weight of Caleb's burden. Anger simmered within me, but it was quickly replaced by a deep empathy for the impossible choice he'd been forced to make.

"Why didn't you tell us, Erin?" I finally asked, my voice softer now, laced with understanding. "Why keep Caleb's secret all this time?"

Erin met my gaze, a well of unshed tears glistening in her eyes. "Because I promised him," she whispered, her voice thick with emotion. "He was terrified. Terrified of how everyone would react, how you'd see him. He thought you'd hate him, cast him out for becoming the King's dog."

Hate. The word hung in the air, heavy and suffocating. Did I hate him? The very thought sent a jolt through me. Hate was a simple emotion, easy to understand. But what I felt for Caleb right now was a tangled mess of anger, betrayal, and a sickening sense of violation.

He'd been forced, yes. But the information he'd revealed, even under duress, had given the King a glimpse into our world, our plans, even our most intimate moments. Moments I'd shared with Caleb, moments I'd thought were safe, a refuge from the harsh realities of our lives. Now, they were tainted, poisoned by the knowledge that the King had been a silent observer.

Tears pricked at my eyes, blurring the scene before me. The King's amusement, Caleb’s anguish, Erin’s crumpled form on the floor – it all swam into a distorted image of despair. We were trapped, pawns in a twisted game orchestrated by a madman. And the worst part? I wasn't even sure who the real enemy was anymore.

Erin shook her head. "He wasn't just forced to serve the King. He had to become him, at least on the surface. He had to earn the King's trust, become his confidante. Every action, every word, a carefully crafted performance."

The image of Caleb, his face an emotionless mask, flashed in my mind. Now, I saw it not as loyalty, but as a carefully constructed disguise.

"So that's why he was so against attacking the castle, about killing the King head on," I murmured, the pieces finally clicking into place.

Erin nodded, a hint of sadness in her eyes. "He was protecting the prisoners, yes, but he was also protecting his cover. One wrong move, and the King's wrath could fall on not just him, but all of us."

Memories flooded back, vivid and undeniable. The way Caleb had subtly steered us away from attacking the castle, protecting the prisoners bonded to the King. And most importantly, the way he tackled the King, a desperate act that bought us precious seconds to escape.

"He saved us," I whispered, the realization dawning like a sunrise. "He took a risk, exposed his cover, to give us a chance." A cold dread settled in my stomach, a dreadful realization twisting my insides. "And now..."

Erin finished my unspoken thought, her voice trembling. "Now he's probably being tortured, maybe even executed for his defiance."

I clenched my fists, my nails digging into my palms. "If the wolfsbane hasn't killed him already."

The image of Caleb, broken and at the King's mercy, sent a shiver down my spine. It was a horrifying image, one I desperately tried to push away. But it clung to me like a shadow, a constant reminder of the impossible choice I'd made.

The wolfsbane. A tactical advantage, I'd told myself. A way to even the odds, to give us a fighting chance. But now, it felt more like a curse, a double-edged sword that had left Caleb paralyzed and at the King's mercy.

Shame and anger warred within me. Shame for abandoning him, for prioritizing the mission over his life. Anger that the King, this twisted mockery of a ruler, would stoop to such cruelty.

But beneath the swirling emotions, a sliver of determination remained. Caleb's sacrifice, his desperate gamble, wouldn't be in vain. I wouldn't let it be.

We couldn’t just sit there.

Caleb wasn't just a friend, he was our leader, my confidant, the man whose steely gaze could melt away my fiercest resolve. He was the one who held me close under the starry sky, his vulnerability a stark contrast to his stoic demeanor. He was the one who whispered secrets in the dead of night, secrets echoed in the stolen touches, the lingering glances, the kisses hidden beneath the cloak of rebellion.

But those whispers, were they ever real? Was the warmth in his eyes just a trick of the light? Did he betray us all, or just me? Was he a wolf in borrowed clothing, playing us like naive rabbits?

A bitter laugh escaped my lips. A Rabbit. That's what I used to be. Naive, trusting, easily manipulated. But not anymore. He may have played me, but in that game, he changed me too. He awakened a fire in my soul, a fierceness I never knew I possessed. He may have turned traitor, but he turned me into a wolf as well.

A wolf who wouldn't back down. A wolf who would hunt him down, find the truth, and fight for what's right. This rebellion might be on its knees, but I wouldn't stay there. He may have underestimated the rabbit, but he'd made a grave mistake underestimating the wolf.

"We have to get him out," I declared, my voice firm with conviction.

Erin blinked, surprised by my sudden change of heart.

A choked gasp drew my attention away from her. Kass, her eyes wide with surprise, stammered, "Get him out? Kira, are you insane? We can't just trust his word after everything!"

A spark ignited in Erin's eyes, mirroring my own. "Kira’s right," she agreed, her voice regaining its strength. "We may not know what his plan is, but I know one thing for sure – Caleb is still on our side. It's time we returned the favor."

I knew Caleb. Knew the fire that burned in his soul, the unwavering determination that had become the bedrock of our rebellion.

He wouldn't break. Not under torture, not under threats. He'd endure, his spirit as unyielding as the trees that cradled our hidden refuge. He'd fight for us, for the rebellion, for the dream of a free Cyrennia.

A fierce determination settled in my gut. Looking around at the faces illuminated by the firelight – Father’s weathered features etched with concern, Erin's defiance a searing flame in her eyes, Finn, Kass, Isaac and Elyse slowly regaining their strength – I knew we wouldn't fail.

United by love, loyalty, and a shared purpose, we would break Caleb free and ignite the flames of rebellion that would consume the kingdom. This wasn't just about survival anymore. This was about freedom, about a future where hope could finally bloom.

The night stretched before us, long and fraught with uncertainty. But as I gazed into the dancing flames, I saw not just shadows, but the reflection of our unwavering determination.

We would find Caleb. We would fight. The embers of defiance had been fanned, and they would not be extinguished.