Page 33 of Marked Resistance

“Why are you here?” Xavier repeated.

“We ran into these two down at the docks. They asked us to accompany them once we all verified Shaye.”

Xavier shifted his balance and studied Ilanis and Grim head-on. “You never trusted me?”

“Oi, you’re my brother. Youknowthis! But when it comes to cunt? No, I don’t trust you, or any man.”

“I don’t know what this weird hold she has on you is,” Ilanis answered. “But I knew something. You slipped up, Xavier.”

Xavier raised an eyebrow. “Excuse me?”

“When you called her ‘Zee,’ back in that building.”

“I didn’t call her, ‘Zee',’ as you put it,” Xavier answered as monotoned as Rene.

Rene cleared her throat. “And I quote, ‘then we’d better split up. We no longer have the luxury of taking our time. We need to cover more ground. Ilanis, you, and Grim check the dock and the coastline.Zeeand I will stay here and search the town. Remember, she’s a youngling, so she’ll be fast.”

Xavier’s demeanor remained steadfast. He didn’t move, he didn’t speak, he didn’t so much as blink. He stayed fixated on Ilanis and Grim. His silence wrapped the area in tension so thick, a sword would be unable to work its way through.

“Someone fucked up,” Mikhail deadpanned.

“Is that the girl?” Rene asked Ilanis.

“Yes,” she answered with a nod. “That’s our target. That’s our rogue.”

“That’s my sister!” I barked.

“Well, then,” Rene said. “I recognize a lead when I see one,” he directed to Xavier.

“As do I,” Xavier agreed.

“As two leads, you know how this has to go. Command tasked you to end a rogue. Since the three of you emerged from inside the hut, with everyone intact, it’s pretty safe to say you had no intention of harming the girl. That puts you in direct defiance of a direct order. That makes you at best a deserter, and at worst, a traitor. There’s not much more to be said, is there?”

“You can still walk away,” Xavier warned. “Turn around, lead Echo squad out of her. Live.”

David chuckled and Mikhail scoffed. Rene sucked in air through his teeth.

“Where do they find these kinds of guys?” David asked. “Hello? Genius? We’re Echo squad, you’re November. That means we’re better than you.”

“Walk away,” Xavier said. “This will not end well. For you. Turn around, and head back up the coast. Go find your rogue named Ruby. Live to fight and serve another day.”

“Or,” David countered. “We kill you two for being traitors and murder your rogue. Then Command will forgive our failure. Three in exchange for one is a much better prize.”

Xavier shifted to Ilanis. “And you agree with this?”

“Oi, it was her plan,” Grim schooled.

“So be it,” Xavier said and sighed. His voice broke as he spoke. He rotated partly to look over his shoulder at me and Sarah. “You two get out of here. I’ll catch up with you soon.”

“I’m not going anywhere,” I snarled and clenched my teeth.

“She’s not going anywhere,” Rene said.

“Are you not going to draw your sword?” David asked Xavier.

Xavier’s eyes narrowed. “No. You only have a few minutes left. I want you to feel like you had a chance before you leave this world.”

Xavier turned his back to them and faced me completely. “You and your sister stay behind me.”

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