Page 54 of Chosen
Braeden had come up with a plan to get witnesses to ensure a fair challenge.
Looking back, I wonder if I had been manipulated all this time into doing my cousin’s bidding.
What I found more disturbing was that over the last several months, he’d slowly replaced some of the key staff members without me realizing.
Another thing I’d discovered just this morning, somehow my instruction to lock Jamie’s file had been overridden. Only the system technicians had the ability to hack into the system to override my command.
There would only be one person who would dare go behind my back to do something like that.
Now that my cousin knew about Jamie’s status, I knew he would somehow use it against me. Maybe tell me that I need another breeder. Or worse yet, call for her execution.
Whatever he had up his sleeve, I had to keep her safe.
I’m thankful I at least had the foresight to bring Ayla in. I’d known her in my days fighting in the pit. She was what people would call a hybrid. She carriedsuperiousblood but not enough to be classified as one. She had been assigned as an aide to one of the wealthy elites. It turns out the one she was assigned to enjoyed making bets in the pit. He thought it was amusing to see Ayla fight because of her hybrid status.
It turns out she was one of the fiercest fighters in the ring, defeating male and female opponents alike. We never got to fight because she was in a different weight class than me but I’d gotten to know her because she would always give me helpful information about my upcoming opponents because her Master had insider information.
I don’t know if I could call her a friend but I’d grown to respect her. When I was summoned by my uncle, I promised that I would see that she was given a safer assignment.
Shortly after I became the Sector Leader, I was finally able to fulfill that promise but by then she’d already been reassigned because her Master had lost all his wealth gambling and could no longer afford all his servants. I saw that she was given an attendants position and I figured she’d be safe.
But after the incident with those two maids and finding out some of the staff was literally trying to cause harm to anyone seen as loyal to me, I had to bring in someone whom not only I could trust but someone who would protect Jamie without being too obvious.
For the past several days I’ve been going through staff files and highlighting the ones I believe are loyal to me and flagging the ones who are loyal to my cousin.
The only thing about his plan is that there’s no way he can defeat me in a challenge, unless less he had something up his sleeve. He had to have some other kind of plan. But what.
I knew if it came down to it, I could trust Ayla to get Jamie out of the fortress but then what?
For the past three years as Sector Leader, I’d been fighting to prove I was worthy and capable of running my sector, but all along my cousin had been sabotaging me. My efforts for making improvements had all been met with some kind of obstruction.
But now I was no longer just fighting for myself, I was fighting for Jamie. I had to keep her safe and that meant reaching out for help.
I press the communication button screen and type in the code contact to reach Sector 2.
I would normally go through my communications director to make an intersectoral call but I had yet to determine who’s side he is own.
I wait for the signal to go through and am greeted by the Communication director of Sector 2.
A holographic image pops up when a connection is made. “Greetings from Sector 2. Sector Leader Draken,” to what do I owe the honor of this call. He doesn’t hide the surprise from his voice, but he immediately bows his head out of respect for my title.
“I offer my apologies for the time difference, I must speak to the Sector Leader. It is an emergency.”
“I will see if I can reach him. His last message to me was to not be disturbed but I believe he will make an exception for you, Sector Leader.”
The screen goes black as I wait for a response. Anxiety grips my heart. What if he doesn’t wish to take my call? Or worse yet, if he does come on, maybe he’ll gloat and tell me that I wasn’t foolish for taking his offer to give him the extra time. Had I just left Jamie in Sector 2 I might have been able to work with him to figure her situation out. But in my arrogance, I believed I could handle it on my own.
Now I fear, the control was quickly slipping from my hands.
Several minutes later, a holographic image appears and it’s Sector Leader Magnus. I’ve only ever seen him in his full uniform and he’s always been well put together. But now, his hair is in disarray and he’s in robe that’s not pulled tight enough to cover his bare chest.
“Sector Leader Draken, Greetings. I trust you’ve taken into account the time difference in our Sectors.”
This wasn’t getting off to a good start. I want to disconnect the call but I can’t allow my pride to get in the way of receiving the help I need not only for me but for Jamie as well.
“Yes, I’m aware, and I offer my sincerest apologies for disturbing you. If I thought this could wait, I would have contacted you at a more acceptable time.”
He sighs and rakes his fingers through his red tresses. “No, I’m the one who should apologize for my surliness. Things have been busy around the manor in preparation for the arrival of our first child. I’m assuming you’re calling because of Jamie. Is everything okay with her? Has something happened?”
