The next day, I woke up feeling equal parts sated and worried. Today was the day; Cavil sent the invitation to his grand party last night, letting everyone in Galla know that he would be traveling back to Ethros soon and expected everyone to be at his going away party.

I was shocked by his insistent need for praise and recognition. What about Cavil's life had made him crave the attention and adoration of the empire?

"Morning," Huxley murmured into my hair. We slept wrapped up in a tangle of limbs and exhaustion. He held me all night, and I enjoyed watching his peaceful face as he slept.

We reluctantly headed downstairs for breakfast after getting dressed. The other Companions sat with us, eating in silence. Kaye had disappeared for a walk sometime this morning. None of us bothered her as she still seemed upset by her sister's abandonment. Madam B and Louis made quick work of briefing us at breakfast. "Louis and Kemper were unable to finish the Heat disabler in time," she said before chomping down on a muffin.

Tallis frowned but seemed resigned to the fact that it wouldn't work. Everyone already knew about Kaye's sister giving up, so this seemed to just dampen the already dark mood. "I'll alert the Resistance," Jules said with a sigh.

"No," Madam B immediately replied. It was the first I'd seen her not act calm. "We still need the riots. Once Cavil is dead, it'll give us the momentum we need to really spark change. If they know we've failed to disable Heat, they won't stand up. We really need what few members of the Resistance we have."

"They'll be killed," I replied before pursing my lips. "You can't just send them to their deaths."

"Some may die, yes. But they're smart. Resilient. I'm sure more would survive than you think."

Tallis stood and scowled at Madam B. "No. That's not how I lead." He slammed a fist on the table, causing drinks to spill and food to splatter everywhere. Opposite him, Madam B seemed unphased by his outburst.

"You forget where you are," she murmured. "I've planned this all. You used my connections to get behind enemy lines. My Companions got you access to Mr. Black. I think you should tread very carefully."

I watched their ping ponged aggression and tried to piece together their motives. Why would Madam B risk so many? "Who does Cavil have that is important to you?" I asked while cocking my head to the side. I wanted to get to the bottom of her motivations and was determined to find out who exactly Madam B was doing this for.

"What do you mean?" she scoffed, but I saw the fear in her eyes. I was on to something, I just knew it.

"I want to know why you're doing this. Why do you want Cavil dead?"

She stood up and took a step back, as if being backed into a corner. "I want him dead for the same reasons you do. Cavil is evil."

"Enough," Jules said, eyeing me with annoyance but accepting why I needed to know. We were too close to the end of this. Madam B may be willing to risk the members of the Resistance, but I wasn't. I needed to know that she wouldn't betray us. This empire was too full of power-hungry people willing to step on anyone to get what they wanted.

She looked around the room, seemingly accepting that there was nothing she could do to stop the questions. "I have a relationship with a dignitary from Saberus. He has a fetter and is now a forced advisor to Cavil. Lowe is responsible for getting him out of there."

I snapped my attention to Lowe, and she shrugged. "I'm just following orders."

"I've known him for a long time. I've...loved him for a long time. I just want him out of there and safe. That's my motive." I took in the way her eyes went soft with affection. Her bottom lip dropped, as if she was remembering something with fondness. I knew then that she was just a woman in love, desperate to get him back. Like me, almost.

Jules tilted her head to the side. "This dignitary, you don't have any ideas about him being the new emperor, do you? Because that's not going to happen."

"I don't care about any of that. We need the riots to distract the guards so we can sneak out in the tunnels. They've been patrolling the auction post more lately. And if Cavil is killed, they're going to be out in full force, making sure that no one leaves Galla. Kaye is only going to be able to poison the men in Cavil's tower. The Zone is still flooded with hundreds of guards."

I slumped back in my seat and puffed out some air. She was right, we couldn't leave unless the guards were distracted. I flashed my eyes to Kemper, and I knew that he was trying to piece together a plan that didn't involve using the Resistance as sacrificial lambs.

"What about all the other Walkers? The ones that'll be left here," I asked.

"I don't know."

I bit my bottom lip. Madam B wasn't a mastermind. She wasn't equipped to lead a resistance or make grand plans for taking down an empire. She was a woman in love and looking out for herself.

"We need a distraction, Kemp," Jules said while standing. I always appreciated her ability to thread together a plan. I found myself leaning on the edge of my seat, clinging to her every word. "We need something on the complete opposite side of the Zone to draw the attention of the guards. Then the members of the Resistance need to help get Walkers through the tunnels and out of Galla."

"How many people live in the Zone?" I asked Louis, feeding off her feeble plan.

"A few hundred? Our numbers are dismal."

"So reach out to the Resistance. Let them know—"

"What is it with people jumping in and stealing my thunder!" Jules exclaimed with a joking smile. Everyone around us laughed. "Anyways. Tallis, reach out to the Resistance. Tell them the new plan. Each member will be assigned a street. Their job will be to get as many Walkers as they can out of here. Things will be utter chaos for a while."

"Where will they go?" Lowe asked.

"The Deadlands," I whispered.

Everyone sat back in their seats while taking in the plan for tonight. Jade would kill Cavil. Kaye would poison the tower guards. I would get Cy and Mav out, and members of the Resistance would help Walkers in the Zone escape.

"We just need a distraction," Kemper said with a smile while looking at Louis. "Think we can handle that?"

"Oh. Absolutely," Louis replied with a sadistic grin that both terrified and comforted me. We had a plan. A real plan. I just hoped it worked.

Jules got me ready before leaving to go with Tallis. Her place in all of this was to help guide people through the underground tunnels. "You ready, Walker Queen?" she asked me with a fond smirk.

I looked down at the dress I wore with a smile and tried not to feel giddy. I needed to keep a level head and be flexible tonight. This was it, I'd finally have all my men back. "I think so!" I replied. The dress was sleek and, again, white. Unlike my other dresses, though, it had black leggings covered by thick tulle, a design that Jules proudly came up with. That way, when the time came, I could ditch the dress and run.

"You should design clothes," I told her. My time with Jules here was pleasant. She seemed happier when near Tallis, and having a purpose had brought her to this new state of awareness about herself. She was confident and didn't seem as dependent upon the approval or acceptance of others. Just then, Tallis walked into the small bathroom. He leaned against the door frame and stared at Jules.

"Agapimenos, you almost ready?" he asked.

"Almost," she replied while pulling a knife from a holster on her thigh. "I was thinking you should have this, just in case."

I looked down at the silver knife while cocking my eyebrow. It was beautiful and silver plated. Almost decorative. "Madam B gave it to me on my first mission. Figured it was good luck, and I could pass it along to you."

"There is no way I'm sneaking that inside," I replied while clutching my chest. They’d catch me for sure.

Jules didn't respond, she simply rolled her eyes and spun me around. I felt her hands in my hair as she rolled the knife up and twisted. "It's now in your hair. I hear these things are big drunk fests. With any luck, the guards will be too busy looking at your breasts to pay attention to the shiny thing in your hair."

We both exchanged small giggles before Tallis cleared his throat. "Come on, Agapimenos. Time to go." Jules stood after squeezing my shoulder.

"Be strong," she said. Tallis wrapped his arms around her middle and pulled her out of the doorway, but I could still see their shadows. I blushed when I heard her moan, and he kissed her down the hall. I was happy for them, Jules deserved a man like Tallis. She deserved love. Didn't we all?

Downstairs, Huxley was pacing the floor while Kemper and Louis wired something that looked like a bunch of household appliances woven together. "What's that?" I asked.

It was Jacob's mindspeak that answered. "They say it's a bomb, but I think they're just tossing shit together like fucking evil scientists."

Kemper tossed a rogue wire at him, and I covered my mouth to laugh. "Damn, Ash. You look good," Patrick said. He strolled up and gave me a giant hug. "You ready to save Cy and Mav?" he asked.

"I'm ready to go home," I replied. I'd been granted the opportunity to see the world, meet new people, and travel to exotic places. But at the cusp of it all, I just wanted to be back in Dormas with its simple cabins and simple people.

"Me too," Kemper said while clipping a wire into place.

"I wanted to tell you all something before I go," I said while waiting for each of them to stop what they were doing to look at me. "Under no circumstance is anyone allowed to stay behind nor do something stupid. At the end of the night, I expect all my men to be in the same place at the same time. Is that understood?" I asked.

Huxley smirked at me before strolling over and placing a long kiss upon my lips. "You got it, little Walker."

Jacob's mindspeak went frazzled. "Why does her bossy voice turn me on so much? God, keep it under control, Jacob!" He didn't even look embarrassed when I gave him a look. I’d grown used to his mindspeak. I missed his honey tone but loved knowing each of his thoughts. I almost now couldn’t imagine him without it.

"Of course," Patrick and Kemper said at the same time, each looking at each other and laughing before going back to what they were doing.

I looked at them all once more before the rest of the Companions came downstairs. I knew that tonight would change everything. I just hoped I was ready.