Alpha Isaiah ✔️

TWENTY TWO

Word Count: 1994

~Avia

Malin stands in front of me, arms crossed over her chest.

"Absolutely not."

"Malin..."

"It's too late in the game to be bringing in someone from inside Isaiah's home into the rebellion," she exclaims. Everyone else in the room, sitting at the table, doesn't say anything, knowing not to intervene when Malin and I are arguing. I came back here thinking she would be glad someone from inside Isaiah's estate would want to join our rebellion.

I collapse into the chair next to Kadrick, wishing he would join, even though I know supporting me isn't worth upsetting Malin. "Isn't that exactly who we should be bringing in?"

"Nothing can go wrong. What part of that don't you understand?" she questions.

I know that better than anyone. It's all I think about. Everything is up to me now, to get as much information out of Isaiah as I can. So far, I've garnered a lot, but everyone is waiting for me to come back with news that could change up everything.

"Can it get much worse, Zire already knows..." I mutter, tipping my head back. I've been true to Zire and I's bargain, and not dug into anything involving him. Only very few in our current group know much about him.

"That's on you," Malin snaps, pointing her finger at me. I narrow my eyes. "You are jeopardising this mission."

"Avia didn't have any other choice. Come on Malin," Kadrick cuts in, trying to soothe Malin's irritated outburst. She doesn't snap at Kadrick like she does with me, although when they do fight, there's less reason to forgive him, than me. That's always been Malin and I's relationship, though.

Fight, and forgive. All in less than an hour.

"I spoke more to Caiya," I tell her. "She has learnt to resent Isaiah's father, Kit, as she is required to tend to him when he visits. Her family aren't well off, and she wants to be apart of the inevitable uprising."

Malin chews on her fingernail, shifting from foot to foot. "I don't trust her."

"I do, and I have half a say in who we bring in, as I also lead this along with you, remember?" I remind her. It's not often I remind her that we are on equal ground, even though she pushes that. It makes it easier on me, to concentrate on the mission, while she handles the affairs with the members.

"Fine," she sighs, although her reluctance is painfully obvious in the way it seeps from her. "But if she's a spy, I'm going to make you kill her."

My mouth falls open, but Malin merely turns, storming from the room. I stare at her departing figure, unsure of how serious she is. Kill? We don't kill, that was the rule. Not unless we have no other choice. Everyone else at the table seems just as stunned, silent for a long moment before they resume muttered conversations with their neighbours.

"Malin's under a lot of stress. We are so close to getting it, your information is really helping," Kadrick says softly from beside me.

He's trying to cool the fire before it starts.

"How do you think I feel? Zire knows, Caiya knows, Elise is threatened by me, Kit is secretly abusive and Isaiah is seconds away from actually wanting to be with me..." I hiss lowly, trying not to let everyone else see how much this is weighing on me, on how much Malin weighs on me.

"Hey, calm down." Kadrick grabs my hand, squeezing it. "It's okay."

No, it's not okay, but I'm not about to make him think that. Kadrick isn't a bad man, and he is already shouldering the reality that I'm in Isaiah's estate trying to seduce him...The least I can do is keep my concerns to myself.