The Shadows That Dwell Within (The Warrior Queens book #1) (#Wattys2016)

Chapter 8 - Rosaline

"Come on, you know who Erebus is" Rosaline said.

"Rosaline-"

"Let's look at this objectively" Rosaline said, following Victoria down the corridor. "Things we know about Erebus: he is evil, he is mysterious, and he has no remorse about killing people. Things we know about Dominic: he is evil, he is mysterious, and he has no remorse about killing people".

"Rosaline stop. If I didn't listen to you yesterday, or the day before that, or the day before that, what makes think I'm going to listen to you now?"

"But Vicky I-"

"No. I've had enough" Victoria's expression was stern. "Now we're going to go into this room, and you are not going to breathe a word about Dominic. Understood?"

Rosaline nodded, because it was the only thing you could do when Victoria used that voice. Victoria's face turned grim.

"They've deprioritized the search for Adelaide" Victoria said.

"I don't understand" Rosaline said. Though she understood perfectly. They were mere pawns in the AIA's game. If one was knocked out, what does it matter? Plenty more where that came from.

"Looking for Adelaide won't be their main focus, if it ever was" Victoria said.

"No. I don't understand why they don't seem to care one of their best agents could be dead or worse" Rosaline exasperated.

"They haven't stopped looking. They're just focussing on stopping Erebus" Victoria said.

"Has it occurred to anyone that Erebus could have something to do with Adelaide's disappearance?" Rosaline said. "Think about it. Erebus's followers sabotage our investigation, try to kill us and one of our team goes missing. Coincidence?"

Victoria was silent, as if she might be seriously considering Rosaline's idea for once. Nicholas bursts in the door looking panicked.

"Two more cities have been attacked. They're headed towards New Bethshire" Nicholas spluttered.

"Well then we need to get there first" Victoria said. "Rosaline, find the others and tell them we're going to the capital city".

Rosaline ran as quickly as she could to the receptionist who gave her all the room numbers. Luckily she had been training with the AIA for years, and even before then she had to be fast to be a thief, so running up stairs was hardly a challenge.

The first stop was the gym. It was packed today. There were many people learning how to fight off the monsters that plagued their country. Something they should never have had to learn. It wasn't their job.

"Everyone. We're going to New Bethshire. Enchanters have to go to the weapons room. We've to prepare for beasts" Rosaline shouted.

"Who authorised this decision?" Maxwell said after he jumped off the balance beam into a perfect land.

"I don't know, Victoria said-"

"Victoria is not in charge" Maxwell said.

"Neither are you" Rosaline said crossing her arms and tapping her foot impatiently.

"Then why wasn't a meeting called?" Cecelia piped up.

"I don't know, we don't have time"

Some of the agents start to move off the apparatus and towards the door, but Maxwell held up his hand.

"No one is going anywhere".

An anger flared up inside Rosaline's chest. She wanted to jerk Maxwell's head round until it snapped. Unfortunately that was not an option.