[DISCONTINUED] Protector (Zane X Reader) Book 2

Chapter 15

Your POV

Aphmau didn't react at first, she seemed to be trying to process my words. Maybe I was too.

Though I'd said it with such conviction, my heart was racing. What if she rejected me? Maybe I was too far gone for her to even consider letting me join her side. What if Shad found out about this? Was there something worse than eternal torture? And if there was, would he do it to me? Probably.

Aphmau finally spoke, "You're undeniably powerful, and I owe you my gratitude for keeping Emmalyn safe and saving Lo's life. I want to believe that you're telling the truth, but... how do I know you aren't spying for Zane? Or Shad?"

This made her group give me questioning looks, like they were suddenly considering the implications that came with my offer.

"Aphmau." Emmalyn spoke up, catching everyone's attention. She turned to look at me and, with confidence she didn't normally exhibit, she said, "I trust her. Yes she played a role in my kidnapping, and it'll be a while before I forgive her for that. But when all is said and done, she stepped up to defend me when Zane got violent. And when we reached that village, she talked Zane out of killing innocent people who mildly annoyed him more times than I care to remember. She's on the wrong side in this war, and I believe her when she says she wants to fight beside you."

It was like a weight had been lifted off my shoulders, and it seemed that Aphmau felt the same.

She exhaled and decided, "You're on probation. You'll be with a partner at all times and if we catch you doing anything suspicious, we'll send you straight back to the nether. Do you understand--?"

I leapt forwards and wrapped my arms around her. "Thank you thank you thank you! Oh my Shad you have no idea how worried I was when I thought you were gonna say 'no'! Then I'd have nowhere to go and it's scary when you're on your own, you know? Oh crap, did I say Shad? I'm gonna have to start saying Irene then, huh? I'll get used to it! Anyways, thank you thank you! You won't regret it, I promise--!"

"Already starting to." She managed to say as I squeezed her with all my might.

I released her and held my arms up as I added, "My bad. Got a little excited. Oops." Then I turned to Emmalyn. "Thank you! I promise, you'll never regret backing me up!"

She gave a weary laugh and said, "Now that that's out of the way, let's get this meeting started, shall we?"

Aphmau frantically nodded, desperate for a subject change. "Right. I have a reason for calling you all here. In case it wasn't obvious, you were all with me before that fifteen-year time jump, so you're my closest confidants." She saw my glimmering expression and quickly added, "Not you."

The response was expected, but I still pouted.

"Now, I hate to be blunt, but time is of the essence so I feel that it's crucial I just come right out and say it: a war is brewing." The air was suddenly much stuffier. "This might've been obvious to some, but I suppose I was hoping this wasn't the case. However, it's become frighteningly clear that it is. The recent increase in shadow knight activity and the sudden spike in guards becoming shadow knights has led me to believe that Shad is building his army in preparation for an Overworld invasion. That's why I asked (Y/N) to be brought in. Do you know anything? Maybe you have information regarding this theory?"

I tried to think, I really did, but after racking my brain for a few seconds, all I could come up with was, "I noticed the increase in shadow knight transformations, but I chopped it up to Shad getting a little overzealous. But now that you mention, before a few months ago, shadow knights were pretty free reign, in that so long as they followed the 'Shad agenda', they could do whatever they wanted. Now, you can only go to the Overworld if you're on a Shad issued mission, and they even started formal training and established a curfew."