60

Regan stayed in Iris's bedroom, a large room with two comfortable beds, tall glass windows in blue and lightly neon walls. No sleep found her. The only living thing was anxiety. At least Iris had convinced her to change out of these soaked clothes. Regan was wearing Iris's-a long sweater and a pair of leggings.

She stayed clutched in the bed and her mind drowned in the past mistakes. What would've happened if she hadn't messed with Viggo's affair or if she hadn't even left Silvertide. Would it have been better?

She glanced out of the windows, but they weren't very transparent. She wondered what was happening behind her back, maybe so many things-she was on the hunt to be killed or something else.

The thoughts made her fill with a surge of anger. She didn't want to be afraid and terrified of them. She didn't want to be small.

Finally, she stood up from the bed and approached a mirror. She stared at her reflection, messy hair, tired eyes and the dark circles under them. Not that she cared about it, but it served to bring her determination to fight back. After all, she wasn't guilty. Whatever she had done, she did it from the wish for justice.

Suddenly, Iris entered the room and she flinched a little.

"Hey Cornelia, are you alright? If you need anything, you can always tell me," she assured.

"I'm fine, thanks," Regan forced a smile although she was anything but fine.

"So you still don't want to talk about it," Iris murmured, a hint of disappointment in her voice, "You know, getting revenge is never late."

"And how do I get revenge?" Regan asked, trying to keep the edge out of her voice.

Iris walked in and sat down on the bed, "You can fight. We can fight."

"Against Sirius?" Regan replied, feeling a strange mix of disbelief and pessimism for the first time in a while. If anyone would've suggested her the idea before, she'd have been all go for it. But now, after all what had happened, she wasn't so sure.

"Yeah," Iris nodded, gauging her expression, "Me and Jack are childhood friends. Since our homeland got colonized, we've always planned revenge from Sirius. And you seem to know much more than we do, so... You should lead the way. We're going to plan everything together. And we're going to defeat them, no matter what."

The words only raised her unease, "Well, sometimes the desire to fight isn't enough. You need a plan, you need intelligence, you need power, you....you need many things."

"And you're powerful," Iris said and Regan's eyes snapped at her, "I'm not a witch nor do I have magic but I sense it when I'm near someone who does," she added, answering Regan's unspoken question. "And your power is fire."

"It's not as exciting as it sounds," Regan murmured, her mind racing. She could see Iris was trying to convince her into some rebellion but the thought of Sirius finding out, the punishments, dungeons, playrooms or whatever the hell he had, was terrifying. She knew she was being a cowards but why bother with these monsters again when she had just escaped?

Iris smiled gently, "Everyone's power matters in a battle. And you won't be alone, Cornelia. Don't you want revenge too?"

Yes, she wanted revenge, but not that fast, not after she had escaped such a precarious situation with Viggo and then Sirius. But Iris was so hopeful, so expectant that it made Regan feel like she had accepted her own fate. The fate of powerlessness, the fate of hiding not only from them, but from her won self.

"We won't do things without a plan," Iris began again, standing up and placing a hand on Regan's shoulder, "We'll gather intelligence and any other information that will help us. You can trust us. And your powers are going to help us a lot. I'm not just hyping or bluffing, believe me."

Regan looked at her eyes, saw the determination, and something in her shifted. Maybe she wasn't as alone as she thought. "Fine," she said after a while. She didn't want to give big hopes, not when she was in danger, "But we have to make a plan about it."

"Yes, we'll start with that tomorrow. Jack will help us," Iris's voice was enthusiastic as she patted Regan's shoulder and disappeared behind a door inside the room.

Regan sighed. She couldn't help but feel like she was in over her head. For Sirius she was sure, but Viggo's men were searching too, and here she was, plotting to take down the one man who had saved her, even if it was for his own gain.

Regan sat on the bed, trying to not think about it. She focused on the unfamiliar room. There was a pink desk across, with a flat tablet-like device hovering slightly off the surface. How didn't she notice that before?

Iris stepped out from the other room, now wearing a set of short white pyjamas, highlighting her tan skin.

"I suggest you to sleep. If you're looking to change, you can wear my clothes. But you should sleep, Cornelia. Jack always says that he can't think when he doesn't sleep," she said as she turned off the lights and crawled in her bed, covering with the blankets.

"Thanks. I'll see," Regan replied, her voice small. She couldn't help but half-expect someone or armed men to burst through the door any moment. She stayed still for as long as she was sure Iris fell asleep.

Trying to make as small sound as possible, she walked over to the desk and touched the tablet-like device. The screen flashed with a bright blue and she was afraid it'd wake Iris up. So she immediately walked away.

Anyway, the blue light was showing a hologram. Regan's curious grew and she approached, squinting to see better. The hologram was actually a city map and she could see red dots scattered around it. And when she look at the map's legend, it showed a symbol of a soldier. They were Viggo's men.

Regan's heart skipped a beat. So they were still searching for her. She hadn't told Iris about Viggo yet and if they found her here, it'd be trouble not only for herself, but for Iris and Jack too. How could she tell Iris without sounding too problematic, to much to handle?

But she couldn't risk their safety just because she was an escaped prisoner and a coward. She had to tell her, "Iris, wake up," she whispered.

But she was snoozing loudly, oblivious to the dangers that lurked around the corner. Regan approached her bed and nudged her slightly, "Iris, I have something to tell you," she said urgently.

Iris stirred, but her voice was sleepy, "What is it, Cornelia?"

Regan took a deep breath, "You know who prince Viggo is, right?"

"Yeah, what about it?" Iris mumbled, her eyes still closed.

"His....his men are after me," Regan confessed, her cheeks flushed with anxiety. Iris's eyes shot open and she looked at Regan, "Wait, what?"

Regan nodded, hating the situation she was. Hated relying on others, showing her fear. She should've better stayed with Sirius, she thought bitterly. At least she knew where she stood with him.

The other girl's eyes filled with concern and a hint of curiosity, "But why? What have you done?"

Regan swallowed hard. She didn't want to bring up any of her family drama, or anything that would expose her fake identity in this place. "I....disrespected them," she finally said, the words measured, "I didn't know who the prince was and, well you know how it is."

Iris sat up, and turned on the bedside lamp, "You could've just apologized," she said with a shrug, although the tone suggested that she didn't entirely believe Regan.

"I also saw something I shouldn't have seen," Regan continued, hoping it'd be enough to explain the mess she was in, "They imprisoned me and I escaped. But that's not the time to tell the story, Iris. I have to go."

"Where will you go?" It was a well deserved question. She didn't have anywhere to go. She wished all that was a dream she'd wake up from, and find herself back on Earth, in that old apartment, without red roses, dreams, and magic. But that wasn't going to happen, and she knew.

"You won't go anywhere," Iris said after a while, slipping off the bed and opening the window to watch outside. The night was eerily quiet, except from the far sound of distant engines. No patrol or anything suspicious, but Iris remained vigilant. "They usually patrol the roads, so maybe the red dots aren't for you specifically."

Regan knew that she was trying to downplay the situation, but she knew better, "Look, I have to leave. If they find me here, they'll think you're involved too. I can't let that happen."

"But where will you go?" Iris asked with a concerned expression.

Regan chewed on her cheek, searching for an answer, "I have a relative," she lied, "She doesn't live in the city, and I can get there before dawn if I leave now."

Iris didn't speak for a moment. "Well, so you have two parties after you now. Sirius and prince Viggo." The way she said made it feel like Regan was a piece of meat thrown between two hungry lions. She turned to Regan again, "Or maybe," she drawled, as if thinking what to say next, "We go to South."

"South?"

"Yes, South. My homeland," Iris said, her voice carrying a newfound determination, "No one from the North can find you there, not even the royalty itself. It's under Sirius's control and he doesn't allow anyone from the North to pass the borders."

The mentions of the 'South' formed a knot in Regan's stomach. Was Iris silently planning the rebellion without straightforwardly saying it? She didn't know, but now nowhere looked a good place to go."

"And how are we going to go there? We're in North, remember?" Regan said, not bothering to hide the skepticism from her voice.

"Jack knows a secret route," Iris replied, her eyes shining with excitement. "It's risky, but it's our best bet. We have to get started now. The city's less active at night."

Regan felt a surge of anxiety. The south? What was she going to do there? Before she could ask, Iris had already rushed out of the room. "Jack, wake up, you fat coward, we have to leave!" She heard her say. Everything was happening so fast. She didn't even have time to reflect on herself, to process the entire situation. She couldn't even properly think about Sirius with all the moving Iris was doing.

"What the hell, Iris?" Jack grumbled, stumbling into the room, his eyes half-lidded with sleep and his hair a waking mess, "It's the middle of the night, for fuck's sake!"

"We're going to South," Iris announced, making Jack's eyes open fully. She began to search through the wardrobe, while Regan just stood there, fidgeting with the hem of her sweater. She didn't know what going to South meant, not when Iris had said it was a place enslaved by Sirius. She knew this was connected to the rebellion, but she didn't know how she was going to fit in, or if she even wanted to.

Jack rubbed his eyes and yawned, "Iris, are you out of your mind or what? What the hell are we going to do there?"

"We'll demand our rights," Iris retorted urgently. She threw clothes at them, and Regan barely even caught it. It was a military uniform, beige in color, and on the back of the shirt was a gold circle with the initial 'S' in the center.

"What? And what about Cornelia?" Jack asked, the uniform looking way too tight for his bulky frame.

"She's coming with us, of course," Iris replied. She had already packed a bag with clothes or whatever else she had put. Regan was too overwhelmed to notice everything. She didn't want to get involved with Sirius again. But staying here with Viggo's men right around the corner was worse.

"So where supposed to wear that?" Jack snorted, holding up the uniform in front of his chest with one hand.

"We're going to mask as soldiers. It's the only way we can enter."

"Girl, if anyone here sees us wearing that, we're headless," Jack exclaimed, his eyes widening with a hint of fear.

"Oh my God, Jack, you're not going to parade around in that!" Iris shot back, her hands deftly packing more items into the bag. "You're going to wear it under your clothes. And you too, Cornelia."

But Regan was just standing there, watching her hurry, all active and enthusiastic about it. The uniform remained stuck in her hands and she couldn't believe she was going to dress like a soldier of Sirius's army, in the place of his enemy. Jack was right, they were going to get in big trouble if someone noticed. She for herself was already in too deep, but they didn't have to follow her in her mess.

"And why all that hurry?" Jack asked again, still not getting the look in Regan's face and Iris's determination, "You're acting like we're about to miss a spaceship to something."

Iris looked at Regan, giving her a silent look that she wasn't going to tell him everything yet. "Look, Jack. It's our perfect opportunity. We do this now, or never. Now get out and get yourself dressed."

Jack looked from Regan to Iris, then sighed heavily. "Fine," he grumbled, disappearing back into his room.

"Cornelia, I know you aren't sure about this, but trust me," Iris said, her eyes earnest in the led light from the lamp. "You can't stay here, not with these vampires all after you. And you can't go out there alone."

Regan was grateful for her friend's concern, but she couldn't shake the pang of dread in her stomach. What they were going to do in the South? Probably plan a rebellion where she'd have to assist. Why couldn't she just escape from all of this?

"You have to hurry. Go get dressed in the bathroom," Iris instructed, her voice a sharp whisper that pierced through the silence of the night. The window was still open, but the curtain was closed. Regan didn't dare look outside. She didn't need more words, she went inside the bathroom.

The uniform was a sophisticated jumpsuit that she wore with ease since the fit was baggy. The color, a black that contrasted sharply with the military uniforms there on Earth, made her feel both invisible and powerful at the same time. One wouldn't have it easy to spot them in the dark, unless the cover layers decided to play hide and seek and the shiny 'S' on their backs gave them away.

But that was the least Regan wanted so she hid the jumpsuit with the other clothes Iris had given her and that included a black coat that covered her whole. The only colored thing were her red hair, that would be a problem if they were spotted.

When she stopped out of the bathroom, Iris was already dressed, the uniform hidden under the same layers. She hadn't packed much, to not draw attention. It was just a black bag that Regan didn't even know what it contained.

Jack entered the room, looking like a sausage stuffed in a casing. His face was a mix of annoyance and bewilderment that made Regan almost smile, despite the weight of the situation, "Seriously, Iris?" he complained, tugging at the tight fabric.

"You look like you're about to burst," Iris joked, her pointy teeth showing in a teasing smile, "But we have to hurry." She tossed the bag to Jack, who grunted in irritation.

"Wear these caps and masks," she handed them the things of the same color which they wore quickly. It was better, Regan's hair weren't going to be noticable.

Her steps were unsure as she followed them out of the room

. Iris was so excited about it, Jack was doing a good job at following her, and she, she looked like she had gotten caught in a web of her own doing.