Shifting loyalties

The sky above the farm was a muted gray, the air heavy with the scent of rain that had yet to fall. Inside the farmhouse, Jasmine paced the length of the small room, her mind churning with everything they had just learned. The atmosphere was tense, the air thick with an unspoken understanding that something had shifted, and it wasn't in their favor.

Caden stood by the window, his arms crossed, staring out into the distance. His brow was furrowed in deep concentration, but Jasmine could tell that something was bothering him. The revelation from the night before—one of their own had been passing information to the enemy—had shaken them all.

"They've known too much," Jasmine said, breaking the silence. "Every move we've made, they've anticipated. That's not just luck."

Caden nodded, his jaw tight. "We should've seen it sooner."

The betrayal still stung, especially after everything they had been through. To think that someone who had fought alongside them could be responsible for their losses was almost too much to bear. Jasmine felt a wave of frustration building inside her, but she forced herself to stay calm. Now was not the time for emotions to cloud her judgment.

"They're scared, Jasmine," Caden said, finally turning to face her. "People make desperate decisions when they don't think they can win."

She stopped pacing and looked at him, her eyes narrowing. "That doesn't excuse it."

"No, it doesn't," he agreed, his voice hard. "But we need to figure out who it is and why they're doing it."

Jasmine felt the weight of the words settle over her like a stone. The list of possible traitors was painfully short. They had kept their inner circle small for a reason, but it also meant that whoever had betrayed them was someone they had trusted with their lives. The thought made her stomach turn.

"We need to be smart about this," she said, her voice quiet but firm. "If we accuse the wrong person, we risk turning everyone against each other."

Caden nodded again, his expression unreadable. "We'll have to watch them all carefully. No one can be above suspicion."

The idea of looking at their allies as potential enemies made Jasmine's heart ache, but she knew he was right. There was no other way to ensure their survival. The king's forces were growing bolder with each passing day, and they couldn't afford to let their guard down—not even for a moment.

"Where do we start?" she asked, her voice steady despite the turmoil raging inside her.

Caden was silent for a moment, considering. Then, he spoke. "We start with the ones who've been the closest to the enemy's movements—the scouts, the sentries. Someone has been feeding them information, and it's likely someone who has access to our plans."

Jasmine nodded, her mind already running through the possibilities. It wasn't just about finding the traitor; it was about understanding why they had done it. Was it fear? Greed? Or had they been coerced into betraying their comrades? The answers would determine what came next.

That evening, as the rain finally began to fall in earnest, Jasmine and Caden gathered the inner circle of their resistance in the farmhouse's main room. The group was small—just the people they trusted to oversee the defense of the farm and the surrounding land. But trust has become a fragile thing in the face of recent events.

Jasmine scanned the faces of those gathered around the table: Anais, the quiet but sharp-eyed scout; Garret, their second-in-command and Caden's oldest friend; and Lila, the healer who had patched them all up more times than Jasmine could count. They were good people, but someone among them had been working against them.

"We need to talk," Jasmine began, her voice steady but carrying the weight of authority. "There's been a leak in our defenses. The enemy has known too much about our movements, our plans."

The room fell silent, the air charged with tension. Garret shifted uncomfortably in his seat, his brow furrowed. Anais remained still, her gaze sharp and unreadable. Lila's eyes flicked nervously between Jasmine and Caden.

"Are you saying we have a traitor?" Garret asked, his voice low.

Jasmine nodded. "We don't know who it is yet, but someone has been feeding the king's forces information. It's how they've been able to anticipate our attacks, our defenses."

Lila's eyes widened. "But how… how can we be sure?"

"We've been running the same tactics for weeks," Caden said, his tone dark. "They knew every move before we made it. That's not a coincidence."

The group fell into an uneasy silence. Jasmine could see the doubt creeping into their expressions, the way they glanced at one another, wondering if their trust had been misplaced.

"We're not here to point fingers," Jasmine continued, though she could feel the tension rising in the room. "But we need to be vigilant. From now on, we keep all plans on a need-to-know basis. Only those directly involved in a mission will have access to the details."

Garret leaned forward, his voice hard. "So, what? Will we stop trusting each other?"

"We start protecting each other," Jasmine corrected. "This isn't about blame. It's about keeping everyone alive."

Anais, who had been quiet until now, spoke up. "And what happens when we find out who it is?"

The question hung in the air, heavy with implications. Jasmine glanced at Caden, who remained silent, his gaze focused on the map spread out on the table.

"We'll deal with it when the time comes," Jasmine said, her voice quiet but firm. "But for now, we stay focused. We can't let this tear us apart."

The rain pounded against the windows, filling the silence that followed. One by one, the others nodded in agreement, though the unease in their expressions didn't fade. The trust they had once shared had been shaken, and Jasmine knew it would take time to rebuild it—if it could be rebuilt at all.

As the group began to disperse, Caden lingered by the table, his eyes distant. Jasmine moved to his side, her voice low.

"We'll figure it out," she said, though the doubt gnawed at her.

Caden's jaw tightened. "We have to. Because if we don't, this entire resistance falls apart."

Jasmine nodded, her resolve hardening. The storm was gathering, and with it, the loyalties of those around them would either solidify—or crumble. But one thing was certain: the traitor's time was running out. And when the truth came to light, there would be no turning back.