The Allies

She sobbed.

Loud, ugly, uncontrollable.

Her knees buckled.

He held her up.

He kept whispering her name. Over and over.

As if saying it could somehow make up for the time lost.

As if saying it would keep her from disappearing again.

And at the same time reminded her she had a name – before all this happened she was someone – someone who had a goal and a purpose.

She clung to him, desperately, her nails digging into his back.

"I thought—I thought I'd never see you again—"

He exhaled sharply, his grip tightening like a vice.

"Never. Never again. I got you, kid. I got you."

She buried her face into his chest.

For the first time in weeks, she let herself break.

And she let him hold her together.

Someone cleared their throat.

The noise cut through the moment, snapping them both back.

Melodie forced herself to pull away.

She wiped her face quickly, harshly.

Her father—Sergeant Jaxxon—did the same.

Then he stepped back just enough to look her over.

His sharp, tactical gaze scanned every inch of her.

The warmth of her father's embrace still lingered on Melodie's skin, grounding her, reminding her that this was real. She was safe. She had escaped.

For now.

Her father—Sergeant Jaxxon—kept an arm around her shoulders, his broad frame still tense with an overprotective edge. He had spent too many years on another continent away from her, and now that he had her, it seemed he wasn't letting go anytime soon.

Oliver stood nearby, speaking with a few of the Canariae escapees in hushed tones. Strategizing. Preparing for the next move.

Melodie tried to focus on his words, on her father's presence, on the warmth of Lilly still clinging to her side—

But something crawled under her skin.

A shiver ran through her spine—a whisper in her mind.

"Hello, dark one."

Melodie froze.

The voice wasn't audible. It didn't come from the room.

It came from inside her own damn head.

Her eyes snapped up—searching—knowing.

Surin.

Her heart slammed into her ribs as her gaze locked onto the Awyan male standing by the far wall. He was exactly as she remembered him—tall, poised, unnervingly calm. His piercing blue eyes flickered with amusement, strands of his long white hair neatly draped in a decorated braid. He stood there as though he belonged, as though he had always been there.

Her father's voice cut through her shock.

"Melodie, I'd like you to meet—"

"I already know who he is," she interrupted, her voice sharp.

Her father's brow furrowed.

Surin smiled.

"You do?" Sergeant Jaxxon's hand tensed on her shoulder.

Melodie's jaw clenched, rage simmering beneath the surface.

"Yeah. I know exactly who he is."

Her father picked up on the shift instantly. His hand moved from her shoulder to her wrist—subtle, but firm.

He was reading her.

Dangerous.

Surin let out a mental sigh, almost bored as he spoke with both Sgt. Jaxxon and Melodie on his psychic pathway, "I assume you mean my son," he mused, his mental voice carrying a distinct mocking amusement. "That wild, mad dog of a boy has been making quite the mess, hasn't he?"

Hearing Malec referred to in such a way—**with casual disregard, like he was a foolish animal rather than a living nightmare—**sent a confusing jolt through Melodie's chest.

But she wasn't distracted.

Not by him.

Not by anything.

"You knew," she accused, her voice low, but lethal. "You knew what he was doing to me, and you just let it happen?"

Her father's grip tightened. He was not pleased.

Surin tilted his head. "And what, exactly, do you believe I should have done? Intervene?" He laughed—a quiet, almost musical sound. "My dear girl, I have no control over Malec. No one does. Not even Malec himself."

Melodie's fingers curled into fists.

Her father stepped forward, his presence growing larger, darker.

"You let your son—"

"Oh, no, no, no." Surin raised a languid hand. "Let's not be dramatic, Sergeant. I may be many things, but I am not responsible for that obsessive, lovesick beast. I would sooner train a hurricane to be polite than control Malec's emotions. Besides—" He turned his sharp blue gaze back to Melodie, switching to a private mental conversation between him and Melodie, his smile widening. "You certainly haven't done much to deter his infatuation, have you?"

Her stomach twisted violently.

He knew.

He knew everything.

Melodie gritted her teeth. "I never asked for this."

"Didn't you?" Surin's voice purred in her mind. "Didn't you encourage him? Didn't you use him?"

Her chest constricted.

Her father looked between them, sensing the silent battle.

Then—a new presence.

A familiar blue cloak entered the room.

Melodie turned—and her breath caught.

The hood lowered.

Surian.

For a moment, Melodie didn't move.

She was so used to pretending, to keeping her emotions in check.

But this—this was different.

Surian helped her. Surian got her out.

"You were the one in the crowd?" Melodie whispered, shocked.

Surian's face remained calm. "Yes." she said.

She flicked a glance toward her father, Surin.

Melodie's gut twisted. She felt a prickle of suspicion.

Surin had helped her escape Malec's grasp. And now he was here—deep within the underground resistance?

"I don't think I fully understand?" Melodie pressed, her eyes narrowing slightly.

Surian exhaled through her nose, arms crossing over her chest, "I started it."

Melodie's entire body locked up.

The room around her felt like it tilted.

"…Started what?" she breathed.

"My father and I," Surian continued, her tone casual, as if she wasn't just dropping a massive bombshell. "We started the underground Canariae rescue network together."

Melodie's heart slammed against her ribs.

She blinked. She looked at Surin. He only nodded knowingly.

Surian sighed, "Don't look so surprised. You met me, remember? Do I seem like someone who gives cares about ridculous Awyan traditions?"

Melodie's mouth opened—then shut.

Surian had a point.

The Awyan girl had seemed… different.

It hadn't even occurred to Melodie until now, but unlike other Awyans, Surian never once looked at her like she was property. Not like Malec. Not like the nobles.

But still—this?

"You've been helping Canariae escape," Melodie whispered, reeling.

Surian nodded. "For years."

"…And Malec doesn't know?"

Surian snorted. "He suspects. But Malec is blinded by his own arrogance. He doesn't think a 'spoiled noble girl' like me is capable of orchestrating something this large."

Her smirk widened. "Which is exactly why I'm so good at it."

Melodie felt her entire worldview shifting.

Surian—**Malec's sister—**was the leader of the very rebellion he wanted to crush.

"…Holy shit."

Surian chuckled. "Yeah. Holy shit indeed."

Melodie couldn't stop staring. "And you—" she turned to Surin now, eyes narrowing. "You just—let her?"

Surin gave her an almost bored look. "Let her? My dear little dove, I encouraged it."

Melodie's jaw tightened.

He was so damn smug.

But she couldn't even focus on that right now.

Her father—**silent all this time—**finally spoke.

"…And why," Sergeant Jaxxon's voice was low, warning, "should we trust either of you?"

Surian and Surin both turned to face him as Melodie translated for them. 

For the first time, Surin's smirk faded.

"Because," Surian said evenly, meeting the Sergeant's piercing gaze, "this entire operation exists because of us. Because we are the only Awyans willing to stand between Canariae and the empire that seeks to break them."

Melodie watched as her father held Surian's stare.

He was measuring her.

And then, slowly—he nodded.

____________________________________________________________________________

While Surian and Sergeant Jaxxon were still locked in their silent battle of wills, Surin took his chance.

Slipping closer to Melodie, he lowered his voice to a silky whisper.

"So… your Canariae name is Mehl-O-Dee?"

Melodie felt her eye twitch.

She turned to glare at him. "It's just Melodie. That's my only name."

Surin chuckled, his bright blue eyes gleaming with mischief. "Ah, but such a name sounds far too… elegant for a wild little bird like you."

She exhaled sharply, already regretting entertaining this conversation.

"Is there something you actually want, or are you just here to climb up my ass?"

Surin tilted his head, his long white braid slipping over his shoulder. "Only to share my disappointment," he said, dramatically placing a hand over his heart. "You see, I had so many expectations. It seems my son is hopelessly obsessed with you, and I was quite looking forward to having you as my daughter-in-law."

Melodie's stomach turned.

Her jaw clenched. "If you want your lunatic of a son to have a woman," she said through her teeth, "then find him one. That isn't me."

Surin gave a knowing hum. "Yes, well, we both know he won't want another."

Melodie felt a chill crawl up her spine.

Surin's gaze narrowed slightly. "The difference between you and my son is that Malec is willing to wait a lifetime. You are not."

That struck a nerve.

She wanted to snap back, but she couldn't.

Because she had no time to wait.

She had no lifetime to waste.

Instead, she inhaled sharply through her nose, forcing her focus back onto the task at hand. "Then I guess we won't have to worry about it," she muttered, ending the conversation.

Surin chuckled.

"Indeed."