you personally, the White Rose’s true identity became obvious.”
“I do need your help,” I confessed. “Can you get a video out to all of Dolinska, right now, at this very moment?”
Vara raised an eyebrow. “It depends on what it is. I would have to override the live footage that’s streaming in, and—”
“Can you do it?”
She paused. “Yes.”
I reached backward for Kiara’s phone. She gave it to me, the video on screen. I pressed play. Vara and Arthur watched. Although Arthur grew pale, Vara hardly seemed surprised. She looked up when the video was over and said, “I could lose my job for this if I’m caught.”
“Can’t you make it so no one knows?” I asked.
“Maybe.” Vara chewed her lip.
“Won’t Gabby retaliate?” Arthur asked nervously. He was concerned Vara would lose her head for being the whistleblower.
“I can log into The Arcanea Alliance’s main data frame and make it so no one can trace back who did the upload,” Vara said.
“What about the security cameras?” Delmare asked.
“They’re down, by a stroke of luck. They were getting fixed this afternoon before all hell broke loose.”
I felt a little better. Vara was putting her neck on the line— literally— to help us. I owed her big time.
Vara attached Kiara’s phone to one of the computers using a USB cord, then downloaded the video. She typed quickly, pulling up so many screens that I couldn’t understand what she was doing. Finally, she hovered the mouse over a big red button, took a breath, and pressed it.
“It’s out,” Vara said. “That video is playing on every television screen in Malovia as we speak, in every fae household. In seconds, it’ll be online. Gabby won’t be able to stop it.”
Arthur turned on one of the televisions nearby, which was showing the live footage of monsters destroying the city. Within moments, it switched over to the video. I watched as Gabby’s wicked spell played on screen, knowing it was out there for the world to see. I felt a note of victory, satisfied that for the first time, we had her.
I just hoped we hadn’t made a critical mistake.
“We have to get back to Arcanea University, fast,” Vara said. “We don’t want to be here when my boss shows back up.”
Arthur went for the door. Vara wiped the computer’s mouse and keyboard of fingerprints before she followed us out. We ran— I barely remembered to fit the mask back over my face when we crossed onto the city streets.
For a few minutes, everything was as before. Nothing changed, and I feared my plan hadn’t worked, and we’d lost that video for nothing.
Then I heard something— the marching of armies, the cry of guards. I heard soldiers shout and monsters bellow in protest. There was the clashing of swords, of spears, of shields. Innocent bystanders gave noises of relief. Only then did I relax myself.
Our plan had worked. Gabby was ordering the monsters back into the forest, and sending out her army to pretend like her warriors were beating them back. We had saved lives— we had saved Dolinska, we’d—
My thoughts were severed as I came across two bodies, lying barren in the streets. I recognized their innocent faces, knew the lines of age and the smooth skin of a young child, cheeks still red like blood had been coursing through her veins only minutes ago. I let out a cry and fell to my knees beside them, unable to believe my eyes.
It was the same old woman and little girl we’d helped a few months prior. Their clothes were nicer, and they appeared well-fed, but they hadn’t heeded our advice to get out of Malovia. Most likely, they’d used the money we’d given them to buy a house here.
I knew it was difficult to leave your country— your home, the only thing you’d ever known. I’d done it myself, once. Why hadn’t they listened?
I remembered the screaming of the young child I’d heard just before we’d entered the news station, and I knew… it had to be this child. I’d turned my back on her, and left her to die. I could’ve saved her, could’ve done something, and yet I was in such a hurry to get that video out, I hadn’t even considered...
I fell forward, and my forehead hit the cobblestone as I wept at their feet. Their blood stained my face, and yet, I didn’t care. This was what I deserved. I’d allowed these poor people to die. It was all my fault. I’d made