Page 2 (1/2)

Chapter 2

Mareth rose to block his way "Wait, Gregor It is not so simple now We are at war"

"Yeah, that's what I'ers fuerness to buckle on the belt "Is Ares still in the hospital?" He knew his bond would be as anxious as he was to rejoin their friends

"Yes, down the hall But listen a oing," said Gregor Helifted in the air and thrust back against the bed Mareth or around, no proble wartime, you are a soldier Perhaps theoff when the mood strikes you You will be expected to follow orders"

"Whose orders?" asked Gregor

"Solovet's," said Marefh

"Solovet's?" said Gregor, genuinely thrown As far as he knew, she was no longer in a position to give anyone orders "I thought she was locked up in her rooue"

"The trial was put on hold once it was known that Luxa had declared war," said Mareth

"But why? That doesn't change what Solovet did," said Gregor "She still ordered the doctors to ue into a weapon She still killed all those people and bats She almost killed my mom"

"By accident Her plan was to kill rats," said Mareth "Now that we are at ith thereat value So the council has reinstated her as head of the Regalian aror He'd thought thatBut now she was back in charge of everything? "Couldn't they get someone else?"

"There is no human, save yourself, who the rats fear asand ruthless in war It was felt we needed her to survive"

"But -- that trial will never happen now!" said Gregor bitterly It wouldn't The ould erupt and blank everything else out As the hatred against the rats built, the hu the plague germs into a weapon Despite all of the deaths she had caused to her own people, she would be seen as heroic, not cri to breathe somewhere in the hospital The purple scars that Ares's fur still could not quite cover All of the people and bats and rats who had died "That's not right, Mareth," said Gregor "Do you think it's right?"

Mareth sighed and averted his eyes He released Gregor and took an aard step back "Whatever my private opinion of the situation is, it is of no matter Solovet is now in co he was certain He was not going to go to his death on Solovet's tero on his own

"Be careful to whoor," said Mareth quietly "Not everyone here is your friend" With that, the soldier liet a handle on himself, then unbuckled his sword belt and placed the blade back in the corner of the roo he'd knocked to the floor and neatly reset the tray Then he lay back down in bed to look like a s out in his head

Mareth was right Not everybody in Regalia was Gregor's friend Plenty of people would be or didn't knohat she had in store for hi on Ares and flying straight back to the Firelands Probably he would be part of soor wanted would be of no consequence She would view hi to get back to the Firelands, he would have to do it in secret And he would have to do it carefully

"What's your plan?" he heard Ripred's voice in his head The rat was trying to break hi action without thinking of its consequences "What's your plan?"

"First of all, I can't let anyone else guess that I want to go back," Gregor thought He was pretty sure Mareth wouldn't tell anyone But he couldn't count on other people's loyalty Gregor's initial iht to Ares, but that would be odd If he were not obsessed with returning to the Firelands, if he were planning to stay in Regalia like a good little soldier, wouldn't he ask to see his mom first? He felt a flush of shame Shouldn't he have asked to see his mom first either way? Yes Only the truth was, if she ell enough to see hi to be both furious about his trip to the Firelands and adamant that he return i to do So he would either have to fight with her, openly defy her, or lie to her All three options were lousy Underneath it all, though, he was still aching to see her

When a doctor caor asked if he could visit her and was given perood even But take it slowly for the first few days," said the doctor, helping hior, andcarefully down to his mom's room He had to wear a mask, not for his own protection but for hers

Gregor had underestimated what a relapse could be His mother was as sick as she'd been when he'd first seen her with the plague Sicker, y to order him home Now she was too weak to even speak All of her effort went into breathing When he held her hand, the skin was hot and dry from fever Her eyes had a distant look

"This isn't the plague, right?" Gregor asked the doctor

"No, this is a lung infection I believe you call it 'pneumonia' in the Overland," said the doctor

"But she could go hoor

"If she ell enough to travel, but she is not," said the doctor

Gregor stroked his ht It's going to be all right" He couldn't tell if she understood hior aside and spoke in a whisper At first Gregor assumed it was for his mom's sake, but then he realized the doctor was afraid of anyone hearing his words "Warrior, if she were et her back to the Overland Your hospitals could treat her as well as ours now And with the war co, the palace may come under attack She may even have to be moved to the Fount"

"But you said she was too sick to travel," said Gregor

"That is what I must say And it is true For a tih the dangers of her staying here during a time of war" He looked nervously around "Please, keep my counsel to yourself" Then he walked swiftly away

For a et to the Firelands fought with the need to get his mother to safety His mother won His friends in the Firelands had one another and an army to lean on His or left the hospital without perh Hall "When are you sending the next e to my father?" he asked

"I was about to do so now, Gregor Is there so you wish me to include?" asked Vikus

"Yeah, or

Vikus rubbed a hand over his eyes "I have tried, Gregor Three tior knew Vikus couldn't officially move his mom without the councilfrustrated by the way the old man constantly deferred to the the war What if the rats attacked the palace? You'd have to ht he could say thatthe doctor in trouble

"I have ument," said Vikus "But the council does not accept if They refuse to let her go My wife has convinced them that your mother's health will not bear theon "It's not about her health It's abouthis or would never leave without his mom

Vikus's silence confirmed his words

"You tell the council they'd better keep her alive If she dies, you just lost a warrior!" said Gregor

"Are you sure you wish me to say this?" asked Vikus

"Why wouldn't I?" said Gregor

"It gains you nothing and it reveals much of your hand," said Vikus "I hts to e"

Vikus was right The doctors in the hospital would do their best to heal histhe council or at a ti to appear tractable "I see what youout for hiripped by fear for his mother Could he move her on his own? No, she ay too sick That would take a whole teaht to the hospital and then the questions would begin Even so, Gregor would rather ga up with some crazy story to explain histhe war