Chapter 117: The cell

Chapter 117: Chapter 117: The cell

He took a slow breath before continuing.

"Given the sensitivity of the situation, even a light sentence would leave some citizens taking justice into their own hands for the loved ones they lost. Therefore her punishment is this: she will be drafted among the Moonfist warriors and sent into the conflict wars we have been actively engaged in. And the three of you will go with her."

Immediate reactions rippled through the chamber.

"That’s basically suicide—"

"What can an untrained woman possibly do in that place?"

"She deserves it after what happened."

The brothers did not argue. ℯℯ𝑙.

"We agree to the terms."

The leader gave a short, final nod. "Then the case is dismissed."

Amelia remained still on the platform for a moment. She understood exactly what the war assignment meant. It was nothing more than another way of sending her to her death. Yet the fear she had expected never truly came. Instead, something quieter and warmer settled in her chest—the realization that the three of them had chosen to face the punishment with her without a second thought.

She stepped down from the platform and walked toward them.

"Why did you do that? You had nothing to do with any of it."

Dean met her eyes, his voice low and completely serious in the most painfully earnest way possible.

"Because I refuse to lose you so soon. We still haven’t even shared a proper meal alone together."

Reid let out a short, incredulous breath beside him.

"Did you seriously just make a romantic declaration about dinner while we’re being sent to a warzone? You’re hopeless."

Enzo cut across both of them before the exchange could escalate further.

"We’re leaving. Staying in this place any longer makes me sick."

Amelia turned to him.

"I want to speak to Skye and Claire before I leave."

Caleb’s voice answered from a short distance away.

"That isn’t possible."

He approached them with measured steps. Amelia faced him fully.

"Why not?"

"They’re under very strict watch. We can’t risk any chance of them escaping."

"I’m not helping them escape. I just want to talk to them."

Caleb remained unmoved.

"I can pass along whatever message you wish to deliver."

Amelia let out a short, disbelieving scoff.

"You’ll make an exception." Enzo demanded.

"We don’t make exceptions unless the matter is of the highest importance," Caleb replied evenly. "It doesn’t matter if you’re from the Ellington family."

Reid closed the distance in a single stride and seized him by the collar.

"Listen carefully, you self-important little watchdog. It seems our absence has made you forget your place. You’ve grown far too full of yourself for someone whose only real talent is standing in doorways and reciting rules."

"Reid." Enzo’s voice was final. "Let him go. We’ll find another way. There’s someone else who can grant Amelia that permission without all this unnecessary noise."

Amelia looked between them.

"Who?"

***

Some hours later, Amelia walked beside Madame through the corridors of a heavily secured building, following Caleb. They stepped into an elevator. Caleb pressed the button for a lower level, and the cabin began its descent.

Madame glanced at Amelia with a faint, almost fond smile.

"My sons were really rather sweet, coming to ask me for a favor. I’ve missed the days when they still felt the need to charm their way into my good graces."

Amelia looked down for a moment.

"I wasn’t expecting you to agree so easily. I thought you’d be angry after everything that happened."

Madame’s expression softened, but there was steel beneath it.

"How could I be angry with you? None of it was your fault. I’ve always known Rue wasn’t to be trusted. But Skye and Claire..." She exhaled through her nose. "I didn’t expect that from them. I intend to give them a very clear piece of my mind."

The elevator doors slid open. Caleb stepped out first, and the two women followed.

As they walked, Madame’s voice lowered, touched with genuine regret.

"I’m truly sad about the punishment they gave you. You’re clearly innocent, and yet you’re the one being sent into danger. They want to send my daughter-in-law to her death."

Amelia kept her gaze forward.

"It’s fine. I have my partners with me."

The quiet certainty in her words eased something in Madame’s expression. A small measure of the tension left her shoulders.

They passed through a long corridor lined with cells. Inside, various figures sat or stood behind transparent walls that glowed a deep, shifting blue—like water rippling under light. The barriers pulsed faintly, a constant reminder of the containment energy holding them.

At the end of the hall they entered a waiting room. On the opposite side of a reinforced partition, two figures were brought forward under guard.

Skye and Claire both wore collars around their necks.

Skye’s face was dull and empty. She gave no visible reaction when her eyes landed on Amelia. Claire, however, could not hide the guilt written plainly across her features.

Madame stepped forward at once, voice sharp with restrained fury. "What has Amelia ever done to either of you to deserve this? Tell me. What possible reason could justify putting an innocent woman through that kind of hell?"

Amelia reached out and gently caught Madame’s arm, holding her back. "I’d like to speak to them alone."

Madame’s first instinct was clearly to refuse. She opened her mouth, then stopped when she saw the quiet determination on Amelia’s face. The anger in her own expression eased slightly. After a moment she gave a short nod.

"Very well."

Amelia turned to Caleb.

"I need privacy."

"That won’t be possible. Anything you say could pose a security risk."

Madame had clearly reached her limit. She seized him by the ear and tugged hard enough to make him stumble.

"You will listen to my daughter-in-law and give her the privacy she asked for."

Caleb winced but didn’t dare argue further. The door closed firmly behind them a moment later.

Amelia turned back to the two women on the other side of the blue-lit partition. She walked closer until she stood only a few feet away, her gaze fixed on Skye.

"Does ruining my life mean you’ll finally get that sweet little happy ending with Rue?"

Skye’s dull expression cracked for the first time. Shock flickered across her face.

"I found out some days ago. Back then I even wondered if you were the one responsible for what happened to me in my room. I didn’t want to believe it." She stepped closer still, almost to the glowing barrier. "But now I know. You are responsible... aren’t you?"

Skye held her gaze. "Yes. I am. And I’m not going to ask for forgiveness either. I did what I did because I was in love."