Leah left the conference room feeling far more at ease than when she'd entered it. Even though she'd only been with Seth for ten minutes, it'd still been enough to calm her, to remind her what all this was for. He deserved so much more than the life he was living and today they had the chance to fix it, to remedy it, even if it meant going through the world of the dead one last time.

"Hey," Riley said, as Leah opened the door.

She was leaning against the wall outside the conference room, rolling her knife along her knuckles, and Leah closed the door quickly, hiding Seth from view.

"Hey," Leah said. "What's up?"

Riley straightened, shoving the knife back into its holster.

"What did Andrew want?"

Leah turned and started making her way down the corridor, conscious of the boy at their backs, one Riley would probably kill to see right now.

"He just wanted to go over the plan," Leah said, feeling strangely guilty as Riley fell into step beside her, "make sure I was comfortable and everything."

Riley scoffed. "Are they still scared you're going to lose control?"

Leah grimaced, her mind flicking back to the conference call with Sophie. This whole plan had been Sophie's idea in the first place, but even a blind person could've seen how sceptical she was of Leah's part in it, how worried she'd been that Leah's power wasn't as controlled as it needed to be.

"Because if they are," Riley continued, oblivious to Leah's lost thoughts. "I'm offended they didn't want to talk to me. I'm the one you'll be dragging in and out of the world of the dead with you."

Leah glanced at Riley. Her words had been phrased like a joke, light and sarcastic, but her expression contradicted them. There were nerves dancing under her skin, distorting her face with a suppressed fear Leah had never seen there before.

"You'll be fine, I promise," Leah said, trying not to let the sympathy she knew Riley would hate show too obviously. "It worked with Jared when I took him back there, and he's practiced with Marco. It'll work with you too."

Riley rolled her eyes, covering her nerves with disdain and scorn, but her features had smoothed out slightly.

"It better," she said. "I have much grander plans for my death. I'm not going to walk straight into it like an idiot."

Leah laughed. "I'll keep that in mind."

They emerged into the backyard and Leah glanced around, her adrenaline kicking back into gear again.

The first group was nearly ready to go. Tai and Marco stood flanking Jared, both wearing fake handcuffs with weapons hidden beneath their clothes. Marco's face was painted with fake bruises, Tai's arms riddled with cuts, and Leah started at how realistic their injuries looked.

Jared, in comparison, was unmarked. He stood silently between the other two, his face closed-off and schooled into an expression she'd seen often enough before, one that only came out when he didn't want to feel, or think, or hurt.

It made the reality of what they were about to do, what Jared was about to do, sink in deep, and Leah's heart thudded. This wasn't black and white for him, not in the way it was for the rest of the S.I.S. He was going to kill his father today. He was going to betray everyone he'd grown up fighting beside.

His eyes found hers and, for a moment, his mask cracked, revealing the anger and distress and hope that hid in there – every emotions warring with another just as strong, just as contradictory.

"Azemar, Rodriguez."

Leah turned, her gaze dragging slowly from Jared's, to find one of the reconnaissance officers walking towards them, miniature microphones and ear-pieces held in her hand. Leah let herself be hooked up, her mind distracted and distant as they ran through the sound checks.

"Is everyone in position?"

Andrew's voice spoke inside her head, and Leah started.

"Back up is in place. Surveillance is in place. Diversion team is in place."

Various voices answered through Leah's earpiece, echoing around her head.

"Extraction team is in place."

That one was Riley, and Leah glanced over, watching as she checked her shotgun, her face hard.

"Okay." Andrew said, his voice static and crackling. "Good luck today everyone. We want to keep this operation as simple. Do not engage unless absolutely necessary. Diversion team, you're cleared to depart. Remember to keep Brenton busy for as long as possible."

"Copy that," Tai said, his voice coming to her through the air and her ear piece, echoing itself eerily. "Diversion team departing."

Leah glanced over at them, her body tense. Tai and Marco were placing their hands on Jared's shoulders, their grips firm, but he wasn't looking back at them. He was staring at her instead.

Leah let out a shaky breath, wishing she'd had time to talk to him this morning, to let him know that she knew. She knew he felt like he wasn't allowed to care about Brenton, she knew that, despite everything, today was going to scar his memories forever. She knew all that, and it didn't make him any less strong, or brave, or amazing. It made him more so.

But she couldn't say that, not now. So, she just nodded at him, hoping he could see the prayers in her eyes.

Be careful. Be safe. Come back.

Jared watched her for a moment longer, his eyes filled with everything he couldn't say with the others there, and then they closed, his brow furrowing as he reached for his ring.

He looked so vulnerable and young right then that, for the first time, Leah began to panic, impulsive words rising on her tongue.

You don't have to do this.

But then Jared twisted his ring and they were gone.

...

The next twenty minutes seemed to pass slowly, painfully slowly, and then rush on Leah all at once. She was just beginning to think Andrew would never give her and Riley the all clear when his voice began barking in her ear, distant and overwhelming at the same time.

"Extraction team depart. Extraction team depart."

The recon officers descended on them, checking their gear one last time as Riley placed a hand on Leah's shoulder, fingers digging in. Her face was vivid in Leah's eyes, sharpened as her adrenaline started roaring.

"Are you ready?" Leah asked.

Riley nodded, her expression made of stone, and then Leah reached inwards, inwards, until they were falling, spinning through empty space.

It was surreal, it always was. But the situation heightened it. Riley's hand tugging on her arm, her heart pounding with mingled hope for Seth, dread for Jared. The void magnified it all, painted all her fear and hope on the darkness, and when her feet finally touched down, she let out a sigh of relief.

Leah opened her eyes to Zarah's bedroom, the sight familiar enough to calm her as Riley slowly letting go of her shoulder, her breath rushing out in gasps.

"Ugh," Riley muttered, clutching her stomach. "That was terrible, I think I'm going to be sick."

Leah started at the green palour on her skin and she rushed to the window, throwing it open.

"Don't spew in here!" Leah hissed. "Quick, we'll go out the window, and then I have to transport us one more time."

Riley huffed out a breath. "Jesus, okay. Just give me a –"

Riley cut off as the door creaked open and they both turned to find Zarah standing there, her eyes wide as she took in the scene. For a moment, she blinked at them, but then her face paled and she jerked inside, slamming the door behind her.

"What are you doing here?" she hissed, gesturing frantically at the window. "You need to go! You need to go now."

Leah's mouth opened in at Zarah's vicious tone.

"Zarah, what –"

"GO!" Zarah screamed. "You can't be –"

She cut off when the door burst open once more, cringing to the side of the room, her eyes wide and terrified.

For a moment, Leah just stared at who had entered, unable to believe what she was seeing, but slowly, reluctantly, her mind began to register it.

Arelie.

Arelie was here.

Arelie was in Zarah's house.

And Arelie was pointing a gun at Riley.

...

Hey everyone!

Sorry this chapter's a teeny bit late. Let me know what you think!

This one is dedicated to @oneiric_atlas! Thank you for all your votes and comments! <3 <3

Next chapter will be out in two weeks.

Until then,

- Skylar xx