Hey everyone! If you follow me, you're aware I've decided to post today instead of on the usual Friday. I simply thought it would be best to give you guys a high- quality, long chapter, rather than a short chapter. This fanfiction is coming to an end, but I will be starting a new one soon, that follows a different path of RQ4. As always, star and comment!!! I also want to say I'm sorry for not including a battle scene in this chapter, I realized this chapter needed to be a filler, and needed to give some explanations.

Enjoy! "For a storm is certainly coming, whether by my hand or someone else's. And I have no idea who will survive to see the dawn."

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Mare

My eyes rake over every inch of him, desperately looking for a flaw. It's a glamour, I think. It has to be. His red-gold eyes lock with mine, captivating me. His short-cut black hair sticks out messily, and bags hang under his eyes. Kissable lips are slightly parted, as though to say something. This couldn't possibly be real.

"How?" I breathe, taking in my surroundings. The aircraft isn't big, only having a few rows of chairs. The seats themselves are shabby, meaning this must be an older model of plane. The taller of the group on board is forced to hunch shoulders and duck their heads to avoid hitting the ceiling, including Cal and few of the rescued newbloods. Cal hesitantly walks forward, crouching on the ground next to me; he tucks a tendril of hair behind my ear that had fallen from my bun. "He said he had captured you," I explain, replacing Maven's name with he. Monsters shouldn't be named. "How did you escape?" I hold back the rest of my accusatory words. The dark, cynical part of me contemplated whether any of it was true. For all one knows, Maven could've just feigned my rescue so he could keep me all to himself, locked away just like Iris had been. But this time, only Maven would know I hadn't escaped. The plane could simply be a cruel joke, played by a cruel boy.

But when Cal presses his lips to my forehead, my doubts are washed away with nothing but a single kiss. A whisper couldn't take away Maven's love, and a whisper most certainly couldn't make me feel this. No illusionist could impersonate Cal, with his bronze eyes so full of love. For one moment in my life, nothing is a lie. Not a drop of betrayal, intrigue, or hate. One of the few things that I'm absolutely certain of is that Cal loves me, and I love Cal.

Cal opens his mouth, ready to speak. But Farley is the one who explains everything. "A couple of days ago we took over a small town just outside of Archeon. Rounded up the silver officers who hadn't been directly on the battlefield, and locked them up. And in the midst of searching for all those silvers, who do we find? The fire prince," Farley shifts positions crossing her arms uncomfortably. She doesn't dare look directly at me, her eyes always darting around, straying from a leather seat to one of the light panels affixed to the ceiling. Although it was short and curt, Farley's letter struck a nerve when I read it. She felt genuinely bad about her betrayal and wanted redemption. In hindsight, I feel mortified that I attempted to murder Farley and didn't bat an eye when she was perceived to be dead. "-locked up, manacles and all in the tiny little cottage that was tucked into the edge of the forest."

"Makes sense," I mumble, turning my head towards her. "He kept Cal at a convenient distance to always watch over, but never close enough so we had the chance of meeting if he escaped or if I went snooping." I glance over to the strongarm girl who ripped apart handcuffs back in the science wing; and then to Ella, who was lounging on one of the old, worn seats, sparks playing at her fingertips. It has only been a matter of days, but Ella's wellness had drastically improved. The bags under her eyes had diminished, and her skin was no longer sunken; her face was full of light, with a healthy glow to it. And although her hair had been shaved off, electric blue strands cascading down her back. With her wig, Ella looked as though she had never been touched. But then again, I knew the trauma that could take place inside palace walls; a few days and a wig wouldn't erase her memories. "After all, I did go snooping, that's how I found these guys," I finish, a fake smile on my lips. Perhaps no amount of time could truly erase the amount of damage given to me during my six-month stint at Whitefire.

"Speaking of snooping, Harrick delivered those vials to Ada you discovered. She didn't have much time to analyze them, given it's been only three days, but you've given us quite the advantage. We've mutated the vaccine that takes away abilities into a fluid that can be absorbed through flesh. And that adrenaline stuff?" Farley laughs at the prospect. "There's no doubt we'll win the war." My heart flutters with her last words. Diana Farley believes we can win the war. And perhaps I believe it too.

"So you've created a liquid to take away Sentinel's powers? Arvens?" The possibility of Arvens being weak and useless forces a grin to my face. "Him?" I add another person to the question, and Farley nods, this time looking in my general direction.

"Prepare, Mare Barrow. The end is near," Farley whispers, as understanding and an alliance passes silently between us.

*****

"We're attacking today?" My mouth hangs open as Farley explains Monfort's and the Scarlet Guard's plan.

"It seems sudden, I know. But Monfort and Guard leaders have been planning this date for months. Perhaps even years. It just so happened that bastard Maven wanted to execute you on the same day. As for those serums you've given the Scarlet Guard, that was just pure luck."

I blink a couple of times with her explanation. "But how could you possibly manufacture enough serums in time? It's only been three days, Farley. I gave Harrick one of each, and you're saying you've multiplied a few ounces into thousands of doses."

"We've found newbloods who call themselves duplicators. You'd be amazed to see how quickly we came up with enough of that stuff. We've taken over the town where Cal was held hostage and turned it into a makeshift military base. The king's army has been attempting to reclaim the town, they know what we intend to do, but they haven't been successful." Farley crosses her arms with a smug, victorious look upon her face. "We named it Newtown, to symbolize the new dawn. Monfort has sent tens of thousands to the base, and all available Guard members have gathered there. We've even had reds march in, and ask to join." Farley glances at the plain brown watch attached to her wrist. "Troops will begin attacking in about five hours, and soon enough Whitefire will be ours."

"I can't believe we're attacking today, I had no idea how soon it would be."

"You know how the Guard works, Mare. The less we know the better. The less we know, the less silver whispers could possibly find out."

Silver whispers. Farley is a silver whisper, and yet she refers to her own kind in the third person. "Why didn't you tell me, Farley?" I ask the question no one else is willing to ask, not that I wish to ask either. "We always find a way. I would've never let that man lay a finger on Clara." So much time spent running and strategizing I haven't been given a moment to think about Farley's betrayal. "And as for you," I look pointedly at Cal. "How could you keep a secret so big like that from me?"

"Your life was on the line," Cal rumbles, clenching the arm rests angrily. "She claimed she would whisper her way into my own mind, and have me murder you just like...." Cal trails off, not bothering to finish his own sentence. But inside of our minds, we all know Cal was thinking of his own father in the moment.

"Empty threats," Farley mumbles. "I wouldn't have made you do that, Cal. I may be silver, but I'm not like Maven's mother. I simply played off your love for her," Farley says, tears trailing down her face. "and I knew you wouldn't risk it. You're a soldier, Calore. You've been made to take orders, not give them."

That was that. Farley made the safest choice she could in the moment. She was only protecting her child. And Cal was merely protecting me. "I forgive you," telling them as I grip their hands. "both of you."

*****

As we exit the tiny plane, a small town encompasses my vision. Ordinary streets crisscross one another, the tar cracking in various places from years of wear and tear. Tiny houses, meant for reds line the streets; the houses each differ slightly with shingles falling off the tops of roofs, and decaying paint splattered on the siding in neutral colors. Just another pathetic town, meant for measly and unimportant reds.

But the people who train on the streets, in the grass and even on the roofs of the small houses say otherwise. Reds perform hand to hand combat on tar, knocking each other to the ground with roundhouse kicks. When sparring sessions are finished they offer each other hearty grins, pulling their partners up to their feet. Newbloods train in areas further away from reds, sparring on rooftops or empty groves of grass. Windweavers create small hurricanes, although I suspect they could conjure larger. Nymphs roll waves towards their opponents, and their competition fights back with a skill of their own. The small town doesn't look so bad with all the warriors battling one another, smiles of glee worn on faces. I'm certain they're possessing the same thought I have.

We'll be free soon.

The soldiers stop their training as I pass them; many of them giving short nods of acknowledgment, and others offering long gazes and smiles of admiration. I realize that I'm no longer the girl who had red blood but yet was engaged to a prince. Today I am the woman who aided the rebellion deeply, possibly the key to winning the war. I gave them the power to wield the Silver's own weapon.

Farley soon breaks off from the group, as do the newbloods, leaving only Cal and I. Hand in hand, Cal leads me to a transport. Sitting down inside the chunky, black vehicle, I stare at Cal intently. "I missed you. I wasn't even sure you were alive."

"You shouldn't have worried. You were the one at the mercy of the king. I was fine." Cal switches his gaze between me and the road, smiling bitterly. "I let him take you again. I promised I would always protect you, and never let you fall into his hands. And now I've let it occur twice."

"There was nothing you could've done. Either time," I add, taking a deep breath of the harsh late November air in. The cold, bitter air that you choke on if you breathe too deeply enters my lungs. The iciness paints the walls of my throat, but I as I cough up the vicious air, I thank mother nature. The cold air is a pleasant change from the suffocating one of my silent room at Whitefire Palace. "There was nothing you could've done," I repeat.

As we finish our conversation, the transport comes to a stop at a large bricked building. The estate's front is lined with marble pillars, dead vines winding around the columns and up the sides of the building. Greenwardens used to own this home.

Entering the building, I'm greeted by the Monfort twins, as well as Davidson; the brothers give me warm smiles and Davidson crosses his arms gruffly but offers a half a grin.

The twins speak first. "I see you've rescued Miss Barrow," they comment in unison, a strange attribute of their ability that I don't believe I'll ever get used to.

"I assume you're ready to fight the final battle?" Davidson asks.

"Of course, and I'm ready to kill him."