The night passed quietly. It was morning, and Council Leader Vorik was heading to the cells to speak with the eight Kreq scouts they had captured. They had been placed in the cells naked and given a set of clothing to put on when they woke up. A bed was even provided for them with blankets to cover themselves. They were even given a bar of soap to clean themselves and their clothing, depending on how long they would stay in the cells. This was new for the Ramesians. It was normal for them to stick a prisoner in a cell with nothing but the thin clothing they were given.

Vorik remembered the conversation with Mia about how her father's people were treated. He wanted to do better. The conversation made him wonder if there was a way to save the Kreq people from enslavement by their leader, Commander Grev.

Jada Nelson came up behind him. "Hey, boss," she stated, rushing up to him. "I want to meet these guys." She was referring to the Kreq prisoners. The eight scouts were brought in from the scout ship that had hidden, cloaked in the nearby ravine.

Vorik sighed. "Please don't call me that. Especially in front of my men and the Kreq prisoners I'm about to interrogate." Vorik had noticed that she and the Walker sisters kept saying that. It was starting to get irritating.

"Sure thing, Council Leader," she smiled. "So, these guys are like spies?"

Vorik knew Jada was young. She often acted as young as she was at barely eighteen. She turned eighteen only a week or so ago, according to her cousins, Carrie and Zack. She also had a tendency to act much older. She was the half-zombie that refused to go near Kaul because he wanted to study her. She was the only one that they knew of that became half. They were normally either immune or not. She appeared to be a little of both, and Kaul wanted to see why.

"Yes, scouts can be considered spies," he told her, not stopping as he continued on his way to the cells. "Does Orik know you came to see the prisoners?" he asked. Orik was Jada's mate, who was extremely protective of her. Not that she needed it. Because of the zombie toxin, she could fight better than both the Walker sisters combined.

Jada shrugged. "I didn't ask. He's working, and I'm alone. I get bored. Well, seeing a bunch of Kreq spies would kill the boredom. Besides, Orik isn't my father; he's my mate." She continued, still following Vorik to the cells.

When they approached the doors, one of the guards slid the door open for them, allowing them to walk in.

The guard raised a brow at seeing Jada following Council Leader Vorik through the halls. All Vorik could do was sigh.

"You might as well bring an extra chair to the interrogation room. Jada will be joining me," he told the guard.

By the time they got into the interrogation room, the guards had already set the room up, giving Vorik enough room to defend himself if the Kreq decided to try to attack.

Sitting in the center of the table in front of him, he gestured for Jada to sit in the chair beside him. "Did you at least bring a weapon?" Vorik asked her.

Jada giggled, then pulled a short-bladed staff out and extended it. The ominous sound of it snapping open echoed throughout the room. The guards turned and looked at her, posturing, afraid she was going to do something to their leader.

"Close your staff. It's best if the prisoners don't know you have it until it is too late," he told her.

Jada shrugged, smiling, and collapsed it, holding it tightly in her hands as she sat down next to Vorik. The guards watching relaxed. It was clear they really didn't trust her because of her being a half-zombie. Everyone knew about her. She was so rare that it was unavoidable.

"Bring in the highest-ranking scout," he told the guards.

The guards quickly disappeared from the interrogation room. A little while later, they came in with one of the Kreq prisoners. They sat him down in a chair, cuffed his legs apart using a bar, then did the same to his hands. They had found out long ago that if their limbs touched, they could get free of their bindings if they tried hard enough.

The prisoner looked to be in his mid-forties. His auburn hair graying at the side. Vivid hazel eyes looked at Vorik with disgust.

"You will answer all questions," Vorik stated. "I know your people are enslaved by your leader."

Jada cut it. "He can't answer you. I can smell the toxin. He's being controlled. If you want to know anything, you're going to have to drain the toxin. Can you do that like you've been doing with the zombies?" Jada asked, watching the prisoner. "Something about him looked familiar."

Vorik looked over at Jada. He knew she was right. He stared at the man. He looked familiar to him, too. "Do you have any siblings?" Vorik asked. "A brother, perhaps?"

The man laughed. "Do you?"

Jada studied the man. "He looks like Mia." She told Vorik. Then looking to the Kreq. "Do you have a brother named Jevin?"

A flash of something went across the man's face, then went slack. He shook his head as if trying to clear it. They watched as his eyes unfocused, then returned to normal.

Jada smiled. Watching the prisoner, she knew how to fix him. "You do, don't you?" Jada went on, watching him closely.

Vorik watched the Kreq's reaction to Jada's words and decided to let her say what she wanted. He glanced at the guards. His eyebrow raised before turning his attention back on the Kreq prisoner.

"How about this? Do you know a woman named Terrie?" Jada went on relentlessly. She knew she couldn't stop. It was the only way. She had to press on with the personal questions.

The Kreq's face paled. He shook his head again as if trying to clear his head. His eyes became unfocused, then went normal again.

"Is Terrie your mother or wife? I don't know how old you are, and I'm only eighteen, so what do I know about adults?" she continued.

The man shook out his head again as if trying to clear his head. Jade sniffed the air, then smiled.

Jada looked over at Vorik. "It's fading," she told him, not saying what. She could tell by the look on Vorik's face that he understood what was fading.

"Continue, Jada," Vorik told her. Hoping that it would fade completely.

Jada looked at the man again. "Are you going to answer, or do I need to tell you what you already know?" she asked. She had a big grin on her face.

The Kreq looked at Jada as he shook out his head again. "You know nothing," he stated. There was pain in his voice. But he didn't speak further.

"Fine," Jada started, shrugging. "Jevin and Terrie found a family here. Jevin tried to save his mother from your leader since he was the last child of his mother. He didn't want the future that was about to happen. He was seventeen. He found his fated mate here, and he had a daughter; her name is Mia."

Tears welled up in the Kreq's eyes. "You know nothing," he choked. The pain in his features grew. His voice was becoming more strained.

"Mia had a sister. She was named after Jevin's mother. Mia was named after her mother's mother. I heard them telling the story. I saw Mia. She looks like you. She has the same really vivid hazel eyes. Same auburn hair. I get bored a lot, so I listen. Sometimes they don't know I'm there. That was one of those times." Jada continued, forcing the man to hear what she had to say. "So, are you Jevin's father or brother?"

Tears finally fell from the man's eyes. "Brother. I am the oldest," he said weakly.

"Well, your brother was strong enough to save himself and your mother. He escaped so they wouldn't kill her," she stated. "That and he didn't want to be controlled like a sock puppet."

The man's face fell. "My name is Krem. Jevin was my little brother. My mother was Terrie. My father died fighting in a war; he had no choice but to fight."

Jada turned to Vorik. "I don't smell the toxin anymore. I think it's gone."

Vorik looked at Jada in shock, then turned to Krem. "To keep you away from your friends, you will be moved to another cell. I will speak to Mia and see if she wishes to see you. If she does, do you wish to speak with her?"

Renewed tears fell from the Kreq's eyes. He nodded. "Yes, I will speak to her if she wishes it."

If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know < report chapter > so we can fix it as soon as possible.