The journey, on her own, on foot, was a few hours, making it to her home scavenger camp's new location. She had to know, to know for sure if the man she spent years with had changed. If he realized that his attempt to help Kallian commit genocide was wrong.

  Part of her, the part that felt Drookan had rejected her, who wondered if Drookan even felt she was worth fighting for, wanted to believe Kragon had changed, that they could start again and be like they were before her mission to the cave.

  Then there was the other part of her, which said Kragon had already made his choice; it was foolish to see if he's changed when she knows he hasn't. Still, she felt at the very least, she owed it to him to find out.

  She began to dread her approach to the camp. Her senses heightened to be on the lookout for danger.

  There was heightened security everywhere, Red Band, but why, surely Kallian could not be this intent on finding her, after all these weeks, she thought.

  From a hidden vantage point, she sees Kragon and identifies his tent. Now, she knows where to sneak in.

  She stealthily sneaks in and waits.

  Kragon enters after a while, and his face goes white. "JaKaelath!"

  "Hi ...Kragon," she nervously says, "I came back because I wanted to know if you've had a chance to reflect on what happened, if you still feel the same."

  "JaKaelath," He interrupts, "I wanted to see you again so bad. Kallian is here, you really shouldn't be here now!"

  She interrupts, "I know, I saw them, what happened?"

  "Some Ponu, Geeryo controlled, attacked his base camp, wiped them out. Not sure yet what happened, but they seem to be the real deal, from like back in the wars. But you need to go away from here. I made it so you will be safe if you just get away from here."

  "What do you mean by you made it safe?"

  "Remember that twin you said you met in the cave, Francesca. I saw her. I gave her to Kallian pretending it was you, and Kallian, being Kallian, killed her at first sight."

  Kragon's eyes brighten with pride in his accomplishment.

  The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

  JaKaelath's eyes widen, mouth open, it's like so many terrible things happening at once. She can't believe what she is hearing. Kragon's smile, he thinks he's done a good thing.

  She's overcome with emotion and delivers a slap that swivels his head.

  "You son of a .... you killed her? You gave her to that madman, knowing he would kill her! Why?!?

  She shouts her words, not even caring if it draws attention to the tent.

  "It was all for you, JaKaelath. Now that Kallian thinks you're dead, he will call off his agents; you have a better chance."

  "No, Kragon, don't rationalize this away; all you did was take an innocent life." She was not perfect, but she did not deserve this. She didn't deserve to die by Kallian's hands. Kallian, the SOB"

  She moves towards the tent opening fully intending to confront Kallian, but Kragon steps in front of her, "No, he has men out there, that would be suicide, please, just go back from where you came. Get out now before he finds you".

  JaKaelath looks back, without words, her glance tells what's in her heart, there is no coming back from this. He caused the murder of an innocent woman. She will not give him the satisfaction of thinking logically that he is in the right.

  "Kragon, I lied to myself all those years thinking I knew you, but push comes to shove, your end justifies the means mentality is something I can never handle. I will not be coming back.

  "JaKaelath, this was for you. The whole awful damn thing was for you. If you don't see this, her death will have been in vain".

  She didn't think she could hate him even more at this moment. Now, here he was, twisting things to make it seem she was the real villain. By not being happy with him, she was making that poor girl's death meaningless.

  She didn't spend time thinking if maybe he was always like this, or maybe the stress of recent events had turned him this way, but either way, it didn't matter. Francesca was dead. Kragon had killed her, Kallian had killed her. There is no coming back from this. She steps out of the tent, fighting the urge to both cry and hit someone.

  If she had not left, she thinks, Francesca may still be alive. If she had only worked harder to convince him to abandon the Geeryo Android on his own, Francesca might still be alive. "No!" she catches herself. She is not to blame. The only two people to blame for her death are Kragon and Kallian; don't ever forget that, she pounds the message into her own head.

  Back in the tent, Kragon looks out the main opening, checking to see if any of Kallian's men are looking in his direction. None. Good, he thinks.

  JaKaelath will come around; she has to. She has to see that this was the only way. She would be dead soon if I hadn't done this, he reasons. I mean, there was no other way... was there? No, it was the only option.

  The Francesca woman, he thinks, probably never knew what hit her. It's a phrase he can't knock out of his mind for hours.