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ao719 · 3 months

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Vancross

Vancross - My Way Back To You (Chapter 22)

Most of the characters belong to Pixelberry.

Summary: A group of friends embark on their final year at Vancross Institute with the hopes of making it their best year yet. When a new face with a complicated family plagued by secrets and rumors arrives on campus, new friendships are formed, a new relationship blossoms, and threatening challenges arise.

Title inspiration: Find My Way Back - Eric Arjes

Main Pairing: Liam x F!OC

A/N: Multiple crossover series. There will be random sprinkles of canon throughout this story, but for the most part, it’s pretty much out the window. Not beta’d. Please excuse any errors.

Rating: M • Warnings: This series will contain nsfw material, language, some alcohol and drug use, and is not suitable for minors. If you read, you acknowledge you are 18+

Catch up here

Standing inside the living area of his campus suite, Liam leaned against the back of the sofa and drummed his fingers against the cushion as he glanced around the room at the others.

On one end of the sofa, Alia sat next to Blaine and Simon, watching the two of them go over the details of their aliases despite having memorized them in grave detail over the last week.

Amalas was nestled in the corner with a laptop resting on her lap and Olivia beside her, showing her the program she would be using to hack into the Drakovian palace’s security cameras.

Trystan and Leo were on the other end of the sectional, whispering as they looked over the palace blueprints for what had to be the hundredth time in the last month.

The rest of the group had just left, but not before wishing them luck and demanding they keep them updated.

With nothing to do but stare, Liam turned and quietly slipped out onto the balcony. He climbed the ladder to the roof and walked toward their makeshift lounge; it now had one less chair after his meltdown last week. Instead of sitting in a chair, he moved to the parapet and dropped down on it as he looked out at the view of campus below.

They were leaving for Rivala tomorrow, and Liam found himself on edge with worry despite them having spent the last month planning every detail of this trip down to the wire.

An old friend of Leo’s was letting them use his SUV to take them to the private jet he was also letting them use so as to not draw suspicion from their parents until they had to. Having their guards’ schedules down, they planned to sneak out in the early morning hours while they were running perimeter checks. Liam had already played his Crown Prince card and ordered Anthony not to tell his parents that Leo and Trystan were there, but once they were “missing”, it would only be a matter of time before their parents would be alerted of their absence.

Trystan’s friend, who ran a security company in Rivala and was allowing them to use his cabin, offered to have a vehicle waiting for them once they landed.

Simon, Blaine, and Leo had packed their finest suits and acquired masks that concealed most of their faces to go with the masquerade theme. They had spent the last week being prepped by Amalas for any situations that may arise once they were inside while Trystan made sure the locations of the two exits they needed to know about were drilled into their memory.

Amalas planned to tap into the security cameras as soon as they were at the cabin, wanting to ensure everything was running as it should. Once they were inside, she’d be able to monitor everything going on and she and Olivia would feed Trystan and the others any information they would need.

Liam and Alia would be there simply as moral support to one another. They weren’t allowed to leave the cabin and Amalas made it explicitly clear that they were not to hover and watch the cameras on the off chance of seeing something that would upset either of them.

Hearing someone behind him, Liam glanced over his shoulder to see Trystan just as he stepped onto the roof. He walked over and sat on the parapet beside him. “You ok?”

“Yeah,” Liam nodded as he looked back out at the view of the campus below. “Just anxious.”

“It’s going to be fine.”

Liam glanced over at him to see the lukewarm smile he was wearing. For the most part, Trystan had remained composed over the last month of planning, but throughout the past week, his stoic facade seemed to falter now and then. It was little things most wouldn’t notice, like now and his halfhearted smile. He hadn’t said anything because he didn’t want to allow himself to believe that Trystan’s optimism was fading; it was the thing keeping not only his spirits up but everyone else’s.

Still looking at him, Liam thought about something that had been on his mind that he hadn’t recalled Trystan mentioning. “I meant to ask you … we’ve made these plans to get her out, but … what about after?”

“What do you mean?”

Liam swallowed thickly. “Are you going to take her back to New York with you?” It was the only place he could think of that they might go.

Trystan shook his head. “I can’t take her to New York.”

“Why?”

“The Homeland Accord,” Trystan answered, earning a questioning look from him. “It’s an extradition agreement Drakovia has with the U.S. It allows them to summon any Drakovian home at will, no questions asked, and the U.S. government has to comply. So I can’t risk taking her back to the States because they would have no choice but to send her back.”

“Then where will you go?”

“Honestly, I’ve been so focused on the task of getting her out, I haven’t planned that part out yet. We can stay in Rivala for a couple of days, but after that … I’m not sure yet.”

“You can bring her to Cordonia,” Liam offered without hesitation.

Trystan shook his head. “I don’t want to cause any unnecessary issues for Cordonia when my mother eventually figures out where she is, which she will. Plus, your parents are probably going to be livid with me for dragging you into this plan …”

Getting on the Cordonian monarch’s bad side wasn’t what Trystan wanted, but he had to risk it to save not only his sister but Liam as well; he was still convinced that had he not let him help, he would have gone rogue.

“Yeah, they’re going to be pissed, but more so at me than you,” Liam said. “At the end of the day, I’m an adult, and you didn’t force me to be a part of this … it was kind of the other way around. Regardless, they wouldn’t turn you or Croía away from refuge over it. And I know we don’t have any kind of agreement with Drakovia, extradition or otherwise, so that’s not something you’d have to worry about. And I … I’d be able to stay with her.”

Trystan furrowed his brows. “You do realize you still have school, right?”

“I did some research,” Liam explained. “I knew you’d have to take her somewhere and I … I didn’t want to have to be apart from her after only getting her back, so I looked into what my options were, and hers as well if she’s up to it. We can finish out the remainder of the year doing our classes online if the Dean receives a request with a legitimate reason as to why. She’s behind because she’s been gone, but she can catch up and still graduate at the end of the semester. And considering the circumstances, I’m sure the Dean would grant us the permission we need.”

Trystan stared at Liam, a little bit in awe at the lengths he was willing to go to be by Croía’s side, but he wasn’t sure why he was surprised by it at that point, either. “That’s a pretty big sacrifice to make, Liam. You’d be missing the rest of your senior year.”

“I’d rather miss the rest of it than be away from her,” Liam replied. “We could stay in Cordonia and do the classes that way … and she’d be safe there. Like I said, my parents wouldn’t turn either of you away regardless of how pissed they are. And again, most of that anger will be directed at me for lying and going behind their backs.”

Trystan looked away from him, thinking for a moment. “Well … let’s just focus on getting her out for now. After that, we’ll discuss our options. Because we have to see how she is first before we go making any decisions …”

Liam nodded and glanced away, and Trystan was thankful he either hadn’t caught what he’d said about seeing how Croía was or he just didn’t think much of it to ask him. He wasn’t sure he wanted to elaborate.

Just then, his phone rang, and Trystan pulled it from his pocket. Liam saw him sigh as he looked at the screen. “Who is it?”

“Mags. I think she’s becoming a little suspicious.” Trystan slid his thumb across the screen to answer it before putting it on speaker so Liam could hear. “Hello.”

“Hey, yourself. What are you doing?”

“Hanging out on some rooftop,” Trystan answered. It wasn’t a lie.

“Sounds delightful. Hey, listen … have you spoken to Croía?” Trystan winced before closing his eyes; he knew it was only a matter of time. “I haven’t spoken to her in a few weeks, and it’s not like her to not call me back … unless she’s pissed at me for some reason I can’t recall.”

“Don’t worry. She’s alright.” That was semi-true; Trystan had still been receiving updates from Everett, who had promised him that Croía had remained physically unharmed.

But that answer was the wrong one to give because it set off Marguerite’s alarm bells.

“What does that mean?” Marguerite snapped. “Trystan, what the hell is going on?”

Blowing out a breath, Trystan met Liam’s worried gaze. Marguerite had already been suspicious of his “trip” with Leo because of how long he’d been gone, and how he hadn’t been in touch with her — or Cameron, because of course they shared notes — as much as he typically would. His answer just now had inadvertently sent her suspicions into overdrive. And she now knew that whatever it was he was hiding somehow involved their baby sister.

Trystan hated lying to her, but he remained steadfast in his choice not to involve her. The less she knew, the better. “Listen … I know this is going to be difficult for you, but I need you to not ask me any more questions because I don’t want to lie to you, Mags. I promise that when I can tell you something, which will be very soon, I will.”

“But Trystan—”

“Mags, please,” Trystan interrupted in a plea.

Marguerite remained quiet for several long moments before speaking again. “Just … tell me you’re ok. That you and Croía are both ok …”

“We’re ok. Promise.”

****

Later, Liam stood in his room, changing into a pair of sweatpants and a T-shirt after he’d finished packing his bag. He wasn’t sure how he was going to attempt to get any sleep that night because as the time for them to leave drew nearer, he found himself more and more restless.

Hearing a knock on his door, Liam called for them to enter, and Leo stepped inside a moment later. “You good?” he asked as he shut the door behind him.

“Antsy,” Liam answered.

Leo nodded in understanding. “It won’t be long now. We’ll get in and get this thing done and it’ll be over before you know it.”

Liam could only hope it would be that easy. “I offered for Trystan to bring Croía to Cordonia to stay after we get her out. I know Mom and Dad are going to be pissed … but I told him they wouldn’t turn them away when they needed someplace safe to stay.”

“They won’t,” Leo agreed. “Yeah, they’re going to lay into both of us, but they’ll get over it. I’m sure once they hear why we did what we did, they’ll understand.”

“Leo …” Liam looked at his brother, searching for the right words. “Thank you … for helping with all of this.”

“You don’t have to thank me,” Leo smiled. “I’ve grown pretty fond of Cocoa Bean.”

Liam cracked a small smile at the mention of the nickname his brother called her, a play on his Cocoa. It was the first genuine smile he had in weeks.

A chime on Liam’s laptop broke the moment, and they both glanced over. “Speaking of Mom and Dad …”

Without thinking, Leo dropped to the floor; Liam flung his arm toward the door, a silent question to ask why he didn’t just slip out, but didn’t have time to wait for a response before he turned to answer the incoming video call.

“Hey,” Liam smiled when his mother’s face came on the screen.

“Hello, sweetheart. How are you?”

“I’m …” Liam trailed off, seeing the door behind him on the screen start to open; he glanced over his shoulder to see his brother, still on the floor, army crawling out.

“Liam?”

“Yeah,” Liam snapped his gaze back to the laptop and picked it up, bringing it to his bed. “Sorry. I’m good. How are things back home?”

“They’re fine …” Eleanor eyed him curiously. “Are you alright?”

“Fine, why?” Liam answered a little too quickly.

“You just haven’t seemed like yourself lately. You seem … distracted.”

Liam chewed the inside of his cheek; he hated lying to anyone, especially his mother, but he couldn’t tell her what was going on. Not yet anyway. “Just busy with assignments.”

“Ok,” Eleanor nodded, but Liam could tell she wasn’t truly buying his answer. “And how’s Croía?”

“She — she’s fine.”

Again, Eleanor eyed him curiously because she caught the slight slip in his tone when he answered. “Where has she been? I haven’t seen or heard her with you when we’ve talked over the last few weeks.”

“She’s been busy … with assignments, too.”

“Hm,” Eleanor nodded. Liam knew that “hm” was her ‘I don’t believe a word you said, but I’m going to let it slide for now’ response. “Are you sure you’re ok?”

“Yeah,” Liam nodded. “I’ve just got a lot going on.” That was the truth. He glanced up when Leo’s head poked through the door; he flapped his hand in a talking motion and then threw his thumb over his shoulder. Code for ‘We’re having a meeting in the living area, hurry up and get your ass out here.’ “Hey, Mom, I’m sorry to cut this so short, but I gotta get going. I’m in the middle of working on, uh … a big project …” Kind of true, just not the kind of project she was probably thinking of.

“Ok, sweetheart.” Eleanor offered a smile, but he could see the concern behind it. “We’ll talk soon. I love you.”

Liam felt a pang of guilt ripple through him. “Love you, too, Mom.”

When he ended the video chat, Liam tossed his laptop onto the bed before heading out to the living area where Trystan was waiting with Leo, Olivia, Amalas, Blaine, Alia, and Simon.

“Simon, Olivia, Alia, and Amalas are getting ready to head back to their suites, so I just want to be sure we all know where to meet later,” Trystan explained.

“Edge of campus on the north side,” the others all said in unison.

“Time?”

“The guards start their morning perimeter checks precisely at five,” Alia replied.

“And if one of you gets caught …?”

“We stay behind,” Simon answered.

Trystan nodded. “It should take you no more than five minutes to get there once you’re outside. We’ll wait another five minutes at the spot. If you’re not there, I’m going to assume you got caught and we’ll leave without you. Be sure you have everything you need with you because you won’t be able to go back if you forget something. And make sure to leave your phones behind so your locations can’t be pinged.”

They all nodded.

*******

Standing along the edge of campus, hidden in the shadows of the trees, Liam, Leo, Blaine, Alia, Amalas, and Trystan were waiting for Olivia and Simon. They had easily slipped out undetected by Anthony, Jacob, and Alia’s guard Rowan while they stepped away from their posts outside their suites to do their morning perimeter checks around their buildings.

Hearing the snap of a twig, all their heads snapped to the left just as Olivia stepped into view. “Had me worried for a minute there,” Liam quipped.

“Apparently my guard is a chatty-fucking-Cathy in the morning. He barely speaks during the day, but stood outside the damn front door gossiping with Evelyn’s guard,” she rolled her eyes before looking at the others. “Where’s Simon?”

“Still waiting for him,” Blaine answered.

The group fell quiet as the minutes ticked by. Trystan broke the silence when he cursed under his breath. “Where the fuck is he?” They’d have to rearrange their whole plan going into the ball if Simon didn’t show.

“He’ll be here,” Liam said.

Suddenly, they heard the sound of stamping feet and looked over to see Simon barreling towards them in a full-on run. “Go, go, go!” he shouted.

“He’s going to wake up the whole damn campus,” Trystan grumbled. “This way!”

They all turned and rushed into the pathway that led to the outside of the campus gates on the north side, where Leo’s friend had parked an SUV for them to take to the airport.

“What the fuck happened?” Olivia shouted over her shoulder at Simon who had caught up to her.

“My guard came around the corner as I slipped out the front door!” Simon huffed through breaths. “Apparently the old bloke starts his checks early! And he’s bloody fast when he wants to be!”

They raced through the path, swatting low-hanging branches out of their way as they went until they broke through the clearing on the other side. Leo pulled a set of keys from his pocket given to him earlier by his friend and hit a button; he snapped his gaze to the left when lights started to blink from being unlocked. “There!” he pointed.

“Lord Simon!” the guard bellowed from inside the pathway.

“Haul ass!” Blaine said as he raced toward the vehicle, gripping Alia’s hand and pulling her behind him.

Once at the vehicle, Amalas, Olivia, and Simon climbed in first to the third row; Liam, Alia, and Blaine followed, sliding into the second row while Leo and Trystan jumped into the front seats.

Leo started the SUV and threw it into drive just as Simon’s guard burst through the clearing; he peeled away from the curb before making a sharp right onto the main road.

As they made their way to the airport, the inside of the vehicle was silent save for the eight of them trying to catch their breath.

Suddenly, Leo began to laugh as he glanced at Trystan. “That brought back some fucking memories, huh?”

Trystan snorted as he dropped his head back against the seat. “Sure the hell did.”

“If that was a regular occurrence for you two, I’m going to need to hear some stories,” Blaine breathed.

Leo and Trystan both chuckled. “We’ll have some time on the flight,” Trystan said.

“We could tell them about that time we gave taking a pill in Ibiza a whole new meaning,” Leo snorted.

Blaine and Liam shared a wide-eyed look as Leo pressed his foot more firmly on the gas pedal.

******

Sitting in the back of the cabin by himself, Liam stared out the window of the jet, lost in thought as he watched the morning sun cast a golden glow across the tops of the clouds. He hadn’t even thought to ask how long the flight to Rivala would be; he guessed around two hours, maybe two and a half. A yawn escaped him as he rested his head back against the seat, but he couldn’t sleep; he hadn’t gotten any sleep the night before, either, too on edge and anxious to shut his mind off. And he was sure he wasn’t going to sleep much if at all that night with the ball taking place tomorrow evening.

While Liam was on edge with worry, he was also consumed by anticipation. He couldn’t stop thinking about the moment he’d be able to see Croía, about the moment he’d be able to wrap her in his arms for the first time in over a month. And that anticipation felt like the only thing keeping his head above water at the moment. If he focused on that, he wasn’t drowning in thoughts of all the ways in which this plan they’d spent the last month devising could go wrong.

The feel of someone plopping down into the seat beside him jerked Liam from his thoughts; he glanced over to see Blaine. “How are you holding up?” he asked as he nestled into the seat.

“I’m ok.”

“Liar.”

Liam let out a breath. “How about you? Are you nervous about going in there?”

“Surprisingly, no,” Blaine answered. “I blame the adrenaline, though. Either that or I’ve just fucking lost it.”

Liam laughed despite himself, thankful for the dose of levity his friend could give him at that moment. “I don’t know if I’ve said it, but … thank you.”

Blaine knit his brows and glanced over at him. “What the hell are you thanking me for?”

“For doing this … for being willing to do it.”

“You don’t have to thank me, Li,” Blaine shook his head. “You’d do the same thing if it was Alia. Not just because of who she is to me, but because she’s your friend, just like Croía is mine.” He stared at him for a moment. “Are you really ok?”

“I just want to see her,” Liam said quietly. “I need to see that she’s ok. And I … I’m trying not to think about it, but I keep wondering … what if something goes wrong? What if you guys can’t get her out? What if you guys get caught and you can’t get out? What will happen then? What do we do? Because we’ve planned everything else in grave detail, but nothing has been mentioned about those possibilities.”

“I think not planning for those what-ifs just shows how confident Trystan is that we’ll get this done,” Blaine said. “He’s very … ‘this is how it’s going to happen’, not ‘this is what I hope will happen’. And not in a cocky way. I think he’s just determined as fuck because this is his baby sister. Watching him plan all of this out … I don’t have any doubt that we’ll get in, do what we need, and get out. And maybe that’s why I’m not feeling as nervous as I probably should.”

“His confidence and optimism can be somewhat contagious,” Liam said. “It’s definitely helped me out the past month.”

“I’m not going to pretend to know what it’s been like for you, but just … keep your head up, brother,” Blaine smiled. “That’s really all any of us can do at this point.”

****

Once they landed in Rivala later that morning, the group filed into an SUV; Trystan plugged the address of the cabin into the GPS and they drove off.

The cabin was situated deep in the Rivalan mountains, not too far from the Drakovian border, and was about an hour’s drive to the palace. A few of them had brought up concerns of whether or not the cabin would be able to fit them all, but Trystan told them not to worry.

After a drive that felt entirely too long inside the cramped SUV, Trystan turned into a driveway that went up the mountain about a half mile. When the cabin came into view, everyone’s eyes widened save for Trystan’s. He put the vehicle in park and chuckled at their reflections in the rearview mirror. “I told you not to worry.”

“You said it was a cabin. Not a damn mountain mansion,” Blaine said as he flung the door open.

The “cabin” was massive, and sat on the edge of the mountain, offering a picturesque view from the front. “There’s five bedrooms,” Trystan said. “Someone will have to take the sofa, and there’s another sofa with a pull-out bed.”

“I’ll take the sofa, and you can take the pull-out,” Leo said to Trystan. “Everyone else can grab a room.”

Trystan nodded as they stopped at the front door; he unlocked it and pushed it open, stepping inside as the others followed. “If only we were here for another reason …” Simon trailed off as he looked around.

“It’s nice,” Olivia smiled.

“I’m not really a cabin in the woods kind of girl,” Amalas said, “but if I was, I’d have to agree.”

“Bedrooms are upstairs,” Trystan explained as he dropped his bag down behind one of the sofas. “He made sure the kitchen was stocked, so help yourselves to anything you want. We’re on our own for dinner, so work with whatever’s here.”

****

That night, after relaxing most of the day and having a thrown-together dinner, everyone headed to their respective rooms to try and get some rest.

Earlier, Amalas had set up her equipment and gotten into the Drakovian security system, pulling up the cameras on her laptop. And true to her word, she wouldn’t let Liam or Alia near her for even a glimpse of the screen. Olivia came to Liam a while later and told him that they hadn’t seen Croía on any of the footage, and promised him that she’d find a way to let him know if they did.

After lying in bed and staring at the ceiling for an hour straight, Liam got up and headed downstairs to get a glass of water. It wasn’t that late, but between their early morning and the flight and drive, the others were more tired than usual.

When Liam crept down the stairs, he spotted his brother asleep on one of the sofas; the pull-out bed that Trystan was sleeping on was empty. His brows furrowed as he looked around while making his way to the kitchen, and he stopped near the sliding door that led to the back deck. A wooden gangway was connected to the deck and led to another smaller dock, floating on a pond that sat nestled in the back of the property.

And on that smaller dock, silhouetted in the lights that surrounded it, stood Trystan.

Careful not to wake his brother, Liam slipped out through the sliding door and made his way across the gangway. He’d noticed since arriving at the cabin that Trystan had seemed quieter than usual. There was obviously something on his mind, and at first, he suspected that it was just anticipation now that they were there. Now, seeing him standing out there alone, he couldn’t shake the feeling that it was something else.

Not wanting to startle him, Liam didn’t mask his footsteps, and when Trystan heard them, he looked over his shoulder. “What are you doing out here?” Liam asked as he approached.

“Just thinking,” Trystan replied before looking back out at the water. “Are you doing ok?” he asked Liam as he stopped beside him.

“I’m … as best as can be expected, I guess. I just wish there was more that I could do to help tomorrow.”

Liam hated feeling useless, and that’s exactly how he felt. He knew he was only there with the others as a courtesy and that his presence made no difference in their plan for tomorrow evening.

“You’re going to help, Liam,” Trystan said. “The minute she sees you, it will help.”

Liam remained quiet for a few moments before looking at him. “Everyone keeps asking me how I’m doing … but how are you doing?”

Trystan let out a wry chuckle. “I’m ready to get it over with.”

At that moment, Liam saw that same falter in his facade that he’d noticed over the last week, and knowing something was bothering him, a pang of panic struck him. He’d mentioned it to Blaine on the jet but had avoided asking Trystan this question for the last month, but now … he had to know. “Are you … are you worried? That something will go wrong and you won’t get her out?”

Trystan glanced over and met his gaze in the dim lighting that surrounded the dock. He was worried, yes, but not for the reason Liam thought. He hadn’t wanted to say anything, not wanting to cause him more concern than he knew he was already feeling. But maybe in being honest and telling him about the growing worry that had been nagging at him, he could, in turn, prepare him.

Looking back out at the water, Trystan blew out a breath. “I’m scared out of my damn mind, not because I don’t think we’ll get her out … but because I’m worried we’ll get her out too late …”

“Too late?” Liam questioned as his brows furrowed. “What do you mean?”

Trystan sighed, looking at Liam with a vulnerability in his eyes he hadn’t seen from him before. “Croía’s been there for over a month. And I know the mind games my mother is playing with her and the kinds of things she’s been filling her head with — that no one cares, that no one’s reached out, that you and Alia and everyone else she thought she meant something to have just forgotten her. She’ll keep saying it to her over and over and over in an attempt to pull her further into her thrall. And if Croía loses hope … if everything goes dark and she doesn’t see a way out … she’s going to believe those things. I’ve seen her lose hope before … I’ve seen it go dark and watched her retreat into her shell … and I’m worried about how far inside that shell she’s going to be when we get to her.”

Liam swallowed thickly as he took in his words. He’d also seen her retreat into that shell, and that was after just a one-day visit from her mother. After five weeks … he didn’t want to think about it.

“We’ll get her out of Drakovia tomorrow, that I’m certain of because I will not leave there without her. It’s what comes after that I’m worried about.” Trystan turned to him. “I didn’t agree to let you come along simply to placate you. You being here will show her that everything my mother has filled her head with isn’t true. That you didn’t forget her … that you fought for her. That’s why you being here helps more than you realize, Liam. So please don’t feel like you’re not doing anything, because out of this entire plan … you being here is one of the most essential parts. You make her feel safe. You make her feel loved. And she’s going to need that … need you … more than anything else.”

Liam rubbed a hand over his mouth as he blinked away the sting in his eyes. He’d been so focused on getting her out and the what-ifs of the plan, he hadn’t really stopped to consider the aftermath.

About how shredded apart her self-worth could be.

About how broken she might be.

If Croía had lost hope and things were dark, Liam would do anything he could to pull her out of that darkness, to remind her of how loved and worthy she was. He could only hope that she’d believe it … believe him.

*******

The following afternoon, Amalas and Olivia were seated in the dining room with their equipment in front of them, making sure everything was still running as it should.

Blaine, Simon, Leo, and Trystan were upstairs changing.

In the living room, Liam sat next to Alia, both of them silent; his leg bounced anxiously while she drummed her fingers against her thighs.

Liam’s mind was a storm of thoughts and his emotions were no better. The guys would be leaving shortly for Drakovia and he’d be left there … waiting and hoping they returned with Croía in tow.

“Are you nervous?” Alia whispered beside him. “I’m nervous. I kind of want to throw up.”

Liam kept his gaze straight ahead as he reached over and patted her leg in a poor attempt for comfort. “It’ll be ok,” he said with a resigned nod. He wasn’t sure if he was trying to convince her or himself.

“Well, one thing is for sure,” Blaine’s voice sounded from the stairs, “I can wear the fuck out of a tux.”

Liam and Alia both turned to see Blaine walking down the stairs, dressed in a sleek black tuxedo and carrying a mask. Alia stood and moved toward him with a grin. “Of course you can, baby,” she chuckled, reaching up and adjusting his black silk bow tie when he hit the bottom of the stairs.

“What about me?” Simon drawled.

Alia glanced up to see Simon and Leo, both in similar attire, both holding their masks. “Looking snazzy.”

A moment later, Trystan appeared; he was dressed in black dress pants, a black shirt, and a black suit jacket. “Then we have Bond here,” Leo quipped.

“I’m not going into the ball,” Trystan said as he buttoned his jacket. “I don’t need the penguin suit.”

“Why dress up at all?” Simon asked.

“I may be sneaking in to break my sister out, but I’m still going to look good doing it,” Trystan smirked as he tugged the lapels of his jacket.

“Here,” Amalas said, approaching them as they huddled in the living room. “Your earpieces. Put them in so I know they’re working.” She handed them a small device and they each placed them in one ear; they were clear and so small they were practically invisible. Amalas turned to where Olivia was standing outside on the back deck and gave a thumbs up.

“Hey, assholes,” her voice crackled in each of their ears. “You’re all looking very debonair.”

The guys chuckled with nods. “They’re working,” Trystan said.

“They’re equipped with a tracker,” Amalas explained as Olivia came back inside. “Leave them in and I’ll keep checking throughout your drive to make sure they’re still working.”

They all nodded again.

“And I’ve checked to verify your aliases are still on the guest list, which they are,” Amalas said. “I’ll check again when you arrive just to be sure we don’t have any surprises.”

“You guys have your masks?” Trystan asked. Blaine, Simon, and Leo held them up. “Alright …” He glanced at his watch: 4:30 p.m. The drive was an hour, give or take, and the ball started at six. “Let’s head out.”

Everyone blew out a collective breath.

Amalas and Olivia wished them luck and walked away.

Blaine and Alia stepped aside, and she threw her arms around him.

Liam walked up to Leo and shook his hand before they pulled one another into a brotherly embrace. “Stay safe,” he whispered.

“You know me,” Leo stepped back with a small grin. “See you soon.” He turned and walked out the door.

Simon clapped Liam’s shoulder before following Leo outside. Trystan approached him a moment later and held his hand out. “Try not to wear a path in the carpet with your pacing,” he joked as they shook hands.

Liam offered a halfhearted smile and nodded. “Be safe.”

Trystan turned and walked out the door as Blaine stepped up to Liam. “You good?”

“Not really,” Liam answered truthfully.

“We’ll be back with her before you know it,” Blaine said before he held a fist out to him. The two went through their playful handshake routine before clapping one another’s shoulders. “Remember what I said. Head up, brother.”

Liam and Alia followed Blaine outside, stopping on the front porch; he gave Alia one last kiss before moving to the vehicle. He slid into the backseat and tossed them one last wave before shutting the door.

They held their breath as the SUV pulled away, and they both threw up a silent prayer as they watched it disappear down the driveway.

***************************************

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