The rebellion's hideout was built into the abandoned infrastructure of Skydale's lower levels, a twisting network of tunnels and hidden chambers that smelled of damp stone and old machinery. It was a world apart from the gleaming palaces above—a place of resistance, desperation, and secrets.
And, as Zephyr was quickly discovering, a place filled with very tense nobles.
Lucian sat at the edge of a makeshift war table, arms crossed, his sharp features carved from stone. He hadn't spoken much since Thorne revealed the council's plan to abandon Skydale, and honestly, Zephyr couldn't blame him. It wasn't every day a person learned their family was planning mass betrayal.
Zephyr leaned back in his chair, watching Lucian with a smirk. "Careful, princeling. If you furrow your brow any harder, you'll get wrinkles. And that would be tragic."
Lucian shot him a withering look. "Do you ever take anything seriously?"
Zephyr placed a hand over his heart. "Oh, constantly. Just not when brooding noblemen are involved."
Aurelia sighed. "Zephyr."
"What?" He shrugged. "I'm providing moral support."
Caius pinched the bridge of his nose. "You're antagonizing my brother."
Zephyr gasped. "How dare you accuse me of such a thing?" He turned dramatically toward Lucian. "Am I antagonizing you, princeling?"
Lucian exhaled through his nose, clearly restraining himself. "I am choosing to ignore you."
Zephyr grinned. "Ah, avoidance. The first stage of denial." He leaned closer, his voice dropping into something softer, teasing. "If you ever want to talk about your feelings, I promise to be very gentle with you."
Lucian's expression didn't change, but Zephyr noticed the way his fingers twitched against the table. Interesting.
Before Lucian could respond (or stab him), Thorne reentered the chamber.
The atmosphere shifted immediately.
Thorne Everard commanded attention without trying. He was a man carved from war, his presence filling the room like a thunderstorm waiting to break. He glanced at Zephyr and Lucian with mild disinterest before turning to Aurelia and Caius.
"I have contacts in the council's inner circle," he said, getting straight to business. "People who have been feeding me scraps of information for years." He tossed a worn parchment onto the table. "This? This is the first real proof they've ever given me."
Aurelia picked up the paper, her eyes scanning the ink.
Zephyr could see the exact moment she stopped breathing.
"What is it?" Caius asked.
She hesitated. Then, slowly, she placed the parchment on the table for them to see.
It was a detailed schematic.
Of an airship.
But not just any airship—this was a colony vessel. Large enough to transport nobles and their most valuable assets far away from Skydale. The city wasn't just dying; the council had already built their escape.
Lucian stared at the parchment in horror. "They… they've already started."
Thorne nodded. "The ship is hidden in a private hangar beneath the council tower. When the Aetherion supply runs too low to sustain Skydale, the nobles will take their chosen few and leave the rest to fall with the city."
Silence.
Zephyr, for once, didn't have a joke.
Aurelia clenched her fists. "How long?"
"Months," Thorne said. "Maybe less."
Caius inhaled sharply, his hands pressing into the table. "We have to stop them."
Lucian's expression was unreadable. "And do what?"
Everyone turned to him.
Lucian's voice was quieter now, strained but controlled. "Even if we expose the council, even if we stop the ship… the floating cities are still falling." He met his brother's gaze. "So tell me, Caius—what's your actual plan?"
Caius hesitated.
And that, Zephyr realized, was the problem.
They didn't have a plan.
They had anger. They had truth. But that wasn't enough to stop an entire city from crumbling.
Thorne leaned against the table. "If you're asking for a solution, princeling, there isn't one."
Lucian scoffed. "How reassuring."
Thorne smirked. "I'm not in the business of reassurance."
Aurelia exhaled sharply. "There has to be a way."
Caius straightened. "The Aetherion cores."
Thorne raised an eyebrow. "What about them?"
"If we can stabilize them, maybe we can stop the collapse." Caius turned to Aurelia. "You said it yourself—Aetherion isn't just fading, it's being drained. What if we find out where that energy is going?"
Aurelia's eyes widened. "The power siphons."
Zephyr blinked. "I feel like I should understand what that means, but I don't."
Aurelia turned to Thorne. "Years ago, I heard rumors about an underground siphon network—a hidden system that redirects Aetherion away from Skydale's main cores."
Lucian frowned. "But… why would the council do that? That's insane."
Caius' expression darkened. "Because they were never trying to save Skydale. They were reallocating the energy for their escape."
A heavy silence filled the chamber.
Zephyr let out a slow breath. "So let me get this straight. The city is dying because the council has been stealing power for their own getaway ship?"
Aurelia nodded.
"Well," Zephyr muttered, rubbing the back of his neck. "That's just rude."
Lucian pinched the bridge of his nose. "This is worse than I thought."
Thorne's smirk returned. "I assume this means you're done pretending your family isn't involved?"
Lucian shot him a sharp glare. "I was never pretending."
Zephyr chuckled under his breath. "Could've fooled me."
Lucian turned toward him, narrowing his eyes. "Do you ever stop talking?"
Zephyr grinned. "Not when I'm enjoying myself." He tilted his head slightly. "And right now? I am."
Lucian rolled his eyes, but Zephyr caught the faintest hint of color at the tips of his ears.
Aurelia, mercifully, brought them back on track. "If we're going to stop this, we need to find the siphons. If we can shut them down, we might be able to restore power to the cores."
Caius nodded. "Agreed. But that means we need to get inside the council tower."
Zephyr let out a low whistle. "You're talking about breaking into the most heavily guarded building in Skydale." He grinned. "I love it."
Lucian sighed. "Of course, you do."
Thorne folded his arms. "You'll never make it through the front. But there's another way in."
Everyone turned to him.
A slow, knowing smile spread across Thorne's face. "There's a tunnel beneath the city. An old maintenance route, forgotten by most."
Aurelia's brow furrowed. "How do you know that?"
Thorne's smirk widened. "Because, my dear, I helped build it."
Silence.
Zephyr grinned. "Oh, this just keeps getting better."