Free Uprising (Alternate Earth Series, Book 2) by S.J. West Page A

we need to decide which outcome we can live with.”
    “As much as I hate to admit it,” Malcolm says, “we need Lucifer. We need to know if he can release the souls of the infected. If he can, we won’t only be able to save their souls, but also the lives of those they might kill out of spite and jealousy. I don’t really think we have much of a choice here, Jess.”
    “It doesn’t mean I have to like it.”
    “No,” Malcolm agrees, sympathetic to my plight. “You don’t, but you need to be able to live with it for the rest of your life. We all do.”
    “Can her wings be removed surgically?” I ask. “Is there a way to make sure she doesn’t have to suffer any more than necessary?”
    “The bones in the wings are so strong they can’t be cut by anything man-made,” Brand tells me. “Only someone with our strength can rip them out of their sockets and permanently detach them. Trust me, if there was a less painful way, I would do it, Jess. There just isn’t. The most we can do is to give her a sedative so she isn’t awake while it’s being done.”
    I close my eyes and take a deep breath because I know there’s only one decision that can be made in this situation.
    “I take it from the grim expressions on your faces that you’ve reached a verdict,” I hear Nina say as she walks into the room to join us.
    When I open my eyes, I see Nina take her place beside Brand.
    “It wasn’t a question of deciding what needed to be done,” Brand tells her. “It was only a question of whether or not we can live with the outcome.”
    “Let me be the one to remove Dillon’s wings,” Nina says, her voice as cold as ice. “There’s no reason anyone else should have to live with the guilt.”
    “No,” Brand tells her resolutely, “I’ll do it. If I’m going to make this deal with Peyton, I should be the one who follows through with our promise to her.”
    Nina doesn’t say anything as she continues to look at Brand. I think she knows any argument she makes would be wasted on him. However, I do see something behind her eyes that tells me she might be thinking of an alternative to his plan.
    “Peyton has asked for one more thing,” Nina tells us.
    “What, the mutilation of her daughter isn’t enough for her?” I ask tersely.
    Nina raises her hands in the air. “I’m just the messenger here, Jess. Don’t blame me because she likes to make outrageous demands.”
    “What else does she want?” Brand asks, sounding wary of Peyton’s next condition to ensure her cooperation.
    “She wants us to stage Dillon’s kidnapping.”
    “Kidnapping?” Brand asks, looking confused by the request. “Since when are we kidnappers?”
    “Peyton wants Dillon to think of her as a hero. Once Dillon sees Peyton attempt a rescue, we give her the sedative and remove her wings. When Dillon wakes up, Peyton will tell Dillon that she did everything she could to stop us from hurting her.”
    “I haven’t met this woman yet, but I already don’t like her,” I say, unable to keep my disgust over the entire situation to myself.
    “She’s desperate for Dillon’s love,” Nina tells me, not defending what Peyton wanted us to do, but trying to put it into perspective for me. “I don’t agree with her methods. I don’t think anyone here does, but it’s the only way we can get her to help us. That’s just a cold, hard fact. We can stand our ground and refuse her demands, which will mean losing the only chance we have of saving Ava’s life and rescuing your Lucifer, or we can do what she wants and hope we can forgive ourselves later. Which one is more important to you?”
    “The choice is clear,” Brand says, not waiting for any of us to make an argument one way or another. “Tell Peyton I’ll meet her by the Bethesda Fountain in Central Park in ten minutes to officially agree to her terms. Also, remind her that this needs to be set up before Ava’s execution is scheduled. We have less than twenty-four hours to do