Iris felt herself just stare at the words on the letter a little while longer before she finally looked back at Jacob who had seemingly made up his mind on what to do. [color=f49ac2]“W-What?”[/color] Frowning slightly as she wasn’t entirely sure on how to process the offer, it was out of character, and she had expected him to just haul her back off to prison. Not that she was complaining because this was the best possible outcome, he could easily sneak her back in and she wouldn’t need to worry about that. [color=f49ac2]“You would do that?”[/color] It was clear to see how stunned she was over the small gesture from the guard. 

[color=f49ac2]“You’re not just saying this for me to go quietly and then trick me and throw me in prison? This… this is a genuine offer to take me back home?”[/color] It was hard not to question it; Iris knew this guard was a man of his word as he was the reason, she had probably survived the first round in prison. Then there was the fact he had covered for the King at the time when it came to her escape from the hospital and now there was an easy way out of all of this. 

Glancing back at the letter in her hands she placed it on the table before rising to her feet, she could feel her stomach churning at the idea of actually leaving Cas. Returning to the destroyed districts and Ethan who would hopefully stop threatening the monarchy and drop all the rebellion like agreed when he threatened her on the phone. [color=f49ac2]“Cas… he can’t know though. That you did this.”[/color] Rubbing her arm, she doubted he would tell him, but at the same time she had to be sure as she needed to be the bad guy so he could move on. 

[color=f49ac2]“I have to be the bad guy in this story, else I fear he would do something as stupid as follow me into those districts to bring me back.”[/color] Sighing Iris knew it was for the best though, [color=f49ac2]“At least if he doesn’t know he will think it was all me, that I just left and didn’t even consider trying to work it out with him. This way I get to be the bad guy and he gets to move on without any further issues.”[/color] She was certain that after a bit of time he would easily move on with life and do what was best for him. 

This was it; she had her way out and she could get home without any issues. Iris knew she could stop Ethan now and Maisie would help her with it all, Jacob didn’t need to know anything about that side of it. This was her problem to deal with and this would be her sacrifice to make. Being the bad guy wouldn’t be so bad, she could handle knowing that Cas would hate her if it kept him safe from all the trouble in the districts.