Chapter 187: A deathly reunion
AYLA
The alarm bells jolted me awake.
I shot to my feet so quickly that I nearly lost my balance.
My heart was pounding so loudly as I stood there in the darkness, breathing hard.
What was happening? I turned toward the window.
At least, I thought I was turning toward the window. The blindfold over my eyes made everything impossible.
I took one careful step, my bound hands reaching out in search of the wall.
I heard shouting outside and my stomach twisted.
Was it Ares? Had something happened to him? I would feel it if something happened to him, right?
I didn’t know and that uncertainty was driving me insane.
I stumbled forward again, reaching for where I remembered the window being.
My foot caught against something and I felt hard, my knees slamming against the floor. Pain shot through my legs and I bit down on a curse.
For a few seconds, I simply stayed there with my palms pressed against the cold stone before I finally pushed myself up.
The bells continued ringing.
My hands searched the wall until my fingers found what was the door to the room.
I pressed my ear against it.
"Excuse me..." I called out. "What is happening out there?"
I heard the shuffling of footsteps so I knew they could hear me but they said nothing.
"Hello?" I banged against the door. "What is happening?"
No one answered me.
"Hello?" I said, and I hit the door with the side of my fist. "Hello. I know you are out there. Talk to me."
"Keep it down or I will come in there and gag you again." the guard outside cursed.
The gag had been removed sometime during the night when they had brought me food.
"Please."
I hated how desperate I sounded.
"Please tell me what is happening out there." I pressed my forehead against the door. "Why are the bells ringing? What is going on?"
The guard muttered something under his breath.
I could not hear all of it but I heard the words whiny woman.
My jaw clenched.
I wanted to curse him and rip the door off its hinges... use my powers and show him just how whiny I was... but I couldn’t.
If I did something and it inadvertently harmed Ares, I would not be able to forgive myself.
So I swallowed my anger and sank to the ground in despair.
A loud grunt and a heavy thud interrupted my thoughts mere minutes later.
My heart jumped in my chest as I scrambled to my feet.
Another thud reached my ears closer than the last one.
"Hello?" I called out. "Guard?"
There was no answer.
Just then I heard the door handle move.
I backed away from the door, my eyes straining and failing to make out anything.
"Ayla."
I recognized that voice immediately.
"Amara?" I nearly collapsed with relief.
She rushed toward me and pulled the blindfold from my eyes. Light flooded my vision making me blink rapidly.
"What is going on?" I asked immediately. "I heard the bells."
"We need to leave."
Amara reached for my hand and began undoing the binds around my wrists.
"Ares..."
"He is fine." she cut in. "He is going to meet us soon."
Relief crashed through me so hard that my knees nearly gave out. I hadn’t realized how badly I needed to hear those words.
Amara continued tugging at the knot, her forehead furrowed in concentration.
"I was mistaken about Alistair." she blurted. "He did not reveal the truth to Ares. Ares found it out some other way but I do not know how."
"What?"
The knot finally loosened and my hands fell free. Pain immediately rushed through my wrists.
I hissed and rubbed them.
My mind was already racing.
"Then why were the bells ringing?" I asked "What is happening?"
"There is no time." She was turning already toward the door. "Come. Follow me."
I rushed after her.
I had barely taken two steps when Amara suddenly stopped then began backing away very slowly from the door.
I looked past her and saw the sword pressed against her throat, a thin line of blood ran down her neck.
My breath caught as Lucius appeared, walking into the room as Amara backed away. He stood in the doorway with an expression I had never seen on his face before.
"Where the hell do you think you are going?"
"Lucius..." Amara’s voice was careful. "You don’t have to do this."
His eyes remained fixed on her.
"You know, I wondered how my brother escaped but it was you... you helped him."
I cannot attack him, I thought in dismay. I had made it so he was protected in the very same way I wanted to protect Ares. If I attack Lucius, Ares would die too.
Lucius’ eyes slid to me like he could hear my thoughts
"If you so much as open your mouth or utter one word, I will run her through before anything you do takes effect on me."
"Lucius," Amara said quietly.
He turned toward her.
"You promised me." His voice cracked slightly. "You promised me, Amara and now you betray me?"
The sword pressed harder against her throat.
Amara said nothing, her eyes remained fixed on the blade. A tiny bead of blood rolled down her neck.
I stared at it, my stomach in knots.
Lucius straightened, his eyes hardening with resignation.
"Come here, Ayla slowly and no funny moves."
I looked at Amara and she gave me the smallest shake of her head.
Don’t... don’t do as he says.
But I could not obey her.
"Come here." Lucius snapped, nicking Amara’s neck with the blade for extra effect.
She winced.
I took a step forward and Lucius watched me. My legs felt weak.
I wanted to scream and attack him... rip his eyes out and then his black heart but all I did was walk to him as he ordered.
When I was few feet away, Lucius reached for me, pulling me against him and his arm wrapped around my throat.
It was not enough to choke me but just enough to remind me that he could.
He began backing away from the door, his eyes on Amara.
She was still standing there, holding herself perfectly still.
"Lock it." Lucius hissed in my ear just as we stepped out of the room.
"What?"
"Lock the door now."
I stared at Amara and reached for the door. My fingers trembled as I slid the lock in place, trapping her inside.
"Now, walk..." Lucius breathed against my ear. "We have a reunion to get to."