Kidnapped Part 6 - Betrayal, Death and Escape

Neither of us said a thing after the kiss. Marc put his arm around my shoulders and walked me to the hole. He looked down at me questioningly then held out his other arm. I nodded. He swept me off of my feet so that he was holding me with one arm supporting my back and the other beneath my knees. I had a girly moment when I felt the green dress that I was still wearing whoosh as Marc lifted me. He held me close as he stepped forwards into the hole and inevitably made a perfect landing.

A few of the guys slept in the makeshift couches in the main room but most of them had gone to bed in one of the various tunnel bedrooms. The place was silent as Marc carried me into an empty room and set me down in a bed of leaves, grass and other cushy things that they found all covered in a large piece of fabric. I don’t know where the fabric came from but I was too sleepy and giddy to really care. "Get some sleep." He murmured beside my ear before covering me with another large piece of fabric and leaving.

The tunnel was surprisingly warm when I woke up. I sat up and stretched. That was the first good night’s sleep I had in months. That was really saying something, considering how I did not even have a real bed to sleep on now. Maybe staying here could actually be nice! I thought as I stood up. Well, as long as Marc is here. I blushed, remembering last night. Did I really kiss him? I wondered. Or was it just a dream? I straightened my dress and ran my fingers through my hair before finally leaving the room to join the guys.

The place was almost completely empty when I got in. Marc and Tye were the only ones that were still there. Marc’s reddish brown hair was tousled and got in his face. Tye looked very different from usual. The tall, blue Mohawk that he always had his hair in was gone because of the lack of gel, leaving his long hair hanging down on either side of his head. I stared at him in shock, he looked so different. "Yeah, yeah. Laugh it up! Let’s see how good you look after a few days without a brush, or another set of clothes." I giggled and sat down beside Marc on what I think was supposed to be a couch. "You guys really need to do something about the furniture here." I complained as I squirmed, trying to get comftorble.

"Hopefully, we won’t be living here long enough to need to worry about that." Marc replied. "Do we know where we are going to be living yet?" I asked. Marc and Tye glanced at each other in a moment of silent communication. "John and James are searching the cities for any suitable place and Jack and Ryan are looking for property in the prairies... Ryan wants to live in one of those houses that are carved out of the side of a hill, being an earth mage and all..." "What about Caleb?" I asked when Tye did not mention him. Marc shrugged. "Don’t know where he went. He left before any of us were awake." I chewed on my lip. Caleb snuck out? Why? "He probably just wanted to be alone." Tye said, as if he heard my thoughts. "Yeah...probably." That had to be it. I went out a little while ago for the same reason, I should not be suspicious. I shook off the doubtful feeling and changed the topic.

"Has anyone thought about the mountains?" I asked, earning two equally confused looks from Marc and Tye. "What about them?" Asked Marc. "As a place to live." I explained. "They’re secluded, safe, and peaceful. There are small towns close enough for us to get supplies and there is so much space for us..." I trailed off, imagining what it could be like. The guys were silent for a minute as they thought it over. I was starting to get worried. Maybe it was a stupid idea...were there other mages that claimed that area? Did mages have territory like animals or did they just move around like any other person? My stomach knotted up when I realized how stupid I might have sounded. "The mountains are a great idea." Marc reassured me. "I’ll let John know when he comes back." I felt the knot in my stomach loose when he said that.

It was dark when they came back. John, James, Jack and Ryan all came in together, grim faced and tense. "What happened?" I asked John when he sat. He frowned. "I’m afraid, we have been betrayed." He said solemnly. "Betrayed?" I whispered. "Yes. We caught him plotting with Chris when we returned." John had not said any names yet, but we all knew who it was. Caleb. My breathing hitched and there was a lump in my throat. "Why?" I heard the tears in my voice. I had come to like and trust Caleb in the short time that I knew him. "He wants power. Being a good guy will never give you any power. I’m sorry. Caleb has deserted us." "Why help us in the first place then?" Marc asked.

"Twyla." John stated. "Huh?" What did his betrayal have to do with me? "Twyla, you have many talents. We have all seen that. If Caleb could persuade you to go with him, he would have all the power he could possibly want at his disposal at any time. You do not understand just how much power you have." My lip quavered and my eyes stung. Caleb was only nice to me because he wanted my power. Power. Was that all a mage ever thought about? I wondered bitterly. Well, I don’t want any part in this. "I can’t do this." I whispered. "I...I need to go home. Where I belong."

Ryan looked at me with a stare of pure hatred. What? "There is no time for that." Jake said coldly. "We could be attacked any time; we do not need to worry about getting a careless child like you. You stay here until we say you can go. If we say you can go." I flinched back. Jake was not usually so temperamental. I looked away. No matter where they were or what other issues they had, they were still kidnappers. And I was still captured. I pushed away from Marc when he tried to comfort me.

I left. I hurried down one of the smaller tunnels and threw myself into a very small room. I collapsed in the corner and did what I always seemed to be doing these days. I cried. I cried because Caleb was never really a good guy. I cried because I was still trapped. I cried because no one could help. I cried for my family, as I always did. I cried for a very long time. This is the last time I cry. I promised myself, wiping away the tears. No matter what happens, I will not cry. I will not be helpless either. I will get out and I will train myself. I do not need them. A small part of me protested as a new, tougher part of me took over. I pushed it aside, along with most of my emotions. I was done with being pushed around. I stood up just as Jack walked in.

His shoulder length blonde hair was a little messy but otherwise fine. His eyes-which were a shade lighter purple than mine-, glinted with annoyance. "This is my room." He stated. "Get out." I sat on the makeshift bed in defiance. "Get. Out." He repeated. "No." I said calmly. He walked forwards until he was right in front of me. "Leave before I throw you out." I tightened my hand around a rock that was in the dirt beside the low bed. The skin on my hand tingled slightly as I prepared to have to fight. I glared up stubbornly at Jack. "This is my room now. YOU get out before I hurt you." He laughed in incredulity. I raised a brow at him. "You do not believe me?" I tightened my grip on the rock more and my hand almost felt like it was asleep with all of the tingling. "Of course not! Get out, before I have to hurt you!" I opened my left hand to reveal the rock I had been holding. The rock was now glowing, red hot. "It’s not me you have to worry about getting hurt." I said before throwing the half melted rock at his face.

MARC’S POV

Everything was pretty quiet after Twyla left. No one said a word. We all sat, deep in thought. It was almost midnight. A few of us went to bed. Ryan and Jack were among the first to leave. A few minutes later, Jake and James also left. About five minutes after Jack and Ryan had first left; there was a loud shriek of someone in pain. John was on his feet in an instant and was already running down the tunnel the sound came from. Tye and I were close behind. At the end of the tunnel, in a small room was Jack. He was lying on the ground, his hair strewn around. John bent over and turned him so he was facing up. A half-melted stone covered his whole face. I could smell his flesh still burning as the intense glow of the rock slowly faded.

It was not the death of my friend that had me frozen. It was the small figure standing in the back corner of the small room. Her arms were crossed over her chest and her eyes looked like two small torches. Flames danced in her irises as she glared at everyone around her. I flinched when she met my eyes. What happened to her? She looked like a wild animal that was cornered. She held something tightly in her left hand.

"What did you do?!" John demanded angrily. "The same thing that I’ll do to any of you that stand in my way. I want out. Now." John glared at her. "You will not order me around. You stay here until you are told otherwise." "Fine." Her voice rang out clearly, in a tone of finality. She had decided what to do and nothing would stop her. Her arm shot out in a blur and the thing she had been holding so tightly shot from her hand and buried itself in John’s stomach. It was another molten rock. This one was smaller and hotter. She leapt over John who had collapsed beside Jack in a screaming, writhing heap. "Don’t even try to stop me." She hissed in my ear before taking off down the hall. She vaulted up through the hole that was the exit and kept going.

I stared after her in wonder and fear. Not fear of her, but fear for her. What happened to drive her so far over the edge? What was going to happen to her now? She was on her own now. I had no chance of catching her. She was too fast. Caleb might have been able to run at that pace but he would not help her. I had to leave too. The others would surely kill me if I stayed. I did not do my part, I did not try to stop her.

I hope you all liked it! Thanks for reading and please comment!