"Will you take me to see Sierra? I need to make sure she's okay," I say as I wipe away the tears from my face.
Liam hasn't said anything since we left Peter's bungalow. He's still so tensed, and his eyes are always focused ahead. He stops dragging me once we enter the pathway to the lockup.
We walk through the intimidating metal door leading to the cells, and the smell of Rebel's blood rushes into my nose instantly. The cells are almost empty. Only three cells are occupied, with only one Rebel in each of the cells. What happened to the rest of them?
There are three guards inside when we walk in. They are playing cards in the middle of the room, unbothered by the stench of the lockup. They immediately rise to their feet when they see Liam dumping their cards on the table.
"Leave!" Liam commands them. There's something different in the way he speaks...he sounds angry.
Without saying anything, they run out of the lockup closing the door behind them.
"I'll give you five minutes," says Liam coldly. The same tone he uses for the guards, but I nod gratefully at him.
Sierra is lying on her stomach, hands folded to secure her head from the cold hard ground. At first, I thought she was dead, but as I got closer, I could see her shoulders heaving up and down weakly.
"Sierra," I call her in a breathy voice, trying not to frighten her.
She hesitates for a moment. Maybe she thinks she's dreaming. But she gets up to a sitting position and looks up at me.
I crouch down and grip the bars between us.
"Oh Heaven, Ava, is that really you?" she quickly puts her hands above mine.
I nod my head and give her a reassuring smile.
"I thought they killed you! I'm so glad you're okay!" The edge of her lips is quirked up into a weak smile.
"Look, I don't have much time. I need to tell you something, and you must listen to me carefully, okay?"
Her focus is solemnly infatuated on me in an instant.
"They will send me back to Lucas's camp to gather information."
She does not blink, and her blue eyes are suddenly full of horror. "No, Ava, you can't go back to Lucas!"
"But they won't let you out until I do what they ask!"
She shakes her head frantically, making the curls of her blonde hair bounce on her shoulder. "I don't care if I die! If you turn Lucas in, he will kill us!"
"But if I don't, these people will kill us!"
Sierra sighs in desperation, knowing nothing can change our faith to die. "I don't know which one is worse."
"No, I know Lucas won't do anything to harm us!"
"HE WILL, AVA! Trust me," as her tears stream down her face along with the scream. "Ava, I've seen what Lucas can do, and he's keeping secrets from you. There are so many things you don't know about him. He's dangerous!"
I hold my breath to slow down my rising heartbeat. "I have known Lucas since I was little! He would never hurt me!"
"I know you won't believe me if I tell you the story. But ask Lucas about what he did to my lover. Ask him why he killed my Harry, his best gunman, who he always called his brother, who helped him gather an army of Fighters."
My hands become limp and fall to my side. "What do you mean?"
"Ava, I know you're trying to help save us both, but there's nothing we can do anymore!"
"I still am not giving up! Trust me on this, Sierra! Please..." I hold her hand tight.
Again with the false promises, Ava? Really? You couldn't even keep your promise last night! As simple as not leaving her here alone, and you already promise something that will cost your life?
She bites her bottom lip. I can see the hesitation in her blue eyes, but she still nods anyway. Maybe she's just telling me that whatever I say, she's given up on her life. I have to show her that we still have hope.
"Your time's up! Come on!" Liam grabs my arm and yanks me up harshly.
***
Liam lets me sit in the kitchen with him while preparing dinner. This kitchen is designed the same as the one at Peter's, even though I can only see trees and more trees outside. But I feel more peaceful here with birds and crickets chirping inside the forest. I love the sound of the whispering wind through the trees, making it looks like they are dancing.
Liam puts a bowl of steaming stew in front of me, breaking my reverie.
My mouth is already watering from the smell, it reminds me of the night when Lucas kissed me. What secrets is Lucas hiding from me? Is he really capable of killing someone close to him? Will he stop the war if he finds out that Liam is involved?
"You need to eat, Ava," Liam says across the table. My heart responds to that familiar voice from 7 years ago. Even though his voice sounds deeper now, it still creates a funny reaction inside my belly.
"Are the guards feeding Sierra too?" I look up at him, and his enticing green eyes warm my whole body. He sits down in the chair across from me.
"Yes, they do."
"But they're not feeding her enough! She's so thin, and she is barely breathing. What if she can't survive for another week? How can I get her out then?" Tears again flow down my cheeks. Damn it, I don't remember being so vulnerable like this in my life. Since when have I become so touchy-feely?
Liam is already crouching down beside me when I start to cry. He takes my shaky hand and rubs the palm with his thumb. "Ssh, okay, I will tell the guards to feed her more. But don't blame me if you'd have some trouble rescuing her because she'll be too chubby then."
I give him a grateful smile, "not that much!"
"Okay, I will. But you also need to eat and restore your own strength." He stands back up and pushes my bowl closer.
I take a bite of the steaming stew. The meat is so tender I don't even have to chew to swallow my food. When Liam is satisfied to see me eat, he returns to his chair and eats his share.
"Why didn't I know that you can cook?" I say while shoving another bite into my mouth. I moan when another tender meat touches my tongue. "This is so good!"
Liam laughs so hard, and he chokes on a lump of unchewed meat. "I had seven years to learn," as he coughs down the food stuck in his throat.
"You should have cooked dinner back at home! I practically had dinner more often at your house than my own." I take two more bites before I even swallow the previous one.
"I could never compete with my mom's cooking," He weakly smiles at his bowl.
I forgot that he hadn't seen any of his family for the past 7 years. He didn't just leave me, but he also left his parents.
I take a sip of water and clear my throat. "Do you know that your parents were gone after you and Lucas went missing?"
He nods his head while he's playing with his food with his fork. "The Councils of Monarch have my parents and yours too. That's why Aiden is here," says Liam.
My heart drops six feet under the ground when he mentions my family.
"What? Why do they have our parents?" my voice sounds so wry.
"They use our family against us to stop Lucas. They threatened to kill them if we didn't stop the Fighters."
I push my half-empty bowl away and lean closer to him, "Liam, how are you going to stop Lucas?"
Liam looks up at me, and his eyes meet mine. He says nothing briefly before speaking, "there is going to be a war, Ava. And it will be a big one, and so many people will die in this battle. If Lucas calls out for this war and attacks the Monarch, the Warriors will protect them. We will do anything to stop the Fighters. Anything."
"Even if it means killing your own brother?"
He doesn't say anything and drops his gaze back to the center of the table to avoid mine. "Yes," says Liam reassuringly.
How can he be so sure that he's able to kill him? They grew up together. They have a special bond that even Liam and I don't have. I can't imagine putting myself in his shoes. The thought of killing Aiden makes the inside of my stomach lurches.
"You realize that means you and Aiden must kill me, too, right?" I quirk an eyebrow at him.
He sits up straighter, and he finally locks eyes with me. "No," he answers matter-of-factly. "You and Aiden will be out of this camp, run far away from the city before the battle begins. I already arranged for your escape when Peter told me about his plan for you."
"Where are you taking us?" I narrow my eyes at him. Why don't we just run away now? Why wait for the war?
"I won't be coming with you, Ava. Aiden will take you to Borderland and find our parents. As soon as the battle ends, I will come to find you."
"No way! If you plan to get me out of this war, you are coming with me! I will find a way to tell Lucas about your parents. He might want to listen to me," I shake my head ferociously while folding my hands on my chest.
Is he kidding me? After seven years, we grew apart. Is he just going to leave me again? Why do I even bother looking for him if that will end this... I don't know, friendship?
"You can't!" he says quickly. "Lucas is not like that. He won't go anywhere without fighting. Peter's right! He is thirsty for the blood of the Monarch, and your friend is also right about him. Lucas is dangerous! He will kill you for stopping him from his fight. He cannot be stopped, at least not that way. He needs to be defeated, and the only way is to give him what he wants."
"A war..." I say in a whisper.
"Exactly! If he knows about the Monarch holding our parents in captivity, he will be angrier and become stronger. He will attack the Monarch and kill everyone in his way."
"How do you know that?"
"Because he is my brother," he says bitterly.
"Will you take me to see Sierra? I need to make sure she's okay," I say as I wipe away the tears from my face.
Liam hasn't said anything since we left Peter's bungalow. He's still so tensed, and his eyes are always focused ahead. He stops dragging me once we enter the pathway to the lockup.
We walk through the intimidating metal door leading to the cells, and the smell of Rebel's blood rushes into my nose instantly. The cells are almost empty. Only three cells are occupied, with only one Rebel in each of the cells. What happened to the rest of them?
There are three guards inside when we walk in. They are playing cards in the middle of the room, unbothered by the stench of the lockup. They immediately rise to their feet when they see Liam dumping their cards on the table.
"Would you please leave the room for a moment?" Liam commands them.
Without saying anything, they run out of the lockup closing the door behind them.
"I'll give you five minutes," says Liam coldly. The same tone he uses for the guards, but I nod gratefully at him.
Sierra is lying on her stomach, hands folded to secure her head from the cold hard ground. At first, I thought she was dead, but as I got closer, I could see her shoulders heaving up and down weakly.
"Sierra," I call her in a breathy voice, trying not to frighten her.
She hesitates for a moment. Maybe she thinks she's dreaming. But she gets up to a sitting position and looks up at me.
I crouch down and grip the bars between us.
"Oh Heaven, Ava, is that really you?" she quickly puts her hands above mine.
I nod my head and give her a reassuring smile.
"I thought they killed you! I'm so glad you're okay!" The edge of her lips is quirked up into a weak smile.
"Look, I don't have much time. I need to tell you something, and you must listen to me carefully, okay?"
Her focus is solemnly infatuated on me in an instant.
"They will send me back to Lucas's camp to gather information. I want you to stay alive for a week before I can get you out, okay?"
She does not blink, but her blue eyes are suddenly full of horror. "No, Ava, you can't go back to Lucas! Don't do what these people say!"
"But they won't let you out until I do what they ask!"
She shakes her head frantically, making the curls of her blonde hair bounce on her shoulder. "I don't care if I die! If you turn Lucas in, he will kill us!"
"But if I don't, these people will kill us!"
Sierra sighs in desperation, knowing nothing can change our faith to die. "I don't know which one is worse. But whatever you do or don't do, we'll still die eventually. And the only thing that matters is who will kill us. We're as good as dead now."
"No, I know Lucas won't kill us!"
"HE WILL, AVA! Trust me that he will," as her tears stream down her face along with the scream. "Ava, I've seen what Lucas can do, and he's keeping secrets from you. There are so many things you don't know about him. He's dangerous!"
I hold my breath to slow down my rising heartbeat. "No! I have known Lucas since I was little! He would never hurt me!" That night in my room, I asked him to hurt me. He didn't do it. He turned his back on me.
"I know you won't believe me if I tell you the story. But ask Lucas about what he did to my lover. Ask him why he killed my Harry, his best gunman, who he always called his brother, who helped him gather an army of Fighters."
My hands become limp and fall to my side. "What do you mean?"
"Ava, I know you're trying to help save us both, but we can do nothing!"
"No, I won't believe you. Even if it's true, I still am not giving up! Please, you have to listen to me and survive another week. I will get us both out of here. I will find a way! I promise," I hold her hand tight.
Again with the false promises, Ava? Really? You couldn't even keep your promise last night! As simple as not leaving her here alone, and you already promise something that will cost your life?
She bites her bottom lip. I can see the hesitation in her blue eyes, but she still nods anyway. Maybe she's just telling me that whatever I say, she's given up on her life. I have to show her that we still have hope.
"Your time's up! Come on!" Liam grabs my arm and yanks me up harshly.
***
Liam lets me sit in the kitchen with him while preparing dinner. This kitchen is designed the same as the one at Peter's, even though I can only see trees and more trees. But I feel more peaceful here with birds and crickets chirping inside the forest. I love the sound of the whispering wind through the trees, making it looks like they are dancing.
Liam puts a bowl of steaming stew in front of me, breaking my reverie.
My mouth is already watering, and the smell of the stew reminds me of the night when Lucas kissed me. What secrets is Lucas hiding from me? Is he really capable of killing someone close to him? Will he stop the war if he finds out that Liam is involved?
"You need to eat, Ava," Liam says across the table. My heart responds to that familiar voice from 7 years ago. Even though his voice sounds deeper now, it still creates a funny reaction inside my belly.
"Are the guards feeding Sierra too?" I look up at him, and his enticing green eyes warm my whole body. He sits down in the chair across from me.
"Yes, they do."
"But they're not feeding her enough! She's so thin, and she is barely breathing. What if she can't survive for another week? How can I get her out then?" Tears again flow down my cheeks. Damn it, I don't remember being so vulnerable like this in my life. Since when have I become so touchy-feely?
Liam is already crouching down beside me when I start to cry. He takes my shaky hand and rubs the palm with his thumb. "Ssh, okay, I will tell the guards to feed her more. But don't blame me if you will have some trouble rescuing her because she's too chubby then."
I give him a grateful smile, "not that much! Just feed her enough to restore her health and strength."
"Okay, I will. But you also need to eat and restore your own strength." He stands back up and pushes my bowl closer.
I take a bite of the steaming stew. The meat is so tender I don't even have to chew to swallow my food. When Liam is satisfied to see me eat, he returns to his chair and eats his stew.
"Why didn't I know that you can cook?" I say while shoving another bite into my mouth. I moan when another tender meat touches my tongue. "This is so good!"
Liam laughs so hard, and he chokes on a lump of unchewed meat. "I had seven years to learn," as he coughs down the food stuck in his throat.
"You should have cooked dinner once in a while seven years ago! I practically had dinner more often at your house than my own." I take two more bites before I even swallow the previous one.
"I could never compete with my mom's cooking," He weakly smiles at his bowl.
I forgot that he hadn't seen any of his family for the past 7 years. He didn't just leave me, but he also left his parents.
I take a sip of water and clear my throat. "Do you know that your parents were gone after Lucas, and you went missing?"
He nods his head while he's playing with his food with his fork. "The Councils of Monarch have my parents and yours too. That's why Aiden is here," says Liam.
My heart drops six feet under the ground when he mentions my family.
"What? Why do they have our parents?" my voice sounds so wry.
"They use our family against us to stop Lucas. They threatened to kill them if we didn't stop the Fighters."
"Where are they?"
He shakes his head reluctantly, and his eyes are dangerously wet. "We don't know because they wouldn't tell us, but Aiden thinks the Monarch sent them to Borderland."
I push my half-empty bowl away and lean closer to him, "Liam, how are you going to stop Lucas?"
Liam looks up at me, and his eyes meet mine. He says nothing briefly before speaking, "there is going to be a war, Ava. And it will be a big one, and so many people will die in this battle. If Lucas calls out for this war and attacks the Monarch, the Warriors will protect them. We will do anything to stop the Fighters. Anything."
"Even if it means killing your own brother?"
He doesn't say anything and drops his gaze back to the center of the table to avoid mine. "Yes," says Liam reassuringly.
How can he be so sure that he's able to kill him? They grew up together. They have a special bond that even Liam and I don't have.
I let out a long sigh. Lucas is so worried about him, and Liam over here plans to kill his brother. He wants to save his parents, but Lucas is still his family.
"You realize that means you and Aiden must kill me, too, right?" I quirk an eyebrow at him.
He sits up straighter, and he finally locks eyes with me. "No," he answers matter-of-factly. "You and Aiden will be out of this camp and the city before the battle begins. I already arranged for your escape when Peter told me about his plan for you."
"Where are you taking us?" I narrow my eyes at him. Why don't we just run away now? Why wait for the war?
"I won't be coming with you, Ava. Aiden will take you to Borderland and find our parents. As soon as the battle ends, I will come to find you."
"No way! If you plan to get me out of this war, you are coming with me! I will find a way to tell Lucas about your parents. He might want to listen to me." I shake my head ferociously while folding my hands on my chest.
Is he kidding me? After seven years, we grew apart. Is he just going to leave me again? Why do I even bother looking for him if that will end this... I don't know, friendship?
"You can't!" he says quickly. "Lucas is not like that. He won't go anywhere without fighting. Peter's right! He is thirsty for the blood of the Monarch, and your friend is also right about him. Lucas is dangerous! He will kill you for stopping him from his fight. He cannot be stopped, at least not that way. He needs to be defeated, and the only way is to give him what he wants."
"A war..." I say in a whisper.
"Exactly! If he knows about the Monarch holding our parents in captivity, he will be angrier and become stronger. He will attack the Monarch and kill everyone in his way."
"How do you know that?"
"Because he is my brother," he says bitterly. "But I also want to save him. I still have no idea how. I'll cross that bridge when I come to it. But if I have to kill Lucas to save my parents, I will do it without a doubt."