Diary,
"Can you give us some space now? We'd get back to you later." I said, rubbing my temples as she nodded and left. Tony stood up to check outside the door, making sure that she wasn't there before slamming it shut and walking back to where we sat.
"I think we should let her help us do our research-"
"Really Sandy?" Lissa asked.
"Well, we have no other option do we? Look guys we wouldn't trust her completely. We'd only accept her help and as we're on it, we would formulate a back up plan in case she wants to betray us. Remember, be as wise as a serpent and as gentle as a dove." I said.
"Fine." Anaia said.
"Okay but I still don't like the sound of it" Tony grumbled.
"Says the person who doesn't have a choice." Lissa said.
"Guys let's all relax. We cannot let all these take a toll on us, I get that we're tired and all but we can't afford to let our guard down. Remember what she said?" Anaia asked, pausing as we shook our heads.
"About?" Lissa probed.
"She something about our bond that struck me. So even our enemies recognize the bond and love we share that holds us all together so they want to break that first so we'll be vulnerable enough for them to attack." Anaia said.
"Hmm that makes sense. I mean, why would she want to help us all of a sudden?" Ray asked.
"All these smell fishy to me. I feel something's up but I don't know what it is. So, in addition to what Sandy said, I say we let her help us." Lissa said as I smiled.
"And we pray." Tony said as he stretched his hands as we all held hands together.
"Oh yes! No doubt brother!" I said, laughing as I playfully hit his shoulder. Tony was a really friendly, jovial person but I could definitely see a change in his personality since we got kidnapped. He became extra careful, a bit withdrawn and really cold, especially when interacting with strangers.
♤♤♤♤♤♤♤♤
It had been 20 minutes already. We were still searching.
"But I thought she said she could help us?" Tony asked impatiently as I gave him a deadpan look.
"Exercise patience. You know how hard we planned before we could enter his study. You know how we had to disable the CCTV camers in here first. So, just hold on I believe we'll find something soon."
Lissa said.
"Meanwhile, can you tell us what you know personally of Kyros?" Ray asked.
"I don't know, I mean I don't really know much about him but I've been in his cult for quite a while now."
"So how'd you get to know him? How did you get to enter his cult?" Anaia asked, standing akimbo as I sneezed again due to the dust that had accumulated on the books that were rarely used.
"Bless you." They said as Ecrin shrugged.
"I got introduced by a friend. At the time, I was a victim of bullying and I felt my life slipping away slowly, I took drugs- almost died from an overdose once, suffered from various suicide attempts until I joined OET. I was given power and purpose and no one dared bully me at school again until I graduated." She said as she dusted an old book.
We all shared sad looks.
"Woaw...that's alot. So you said you were given purpose....how?" Anaia asked.
"Well, I've pledged my allegiance to OET and I belong to it forever. I live or die for OET." She said.
"But I thought you said you didn't like Kyros? You said he was selfish, that you wanted to leave and now you're pledging your allegiance to the cult he owns?" Tony asked as Ecrin smirked and walked to him.
"Hmm I did, didn't i?" She asked as a thick silence fell over the study. I didn't know if anyone one else felt it but I was extremely uncomfortable, especially with the way she was close to him.
"Ah-hem!" I cleared my throat loudly as Ecrin laughed and walked back to the shelf.
"So why are you helping us then?" Ray asked, frowning hard.
"I don't know, I guess it's just my nice side that's making me do this." She said, winking at Tony seductively.
"Nice side?!" I asked as she turned to me with a smile.
"Yeah...." she said as I looked at her sternly like there was this invisible spark between us. I felt this anger building up in me but I couldn't understand why.
"Let's go guys. We've been searching but haven't seen anything yet." Lissa said, holding my hand.
"Fine let's go." I said as Ecrin smirked evilly at me.
"Okay guys, later. " she said, laughing as she walked off and Lissa pushed the rest of us quickly into the room.
"Hey!"
"Watch it!"
"Careful!" We all said as Lissa shushed us and brought out an old, dusty album book.
"Look what I found. "At that time, I forgot my anger and I marvelled at Lissa.
"How'd you do it?" Ray asked incredulously.
"Remember the back up plan? Ecrin was only our key to entering the study. She was never expected to search for us isn't it? I believe she came for another reason."
"Yeah." I said gloomily.
"What's wrong Sandy?" Anaia asked, taking me to a corner of the room as the others checked out the book.
"I don't know, I don't know why I'm so angry..." I said, my eyes watery.
"What do you think caused it? Talk to me Sandy. This is the worst time to keep secrets." She said when I hesitated.
"Fine, I'll talk. I feel like Ecrin has a plan...I mean, from the first day she met us, she's been staring seductively and Tony and smirking back at me to see my reaction and I always fail at hiding it....I get so angry and there's this happy look she had that disgusts me so bad. Why didn't Tony resist her? Why didn't he push her away?" I said, cleaning my angry tears as Anaia sighed and hugged me.
"It's okay Sandy..."
Hmmm now that I think about it, I felt she was stifling a laugh....
"Uhm guys....you wouldn't believe this." Lissa said as Anaia and I rushed to them.
"What's it-" I froze when I saw my mum, standing beside Kyros in an old picture.
"No, no, no...."