by Leon Logos
It was a brusque method of eliminating the topic, but it worked. The subject shifted back to the relevant lockdown.
“How many do you think there are?” Serenity said.
“One, three, maybe twelve,” Sixto shrugged. “Honestly, they’re probably four at the most. The smaller the group, the less chance of being detected. Though, the number isn’t important; even if you’re alone, the sentries will spot you with their eagle eyes.”
“Then what happened tonight? Did they forget their eagle eyes?”
“Relax, there must be an explanation,” Sixto said, somehow taking offense at this quip. She wasn’t trying to insult anybody, but it caused a trace of irritation to flash across his face. It was as if the sentries were his friends.
“What if the sentries were taken out like last time?” Serenity suggested.
“I hope not,” Sixto growled. “The sentries are supposed to have a safe and easy job. All of a sudden, they’re being murdered now...”
“Were you planning to become a watchman? After you’re no longer a recruit?” she wondered vaguely.
“I was considering it; but then, I realized I didn’t want the easy role. I’m going to try and join the Vanguard; it’s the Aurelian army’s first line of defense. Bastion and Destiny have already a reputation there.”
“The Vanguard is where people go to die,” Lily blurted.
“What?!” Sixto grabbed her. “Who told you that?”
“Lyla did!”
“Of course she did,” Sixto groaned. “That girl’s a hater.”
“I’ve known that for a while,” Serenity smirked. “Anyway, I think I’m going to sleep. I don’t feel like talking for hours on end.”
“All right, good night,” Sixto waved understandingly. “And if you need anything, you know what to do. I’ll be awake.”
She said her goodbyes and hung up. Lily was insistent on making her stay longer, but Sixto came to her aid and forced the farewell. She set down her phone by the bedside nightstand and crossed over to the bathroom. It was time to get ready for bed, even though she wasn’t all that sleepy. She removed her makeup, took a quick shower, and changed into a nightgown after drying herself. The dress she had been wearing was too expensive to be in any longer. Albeit, all her dresses were like this. She still wasn’t acclimated to being in excessively costly apparel. The dresses she was given were tailored ludicrously with high-end material that was worth more than her life.
Serenity nestled herself under her blanket, closing her eyes. Her ears were on full alert, waiting expectantly for the second bell to ring. However, she had a feeling that the bell wouldn’t be heard until dawn—maybe even longer than that. This raised a question in her head; would they be trapped inside their chambers until the intruders were captured?
She heard shouts coming from outside. Ridding herself of her preoccupied thoughts, she sharpened her hearing. It was incomprehensible what the voices were saying. She surmised that they were guards; maybe they had caught sight of the intruders and were in pursuit? She surely hoped so. Perhaps, in the coming minutes, the liberty bell would ring.
Sadly, no bell rang. She didn’t hear any more shouts or calls since then. Disappointed, she began to grow tired as a result of lack of locomotion and no mental stimulation. She didn’t resist the drowsiness, submitting to it. Welcoming it. The next time she opened her eyes, she hoped, the lockdown would be over. Within three minutes, she fell asleep.
Serenity opened her eyes, unaware of how much time had passed since she fell asleep. It was still dark out. She realized what had woken her up shortly: a noise coming from the hall. She sat upright, withdrawing her arms from under her bed covers. There were soft footsteps like somebody was sneaking around on their tip-toes. She realized, after a brief period of analysis, that it was only one pair of feet. The footsteps faded and recurred, indicating that somebody was walking up and down the hall. Deciding to be brave, she yielded to her curiosity and got to her feet.
Her door was locked, of course. She crossed over to the door tentatively. Most likely, a guard was patrolling outside. With no concerns, she unlocked her door and opened it. As always, the hall was pitch black. She scanned left and right, even up in the ceiling. It was too dark to see.
Suddenly, someone emerged out of the darkness and forced her back into her chamber, their hand clamped against her mouth to silence her. She struggled against their grasp, but to no avail. They pinned her roughly against the wall, right next to the door. With their feet, they kicked her door shut. She scrutinized the person starting from the bottom. Once her eyes reached the chest, she realized it was an Aurelian guard. At least, this individual was wearing the Aurelian guard uniform. Clearly, this was an imposter; and she confirmed it was as she took a good look at his face. Her eyes widened in disbelief. She struggled to produce noise out of shock and bewilderment but was muffled by the hand, suppressing her voice.
“Don’t make a sound!” Cackle Carlisle hissed. “You’ll give me away!”
CHAPTER THIRTY-FIVE
“Holy shit,” Cackle breathed. “Out of all the people, it’s you!”
She continued to murmur frantically, hindered by his hand.
“Shut it!” Cackle snapped fiercely. “When I take off my hand, don’t you dare scream. Understood? Or we’re both dead!”
She nodded wordlessly. Cackle slowly removed his gloved hand from her mouth. He also released her, unpinning her from the wall. She immediately retreated to a safer distance, standing by the foot of her bed.
“What the hell?!” she whispered fervently. “C-Cackle? How?!”
“Is this the room they gave you?” Cackle said nonchalantly, surveying her chamber in amazement. “This doesn’t look like a jail cell.”
“What are you doing here?!” she demanded, keeping her voice down.
“What are you wearing? Why are you here?” Cackle asked her.
“I’m asking you the same damn question!” she said angrily. “The intruders! You’re the reason they sounded the warning bell, aren’t you? You’re the intruder they’ve been searching for this entire time!”
“‘Warning bell’?” Cackle repeated, amused. “Is that what that was?”
“How did you get past the sentries?” she asked breathlessly. “Why are you in that uniform? Who did you kill to get it?!”
“Yo, all these goddamn questions!” Cackle growled. “Shut up for a second! I go first, considering I busted my ass to get up here!”
“I-I don’t get it,” she stammered, beginning to pace up and down her chamber.
This was just as, if not more, staggering than her reunion with Desmos and Kyler. Not in a millennium could she have foreseen this. Cackle Carlisle, the brother she despised the most, in her chamber in the middle of the night, alive and seemingly well. Comparable to her first meeting with Desmos and Kyler at the jailhouse, she was burning with questions.
“I figured, since you were kidnapped, you’d be wasting away in some cell or tortured,” Cackle said, looking at her with subtle suspicion.
“Desmos and Kyler said the same thing,” she replied. “It’s a long story.”
“Oh, so you’ve seen them?” Cackle scoffed. “Give those idiots our thanks for putting us through the trouble of coming here.”
“I wish I could,” she mumbled, sitting down at the foot of her bed.
“What’s that supposed to mean? Which reminds me; where are they?”
“Unlike you, they got caught. And they’re in cells.”
“Those retards,” Cackle muttered acidly, clenching his fists. “And why aren’t you down there with them? Huh?!”
“Like I said, it’s a long story,” Serenity said tentatively, uncertain of how Cackle would react to her being one of the “enemy.”
“We’ve got all night, don’t we?” Cackle snorted, stomping to the recliner and taking a seat violently.
“Before I explain, I need to ask something too,” she said quietly.
“What?”
“For starters, why are you here?” she asked, her most pressing question.
“It’s a long story—but I can make it simple,” said Cackle impatiently. “We came here for you guys. But the second reason, I’ll keep that to myself.”
“You don’t trust me,” she said pointedly. “You never did. Yet you risked your life trying to rescue me…”
“Oh shut up, you have the wrong idea,” Cackle scowled. “There’s a bigger reason why we’re here, besides saving your ass. And apparently, Desmos and Kyler’s, too. Is that why they came here? For you?”
“I’m also surprised,” she said, confused at how quickly she had accepted he was here. It didn’t seem very surreal anymore. Strangely, it was as if she had been expecting him for a very long time.
“And you keep saying ‘we.’ Is Garen here too? Agno?”
“Yeah, Garen’s here,” Cackle said curtly. “And the British kid too.”
“How about Fa—Gunther?”
Cackle did not reply immediately. He glowered at her, but then lowered his gaze, staring at the floor pensively.
“No, he didn’t come,” he said finally.
“You went against his orders, didn’t you?” she said softly.
“NO!” Cackle snapped abruptly, stomping his foot. Serenity recoiled, fearful somebody would hear him.
“Shhh!” she shushed him urgently. “You’re going to wake them!”
“WHO?” Cackle demanded, in an undertone again.
“The others next door! The Aurelians!”
“No shit, we’re in enemy territory,” Cackle grunted, springing to his feet.
He began pacing around the room, intermittently pounding his fist with his palm. He was inexplicably aggravated all of a sudden.
“Where are Agno and Garen, then?” she asked. “Did they get caught?”
“Why are you here?” Cackle repeated, storming up to her.
She leaned backwards apprehensively, as Cackle approached her. There was no way she could protract any further; she had to tell him now.
“They’ve accepted me into their family,” she mumbled.
Cackle’s sullen facial expression froze for a few seconds, registering multiple times what she had said. He had heard her but did not completely believe her. It wasn’t disappointment or rage he was feeling, but rather sheer stupefaction. She could not blame him. It had boggled her at the start too.
“I’m not lying,” she continued. “I was born from Aurelian parents. They died when Father stormed a camp I was in and kidnapped me.”
“What kind of bullshit is this?” he said sulkily. “What crap did they brainwash you with? Are you actually insane?”
“Don’t start, because I’m not in the mood,” she said morosely. “Honestly, you’re the last person I want to see right now.”
“Yeah, likewise,” Cackle laughed caustically. “So, you’re saying you’re an Aurelian? And that’s why you have your own little bedroom?”
“I’m part of the family, yeah.”
“So, Father raised you and took you in with the knowledge that you were an enemy?! Is he crazy? Or are you?”
“Listen, I don’t know!” she said, frustrated.
“I don’t have time to argue,” said Cackle. “Have you told him about this? Desmos?”
“Yeah, but he doesn’t seem to believe it.”
“We’ll let him decide your fate,” he said ultimately. “Now time is running out. Where is he? And Kyler?”
“I told you already. They’re in cells. I know where Kyler is; he’s in the jailhouse. But Desmos, they moved him somewhere else. I saw him once, but I haven’t seen him again after the first time.”
“Moved him where?” Cackle said, annoyed.
“I. DON’T. KNOW,” she snarled, slowly and emphatically.
Without warning or indication, he shoved her. She fell back-first onto the mattress. It wasn’t the first time Cackle had gotten physical with her arbitrarily; but it insulted her every time, exacerbating her abiding resentment towards him.
“What the HELL?!” she exclaimed. “What’s WRONG WITH YOU?”
“I came here for you, so show me respect,” Cackle snarled. “And don’t be such a baby; I didn’t even shove you hard.”
“Get out,” she said, seething in fury. “Now.”
“You don’t order me around,” Cackle said firmly. “Know your place.”
“If you don’t get out, I scream,” she said adamantly.
“You scream, we both die,” Cackle said, unfazed, taking out a pistol. It was the standard pistol the Aurelian guards carried. “You first though.”
Serenity glared silently, breathing heavily with her mouth closed. She gritted her teeth, attempting to contain the enduring hatred she harbored for this boy. There was no way he came here to “save” her, out of the goodness of his heart. There was some ulterior motive; he had even admitted it.
“Why are you in an Aurelian guard’s uniform…?”
“Why do you think? It was the only way to get around the place undetected and freely. Good thing it’s dark and they couldn’t see my face; then again, they don’t know our faces.”
“You killed a guard to steal it?”
“What do you think?” Cackle smirked. “I made that pig squeal.”
“You’re a monster, you know that?” she declared.
“Yeah, I do,” Cackle replied, almost proudly. “Now, I need info; are Desmos and Kyler alive? If so, why are they being kept alive?”
Out of spite and sourness, she kept her mouth shut, not meeting his eyes. She folded her arms, her face acid and her temper wild. It took every ounce of willpower and control to calm herself. She took slow and deep breaths, in and out. Breathing tactics surprisingly worked for her. Cackle understood her disinclination to speak to him. He groaned irritably.
“I’m serious,” he said, crouching down to face her eye-level. “We came all the way here for you guys. And yes, I admit, we went against Father’s orders. Just like Desmos and Kyler did.”
She looked at him expressionlessly, not knowing how to feel or react. It didn’t seem like Gunther was in control anymore. She surmised that since Desmos, the leader, defied Gunther’s authority, the others believed that it was okay to follow suit. Especially Garen, who challenged Desmos’s position as leader for years. She sought to learn who decided to come after them.
“Was it Garen? Or Agno? Who’s responsible for you guys being here?”
“We all convened,” Cackle responded. “At the end of the day, we all decided to come. But we’re not alone. Hell no, we’re not.”
“So, Father’s all alone now?” she asked, a tad satisfied.
“You could say that,” Cackle said ambiguously. “Answer my question.”
She appreciated that Cackle had pacified himself, rectifying his impertinent attitude. There was no harm in giving him what he wanted. However, it still boggled her mind that even they subverted Gunther’s authority. The brothers’ bond was stronger than she had thought.
“Kyler’s alive, but in poor condition,” she explained. “I’ve visited him three times in total, bringing him food the third time. They’re starving him. And I’m planning to visit again really soon. As for Desmos, I told you already; I have no idea where he is. But I’m hoping he’s alive; they’re interrogating him, but I’m guessing Desmos won’t give them anything.”
“They allowed you to speak with them?” Cackle said dubiously.
“The first time, yeah. That was when I learned they were here.”
“What about the second and third?”
“I used a secret passageway; there’s these tunnels underground that lead to a trapdoor, which then takes you to the jailhouse cells.”
“Sounds strangely convenient,” Cackle said doubtfully. “You found these tunnels all by yourself?”
“No, a friend showed me.”
“‘A friend’?” Cackle repeated in revulsion. “These Aurelians aren’t your friends. Don’t get it twisted; they’ll kill you
when you least expect it.”
“If they wanted me dead they would’ve done it already,” she refuted. “They’ve had plenty of chances to do so.”
“Yeah, whatever; you won’t be here long anyway.”
“I’m not leaving, Cackle,” she said flatly.
“I’m going to pretend you didn’t say that,” Cackle said indifferently, unwilling argue with her again. “How much time do you think we have to bust Kyler out of his cell and find Desmos?”
“Five days,” she said. “They’re sentenced to death.”
“Enough time,” Cackle grinned wickedly. “I need to relay all this to Garen and Agno. Then, we’ll be set to begin.”
“Where are those two? And what do you mean ‘begin’?”
“They’re in guard uniforms too, somewhere else from here. I’ll find them tomorrow morning. And like I said, we didn’t come here alone. We’re waging war and taking out these scumbags once-and-for-all.”
“What are you planning…?” she said anxiously.
“Forget about it for now, you don’t need to know the details. From here on out, you’re our spy. You’ll be showing us around as well, probably.”
“Wait, I didn’t volunteer for—”
“You have no choice, don’t you dare even try to escape this!” Cackle threatened. “Anyway, we also need to make a jail-breakout plan.”
“I’ve already done that,” she said proudly. “I have a key to Kyler’s cell; I just need to sneak back into the jailhouse and free him.”
“It’s a miracle,” Cackle couldn’t help beaming at her. “You’re being useful for once! I might reconsider taking your bed!”
“You’re not taking my bed,” she affirmed forcefully. “And you’re not staying here either! I can’t accommodate you.”
“Are you brain-dead? Look at all this space!”
“That’s now what I mean,” she argued persistently. “Maids come here often to clean out the room. And do you know how suspicious I’ll look? Taking extra food during mealtimes to bring to you?”
“That’s not how it’s going to work,” Cackle nudged her. “I’m staying only for tonight. After that, I’ll join Garen and Agno in the barracks.”
