Chapter Twenty Six: (Secrets)

Chapter: 26 (secrets)

 

“Your uncle?” I asked. Even though as I asked the question I could already feel the truth behind the statement. On the day that we arrived at the Guild and Rosamond came galloping out onto the field to meet us he had the same vivid green eyes as Nicholas. The same dark hair that gently curled at the nape of his neck.

            “Well that explains how Nick had the key to the weapons room.” Addison chuckled nonchalantly. 

“Trust me he isn’t as bad of a guy as he comes off as.” Nicholas said shortly looking at the three of us but not really seeing us, his eyes looking through us and into some far off memory.

            “Rosamond has taken care of me since my father left. He had lived his entire life for the Guild, teaching their children, protecting their land and they were just going to sit around while Zavion had his way with him?” He shook his head angrily.

            “Maybe your parents were right about the Guild.” He whispered to Addison. “Maybe they aren’t who we think they are. I’ve always felt that-”

            All of a sudden, there were footsteps outside the door of the weapons room. Nicholas quickly stopped talking, darted to the wall, and flicked the light off. We were swallowed whole by darkness. From under the door, we could see the dim, yellow light cascading around shadows that’s quickly passed by the door. I instinctively held my breathe and pressed my body against the wall where I stood.

            “They can’t have gone far.” I heard a deep voice trickle in from under the door. It was muffled, but even the thick walls of the Guild couldn’t hide the anger in his voice.

            “We need to find them,” The man spoke. “Now!” He shouted. I jumped slightly, as if his words were an arrow that narrowly missed my heart. A rush of footsteps quickly followed his order. We could hear them charging down the corridors, away from the weapons room that we were presently crouched down in, with the inky darkness as our only ally.

            We were left alone in silence. My ears buzzed in concentration, straining to hear any sound beyond the door. After a few moments of agonizing stillness, I began to let out my breath slowly. I was shaking slightly, I noticed, as I brought a hand up to my mouth to gnaw on a nail.

            “Who was that?” I heard Addison whisper just a few inches from me in the darkness.

            “Were they looking for us? How did they know we had even left our rooms?” He asked the darkness. I felt more then heard Nicholas’ reply. His breath came in short burst from my other side of my body. I could feel the heat radiating off of him. I felt a shiver run up my arms in the darkness.

            “Of course they were looking for us.” Nicholas spat out in the darkness. Anger seemed to lick the edges of his words like flames.

            “Do you think the Guild protects all of this magic without using a bit of it for their own purposes?” He said. His words were more of a statement then a question. Addison and I said nothing.

            “We need to get out of here, and quick.” Nicholas went on, as I heard him shuffling around in the darkness. I heard the sound of metal and aged wood grinding against one another, before a thin line of light shot into the room, illuminating Nicholas’ soft angular face. His eyes reflected the light, making them seem to almost glow in the darkness around us.

            Nicholas quietly peered into the hallway for what seemed like an eternity, before I assumed he was sufficiently assured that there was no one directly in sight of the Weapons room.

            “Let’s go,” He whispered, as he opened the door completely and slipped out as silently as a leaf in the breeze.

            I exhaled shakily, counting to ten before following Nicholas out the door, with Jackson right behind me. Addison shut the weapons room door behind us. The door clicking into place making me wince slightly. I looked at each side of the hallway for Nicholas. The lights flickered in the darkness, casting long shadows across the path.

            “Where do you think he went?” I heard Addison whisper from behind me. Everything was silent. The only thing I could hear was the sound of our breathes and the beating of my own heart.

            “Nicholas!!” I whispered down one of the corridors to the right. I couldn’t believe it. Had he left us? I don’t see why he would have wanted to help us if he was just going to leave us behind.

            “Nick!” I whispered as loudly as I dared with so many people patrolling the Guild. I looked down another hallway for any sign of movement.

            “This isn’t funny.” I heard Addison hiss from beside me. From out of the corner of my eye I saw Jackson grip his weapon in front of him and look around. I agreed wholeheartedly in that moment. Nicholas had seemed like such a trustworthy guy to me before and now I didn’t know what to think. I hoped I wouldn’t come to regret getting so close to Nicholas in the near future.

            “Oh, I think this is quiet funny.” A dark voice chuckled from behind us. Addison, Jackson, and I both pivoted in unison. Just in time to see a tall figure step out of the shadows followed by a slightly smaller figure. Addison and I both sucked in a deep breath at the same time. Jackson let out a low growl between bared teeth.

            Standing in front of us was a tall stout Guild member with his robes covering his head. The dark material blotted out his face above his lips and he had Nicholas by the collar of his shirt. I looked over to Nicholas and my stomach knotted itself into my spine. Nicholas, who was always funny, confident and who never seemed to take anything seriously, looked afraid.