I starred out the window paralyzed with utter terror. I was sweating, but my blood ran cold. My mouth ran dry, and my tongue felt heavy in my mouth; as if someone had filled my mouth with stones. I felt like I was going to throw up all over the transport floor. Watching my family and Quillan get chased but not being able to do anything, was absolute torture. 

Don't let anyone know you are not Vinick. 

Don't get caught. 

Save them Cyra. 

Don't let the Vinick get them!

My mind was at war with itself. My eyes darted around to see all the other girls were either sleeping or paying no account to the event going on outside. The Vinicks were focused on one of the two transports, the slower one that was too bulky to keep up with the other Majiey carrier. It was either my family or Quillan in that transport. Someone I would die for was in that transport. If this were just my life on the line, I would've jumped out and ran to help even if it meant I would die for it, but it wasn't just me. I had Harmony, Leillan, all of Majiey and Recline who relied on me not getting catch. So all I could do is watch. I watched as they circled the slower carrier, letting the second one go. My breathing stopped when one the ground shifted under the transport causing it to flip over. It landed, and the earth shook yet none of the girl paid attention. Did they not feel it or did they all just not care. I wanted to scream. I wanted to run. I had to stay as still as a statue and as quiet as a mouse. I felt like I was a prisoner to my body. 

The red-haired girl walked out with a pack of men. They looked like wolves that were ready to attack. I tried to make out who would be in the transport, my family or Quillan. Who had gotten away and who would be subject to whatever the Vinick had in store for them. One of the soldiers tore off the door as if it was paper and threw it behind him. 

Save them Cyra.

Get caught, and the rebellion falls.

I bit my lip so hard that it began to bleed, but I didn't care. The iron tasting liquid filled my mouth, but my body was frozen, eyes locked on the window as the soldier pulled out a man with strawberry blonde hair. My heart dropped to the ground when they pulled out Quillian. He just spat at the soldier. That earned him a heavy kick to the side. Tears ran down my cheeks when I saw him curl over and spew his guts on the sandy ground. I was a terrible person; I was scum. I wished it was Quillian in that car. Quillian rather than my mother and brothers. I hated myself as much as I hated the man who had slammed Quillan to the ground and screamed at him. 

I had no idea what he was saying, probably pressuring him for information. The soldier held a hand to his throat and squeezed tightly. I felt as if I could feel his fingers on my throat. I felt the air leave my lung and my chest burn. Delaney gripped my arm and pulled me out of eyesight of the window, careful enough for no one to question it. 

"Stop crying, or you will get caught," Delaney whispered in my ear. "You can cry all you want when you're alone but not here!" her voice seemed icy and cruel. 

"I-I can't; they have Quillian. They are hurting him," I muttered trying to wipe the tears from my face. 

"This is a rebellion Cyra either toughen up or go back home," though her words were harsh they were right. I had to build walls between the soft person I was in recline and who I was now. But now, I just wanted to attack something or curl up in a ball. I saw the red-haired girl point to the Vinick transport; the soldiers dug him by his wrist before tossing him into the back of the carrier as if he was a feather. What could they want with him back at the castle? What the heck would they do to get information out of him? Quillan was a fighter, he was a sarcastic stubborn man, but he was a fighter in every sense. Their transport finally caught up with ours. I took this time to process what had just happened. Leillan is in the hospital, and Quillian just became a prisoner. What could I do? I had to help at least one of them. If I couldn't be there for Leillan, I had to break Quillian free. Something told me it was going to be much harder than just walking through the castle and setting him loose. Would Delaney help me? Or would she rather me suffer on my own. It already seemed she wasn't my biggest fan. 

The ideas of what they would do to Quillian occupied my mind for the rest of the drive. My body was as stiff as a board and shook the whole way. I had to keep my face as emotionless as possible. The other girls and even Delaney seemed not even to notice me, yet I knew if I just randomly let out a scream of rage or burst out crying I'd gain a crowd of eyes watching me, questioning what was going on. I would watch the sun go up then back down. It had been a full day since they got Quillian and still the ache in my bones never lessened, my fists stayed clenched as tight as possible, and my mouth still had the after taste of iron. I tried my best to formulate a plan on how to get him out, but it seemed impossible since I had no idea what the kingdom or castle would be like. From how people speak of it I could only imagine it hell on earth, Arksel would be the devil; pitchfork and pointy tail included. 

"What do you think they will do," I mumbled to Delaney 

"Does it matter? We should be worried if he rats us out," She picked at the black chipping paint on her nails. Her brown eyes turned to a shade of gold when the light hit them. 

"of course matters! He is my friend and Leillan's brother," Why didn't she see the gravity of the situation? Her back did straighten when I mentioned Leillan, were they friends? Delaney turned away from me. 

"If you have a plan to get him out...I'll consider helping but if it is not the best escape plan ever or you can kiss my ass out," she said with a scrape. I smiled softly at her as a sign of gratitude.

"Don't make that face at me," She hissed

"Don't make a happy face?" I asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Yeah, I'm afraid your dimples are contagious," she said before glaring daggers out the window. The rest if the ride to Vinick was a silent one. No one said a word to each other. The anxiety of what was going to happen to us all hung heavy in the air. It allowed my fears about Quillian blend into the air. 

The arrival at the caste was strange. I felt like this wasn't new to me, as if I had been here before. The sense of deja vu hung over me like a dark cloud as we entered the large black metal gates. The kingdom was much different than Majiey; darkness occupied every inch of this place. The people weren't as vibrant as they were in Majiey. They wore dark or muted color clothing; they all also looked lethal. Even the children that ran around the streets looked as if they could kill me with a single blow on their magic. This didn't make my already on edge nervous any better. The roads were made of cobblestone, so the carrier rocked a bit as we made our way to the castle. The sense of familiarity only got worse when I saw the dark stone staircase that leads up to the grand black steel doors of the palace. We exited the transport and got quickly ushered inside. We followed the long red carpet with the kingdom crest in it to the throne room. There sat a man who looked barely older than me with a crown that looked like it was made out of silver and gold bone, red rudys placed in between the spaces where they interlaced with each other. His hair was almost snow white, and his eyes were black as night. He had a lean muscular frame with black veins running over his pale skin. When we got to the base of the throne everyone kneeled, it took me a moment to follow. 

"Prince Arksel this is the recruits, what would you like us to do with them," said a guard behind me. 

"I will take them. I would just love to give them a high-class tour," said a male voice that wasn't the Prince. It was a man that stood to his right — a man with long black hair with a silver streak going down the middle. His monolid eyes were a light chocolate color, and he had tan skin with scattered freckles. I noticed his shadow behind him was laughing; he could control shadows. 

"General Zydan," the Prince said as he stood up "you will be giving them a tour but not before they know what exactly will be expected of them," Arksel laced his fingers behind his back. "The ones that stay will be given-" the door swung open, and the red-haired girl marched in. 

"Aw sister glad you could join us with grace and poise," Zydan hummed as he leaned against the wall behind him. A smile was full on his face. For the first time, I could finally see her face. I hated she was beautiful, monsters who burn down colonies and kidnap people should be ugly. Her hair was bright and when she walked fanned out around her like a flame. Like her brother, her eyes were a deep amber color, and she had dark skin with freckles. What she had that he didn't were scars. She has a scar on her large scar on her cheek, a slash through her eyebrow, and a deep gash on her neck. She was a fighter, and those scars were proof. 

"I think we have a lead on the Majiey's plans," she announced smugly "I caught someone driving a Majiey vehicle," her eyes were locked eagerly at the Prince, awaiting his approval. Arksel took a deep breath. 

"Aleta if you please I do not believe the recruits need to know this," he said with annoyance laced over his face. When he ran his hand over his face, I noticed something. He wore black leather gloves that I had definitely seen somewhere. I couldn't put my finger on it.

"But if you would just come-" Arksel snapped his fingers, and she stopped.

"He is our prisoner, no? And if you do your job right, he will be our prisoner later, correct? Now leave Aleta," Prince arksel said with a calm tone, but the look on Aleta's face was one of shock. It took her a moment to collect herself before she bowed and marched out of the room. She followed his every command; it was chilling. Did he expect that from us all? I was not going to be the king of Vinick's dog who followed his every command. 

"Now first things first, I need a personal maid that I need by me at almost every moment," When no one moved he take a tsking sound with his tongue "I will pick randomly unless one steps up to the task. Do you want that?" Right, when he said those words, I felt hands push against my back, and I tumbled to the floor at Arksels feet. 

"Looks like she is already falling for you," Zydan said before laughing at his own joke. 

"Who are you," Arksel said almost bored. For a moment under his soulless gaze I forgot, Who was I? 

"I am Cyra Fawn Enaye, I want to be your personal maid," his smile set my body on fire. This was not going to be as easy as I thought.

{Hello lovelies! So Cyra is in Vinick and Quillian is a prisoner, could things get any worse? This chapters question is~ Do you think Cyra will be able to get Quillian out?}