DECEIT-behind the scenes

Chapter 4:Tara

"WAKE UP!" a voice yelled and before I could even open my eyes, I was hit with a splash of ice-cold water.

It drenched me top to bottom and before I could control my tongue I hissed "Who the hell did that, Bastards!"

"I wouldn't call me a bastard, if I were you," a familiar voice cooed in satisfaction. I lifted my gaze to meet that of the boy with the blonde hair. The same one that greeted me yesterday.

"Uhm, s-sorry..." I mumbled, trying to sound weak and defeated.

He didn't seem convinced because he leaned against the cell bars, yanked me close and hissed, "I know you aren't as weak as you sound and whatever act you are putting on may convince everyone else but I am NOT convinced!". His voice was filled with a sharp venom that actually made me uneasy. He let go of me and opened the cell door.

"There is a restroom in the next corridor, you can wash up over there," he said flatly, "There will be new cloths provided for you and you will report to the room downstairs where you will be assigned a mission."

I nodded trying to grasp all the information and the reality that I was actually going to be a part of the raven gang.

I let out a large breath as I walked down the corridor and to the restrooms. I could probably find a way to escape now, if I wanted to.

I walked inside and washed my face and stared at myself in the mirror. I would have to be as convincing as possible.I had to do this for Vexila, who was a sister that I never had.

Sister?

I was almost startled by the thought that entered my head.

Sister.

Memories of my older sister flooded my head. I wished she were here but the hard truth was that she was gone.

Taken away as a slave by Corela's most dangerous villains. I remember that day like it was yesterday...

It was a bright sunny morning; my mom and I were at the market and when we came back. We couldn't believe what we saw.

The house looked like the sight of a hurricane and right there, behind the couch, laid the body of my father.

Unconscious, we thought.

But no, he was knocked out so hard that he was killed.

That day, our world just seemed to have caved in. We search for my sister, my mom and I, but there was no use...

We couldn't find her.

That day I decided I wouldn't be defenseless and I would never let such injustice happen to my family again or any family in Corela.

After I joined as an Arani I was to work in Elizia to defeat Raven.

Raven was just as horrible as the man who took my sister, maybe even worse and just the thought of facing her sent chills down my spine.

A sudden knock at the door sent my thought spiralling back to earth.

I opened the door and walked out fully dressed in a black cloak and hunting suit, my hair drown back into a tight bun.

I met the eyes of the blonde boy again, probably here to fetch me, he too was dressed in all black.

***

"We will be launching an attack on a large cargo ship," Raven explained in the office, "It will be full of grain and precious metal from the crown but it will never reach its destination." Raven gave a malicious grin as if satisfied by her future crime.

She later started explaining in detail the plan for the treason. This did not bother me as my plan was to stop her completely and I didn't care if she got hold or on a few more weapons and the last thing I wanted was to draw extra attention by making her fail the mission.

Unfortunately, the last sentence gave me distress.

"These weapons will help us with PLAN CROWN!" she continued to explain.

"Wait what is plan crown?" I questioned, fully aware that it was her biggest treason yet. Our Arani were able to spy out that Plan Crown was her biggest crime but no one has found out what exactly it is.

"That is none of your business!" she said sharply, startling me bit "You will try to succeed in the current mission, PLAN CROWN is only for my elite ravens."

Elite ravens. The most skilled criminals that raven has at her disposal. This obviously included the blond boy who was the closet to Raven so far. His name was James, I found out he was also a part of the crime we were about to commit.

"Dismissed!" Raven shouted in finality, "We will meet back here for our mission later this afternoon."

And with that she walked out the room, her expression blank as always, but when she passed by me, I was almost certain her expression changed, but it only lasted a second and seemed more like a trick of the light.

I was later directed to my chambers. It finally felt like I had some privacy to think. I had to make sure Raven's mission was a success so that I could be a member of the raven's gang.

It was almost ironic how I had to help her in order to destroy her.