A Place Beyond All Kingdoms

Lost a Life

Chapter 18

Snow:

Flame smiles at me. With a musical laugh.

"I cannot believe I fell in love with such a dork!"

I laugh too. "I can't believe I fell in love with such a jerk!"

We both laugh. We have finished our jobs, and now we're just waiting for the others. We hear loud footsteps thundering our way. Suddenly Flame is on his feet standing in front of me protectively.

Suddenly, Jared comes thundering trough the door, alone and breathless. Flame relaxes and sits back down next to me. He wraps an arm around my shoulders.

"Where's Fay?" I ask.

"She- got- caught."

He gulps in air.

"Oh no! That makes two! No! Three, including Nick."

"Did you try to help her? You could have done a lot with all those weapons."

"And waist bullets?" He snorts and drops the bags. "Please."

"You've got knives too. Using a knife doesn't waist it," I say.

He shrugs. "The bitch deserves whatever she gets."

"Excuse me! Fay is part of the team, just like Jasmine or Nick! AND WE DON'T LEAVE TEAMMATES BEHINM!!!" Flame screams.

"I thought you loved her," my voice is quiet compared to Flame's.

"I did.... but I put that behind me."

"So what, that doesn't mean you LEAVE HER BEHIND!"

"It does if she's the one who caused it. She left me! And I was just playing the hand I was dealt."

Flame calms down. Suddenly understanding heart break. But, I know he won't let Jared get off with it. He'll make him go find her.

He releases a large sigh. "I understand you. I do. But, you'll have to go find her. Get her back. Get them all back. We'll help you but, you can't come until she's back."

"Fine I'll do it."

  ~                                                      ~                                                  ~

A dungeon door is hidden under one of the stair cases. Dew, Bre, and I hide under the stairs. Waiting for Flame and Jared to return with the keys from a guard.

Each of us took small weapons. And stored the bags with the rest of our things.

"Look what we found."

We look at the boys, there's another one with them. I notice from the same shine in his hair as Flame's it's his brother.

"What's he doing here?"

"He wants to help. He feels bad."

"Whatever. Let's just get them back so we can leave."

Nick pulls a ring of keys out of his pocket. He unlocks the door. We all walk in. There's practically no light down here at all. Just a few torches on the wall.

We walk down the hall. Eyes flickering from cell to cell. We pass a guard, who eyes us, suspiciously. But, we don't stop for him, we all just brake out into a run.

"There back!" I hear the guard scream behind me.

BOOM!

I turn to see the door broken down. In walks all the kings and queens and the guards. I turn and run faster.

"It was cell 139!" Nick screams.

123... 124... 125... We run on looking at the numbers.

"133, 134, 135, 136," Dew says.

"139!"

We stop at one cell. "Guys help us!" Fay screams. "She's not waking up!"

Nick unlocks the bars with trembling fingers. And pushes the bars open.

Suddenly a large gust of wind blows through, putting out all the torches. Leaving us in complete darkness.

"Where is she?" Nick asks.

"On the bed," Fay says.

I hear Nick's grunt as he lifts Jasmie up.

"Let's go! I know the way out! Follow me!"

He runs out of the cell and continues down the dungeon. We follow after him. The stomps of the hundreds of people behind us, booming in my ears.

We're out of the dungeon in minutes. "Where did you hide all the stuff?"

"In the basement!"

We run down to the basement and grab all our stuff. Waisting no time, we run outside, to the dance. We sprint through the crowd of people.

The crowd gets smaller and smaller as we go on. When there's no more people we have only one mission left.

"Get through the gates!"

We run, and run getting closer and closer, and closer, until.... we make it through. But, the moment all of us get through I hear a kind of screeching sound. We turn around to see the gates close.

As if assuring us that we won't be returning. Even if we wanted to.

All we do is turn back around and continue on into the woods, without looking back.

  ~                                                   ~                                                  ~

It's dark now, there's a fire burning. Jasmine lies with a thick blanket, with one under her. She still hasn't woke up.

Everyone has already eaten dinner. Now we're all getting ready for bed.

I swear with every passing second, that Jasmine doesn't wake up, Nick gets more and more terrified.

"Are you sure she's alive?"

"I'm sure."

"What if she isn't?" He asks.

"Well, let's check for a pulse then! So you can shut up!"

Jared walks over to Nick who's sitting right over Jasmine. I stare at the fire.

"Guys," Jared's voice is shakey. "Jasmin doesn't have a pulse."