Enslaved

Chapter 49

Kaida slowly blinked her eyes open, wincing at the pain that seemed to come from everywhere around her. She sat up and went to open her wings when she felt the cold metal kissing her scales and she shot to her feet, her heart hammering in her chest as she turned to look at her wings. Three metal bands encircled each one, binding them together and shut just as they had in the mines and she shuddered, shaking the memory away. Where was she? The last thing she remembered was talking with Kajeel. Had they been attacked again?? Where was Kajeel?! She heard footsteps and whipped around to find herself in a cage of sorts, large metal bars opposite of her stretching from the floor to the ceiling. She placed a hand behind her on the cold, damp wall as somebody rounded the corner of her cage and she sighed when she saw Kajeel.

"Kajeel! What is going on?? Where are we?"

Kajeel did not look up at her, keeping his eyes on the ground and his wings slightly lower than he had ever held them. Somebody else appeared behind him and Kaida's breath got caught in her throat as she recognized the hard, cruel features. Kajeel stopped right in front of her and bowed his head lower as the other man walked in front of him and turned to look at her, locking her gaze with his. His eyes were cold and fierce, filled with hatred and malice and she shuddered. The Emperor.

"Good job, Kajeel." The Emperor's voice was colder than frostbite. "It's a shame that your position got compromised, however. You are dismissed."

Kajeel bowed despite the fact that the Emperor could not see him and started walking back the way he came, not looking at Kaida where she stood frozen in place.

"K-Kajeel, what is going on?" She called to him, making him pause. "Why am I here?"

The Emperor laughed and she saw Kajeel flinch slightly but stop walking, turning his head slightly so their eyes met.

"You are here because it was the only way get Ryuu to end his stupid rebellion. To give up his foolish dream of freedom."

Kaida's eyes widened at his words and her heart sunk.

"You're the traitor." She whispered, her eyes welling up with tears. "You are the traitor that Ryuu was so worried about. Why?"

Kajeel snorted but didn't reply, sending a bolt of anger through her. She took one step toward him, her fury slowly building.

"So everything was fake then?" Her voice was shaking with emotion. "Every single thing? Your friendship with Ryuu? Your position within the rebellion?"

She paused, breathing hard.

"Our friendship?"

Kajeel turned to face her completely and snarled, making her eyes flash with surprise.

"We were never friends, Kaida. That part was all you."

The Emperor laughed as Kaida felt her heart crack at his words, watching as he sneered at her before turning and walking away, not once looking back at her.

"You don't know why you're here?" Kaida turned back to the Emperor, her heart in her throat and barely remembering that she had asked that. "Oh that's wonderful! As to what is going on, Kajeel has betrayed you. I thought that was obvious, my dear."

Kaida's breathing seemed to stop as Kajeel's cruel words circled around her head. Her mind swam with all of the memories she had with him, all of the training sessions they had gone through together. All the jokes and laughing they had experienced together. All of it was fake? The Emperor started laughing again and Kaida shuddered, wrapping her arms around herself and turned slowly to face the Emperor, barely concealing her wince when she clutched her still sore ribs. The Emperor stopped laughing, taking a deep breath before walking forward so he was right in front of the bars and leaned down to be face to face with her.