The Seventh Crow

Part 4

"Nox," I hear Dem call. "Nox, wake up. They will be coming back soon."

My eyes flutter open. I didn't even realize I fell asleep. If that would count as falling asleep. One minute I was fine, then the next everything was black.

I look around the white room. The blood was fully cleaned up. Not a speck anywhere. The dead body propped up in the far corner. Dem must've moved it.

"I'm sorry," I whisper.

"It's all good," Dem replied.

The keys jingle in the keyhole. Dem helps me off the ground. I hold my breath waiting for the soldiers to flood into the room. I hope that they don't know that I didn't exactly help with the cleaning.

The door opens. Alev walks into the room, looking around at the white floor. The blond soldier comes in next. It's starting to bother me that I've seen him everywhere and I don't know his name.

He walks deeper into the room, walking over to the body in the corner. I keep my gaze focused on Alev. I don't want to see that body ever again.

There was something about Alev. He was avoiding any and all types of eye contact with me. Usually when he knows no one is looking he will spare a glance at me. It's not like I can ask him about it, but Djel knows that I want to.

The soldier drags the body out of the room, completely ignoring the fact that he keeps getting stuck on the door.

"Come on," Alev tries to command but it doesn't come out like that. When neither one of us moves, his gaze lands on me.

His green eyes trying to communicate something to me. Something that I can't quite decipher.

"Let's go!" This time Alev commands it. I swallow my fear and get walking. Alev grabs onto my arm very tightly. He forces us out of the room.

Before my eyes, the door slams closed. I look behind me waiting to see Dem staring at the door in shock, but she isn't there.

I look back towards the lit up cell. Dem bangs on the window, her chains slapping the steel door.

Everything goes slow. I unravel my arm from Alev's grasp. My arm burning from the friction of the act. Running to the door, I look into Dem's blue eyes. She is scared. I don't blame her. We literally cleaned up a dead body, she is going to be next.

I try the handle, but two pairs of arms pry me from the door. I kick and scream. I can't lose another one. I can't lose another friend.

"Stop resisting!" the soldier screams.

"Let her go!" I scream. "Not her! Don't kill her!"

"That's not your problem."

I ripped my left arm free. From the force I turn towards the soldier holding my right arm. Alev stares at me with sad eyes. He knew, that's what he was trying to tell you.

I kicked his knee. He lets go of my arm with a grunt. The blond soldier was already advancing. I get into a fighting stance. They aren't taking me without a fight. I will help Dem out of that prison. She just got here, she should have a couple more weeks before they experiment.

The soldier charged forward and met my fist. He doubles back, nursing his jaw. He definitely wasn't expecting the amount of force I used.

I have a couple seconds before both of them regain their balance. I try the handle one more time, but it's locked tightly. No matter how much I yank, it doesn't budge.

The sound of footsteps echo through the hallway, lights flashing at the end. How do others know when the soldiers are being attacked so quickly?

"Dem," I whisper looking into those blue eyes. She doesn't say anything, knows it's pointless. Instead she just smiles. Tears in both our eyes. She gave me hope that maybe we could get out. How stupid of a dream that was. No one ever escapes the Ice Court. They don't get past their cell.

Multiple hands wrap around my arms. I try to count them, but it's pointless. They pull me back. I struggle but there are too many. I can barely move. A couple soldiers grab my legs, trying to subdue my attempts to escape.

"Let me go!" I scream.

"Tig!" every soldier shouts. 

"Let me go!" A soldier's hand clasps around my mouth. I lick and bite but nothing works. The soldier is stronger than a couple bites and saliva.

I hear a door creak open, though we aren't anywhere near my cell. Idiot. What was I thinking? Attacking multiple Fjerdan soldiers?

I get tossed into the room. The white floor raced forward to meet my body. I grunt from the impact, but in a second my gaze lands at the soldiers in the doorway.

Alev stares at me, he is holding back tears. After everything, I don't blame him. His job isn't to protect us, isn't to protect the Grisha. It was once upon a time, but not now. Now? Now, his job is to torture us. Torture me. Get closure for our idiocy.

"Go ahead," the blond soldier states to Alev. "She hit you first, it's only fair."

Alev takes a step forwards, blocking the others from looking at me. I can't, he mouths to me.

He has too. He has too or he will end up in the cell next to me. Everything that he has done would go down the drain. They might even kill him for treason. The same punishment I was supposed to get.

I harden my gaze, getting ready for the beating that will take place after the first punch is given. I can take it and if I can't, I will learn.

I stiffly nod my head, hoping Alev gets the message I'm trying to send. He hesitates, I nod one more time closing my eyes.

Seconds later a fist lands on my cheek.