The Royal Brigade

Chapter 29: Captive

Evanity's POV

Pain. It was the first thing that I felt as soon as I snapped my eyes open. It flared throughout my entire body especially at my head unabling me to see for a few seconds since my vision was dimmed at the edges. I struggled with great difficulty to a seating position and finally my vision went back to normal. I blinked a couple of times before I recalled the events that took place before the explosion.

I could remember that we were wandering around the forest looking for Solaire. Ave and I were just talking about the Daughter of Airan... Ave! I looked all around me and suddenly realized that he was nowhere to be seen. "Avery!" I cried out hoarsely my voice resounding throughout the whole forest. When there was no reply I tried again. "Ave!"

I slowly rose to my feet surveying the dense mass of trees surrounding me. Then I tried calling for Avery a few more times but there was still no answer. My heart beated in an uneven rhythm against my chest as uneasiness began clouding my mind at the thought of something bad happening to him.

Without thinking about it I started to walk forward headed to no particular direction with only the thoughts of Avery residing in my head. I darted my gaze from left to right as I walked deeper into the forest hoping that I might see him but to my dismay there was no sign of him.

To my utmost astonishment, Fallon suddenly emerged out of my milaire emanating a lustrous silver light all around him. He stretched his long-spanned wings by taking off into the sky before gliding back to my side. Hop in, he told me. You'll be able to find him much faster at a higher vantage point.

I did what he told me and jumped on his back holding his reins tightly as he soared into the darkening sky. Fallon just drifted a few feet over the trees, high enough so that we could still see past the towering trees but low enough so that we could get a better view of the ground.

The strong wind whipped my chestnut blonde hair behind my back as we continued to fly in the air. I kept my eyes trained down on the ground for any sign of Avery when Fallon reminded me, I think that you're forgetting to look for Sol too, Vann.

"Oh right," I said slapping a hand on my forehead. I had completely forgotten that we were also looking for the Daughter of Dalian. "I almost forgot. Thanks Fallon."

Down below, a swift movement caught my eye and I pointed it out to Fallon. "Down there! Let's follow it." All at once, I felt my heart beat erratically at the thought of Avery. Please let it be Avery, I silently pleaded in my mind. Please let him be safe.

My peregrine falcon-seclaire dived downwards at breakneck speed and I clung tightly on his reins while lying flat on my stomach on his back to avoid being thrown off. His sharp talons skimmed lightly on the ground before veering forward again as he followed the source of the movement that had caught my attention.

It didn't take long before we finally spotted a familiar figure walking briskly in the opposite direction with his or her back turned towards us. I couldn't identify who the person was because he or she was wearing a dark blue hooded robe and even though I didn't recall Avery wearing a robe the last time I saw him I couldn't help but hope that it really was him.

I slid off Fallon's back and landed on the ground. "Stop!" I shouted loudly holding out my hand in a gesture to stop the person.

At the sound of my voice, the person turned around the hood of his or her robe quickly falling back because of the quick motion. My eyes widened when I realized that it wasn't him. It was her.

It was Solaire.

"Evanity?" She said her brows furrowed as she stared at me in confusion. "What are you doing here?"

I approached her my worry for Avery's safety fading away and was replaced by anger that was directed towards the girl in front of me. "I should be the one asking you that, Sol. What are you doing here?"

"It's none of your business," she snapped her hazel eyes blazing furiously at me. "Just leave me alone."

"You have no idea how much worry and trouble that you put us through," I argued my own temper flaring. I stopped just a few feet away from her.

"What are you talking about?"

"All of us have been looking for you since you've disappeared," I explained trying to control the rage that was building up inside my chest.

"That's impossible," Solaire scoffed folding her arms across her chest. "Hay wouldn't be looking for me."

"Why wouldn't he?" I asked her raising a brow. "He's your twin brother."

"Because he..." Her voice faltered and then she stared at me before scowling at me again. "It's none of your concern! Just leave me alone!"

"No, Sol," I said firmly taking another step closer to her. "I'm going to come back to the Enthrallian avilar. And you're coming with me." I grabbed her wrist and began pulling her away with me.

"I'm not going with you!"

"You're coming with me or else-!" The words died from my mouth as my jaw dropped open at the sight of the dark hooded beings right behind her.

Solaire took that opportunity to pull away from my grasp and stepped back. She turned around and gasped her eyes widening in shock at the sight of them.

Before either one of us could react they had already surrounded us within a few seconds. They enclosed us in a tight circle trapping us with nowhere to go. I found myself standing back-to-back with Solaire and I was about to create a massive gust of wind when all of a sudden we were engulfed in a dark haze of smoke.

I coughed a few times and looked all around me realizing that the dark smoke had obscurred my vision. I felt someone bumped into me and before I could call out for Solaire, Fallon whispered in my mind, Use your aerokinesis, Vann!

But before I could do so, a pair of arms grabbed me from behind. Before I could even let out a scream a gag covered my mouth and I felt myself being dragged backwards. To make the situation worse, a rotten stench hit my nostrils making me retch.

It wasn't long until I got drowsy but before I could completely lose consciousness I heard a gruff voice saying, "We've got her." And then everything else faded away into oblivion.

~~~*~~~

Author's Notes:

Hi guys! So here's an early update for you! Since I haven't been able to update last week I thought that you deserve at least another chapter this week. :)

So what are your thoughts regarding this chapter? Where do you think Evanity and Solaire are being held captive? Would the others arrive just in time to rescue them?

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- Erin <3