Element Restraint

Chapter 29: Acantha

Erik's face goes completely blank. Aella gasps and brings a hand to her mouth.

"What?" is all she manages to say. Donavon puts his hand over her's.

"I am so sorry Ms.Aetos." He says, full of sympathy. It might be the first time I see him show genuine emotion.

He then rises and grabs a newspaper from the bookshelf on the side of the room. Giving it to Aella, she begins to tear up at the sight of the article.

Donovan calls Amora over to him and whispers something into her ear. She leaves the room urgently.

I watch as the young princess reads the paper reporting her now deceased parents.

"Do you want to read it, Erik?" Her voice shakes with emotion.

"No." He answers firmly without looking at her.

"My brother used the Water Realm to stage an attack from the Rebels on the citizens." He continues the conversation.

He is completely unfazed. He seems to forget everything that is happening right now. His sister crying right next to him. It is as if he does not care at all.

Aella begins crying as she continues to read it. Erik remembers his sister beside him and takes the paper from her crumbling it.

"It is okay Aella." He rubs her back to comfort her.

Amora comes back into the room with Galen following.

"Erik, Aella," he says out of breath. Did he run here?

"Mr.Ward, take Aella to get a shower and some fresh clothes," Donavon commands him.

Galen approaches Aella and hugs her as she sobs. He kneels down and whispers something to her. She nods her head and gets up. Galen looks at Erik for a moment before leaving.

"What do you need us to do?" Erik asks. "To prove our loyalty."

Donavon grins.

"I need you to pick something up for me." He says slyly.

"What is it?" I ask.

"That is information you do not need to know," he answers. "All you need to know is it is a small package in a city of the Earth Realm. It is a very dangerous two-person mission."

Before I can think Erik says we will do it.

"Perfect! You leave tomorrow." Donovan answers.

I turn to the plate of food I have yet to eat.

"One more thing," I look up. "The ship we were on, has it arrived?"

"It will tonight," Amora speaks up from the corner of the room.

My shoulders drop. I will see Valence tonight. Am I feeling relieved, or scared?

I sit anxiously as Donavon explains our mission. He never tells us what exactly we are picking up. Just that it is very valuable.

"Never let it out of your sight." He warns us before we leave the room.

Instead of being handcuffed back to the cellar, Erik and I are escorted to an upper room in the tower.

The room is plain. It has two beds each on the opposite wall of each other. A bookshelf sits above a fire pit allowing heat to fill the room. The room has one window. It is small and closed off with thick metal bars.

I approach the bed next to the window. Dark simple clothes sit neatly folded on the pillow.

"There is a shower behind that door there," Amora explains to us. "Someone will come to get you in the morning."