Hidden (Nod x Reader)

Chapter 6

"Alright, wrap it up, you two."

The both of us jumped at Ronin's voice from the doorway. "Ronin!" exclaimed Nod.

The general raised an eyebrow. "What? Are you gonna tell me 'it's not what it looks like?'" he asked, referencing the situation in the cave from before. "We need to suit up."

"I'm coming, too," I declared.

Nod's gaze snapped back to mine. "What? There is no way in hell that that's happening."

"Ronin, you know I can fight," I protested.

"Not when you look like something that took a trip down the garbage disposal," he replied, nodding at my bandages. "You'll reopen your wounds, and I really don't feel like planning a funeral."

I swiveled to Nod. "I'm coming."

"No, you're not."

"I was the best fighter in my squad," I countered. "I know how to lead a team."

"No, no, you're not—"

"I had the highest scores out of my group in boot camp—"

"No, you're staying here—"

"I know the soldiers, I can work well with them—"

Nod covered my mouth with a hand. "You're not coming, y/n—"

His hand didn't stop me. I continued my protests heartily, even though they were muffled against his palm.

"You're not—" Nod sighed when I didn't stop talking. "Okay, okay, you're coming with me! You're coming with me," he relented.

I relaxed.

He latched my wrist to the bed with a cuff. My jaw dropped.

"I'm sorry, don't hate me," he said quickly as he exited the room with Ronin.

I gaped, even though he had already left. "Nod!"

I yanked my arm, but the cuff was made of the thickest oak. Goddamn it. Pulling on it would only succeed in cutting up my wrist, so my eyes swept over the room for anything I could use to get out of this thing.

There! On a table rested my knife. I reached for it, but my fingertips were inches away. C'mon, just...a little....closer...

My fingers brushed the edge of the weapon and it fell to a position that I was able to snatch it off the floor. I sawed the cuff carefully. I really didn't want to add a slit wrist to my list of injuries today.

Eventually the cuff broke, and I swung my legs over the edge of the bed. When I stood up, my vision went hazy, so I gripped the bedside table until it returned to normal.

Each step was agony. Fire licked my arms and legs where the movement caused my wounds to shift over the skin. It felt like I was skinned alive.

I stumbled through the palace until I was able to locate the room where MK and the pod were.

Jinn collected inside, and I spotted MK, Nim, Mub, and Grub among the crowd. Gargantuan lilies lined the perimeter of the room, climbing up the marble walls. The pink bud was set on a smooth pedestal carved from the finest rock, water lining the bottom to keep the pod fresh. There was a hole in the ceiling to allow moonlight to pass through and reach the pod, causing it to bloom and secure the forest's legacy.

Except moonlight wasn't streaming down like it should have been. The pod's usual pink was a faded gray. Shadows flew over the gap, blocking any light the moon might have given. Mandrake's bats.