I Choose All of You

Chapter Fifty-Six

Kalum grunted a bit as he adjusted his hold of Avalon. She was losing blood fast and was starting to doze in and out of consciousness. Kalum was trying to talk to her, but she kept complaining about how she just wanted to sleep. She was a small girl. There was basically a stream of blood down the passageway at this point, and I knew we all were growing more and more anxious with our situation.

Jeremiah was leading us to the cellar. I knew where it was. I had ventured down there once before by accident, but I didn't want to seem too suspicious. None of us spoke to one another during our dark and cold scurry, but I knew things were off. More off than before all of this shit started, to begin with.

They've met Atlas and Leo. Which wasn't awkward at all! In my dreams, the five of us together went a lot differently... Any who, I do hope Atlas and Leo are okay. I feel a lot more confident in their fighting abilities now that I have seen it up close, but my friends I made at the Resistance do worry me.

The dim lighting in the passages were just enough to lead us down several different halls. Jeremiah seemed to know the way, but we got turned around a couple times. Due to fact, the last time he was here, he was only a small boy. Every time he brought us down the wrong way, I made a face. Thankfully I was following in the back, so no one noticed.

"Here is it," Jeremiah breathed a sigh of relief, "Only a select few know their way here, so we should be safe."

We rounded a narrow corner, which opened into a fairly large room. It smelt of musk and stale water. Wet stone lined the walls. A few dozen cots were laid out and a team of nurses rushed to and from wounded patients. Among those patients was Hannah. Maddy was sitting beside her, hand in hand, and a few maids worked on pulling the bullet from Hannah's chest. Her screams were louder than anyone else's in the cellar and I grimaced, turning away.

How are there were so many wounded soldiers already? There can't be many left. This isn't good.

"Sarah," Kalum called out to me.

I spun around and took the hand Avalon was extending towards me. She was laying down on the cot, closest to the entrance of the cellar. I kneeled down to wipe the sweat from her forehead, as Jeremiah rushed to get some nurses over to us.

Kalum was breathing heavily. His temper was increasing and he began pacing around.

"FUCK," he shouted.

Jeremiah returned, a nurse in tow. He noticed his brother's outburst and walked over to him.

"We need to find our mother," Jeremiah said in a monotone voice.

Kalum breathed heavily and nodded.

"You're right. That's top priority right now. Sarah," Kalum turned to face me, "Promise me, you will stay here where it's safe. No one should know about these passageways so- wait..."

Kalum's eyes narrowed at me and stepped forward, "How did that friend of yours, Atlas was it, know how to open the secret door in the library?"

My voice got lodged in my throat. I opened my mouth, but nothing was coming out. Both Jeremiah and Kalum were studying me now. Shit. Fuck. Dammit. SAY SOMETHING SARAH!

Kalum's eyes suddenly widened and he took a step back. I felt all color drain from my face. Jeremiah stared at me, dead pan. I wanted to move. I wanted to tell them, whatever they were thinking wasn't true, but it would be a lie.

Kalum's voice was faint, like all life had been sucked out from him, "You're a member of the Resistance."

It's over.

Jeremiah was silent. His eyes fell to the floor and all of the noises from the wounded, were nothing in compare to the silence that fell between us.

I wanted to cry, but no tears would fall.

Jeremiah finally spoke up. His tone was hard, yet a hint of hurt was hidden among his words.

"That doesn't matter right now. We can talk about this later, when this is all over. The Queen could be in danger. Kalum, let's go."

Before I could process what had happened, the Princes ran off. The screams of pain, slowly returned. It was like someone was steadily increasing the volume, and I fell to the floor. Avalon and Hannah bleeding out, on either side of me.

The way Kalum and Jeremiah looked at me, will haunt my dreams. I knew that I had lost them, forever.