Caged (Book One)

Chapter Fourteen

Kristine silently followed Aiden through the woods. She watched his back as he cleared the path first. She didn't bother having a conversation with him, he'd just snap at her. Kristine thought back to Derek, he really was with the dungeon keepers. Weirdly though, she doesn't recall him torturing her. She definitely remembers him feeding them on some days.

    "Did he ever hurt you?" Kristine suddenly asked. Aiden barley glanced back at her,

        "What?"

    "Derek. Did he ever hurt you?" She asked more clearly. Aiden shrugged,

    "Maybe he watched, I don't know." He actually answered. Kristine dropped her gaze to her feet as she walked.

    "I met him 3 months after, how did I not see it?" She asked herself.

        "He seems to have some training, he knows how to blend in." Aiden answered. Kristine looked up with a confused expression, he actually answered instead of making a comment about how stupid she was.

    "Did the Hidden Souls find you? Is that how you joined them?" Kristine gathered the courage to ask. Aiden remained silent, stomping threw,

    "Something like that." he finally answered. Kristine smiled a little, he was starting to be nicer.

    "The council found me, I constantly hounded Eveleen to let me join them." She told him. Aiden said nothing as he walked.

        "You know Eveleen and Noah aren't serious. If anything they might as well be siblings." Kristine told him. Aiden stopped for a second, but quickly recovered.

    "Like I care." He mumbled. Kristine smiled more, even though she still loved Aiden, she's with Philip.

    "Do the Hidden Souls have ranks?" She changed the subject. Aiden shrugged,

        "Yeah, you could say that. They can be hard to understand." He replied.

    "What rank are you?" Kristine asked.

    "Um, I guess you could say fourth in command." Aiden told her. Kristine blinked, was he really that high for just being a Hidden Soul for 10 months? She was about to ask more, but Aiden suddenly swung his sword out.

    "Did they find us?!" Kristine quickly drew her sword, while scanning around.

    "Ye-" Aiden got interrupted by a flying rock! Smacking the side of his face, Aiden fell down.

    "Aiden!" Kristine dropped to the ground.

        "There you are!" A voice spoke, Kristine didn't get to look, as a fist collided with her cheek. Derek let out a puff of air, smiling at Aiden and Kristine while the dungeon keepers picked them up.

    "Let's go." He ordered.

~~~~~

    Eveleen looked over at Philip again, he scanned around the area, looking closely at each spot. He should have been arrested on the spot when she found him, but he was right to tell her what was going on. Who'd know how deep Billy/Derek's betrayal is.

Noah did his usual thing now, glaring and watching him carefully. Eveleen stopped suddenly.

    "What is it?" Noah asked quietly. Instead of answering, she jumped off her horse and ran down the road.

        "Wait, Eveleen!" Noah jumped off to run after her. Eveleen quickly went for the woods on the side of the main road. Philip jumped off his horse, but stayed back. Eveleen darted through the woods, until she came to an abrupt stop. Noah quickly, yet quietly followed until he caught up with her. Eveleen slowly crouched down, peering over a bush and a tree.

    "Ma'am?" Noah whispered. Eveleen slammed her hand over his mouth.

        "SHH! Watch." She spoke so quietly. Noah looked over at what she spotted. A few men marched in a line wearing matching coats.

    "Remember what Kristine told us about the people who imprisoned her?" Eveleen asked. Noah shrugged.

"They wore dark blue and silver with hoods up. Just like

that." Eveleen pointed out for him. Noah gaped, watching as the men marched through the woods.

    "Is that?" Noah paused, tilting his head. Eveleen saw too, the men carried Aiden and Kristine on their backs. They looked to be knocked out, with their hands tied.

    "Ok, new plan." Eveleen whispered. She got up, while grabbing Noah by the arm.

        "We need to go back and gather a army." Eveleen told him as she rushed back to their horses. She raised a brow as she saw Philip stayed by their horses.

    "What happened?" He asked.

        "We're going to need to go back. Aiden and Kristine got captured by the dungeon people." Eveleen told as she jumped back on her horse.

        "What?!" Philip gasped.

    "Don't worry, now come on!" Eveleen snapped. Philip nodded, getting back on his horse. Eveleen quickly turned around, and rode her horse hard down the road. She was more than ready to kill every one of the dungeon keepers.

~~~~~

Philip nervously looked back as he followed. He wondered, if Aiden was so powerful, how the hell did he let Kristine get snatched like that. Philip shook his head, he needed to focus on just getting her back, then he could kill Aiden.

Philip almost stopped for a second, could he kill Aiden? Not just because maybe Aiden could overpower him, but what if Kristine hates him for it? He could see it, she still cares for him. The thought of them two together made Philip grit his teeth and ride his horse harder, he knows Kristine loves him.

    Kristine can love him and still care about Aiden, besides, Aiden despises her. It shouldn't make Philip happier knowing that, but it did. Aiden hates her, and she loves Philip.