The Mariposa

Chapter 37

Maeve

"Sorry to interrupt. Would you like me to keep you two locked in here?"

My face was still burning as I looked towards the new hole in our cell, into a hallway where a guard stood waiting for us.

Elyas slowly stood, stumbling a little as his body fought to keep up with him.

"You'll have to be quick. Everyone else in this castle wants you two dead. I can't protect you two from them."

Elyas seemed to recognize the guard, suddenly grinning widely, running to hug him.

"Taylor!" he said, hugging him tightly.

I watched the two of them, wary as I appraised him.

Elyas pulled away, turning back to me. "You can come out, Maeve. You can trust him. He was my personal guard. He's on our side."

Slowly I came to their side.

"You two are going to have to sneak out of here. Everyone in this castle wants you dead. They'll be waiting outside this door." Taylor said.

Elyas nodded. "Thank you, Taylor. How did you—"

"I was ordered to guard the door to your cell. She told me it was you I was guarding the cell to, that you had become a traitor to the kingdom. I know better than to believe her."

"Do you know where they kept our stuff?" I asked, hope fighting to blossom in my chest.

He shook his head. "I'm sorry, I have no clue."

"It's fine. I know where to find some of the supplies the castle keeps for the guards," Elyas said.

"You can't go in there, Elyas, it's too dangerous," Taylor argued.

"Then I will. I'm kind of good at sneaking into places," I said with a grin.

He laughed. "Is that how you ended up in there?" he asked, gesturing towards the cell I just emerged out of.

I felt my eyes twitch with irritation.

"We should go, we don't have much time," Elyas interjected, taking my hand.

I nodded and the two of us took off running towards the exit. This hallway too was just a bunch of white walls, but with an added exit sign that was our only indicator we were running the correct way.

The next sound I heard was a gunshot. Without risking a glance, I sped up, dragging Elyas with me. He skid to a halt, looking back down the hallway. Taylor who had just been standing, watching us go, now laid there, blood spilling from his head.

Elyas cried out, fighting against my grip to go back after him.

"Elyas, no! We have to get out of here!"

As if to prove my point, panels in the white walls started opening up, showing guns behind them. They knew we were on the run.

Bullets started flying the halls. Thankfully, Elyas took off and I followed after him. We narrowly dodged the bullets as panels continued opening as we ran by them. There were bullet holes covering the walls. We reached the exit door, swinging it open. Standing right outside the door were three royal guards. Without a moment of hesitation, Elyas tackled one to the ground, stealing the gun strapped to him. A gunshot rung throughout the castle as he put a bullet in the man's neck. I stepped back as Elyas aimed the gun at the other two guards. He fired once more, shooting the second guard between his eyes. The third took off running, Elyas slowly stood, firing at the back of the man's head.