Earth and Sky

Chapter 22

Araquiel

I hold onto Zeru's hand as Scarlet dashes away.

"What do you think happened to her?" I ask.

"I believe she did meet with one of your assassins, but not by choice. They obviously scared her and put a spell on her so she can't exactly tell us what happened. Who do think that sounds more like?"

"Shadow." I say instantly. "Cyanide told me he will use any dirty trick to get what he wants. He even said that he would rather die then be captured by Shadow. Shadow gets whatever he wants, no matter how long it takes."

"It seems that Cyanide and Shadow are acquainted."

"It would seem so. But Cyanide fears Shadow."

"With good reason apparently."

I sigh. "I hope Shadow hasn't found Cyanide. If Cyanide didn't kill me, Shadow was going to kill his family. Cyanide wasn't really bad, all he wanted to do was to protect those important people in his life. I think he was very brave."

"I would like to meet him if possible. I would like to ask him to become my informant. I feel partially at fault for thess events."

I face Zeru, taking my hand from his grip. "Why? This isn't your fault."

"But the bet was made in my kingdom. There are too many criminals and my family let it be this way. They turned a blind eye as long as nobody in the kingdom was hurt. I have always hated that, so I tried to get rid of those bars in which those criminals stayed in."

"Wait, you?!" I exclaim. "Your not even King yet and you are doing good for your country." I express my shock.

He shakes his head. "It would have been better if the conflict wasn't there in the first place. If I wasn't at the bar that day, you would've been dead by now."

I furrow my eyebrows, thoroughly confused. "But I thought your parents put undercover guards in the bars to look out for me. Because they want you and I to marry."

Zeru sticks his tongue out at me. "They did. At every single bar except that one. That bar is hidden and only a select few can even get in."

"What do you have to do to get in?" I ask, fearing the answer.

But Zeru just shakes his head. "I didn't do anything bad. I just paid one of the assassins to pretend he was my mentor."

I nod, glad he didn't have to assassin anybody. "But how did you discover the bar and why did you decide to go there?"

He shrugs. "I just asked around. There were already rumors. I found out it was real when I had a drinking competition with a random guy in a bar."

I raise my eyebrow. "Drinking competition? Aren't you around my age?"

He laughs at me and nods. "I wasn't really drinking. I held it in my mouth and was dumping it onto a plant next to me when he wasn't looking."

I started to laugh. "That's smart. I probably would've just drunk it and regretted it later."

Zeru pokes me on my arm. "That wouldn't have worked if you wanted information silly."

I poke him back. "Stop trying to change the subject. Why did you go to the hidden bar?"

Zeru blushes. "I wanted to make sure you were safe."

I hold my hands to my chest. "Aw!"

Zeru frantically shakes his head. "No! Not like that! I didn't want my parents to be upset if you were hurt."

I lift my heels off of the ground and kiss Zeru on the cheek. I then spin around and skip off.

"That's what they all say!" I yell back at him, laughing the entire time.

*******************

As soon as I step into the camp, my smile fall off of my face.

Scarlet sits on her sleeping bag, her head hurried in her hands. Our friends are gathered around her. Her sisters pat her back while Laec talks to her, his hands gripping onto her shoulders.

"Hey, whatever happened, we don't blame you. We trust you Scarlet."

Scarlet's head snaps up, shocking everybody and sending them tumbling back.

"Well maybe you shouldn't! Now I'm in an uncomfortable situation that I can't even tell anybody about! And it is all because I was being stupid."

Zeru runs past my frozen body and kneels next to Scarlet. He takes her small hand into his as if it was the most delicate object in the world.

"Hey, the fact that you are trying to tell us is proof enough that you are on our side. Even if you made a mistake, I would still trust you. Shadow has a reputation. He is a cold blooded killer, and a big time manipulator. What ever happened to you, could have easily happened to anyone else."

Tears spill from her eyes. "But the opportunity was presented because of my mistakes!"

I finally step forward. Everybody turns to look at me in surprise
"Then learn from those mistakes and don't make them again. Everybody makes mistakes, it's how you use those experiences that define your character."

Scarlet looks at me with defeated eyes.

"Scar," I ask, "can you tell me one thing? It sounds like you made a deal. Cyanide isn't into that kind of thing. So that leaves Shadow. I need to ask one thing. Is the deal, if it is even that, beneficial to us?"

Scarlet nods. "The only one it doesn't benefit is me. I can't tell you the details, but in short it's a life for a life."

"So... You are traded for me?"

"What?!" Zeru exclaims. "Is that true Scarlet?"

"The fate destined for me isn't death like Araquiel's would have been. I would have been kept alive if I accepted or refused. He wanted me to be able to see the end piece either way." Scarlet shivers. "He wanted to test my loyalty to you guys. He asked me to join him in his plot to overtake the Four Kingdoms."

"Over take the Four Kingdoms?" I ask surprised.

"Well," Zeru says. "This got a lot more complicated."