Our Time Bomb

Chapter Thirty ~ Downhill Again

Continuation of last chapter...

"Welcome, do come in!" I see him immediately. He is obviously important. His long black robes and a tall stone chair in which he sits. His "welcoming" voice is laced with salience.

Luna and I step into the large ornate room. The floor feels different than the rest of the compound that I've been in. It is cushy and caves under my feet. I try and distinguish what it is, but I cannot.

I look back up, my nerves sensing the many pairs of eyes staring at us. Luna has got a look of determination in her face. She kneels before the man... The Heir Commander. I kneel as she does.

"No need." He says, "Do get up, let's talk."
I study him, from head to foot.

His face has got this fishy appearance to it. It makes me shiver inwardly. His eyes are bright blue, and his hair is white blonde. He is rather handsome, some could say, but he sends shivers up my spine.

I stop my mind from judging from the outward appearance. He could be a very nice person with a prestigious facade.

"So I am very happy to see you two. The remaining blood of our previous leader, Heira Commander Erika. How do you fare?" he asks.

"We are... Well." Luna says stiffly. It is evident that she dislikes him. Perhaps it isn't just me.

Sometimes you can just tell when a person does not like you. It seems as though this guy is pretending he likes us, but I think he feels threatened by us for some reason. It hits me... We could possibly be heirs to the leadership. We could be voted in instead of him...

"That is good. I can imagine that you are both devastated by the loss of your mother. As we all are."

I swallow, "We miss her."

Luna coughs outwardly.

He seems confused at our reactions. "Well we hope you will be happy here."

"Wait what?" Luna crosses her arms, her brows tightening together.

"do you not wish to stay here?" he asks.

"No disrespect intended Sir, but we don't want to be here. We do not belong here. You will let us go... Otherwise, we will consider ourselves prisoners." she says hotly.

The commander rises to his feet, "You what? Am I hearing this correctly?"

"Yes." she replies.

I interrupt, "Sir, if you will let her go, I will stay."

She looks at me sharply but says nothing. We wait for the commander's response.
He doesn't seem pleased, "What do you mean, you don't belong here? Give me a reason to let you go. You aren't safe out there without someone to guard you."

"We've been fine thus far." Luna retorts, "I most certainly don't feel safe here, I don't wish to stay."

Suddenly Zyara steps forward. She must've come in behind us. "Heir Commander, may I say something?"

He motions with his hand, "Of course."

She walks in front of us and bows her head and salutes him, "I think they are hiding something... Something that you should know."

I gulp, meeting eyes with my sister again. Hers are wild.

"Is this true?" the commander frowns.

Luna swallows hard, "It is true."

A wave of expectancy ripples through the room.

"Why should I tell you though?" she challenges, her hand rests on her hip.

The commander is speechless... His mouth opens and it shuts again. He obviously isn't one particularly skilled in the way of words.

"If... I told you..." she continues, "You would owe me. You'd..."

Zyara interrupts, "I heard them talking briefly talking to Syra on the way here. It was something about Heira Commander Erika."

"Do tell." the commander's frown has grown deeper.

I breathe in sharply and speak up,  "What would you do if I told you she wasn't... Isn't... Dead?"

Everyone gasps, including he. I see Syra out of the corner of my eye. Her eyes are wide and her jaw drops.

"What?!" he splutters.

Luna shoots a look of slight disbelief in my direction, but she regains her composure quickly and defends me, "Well aren't you happy? She is alive. Will you not do something now that you know?"

"Everyone but my advisors and these two leave immediately!" the commander walks down from his raised platform towards us.

I turn my head as everyone leaves the room. Why does this make me nervous?

Once they are all gone, the commander stands directly before us, he runs a hand through his blonde hair and shoots a piercing gaze through the two of us. "Explain... Tell me how she is alive? The Gyardicans killed her."

"they lied." Luna says.

For no reason at all, I start laughing.
The commander switches stare to me, "What's... Funny?"

I put two fingers over my mouth, "You know, it's just funny to me that you're all so stupid. You have never believed the Gyardicans before about anything. Even my mother didn't trust them. Now you suddenly take their word for it when they make it a point to tell you that they killed your leader. You didn't think about their agenda. It didn't even occur to you... Did it?"

His jaw drops, "Excuse me?"

I smirk, "Admit it..."

"How dare you speak to me in such a manner!" he says.

"I'm sorry about that." Luna excuses me, "That's just him. He gets it from..."

"Your mother."

"Yeah."

He raises a brow, "Yes I recall her having an attitude. Anyway, where is she?"

"she is a prisoner of the Gyardicans." i say.

"With her mealy husband is she? Well they fit each other, I like neither of them."

"Well are you going to rescue her?" I ask.
He inhales stiffly, "No..." a laugh cackles in his throat,  "No I will not, see I just got to be Heir Commander. I'm not giving it up just like that. I will tell everyone that you lied and you will be locked up. I just can't risk it. Understand?"

Luna's jaw drops,  "So I was right about Shadow Nation! You are corrupt, I knew it."

"Call the guards and lock them away!" he abruptly ends our conversation with a wave of his hand,  "And... If they cause any trouble, kill them..."

One of the advisors holds a device to his lips and repeats the commander's orders.

The guards come in immediately. I grab Luna's hand tightly, "Someday, you'll pay for this! My mother will not allow you to get away with this!"

He laughs and sits back down on his seat. "We can bet on that later. Everyone will forget about you!"

A muscular guard separates me from my sister and ties my wrists together. Another does the same to her. She doesn't struggle, she just has got her mouth set in a firm line. I wonder what she is planning.

I feel so stupid, why did I just blurt out the precious information that Syra told us specifically to hide. She was right it would seem.