Knowledge is Deadly: Book 1: The Azuran Series

Chapter 23

Katelyn woke up to Blake shifting beside her.
"Wake her up." A guard said from the door. Katelyn rubbed her eyes and sat up.
The guard walked over to Katelyn and pushed Blake out the way as he tried to move in front of her. The guard grabbed her arm.
"Hey!" She said groggily. "What are you doing?"
"Come on." He said forcing her to her feet.
She stumbled at first, then straightened herself. "Why?"
"Just walk." He said forcing her out the cell.
Blake stood up behind them.
The guard let go of her as Jackson looked down at her in the hall. The guard turned back into the cell.
Katelyn stared at Jackson and didn't move. Jackson looked over her head as the guard forced Blake out of the cell as well.
Katelyn looked back at Blake, a nervous expression on her face. He just looked at her and sighed.
"This way." Jackson said and started walking down the hall.
Katelyn walked cautiously beside Blake, looking around for any possible exit.
Jackson led them quietly back to Carl's office. Once they got there he went to open the door but stopped hearing voices.
"So, you just show up? After failing your job?" Carl asked loudly.
"You attacked the castle!" Kile snapped.
Katelyn raised an eyebrow. She didn't want to speak to Carl if he was in a bad mood.
"Kile, calm down." A new, female voice said.
"If you would have brought me the Pierce girl faster I wouldn't of had to. Now Jackson did it. Showing you up again." Carl said.
Jackson tensed.
"I didn't have enough time." Kile explained.
"You had plenty of time. Pierce doesn't seem like the type of person who would pose a challenge to you either." Carl said.
"Mr. Rafe.. I think you got your point across." The girl said.
"Good." Carl said. "Now get out." He added.
Jackson stepped back as Kile opened the door. He was fuming and he wasn't even trying to hide it as he pushed past them.
Katelyn assumed the girl who hurried after him was the one who she had heard. She was short, had long, kinky brown hair, and dark brown eyes. "Kile. Kile you wait!" She called running after him.
"I don't need your help, Rose!" Kile called and they disappeared around a corner.
Katelyn watched them go and turned back around towards the entrance to Carl's office.
Jackson knocked on the door frame and walked into the room, the guard pushing the others in.
Carl looked up at them. "Oh good. I was about sick of Kile and his little girlfriend." He grumbled pulling the locket out from his desk.
Katelyn tensed up. 'His girlfriend?' She wondered.
Jackson walked beside Carl's desk and Blake stood beside Katelyn in the middle of the room.
Carl looked up and directly at Katelyn. "Same rules apply now." He warned. "Do you know who Azura is?" He asked standing up from his desk.
Katelyn sighed and grumbled something under her breath. "Somewhat, yes." She finally answered.
"Good. Then you know about the relics." Carl said walking in front of his desk slowly. Katelyn now saw that he was flipping a small knife in one of his hands.
"Yes.." she said cautiously, eyeing the knife.
"And you know the locket is one."
"Yes." She repeated.
"Then how," he turned to her. "Did your family get it?" He asked
Katelyn didn't know this answer and worried that Carl would think she was lying. "I don't know."
"Your mother didn't tell you anything about it?" He asked standing in front of her now.
"No. Nothing." Katelyn said.
"Hmm. Thought the brat would." He said with a shrug.
Katelyn glared at him. "My mother wasn't a brat." She spat.
"Whatever you say." Carl said. "Now, I need you to tell me exactly what happened when you put the locket on first."
"Um..." Katelyn tried to remember. "I felt it's magic when I first touched it. But nothing happened at first when I put it on."
"Nothing with your vision perhaps?"
"No. Not really." Katelyn said.
"How did you escape the castle?" Carl asked.
"T-the secret passages." She said reluctantly.
She heard Blake sigh beside her.
"And why did you leave here after that?" Carl asked.
Katelyn looked directly at Jackson. He raised an eyebrow at her.
"Kilin made us leave. She... she didn't feel safe here."
"Oh, yes, her.." Carl said. "I heard the poison got her after all." He said with a smirk.
Katelyn looked at the floor.
"And at the camp.. Why did Audra hide you?" He asked.
"Why do you think?" Katelyn asked, looking at him.
"I am asking you. Not the other way around." He said looking down at her.
"Because she knew you were hunting me. She knew I was in danger, so she gave me a safe place to stay. Or we thought it was safe." She responded.
Carl smirked. "I'll give you a hint. No where is safe for you." He said.
Katelyn clenched her jaw. "You're just going to send out your little manipulated minions to find me wherever I go, but I don't see you doing any work except for trying to intimidate them." She remarked.
He shook his head. "Katelyn.. Who do you think planned the attack on the castle, or on that camp? Who do you think came up with the idea of that poisoned dagger to get the other girl out the way? Who did all the research on your family to find their weak point? Who had the idea of using Jackson to trust you and to use you for me?" He asked looking down at her clenching his teeth.
A lump formed in her throat so she just shook her head.   
"Exactly." He said and stepped back. "Exactly.." he mumbled as he leaned against the desk.
She stared at him. "And you're proud of all those things?"
"Sometimes there are just things you have to do. I will take credit for everything I do." He said.
Katelyn scoffed quietly and looked down.
"Now, what do you know about the other relics?" He asked.
Katelyn was getting annoyed with this interrogation. "There are seven."
"Good. But I already have a number. What do you know about them?" He asked again.
"I... I only know of two. Mine and.." she looked at Jackson.
Carl looked at Jackson and rolled his eyes, disappointed. Jackson just looked at the ground.
"And," Carl started looking back at him. "What do you know about a dagger?" He asked
"It's a weapon." She responded simply.
"Other. Than. That." He said narrowing his eyes.
"I don't know what you're talking about."
Carl looked over her slowly. "Fine.." he said and looked at Jackson. "Take them back down to the cells. I'm done for now." He said walking around his desk.
Jackson nodded and started towards the door, the guard forcing Blake and Katelyn to follow. Jackson started down the hall with them quietly. There where hushed voices and as they turned the corner they saw Kile and Rose talking about something. Kile handed her something small and she hid it quickly in her pocket.
Katelyn didn't care what it was. She hated being a prisoner, especially not being able to do anything about it.
Jackson coughed warningly and they both looked up at them. Jackson walked them past the two. Kile watched them pass.
After they had passed them Jackson stopped and looked at the guard. "Take him down the the cell." He said.
Blake looked between them.
The guard looked at Jackson. "But-" he started.
"Do it." Jackson said sternly.
"Wait no, I'm staying with-" Blake started to object.
"You'll do what I say to do." Jackson snapped.
Katelyn looked at Jackson with a harsh glare but didn't say anything.
The guard shoved Blake along. He looked at Katelyn sadly before walking along.
"What do you want?" Katelyn asked coldly.
"Come on." Jackson said walking down the hall. "I'll tell you later."
Katelyn followed reluctantly, looking around. Jackson opened a door and stood to the side for her to walk in.
She eyed him cautiously and brushed past him into the room. He closed the door behind him. It was a small room that didn't look like it was used often.
Jackson turned to her. "Katelyn.. I am really sorry" he said.
She crossed her arms and didn't say anything.
"Can I explain?" He pleaded.
"You can try." She said with a wave of her hand.
"Whatever you might think now, I never acted to like you, Katelyn. I really do."
Katelyn looked down and bit her lip. "But you 'like' Mari too."
"I- no! I don't even like her as a person." He said
Katelyn just rolled her eyes.
"Katelyn, she kissed me." Jackson sighed and ran a hand though his hair.
"I don't know how you think you can explain everything to me." She said. "Even if you do I won't believe you."
He looked at her with the same green eyes as Carl. "Just ask me something. I don't know where to start.."
Katelyn sighed and leaned against the door. "Did you choose to work for Carl?"
"No. If I had the choice I would leave. The only reason Kile was still... healthy after he left is because I protected him. If I left..." he shook his head.
"What will happen if you leave?" She asked.
"Nothing good." He said simply.
Katelyn was quiet for a while. "I don't understand why you'd lie to me if you actually cared." She said finally.
"I didn't want you to think that I was... like... him." He said, looking down.
"I'd think better of you if you had just been honest."
"I was as honest as I could be."
Katelyn laughed ruefully. "No you weren't. But I was. I was honest about everything."
"I know... and I'm sorry I used that against you. I didn't want to." He said, looking back up at her.
"Then why did you?" She asked angrily.
"I didn't have a choice. He wanted to know." Jackson explained.
Katelyn sighed. "You have no idea how much you hurt me." She said quietly.
He took a step towards her. "I'm sorry..." he said gently.
She tensed up and looked him in the eye. "I wish I could believe you."
He looked hurt. "Please. You have to."
"Why? Why do I have to do anything for you?"
"Katelyn, Carl already has what he wants. Why would I lie to you about this?" Jackson asked.
"Because... Because..." She didn't have an answer to that, but she still couldn't trust him.
He took another step towards her, standing close now. "Katelyn..." He pleaded quietly.
She pressed herself against the wall, getting as far away from him as she could. "You can't expect a wound like this to heal so quickly."
"I don't. But it can heal a little... right?"
Katelyn wanted to believe him so badly, but she couldn't. She didn't want to get hurt again. She just looked down.
He pressed his eyes closed and stood there quietly.
"Jackson, I... I can't. I'm not going to put my heart out there again for you to break." She said finally.
"Ok." He said weakly. "We should head back then... Don't want Blake to worry about you for too long." He stepped away from her.
She could finally breathe when he moved away. She stepped away from the door and waited for him to open it. Jackson looked at her sadly before opening the door and walking out. She followed him back to her cell silently.