Rescued

Chapter Nine

        Once Bane carried me to my room, he set me down on my bed and then looked down at me. I was tempted to ask him what he was looking at, but I couldn't get rid of my thoughts. I couldn't get the image of that... thing out of my head or stop myself from asking too many questions that I didn't know the answers to. I wanted to know what it was, why it was here, and why Bane and the others didn't seem as freaked out by that thing being in their house like I was.

        "Can you please repeat what it said?" Bane asked, drawing his hand up to his mouth as he was lost in thought.

        "I think it said 'tu Celina'," I said for the fiftieth time, "what does that mean?"

        "It's Latin for 'you are Celina' and before you ask, Celina is a name, but it means sky, or heaven more specifically," Bane explained.

        "Why did it say I was Celina?" I asked.

        Bane looked down at me and then towards the door, "we'll figure this out and I'll explain tomorrow, for now, get some sleep. I'll send one of my... friends to guard your door tonight," he said and I reluctantly nodded. I rolled over and attempted to go to sleep even though I knew I wasn't going to be getting any.

***

       After tossing and turning for hours I finally managed to get a couple hours of sleep before I was awake again. I opened my eyes and jumped, I was surrounded by forest. I abruptly stood up and looked around. I had no idea where I was.

        I looked at the ground to see if there were any footprints like I'd seen Bane do. The sun was just rising above the trees which meant it wasn't yet afternoon. I started wondering down the path I thought I'd taken. I wasn't sure if it was my trail I was following or an animal's, but I still followed.

        I'd been walking for what felt like hours when I heard howling in the distance. About thirty minutes later I heard footsteps coming from the same direction I was walking. Fear began to course through my body and I quickly began to look for a place to hide. I found a tree that was easy to climb, but I had to restrain the tears that came to my eyes as this action reminded me of the night my parents were murdered.

        A few moments later a familiar body with jet-black hair stopped under my tree, "Arya?"

        "I'm here," I said and slowly climbed down from the tree.

        When I got to the bottom of the tree and turned around Bane was barely three inches away from me. "Where did you go? Why did you leave the house?" Bane asked through gritted teeth.

        I shuddered at the sound of his cruel voice and looked up into his emotionless almost-white eyes. I took a step back until my back was up against the tree. I looked down since I could not hold his glare anymore. I then looked down at my cut and bruised feet as I answered him.

        "I have no recollection of last night. I can only remember waking up this morning out here," I said and glanced back up at him.

        He gave me a cautious glance and then put a finger under my chin and lifted my face up, forcing me look at him. He closed his eyes for a moment as if deep in thought. When he opened his eyes again his glare was less intense. He removed his hand and took a few steps away from me.

        "I believe you... come, we have a long way to go before we reach home again," Bane said and I nodded.

        We walked until it was a few hours past noon. I eventually tried to start up a conversation so the walk wouldn't be so awkward. Even though I knew Bane didn't want to talk, I attempted anyways.