Ink

Chapter 42

James stares at Dimitri's bloodied body through the glass with horror filled eyes.

"Dimitri." He whispers while placing a hand on the glass. When he retracts it, the glass is tainted pink with his blood.

Now, standing before the door, he hovers his shaking finger above the button for a few moments. He's afraid of what will come from going further to defy the king. Surely, his punishment would be even worse than before, and, his wife's life would hang in the balance.

James has never been placed in a situation like this before. He has never defied the king.

"But if I don't." He whispers. "He will die." Was he really ready to be responsible for that?

Pressing the button meant going against the sacred oath he took when he began working at the castle. There was no going back from that.

He knew he had to decide soon before patrol guards came around, or, worse, the king himself.

One last deep breath is all it takes for James to press the button and seal his fate.

The door slides open and the smell of blood immediately permeates through the air.

"Dear God." James covers his mouth and nose with his hand. "What have they done to you?"

Dimitri's head lifts slightly and his puffed eyes squint at James.

"J-James?" His voice is strained.

James nods and enters the room further.

"It appears we have found ourselves in the same position." Dimitri coughs. "What did you do to betray the king?" He asks.

James' eyes widen at his bluntness about the situation.

"I don't know." He simply states."He seems to think that I know where Alliana is, but, I haven't the slightest clue."

Dimitri laughs. "Yes, and that would be my fault."

James furrows his brow in question.

"Why would that be your fault?"

"Alliana was my responsibility that night." He sighs. "I was instructed to bring her to him-"His face contorts in pain and he clutches his side."-but she got away, and I've been paying for it ever since."

"This isn't right." James says. "Mephistor has never acted like this before."

"Thats just it, James." Dimitri coughs. "I fear that man is not the king."

~

"I feel kind of bad that we went through Ryder's room." Caleb whispers."I'm only now realizing the consequences that my actions can have, and, Al-" He turns towards me and places his hands on my shoulders. Fear is apparent in his eyes."There are a lot of possible consequences."

"Hopefully, once he hears my plan, he will be so impressed he won't have enough time to be mad at you?" I offer in attempt to calm him, but he only shakes his head.

"Not going to work."

"Not until he knows the plan."

"I-" He opens his mouth to speak, but pauses."What is the plan, anyway?"

Just as I'm about to explain, a guard passes us. I don't miss the way he carefully looks us over; probably deciding whether or not we should actually be in the restricted wing of the underground fortress.

"Maybe we should wait for Cleo?" I whisper and he nods.

"Good idea." We pick up our pace as we make our way to the conference room.