Heir of Flame

Chapter 2

Ciel's Pov

 Just when I thought my life couldn't get any worse, bandits. I huddled with the three other young men who had been taken from the village with me. Our hands were tied together and attached to a rope, keeping us together like a group of animals. I looked at the youngest out of the four of us and was worried to see him shivering so hard his teeth were clacking together. I shifted so I was sitting next to him and indicated for him to pull my coat open and snuggle in. He thanked me before moving to my body heat. The other two move closer to me and we sat in a circle, hoping to use our body heat to survive the cold morning. We hadn't been given any blankets since they had taken us a few hours ago and while they all fall asleep near the fire we were left far away from its warmth.

"What do you think is going to happen to us?"

I looked at the dark haired boy who had asked the questing, noticing his dark eyes still had some fight left in them. Most of the other stained that I met had lost all the will to fight. After years of discrimination and hatred they usually gave up on life.

"They are going to kill us. That is the only reason why they would have taken us from the town!"

I glared at the other boy and saw that he was one of the destroyed ones. His green eyes were wide with fear and he was shaking but not from the cold. I felt the youngest one next to me stiffen and I scowled.

"Don't be stupid. They wouldn't take us just to kill us. More likely we will be sold off as slaves."

"But slavery is outlawed in this country!"

"It was when the phantomhive family ruled. Now that she is in control she doesn't care what happens to the citizens."

"But what about Princess Elizabeth?"

"She hasn't tried to save us before this why would she start now? They are safe beyond the mountains."

I glared at the green haired young man wanting nothing more than to punch him for the insult to my cousin. 

"They don't have a large army."

I looked at the dark eyed boy who still had fight as he glowered at the green eyed one. 

"If you paid any attention you would know that they send small parties across the mountains to help the rebellion here and anyone who makes it there is granted sanctuary."

"You seem to know a lot bout this."

He met my gaze and shrugged.

"I have been saving up money to try and make my way there. She takes in each and every stained, hoping to find her cousin, the prince I am guessing."

"He is surely dead."

The green eyed boy turned away, his shoulders hunched in defeat.

"I don't believe that. I like to think he is in hiding with the rebels as they work out how to get this country back from Madam Red and her goons."

I looked down so they wouldn't see the guilt in my eye and touched the eye patch that covered my other eye and the truth about my blood line. I had tried a few times but had been betrayed. In the early years many people sold out their fellow citizens for a reprieve from my aunts horrors. I thought of Sebastian, the man I had met earlier in the night. He seemed like a decent person and I had instantly trusted him. Maybe I should have told him who I was. I shook my head as I remembered the brand on my back. No, I couldn't trust anyone anymore. 

I must have dozed off not long after as I was woken to pain as my arms were almost pulled out of their sockets. I cried out and looked around to see the others struggling to their feet as one of the bandits pulled the rope we were attached to and tied it to his horse.