Treason

Eight

Im sorry I haven't updated in FOREVER. My bad pretty sure I lost most of my readers thank for the ones who stuck around read this. Im sorry about the shortness of this chapter but it's something. Thanks to my friend Sabrina who pushed me to update, otherwise I probably wouldn't have. So give your thanks to her for this chapter.

No song inspiration cause I suck.

Where'd you go?" I asked Daniel quietly, still in his embrace. I pushed away thoughts of escape for now, I need to focus on questioning Daniel.

"What do you mean?" He murmurs, nuzzling his face into my hair. Funny, I didn't find it strange or uncomfortable when he did that. I actually... Kind of liked it.

"Where were you when she attacked me? I didn't see you anywhere," I say suspiciously.

"Oh. That." He answers evasively.

"Yeah, 'oh that'", I mock. He rubs the back of his neck, ashamed I presume.

"Well....I- would you be mad if I told you it was another test?" He whispers so quietly, I almost don't hear him. Oh, but I heard him alright. I clench my jaw tightly. How dare he betray me again?!

"You asshole!" I yell at him, wrenching myself from his arms. They flop back onto his thighs with a thud, as I stand up to face him, eyes widening furiously. His big brown eyes are pleading with me, begging me to relax.

"I COULD'VE BEEN KILLED! You little-"

He gets to his feet, his arms ushering me to calm down.

"Relax." Daniel says soothingly.

"NO! You told me that the 'tests' were over!" I jab a finger into his chest. "I would've been killed had you not interfered!"

"Look, I'm sorry! I am. Like you said, I did intervene I wasn't going to let her kill you. I just wanted to see how you would handle the situation," I look at him incredulously. "If it helps I was never less than ten feet from you," he adds after a moment of silence. Daniel. He was there. Was there, and did nothing to prevent my hand's injury? That bastard!

"That doesn't help." I throw my hands up. "The point is you're playing these twisted little games with me, where the consequence is death. I don't like it! You said I could trust you, and so far, you're doing a hell of a great job proving it." I say sarcastically.

Daniel's eyebrows drew together, his plump lips pulling into a pout. Dark, stormy eyes beg for forgiveness, and it takes all my will power not to give in. I shift my eyes towards the leaf covered floor, oranges and reds combining with green, avoiding his penetrating gaze. Daniel gently grabs my hands, holding them in his bloody ones. I grimace slightly, but get over the feeling of nausea from the blood. Knowing where it came from and how it was spilt only makes it worse. Plus, my right hand still throbs from the brutal beating it took. I hesitantly glance up into his searching eyes, not trusting their warmth.

"I will make it up to you, I promise," he holds a finger to my lips, silencing my angry response to his "promise". "I promise that I'll help you survive here, help you to get accommodated to the ah, different lifestyle." He winks. "After that, if you still don't trust me or don't want me around I'll go, but until then I'm sticking with you. Because no offense, Newbie, you'd be dead the minute I leave." He grins at me crookedly, cheeks indented with two cute dimples.

I really don't want to go anywhere with him, but unfortunately for me, he's right. I'd be dead in no time at all. Eaten, cooked, chopped up, whatever gruesome death these criminals could think of or worse. I look at his sparkling eyes, his disarrayed hair, and can't help this overwhelming feeling of rightness. That I should follow him. Even if I wasn't in danger, that I should go with him. Ugh, I'm such a girl. I will not trust him. I will not believe what he tells me.

I will not give into him. I still don't know his intentions, or how he even found me. I don't believe in coincidences, everything happens for a reason. No way he just "happened" upon me. That's bullshit, but he's the best chance I've got at surviving and getting out of this hell-hole. So I shove away my angry thoughts, take a deep breath and swallow my pride.

"Fine, but if you ever pull something like this again, you'll be sorry." I yank my hands from his grip, and stalk off in the opposite direction. Daniel snickers quietly from behind me, trying to muffle it by mock coughing.

"Uh, Newbie? Wrong way." His smug voice calls out. I spin back around not looking at his smirking face and stalk back in his direction. Shoving him hard as I pass.