The Trio of Trouble

Chapter Thirteen, Ambushed

Chapter Thirteen

Ambushed    

      The room was suddenly crammed with muscular, men in armor. All of them with raised spears. All I could see was a flurry of shinning silver and flashes of fierce eyes. I reached for a knife that sat on a shelf but my finger tips could only knock the blade to the ground before both my arms where taken hold of tightly. 

 "Back away!" I heard Marco shout. "Or I'll-" 

     I watched in horror as one of the men in armor took the butt of his sword and brought it down on Marco's head. 

 "Marco!" I screamed and pushed off the ground to brake free of my captors. 

     My struggling did nothing but earn me a sharp kick in the calf. Marco slumped unconsciously into the guards arms, a small trickle of red blood falling down his forehead. 

 "Gentle boys!" A cruel, familiar voice warned from outside the hut. "That's the one with the magic." 

     I caught my breath. 

 "Sorry sir..." One guard mumbled. 

 "But now we don't gotta deal with him for a while." The man who had struck Marco gave a wicked grin from under his helmet. 

     Prince Cipher stomped into the room, squeezing between the armed men. He shoved the guard against the wall hard and growled. "But if he is damaged it would be a huge cost on our mission. And if he is damaged, it will be just a small cost of your life." 

     The guard bowed his head. "I am sorry your highness." 

 "Good." Cipher straightened. "Stay that way." 

     Cipher turned towards us, and a small smile returned to his face. I noticed a red scab on his eyebrow where I had cut him on our last encounter. 

 I hope it had hurt. 

 "So we meet again, thieves." Cipher made his way around the room, first examining Jacos' snarling face then Serena's solemn one. "Did you honestly think you could just hide away with this witch?" Pathetic." 

     Cipher turned to me. "Hello again." He spoke coldly. 

     I gritt my teeth a little, my eyes flashing with hate. 

 "Lucky I didn't heed your words, eh?" Cipher smirked. 

 "Uh huh. Worked out nicely didn't it?" I kept my tone confident, feeling more angry than scared at our obvious defeat. "Tell me, hows your little cut doing? I hope it doesn't...sting. Or itch. Or burn. Or hurt." 

    I shot a fake expression of pity before glaring daggers; maybe if I glared hard enough I could actually stab one into his eye.

    Cipher's cocky smirk disappeared and he shot me harsh hateful glares. "Oh yes, that. It does hurt." Cipher suddenly smiled a little and reached down to pick up the knife I had knocked to the ground. "Want a taste?" 

    I tensed and struggled to pull away, as Cipher brought the knife closer and closer to my face. But, the men were much too strong, clamping tightly onto my arms and feet, learning from their mistake at the bar.

 "AY! Leave her be you flee ridden rat!" Jacos struggled against the soldiers, it took almost four of them to keep him at bay. "Back off!" 

    Cipher ignored Jacos, and quickly slashed the blade down my eyebrow, just as I had done to him. I whimpered in pain, a sharp, stinging cutting through my flesh. I felt warm sticky blood slowly drip from the the wound, down my cheek. I turned my head away, struggling with my watering eyes. Cipher's hand curled around my chin and lifted it up roughly.

 "Next time think before you make your enemies." He whispered hoarsely, his hot breath in my face.

    My face twisted in disgust and I sucked up a wad of saliva in my mouth, spitting it at the young prince's face.

 "Gah!" Cipher dropped my face and wiped at his cheek, shooting me a dark glare. "You are very unwise."

 "Yet I am still better than you." I snapped smartly. 

    I thought Cipher would retaliate, maybe hit me or send some sort of threat, but he didn't. He just peered at me with his icy cold eyes, his expression unreadable. I almost wanted the punch instead. 

 "Bares, bind them and prepare the men for travel. My father will be very happy at our success." Cipher turned to the door, where a man with a thick moustache nodded. "And Bares?" 

 "Yes sire?" 

 "You only have to be careful with the magical one." 

 "Yes sire." 

    I swallowed hard, reality setting in. We had been captured. Kidnapped. Ambushed. Taken captive. 

    We had been caught.