A Heart Between Us

Chapter 10: Judging

A Heart Between Us

Chapter 10

Judging

Sweat dripped down his face as he lay there against the stone wall. That, at least, was cool. Kairi lay sprawled on the floor, looking up at the ceiling. She used her hand to fan herself. Trying their best to keep whatever water they had on the table near them. Just one pitcher a day, and they were dying of thirst like it was summer.

"Kairi...I don't think we're in a normal castle...it was cold a few days ago." He told her. She honestly had no clue what he meant by that. Since when do places move? She turned her head toward him. He laughed and looked at her. "Stupid huh?" He knew places could move, but how to explain it to a child, he wondered? It was a little too hard to do, or rather he was too tired to think of a way. So he just lay there, staring up at the ceiling.

He was pretty sure he nodded off for a second, so when the door slammed open and water was poured onto him and Kairi he jumped awake and looked around. She scrambled over to him, hiding in his arms. Her red hair stuck to her face.

"Oh pardon us. I wasn't aware you were sleeping...like you weren't supposed to be." The guard said and laughed. "You stink anyways. Needed a bath." He walked over to their water and and poured it onto the floor.

"Hey!" Jay yelled. He put Kairi down on their now wet bed.

"Sorry I got you into this, Uncle Jay." She said to him. He shook his head trying to deter her from blaming herself and crying. She needed to keep whatever water she had in her. Although he felt like crying as well.

"Oh don't worry princess...I'm trying to think of a way to get us out of this." He said looking up at the guard who peeked in and narrowed his eyes.

Jay stood up and walked over to the bars. "Got a problem with me guard boy?" 'oh yeah, that was a great come back', he thought and looked around at Kairi. Kairi screamed as a leather strap was thrown over Jay's head and tightened around his neck.

"Yeah, I do got a problem with you!" Jay was lifted off his feet and held there. His legs started to kick trying to get at the guy behind him. His fingers raking over the leather strap. "I could be at home doing other things, but no I gotta be here looking out for you and this kid." He growled.

Jay could see Kairi screaming and crying for the man to let Jay go. His movements were slowing down. His eyes rolled and he passed out.

"Let him go Hoover...that's enough. I don't want him dead after all. Just a little roughed up before his little band of brothers comes looking for him." It was him again. Kairi stepped back watched Jay fall to the floor. She looked him over as he took gulp after gulp of air trying to fill his lungs and stop his head from spinning. His eyes cracked open, looking at Kairi as she was pulled from the room by her hair. He could still see her screaming for him. It really pissed him off so much, but he couldn't move. He could hardly breath, the haziness of his sight told him the whole story. He was about to pass out and he wouldn't be able to go after Kairi. He couldn't stop himself as he fell into the soft abyss that had been taken from him for four days now.

(0)

Zane walked back and forth in the room. He wasn't holding together well and he was sure that neither was Cole. His boyfriend stood there near the bow of the ship as the sun sank on another day. They had gone to the coordinates that was given to them and they couldn't see a building or even a structure anywhere that could be used as a stronghold. Actually, they could only see sand. Lots and lots of sand. The wastes were all they could see. Zane walked over to Cole and ran his hands down his large arms in a soothing way, even though he knew it wouldn't help.

"Where are they?" Zane asked trying to feel something...anything...his heart just told them to keep going. She was there somewhere, but they knew the Bounty wouldn't make it across the wastes without some more water. So they were going back toward the nearest area that had enough water for them. It would take another day and a half to get back. Zane hated this, he hated it so much that it hurt him. He balled up his fists and hit a practice dummy. It flew over the side of the ship out of sight.

"I know...I feel like I want to punch something too." Cole said, amazed at Zane hitting the dummy. He was normally the picture of patience, and calm, but today-just like himself-they were both at the edge of that rope.