The Hidden | ✅

Chapter Seventeen

We ran as fast as we could, our breaths coming out in ragged puffs. "Do you actually think that HE found us?!?" I demanded fearfully.

Alex didn't respond right away. I could tell that the gears in his brain were shifting. "I...I don't know. The Duboise house has been here ever since the Elementalist conflict started." He launched himself over an old tree root and we continued to run. "He couldn't have found it! We've taken too many precautions, too many safety measures. He couldn't have found it! HE SHOULDN'T HAVE FOUND IT!"

Alex's feet pounded harder on the ground as he ran and I found it difficult to keep up. We hadn't walked out that far but it felt like an eternity as we ran through the woods. Every shadow seemed to be mocking us. Every bird chirp sounded like a raven's caw. Every leaf crunch sounded like a breaking bone.

We skidded to a halt and our eyes widened at the sight before us.

The house was surrounded. Men in uniforms similar to the one the man in the woods was wearing were searching the perimeter. They had dogs and electrical sticks that I'd heard were used to immobilize any type of Elementalist.

Alex took a deep shaky breath and laid back on the tree behind him, sliding down until he had his knees pulled up to his chest. "Oh my gosh..." He breathed. "It is him...he's here. B-But how? How did he find us?" He ran a hand though his hair and I saw tears threaten to spill from his eyes.

"Hey, hey, hey, it's fine. We're all going to be okay..." I whispered.

"No, Circe, it's NOT going to be okay! You have no idea what Dorian is capable of! He's probably already gathered everyone up to kill them!" Alex hissed. "And if their lucky, then they're already dead."

"Alex! How could you say that?" I demanded. Even though I too had that small lingering speck of doubt in the back of my brain, I refused to give into it.

He closed his eyes and took a deep breath, turning to me to explain himself once again before his eyes widened. "CIRCE LOOK OUT!"

I whipped around and before I had time to do anything, I was struck with the electrical staff that my attacker was carrying. It felt like fire was travelling through every single vein in my body and my body screamed loudly in pain while I was frozen.

Then everything went black.

_ _ _ _

When I woke up, my vision was blurred and murky. I couldn't tell where I was. Then I turned my head to the left and saw the hazy outline of a weapons wrack and knew I was in the basement. Was I hiding? Did I escape?

I tried to stand up but that was when I realized that my wrist and ankles were bound together by some sort of orange glowing rope.

A power muter, I recognized.

I closed my eyes and sighed. I had definitely NOT escaped.

A groan had me turning my head to my right to see Evanora bound in a similar manner to me. "Evie?!" I asked in a hushed tone. "Are you okay? Talk to me!"

She weakly turned her head to me and I saw her once bright amber eyes were dull. "Where...where are we?" She muttered.

"In the basement." I replied simply. "Where's Victor?" A weak reply came from beside her and I leaned over to see the blonde boy bound the same way we were, his eyes half close and his breathing weak. He also had a large slash across his abdomen, blood pooling around him.

"Oh my god, Victor!" I cried out. I wanted to crawl over to him and hug him close and try to fix him. But I was helpless. I was trapped. I was weak.

Several thuds resounded from upstairs and we heard the basement door open. Alex was shoved down the stairs and he winced. He too had ropes that kept him from using his powers, but that didn't stop him from using his insults.

"Let me go, dipshits! Why are you binding us up, huh? Afraid to get your asses kicked?" Two men walked down the stairs and one of them kicked Alex in the stomach before yanking him up and tossing him on the wall beside me.

"God do they have a gag for this little bitch?" One asked the other.

The second man rolled his eyes. "Unfortunately no."

Alex glared at the men as they walked back up the stairs before turning to me. I saw his busted lip and his wide worried green eyes. "Are you okay? What happened? Did they hurt you?" He rushed.

I shook my head and motioned towards Victor. "No, but Victor looks pretty bad." Alex's eyes widened as he looked past me and at Victor

"Oh my gosh, Vic!" He exclaimed "Vic, man, talk to me."

Victor coughed a bit before giving a small smile. "I mean, at least now I know that being myself while fighting is a bad idea..." He joked weakly.

Evanora scooted closer to him, not minding the blood and reached her bound hands as far out as she could. Victor did the same and they interlocked their fingers.

"Are Hira and Grace down here too?" Alex asked.

Evanora shook her head. "Hira wasn't here when the attack happened. She went out. Ms. Duboise took Grace with her upstairs to hide. I was in the living room with Victor and he tried to protect me."

"Guess it wasn't any help." Victor mumbled. Evanora rubbed her thumb across his knuckles.

"It was a lot of help."

Suddenly the door opened again and Ms. Duboise was shoved in unbound followed by Grace who held onto her hand tightly, fear evident in her big eyes.

"Children, are you alright?" Ms. Duboise asked, kneeling down before us.

"Well, I mean, aside from my gaping bleeding wound, I'm feeling pretty good." Victor said with a pained smile.

Ms. Duboise gasped and reached down to try and help him, but one of the armed guards that had followed her down grabbed her wrist.

"He's an Inclinkinetic." He stated. "We don't want him shifting and murdering all of us."

"Murdering?!" Ms. Duboise huffed and stood up. "He is a CHILD!"

Alex and I shared a glance. We didn't want to debunk her excuse but children could be murderers.

Suddenly two guards stomped down the stairs side by side as stiff as boards. They nodded to the other guards in the basement and they all stood to attention.

I felt like someone had dumped a slab of concrete into my stomach as I realized who was coming. I looked to the side to see Alex with an unreadable expression, but I could see him stiffen up. Evanora moved closer to Victor and Grace clutched Ms. Duboise tighter.

Calm and collected footsteps resounded above us as the person approaching made their way down the stairs. He took his sweet time walking down and into the basement. The two guards on either of his sides concealed his face, but based on what I could see, he looked much more terrifying in person than from what I'd gathered from his posters.

He stopped suddenly and so did his guards, turning to face us. I felt a shiver run down my back as he looked us over.

"Hello there, children." Dorian Grey smirked.