The Eyes of the Dark

Eleven.

I can't believe we didn't escape. Everything went to plan except the fact that fifty guards that showed up. It doesn't make sense. None of it does. Max and I should have been able to escape through the halls. No guards would have gotten there so quickly... unless they were waiting. Someone had to have tipped us off. Did the Queen know they Resistance was planning an attack? Did she get it from Dale? Could he have betrayed us?

Sitting on this concrete floor with my hands in my lap makes me angry. I can feel my shadows brewing under my skin. Just waiting to be unleashed. What are we going to do now? What is the new plan? This plan took ages. I am never getting out of here. Max sits beside me in silence as Joanna paces and waits for the guards to tell us it's okay to leave the room.

"It's that damn Resistance, I know it!" She says. I perk my head up and watch her pace. She could be lying to pretend she didn't send all those guards.

"Mom, sit down," Cedric angrily says. Joanna crosses her arms.

"They'll be letting us out soon. It shouldn't take this long to secure the castle." Her impatience makes me want to gauge my eyes out. I was supposed to get out of here! Not be stuck in a room with you! Max presses his hand against mine and slips my necklace into my palm. It's cold and it makes me calm down a little. I tighten my fist around it and look at Max. He gives me a sympathetic look and squeezes my hand twice. I lean my head against the wall and stare at the ceiling. Now I have to face Kim and Ava. Now the engagement is real. If I don't get out of here I'm going to be married into Joanna's family and I will never let myself do that. Let alone forgive myself for it.

Suddenly the door opens, and Joanna meets the guard in the doorway. Max and I hop to our feet and watch as they speak in hushed voices. She turns and looks at us.

"The threat has been cleared. There are no casualties, so we are free to go," she says and then walks out. Of course, no one got hurt, that wasn't the plan. Max holds my hand and we exit the safe room. The first thing I see is a window which tells me we must have been in there a while because it's pitch black outside.

"The trainees are being held in their rooms," I hear a guard say. Max and I start down the hallway.

"I know you're mad," he whispers. I clench my jaw and fists. "You have a right to be." We approach his bedroom and he leads me inside. He shuts the door and I turn towards the lit fireplace. Of course, I'm mad. How could I- I gasp when I see a hunched over figure near the fire. Max comes up beside me. I then realize it's a woman and she has red hair.

"Sage?" I run towards her and brush the hair out of her face. It's her. I look at Max who walks up slowly. "Are you okay?" She doesn't say anything, but she shudders in my arms.

"She's bleeding," Max says. I look at her jacket which is stained with red blood. "I get a first aid kit," he says rushing out of the room. I turn to Sage and cradle her in my arms. I move her jacket and see a bullet in her shoulder.

"I got shot. I was leaving through the garden and I didn't see them. They were everywhere. I knew something had gone wrong when I didn't see you by the river." She takes a shaky breath. "I made my way in here hoping one of you would find me."

"Did your men get away?" She nods and I sigh. "Sage, someone betrayed us tonight," I whisper. Her gaze hardens and her eyes lock to mine. "We couldn't get out. There were too many guards. It seemed like they had been warned ahead of time."

"I'm sorry, Octavia. I let you down," she says. My eyes fill with tears.

"No, you didn't," I cry. She wipes away my tears and smiles. I hear the door open and Max crouches down beside me with a first aid kit. We remove her jacket and Max takes out the bullet. I help slow the bleeding and then I stitch the wound shut.