FORTY EIGHT

Word Count: 1549

~Akara

A dark, cold feeling of dread trickles through me.

"Jessa...You're here," I say slowly, my mouth feeling like it's stuffed with cotton. I haven't seen Jessa in months, but she looks no different. Maybe a little more haunted than usual, her dark eyes roving over me quietly.

"I am." The edge of her lips quirk up. "You look horrible."

I release a long breath. "I'm sick."

I'm not sure if I expect her to feel sorry to me, to pity us and let us go, but being honest with her seems right. Her betrayal hit me hard, knowing that I was the one who allowed her to sink into Vaia's dark web. I should have known Vaia couldn't have been good for her, and yet I was too distracted with everything else to give it my full focus.

"You shouldn't have come here," she mutters, her smirk vanishing. She doesn't seem angered by our presence, but she isn't wary. Even if Vaia had been training her, I have a feeling Zavian and I could still take her on. I'm more than willing to try it, were it not for Vaia and her potential anger.

"You were my friend, Jessa. I brought you here for a better life for you...This isn't it," I exclaim. What if I could convince her out of this, what if I could give her another chance?

Jessa steps forward, unbothered by the corpses laying only a few inches away from her thick black boots. "Any life with Vaia is a good life. You must understand that, since you ran away with Taius."

I always knew Jessa wanted love, wanted to feel something for someone.

But I had no idea she would go to this extent.

"Vaia is doing the wrong thing. Your love for her can't mean more to you then that, surely," I say desperately, hoping there is still some of the Jessa I thought I knew inside her. Maybe Vaia has been lying to her, has been whispering in her ear to keep her on her side. With a bit of convincing, maybe I could get through to her...

"I've never had someone love me like this, Akara," she exclaims, her eyes soften as she takes another step toward us. Zavian presses his arm out in front of me, as if concerned Jessa may lash out at any moment. "My family died when I was young, I had no one for so long."

"You had my friendship, and you had Tai. We could have looked after you," I assure her.

I should have spoken to her more, should have kept up with what she was doing. At the time I didn't want to pry into her relationship with Vaia, but looking back, I should have known.

"It doesn't matter. You and Zavian are going to be killed now, and there wouldn't be anything I could do, even if I wanted to," she admits with a shrug, although she doesn't guilty. In fact, out of nowhere, she sounds amused.

This time I step forward, desperate at this point. "Don't say that...Please help us-"

I'm cut off, something shoved violently over my head from behind. I'm knocked onto my knees, and then onto my face, my cheek smacking against the ground, pain slicing through me. The ground vibrates, Zavian joining me in being forced to the ground. I open my mouth to yell to him, until the tip of a boot slams into the back of my head, and everything goes dark.

***

Time is beyond me as I wake.

Rolling my head back, I open my eyes, staring up at a white ceiling. Pain knocks steadily against the inside of my skull, likely from where I took a hit strong enough to knock me unconscious.

Lifting my head, I blink, staring into the verdant green eyes of Vaia. Immediately I pull at my arms, but my wrists are bound, my ankles too, to the chair. Vaia only smirks, triumphant that she has caught me, and this time, I doubt she is going to get me let me anywhere out of her sight.

"About time," she mutters, leaning back in her own chair, stretching her long legs out in front of her.

I look to my right, Zavian is also tied to a chair, the side of his dark hair damp, blood trickling down his temple. I swallow, my stomach twisting. I need to get us out of here. I mean, if we are here, where is Tai and Evolet?

"What's going on?" I question, my voice croaky.

"You're tied up, so don't bother trying to get out," Vaia notes, watching me tug against the bounds, ignoring the burning pain of the rope against my skin. "If you don't do as I say, I kill Zavian."

Zavian doesn't look frightened, although he's not well, looking on the verge of passing out. "Vaia, we are friends."

"Quiet. You never liked me," he bites back, glaring at Zavian before looking back at me. Four men stand in the same small room, blocking the front door, remaining wordless. I believe that Vaia would kill Zavian on a whim if I don't act right, so I'm going to have to be careful if i want both of us out of here alive.

"We will do what you say, okay," I insist, not wanting to see anything happen to my friend.

"Good," Vaia chirps, although she seems mildly disappointed we aren't pushing her some more, probably wanting to taunt us. "I'm going to need your help with something. Otherwise Tai dies."

Icy, cold dread drenches me. "Where is he?"

"On the verge of death. You can tell me why you're here and I'll save him," she says, grinning as she tilts her head, silken brown hair brushing over her shoulders. She really is pure evil, revelling in her brothers anguish.

I narrow my eyes, not sure I believe her. "Where's Evolet?"

"Dead," she answers tiredly. "Now answer me."

My throat is painfully dry as I glance at Zavian. His expression is still blank, although his eyes are pained as he stares down at the floor. He's known Evolet for a long time, and honestly I've gotten the feeling thy were friends before everything went down. All it's doing is fuelling out anger, our desire for revenge.

"We came on instruction from Kailor," I say through gritting teeth. We've told the public he only just survived the attack by Evolet, but whether any of them believe it, especially the ones that were present, is another story. "He's dying, and wanted us to make a last effort to come kill you."

"You don't think I know my father is dead?" Vaia question, narrowing her eyes on me. "Marek may have vanished, but I still have spies on my side."

I release a long, steady breath. I should have known that lie wouldn't work on her, but I had to try. Now, I'm not sure what I can do to get us out of here, other than wait, and hope she waits on killing us right away.

"Does it matter why we are here? You've got us where you want us," I exclaim, pulling again on my binds, wishing by some miracle they would come off. Not that it would matter, all the guards are armed.

"True." She leans forward. "There is one last thing I want from you, however..."

She doesn't have a chance to say anymore, as all of a sudden, her guards cock their guns, upturn them to their chins and fire in unison.

I yelp, covering my ears as my eyes squeeze shut, the sight of blood splattered against the wall, the sound of their limp bodies hitting the floor haunting me. All I can hear is my rushed breathing as I try not to be sick all over the floor, knowing that if I do it's going to be blood.

I can't move until I feel hands on me, untying my binds, tugging at my wrists.

Trembling, I raise my head, hair falling away from my eyes as I see Vaia's chair is empty, with her nowhere to be seen, her guards dead with the door now wide open. And cutting at the rope at my wrists, is Marek, hood pulled over his head, barely recognisable.

Words are beyond me as he tugs a small cloth from his pocket, and presses it against my nose and mouth, forcing me to breath in the cloying scent that burns my eyes, invading my senses before I feel the bliss of unconsciousness tug at me.

And to escape the fear and horror enveloping me, I let unconsciousness wash me away.

❤️••❤️

If you guys want to read ahead, you can read more of KING'S SEDUCTION on Radish! It's chapters ahead of Wattpad (:

You'll will find it under KING'S POSSESSION on Radish, as season 2!

👻••👻

I'm officially rewriting Alpha Jasper's story now on Radish! It will be following the same storyline with the same characters, but with revised scenes and some new ones!

I love Jasper's story so much that I wanted to go back and rewrite it. I hope you guys will enjoy it, you can find it now on Radish (:

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~Midika 💜