Caethion by Lewis Evans

Author:Lewis Evans
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: ebook
Published: 2017-05-23T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter 15

Caradog remembered the fight in the street, the sound of bells that introduced the darkness and the bumpy ride in the van. He was on his way to somewhere unknown, walking in total blindness. Following a long walk up a chilly staircase, he was pushed to sit on what felt like a bed. Door beads clacked together in tandem. The Blinder returned his vision and left with a hop.

His reflection in the mirror was the first thing he saw and nothing had changed from a few hours before. A layer of sweat from his morning jog shone unevenly in the dim light. His arms throbbed with pain and the bandages had loosened over time. The thermal shirt clung awkwardly to his torso and creased at his elbows, which he moved away as his bicep passed the scar on his head.

Shivering crystal beads dominated the corner of his vision. Standing in the doorway was a young woman with short red hair and narrow wings spiralling around her arms. The red of her face hinted at a recent anger, but the lowness of her shoulders and the slight tilt of a smile made her seem approachable.

She introduced herself as Beatie.

‘What’s happening?’ Caradog responded. The weak light from the chandelier above his head made him strain as he tried to focus on the details of the room. His head became light as he rose from the bed.

Every few seconds, Beatie’s attention would drift away, as if leaving and re-joining the conversation.

‘Where are we?’ he asked.

‘A casino. Don’t panic or freak out. We’re prisoners.’

Caradog looked to his arms and then at the dorm walls. Prisoners? As an ex-soldier with knowledge of conflict, he knew that prisoners were captured for a purpose. Most of the time that purpose was either for ransom or for punishment. Considering this was a casino and Beatie’s clothes suggested she worked there, both ransom and punishment felt incorrect. It would be nonsensical to punish your workers, hindering their efficiency. However, slavery in history contradicted that. Museums existed with exhibits of chains and numerous equipment that bound the slaves where they were forced to work. The concept of a master punishing the very people that provided them with a service was far from unheard of, but at that point Caradog wasn’t sure what the situation was.

He gritted his teeth. ‘In a casino?’

Beatie nodded. ‘They crashed my car a few weeks ago. I’m not sure if my sister’s ok.’ A tear built up in her eye. She tightened her lips and straightened her back.

Caradog felt her pain of being taken away from a loved one. Kiera had been fighting when he last saw her, but with the departure of the van he hoped she was left alone. He squeezed his eyes, mimicking Beatie’s coping mechanism.

‘Where were you when they took you?’ Beatie asked.

‘At my house in Penderyn. God, I hope Kiera’s ok,’ he said, shaking his head.

‘Is she your partner?’

‘No, I’m…she’s a friend.’

‘Where’s Penderyn?’

Caradog sat back down before his body had the chance to fall.

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