The Rogues

38- Deception

Dominic

The guards clenched my shoulders tightly, my body tauten. The halls were crowded with troopers, their black masks fused to me as I passed by each of them in a flash. I held my head down, refusing to gawk slightly at any of them. I only had been walking for about a minute, but caught in my thoughts, it felt like hours. My mind flooded with tides of confusion and guilt, a blur of moments and spectacles. What the hell happened back there?

My hand was fastened on Evelyn's throat. I knew it was. But I couldn't have...I would never. My mind was knotted, I didn't even know what thoughts I hauled were my own anymore. I felt drunken with darkness, overstepped by something evil. I detested it. I hated that I couldn't resist.

I knew what happened...I just wanted to ignore the truth of it.

The guards shoved me past the cells, leading me into a dark hall that no troops overran. Why didn't they take me to the cells? I mulled over, but I was too exhausted to open my mouth and push out words. My head pounded, my bloodied arms scorched and my muscles ailed. I was almost glad I couldn't remember what happened. Though the pain was a slight suggestion.

Before I knew it, my back was pushed against a wall, one of the trooper's hands over my mouth, silencing me from saying anything. I gasped, and lifted my brow. Another trooper passed by, ignoring our presence.

I lunged my fist forward to push the trooper away, but they caught my knuckles effortless with the bawl of their palms. I threw another punch, and likewise, the trooper struck my swing, grabbing my arm and twisting it behind my back so my chest was pressed against the wall. I grinded my teeth, pain shooting up my shoulder.

"God Dominic, why must you be so difficult?" A restless voice sounded under the troopers mask. A voice I recognized, and almost felt a smile on my lips from the sweet sound.

"Celeste?" I said uncomfortably, being I could barely twist my neck over my shoulder to speak.

She let go of my arms. I let out a breath, and turned around, rubbing my shoulder. She clutched the helmet and lifted it off her head, her golden features dim against the dark hall, yet so strikingly noticeable. Behind her, the other trooper lifted their helmet. It was Kyler. I'd never been so glad to see them both, I had to blink a few times to be sure what I was seeing was real. How did they...why did they? It didn't matter--they were here, and I needed their help. And not to get me out...we needed to find Evelyn.

"How did you guys get in here?" I said in a panicked murmur.

Celeste huffed, "Ev put on quite the distraction. It was rather easy to get in with all the guards concentrated on her."

"Evelyn came here by herself?"

Kyler nodded, "She didn't even falter."

My stomach dropped to my feet, shame rising in my throat. Evelyn came by herself to save me, and then I...I didn't want to think about it. If Cel and Kyler were the troopers that took me away...that meant they had to have seen some of what happened. My chest tightened.

I looked to my feet, then shamefully glanced to Cel, "What you saw back there...it was-"

"It wasn't your fault Dom." She lifted her hand and cupped my cheek. Though she knew who did that to me, I could still see the fear eating up her brown eyes. The taste as sour in her, as in me. I nodded, and she lowered her hand. I felt no need to say much more. Frankly, I didn't want to talk of it. I was still so mortified of myself.

"We need to get out of here. The troopers are all still lined upstairs, we can make a run for it." Said Kyler

"No." I shook my head, "We need to find Evelyn. We are not leaving without her."