We Promised

Chapter 6

We crawl out of the manhole in the ground, the top made of fiberglass and chrome. The trees are lush with leaves, birds chirping as if we are not here. The forest is tranquil, even with the Bloods hidden in plain sight, living just a few feet under the dirt. Transports wait for us. That is what Auryn meant? By my blood, how did they get this? The transport is sleek like I remember them to be, the steel sculpted and cut to perfection. The birdbody trembles with power, windows bulletproof, of course. A big cage is what it is. Someone could burn alive inside, and still, the fire would not escape. The inside can fit up to eight people, perfect for the amount of people going. They're already inside, sliding bullets into their chambers with a resonating click. The door is open for me and Jaxon. I climb inside. I'm given a rifle, and adrenaline electrocutes my blood. There is no time for fear anymore, but focus. I've been on missions harder than this. This should be as easy as a hot knife slicing through butter. I'm shocked to see that my magazine is already full. Surely, they don't trust me enough to give me a loaded gun. I could easily shoot them all when we get there, and run. I'm glad no one can read my mind. Don't test them, Ilvera.

Jaxon doesn't fidget, and neither do the rest of them. But, I do. My fingers twitch as I bounce my leg, and Jaxon notices. He braces his leg against mine so I'll stop. "That's driving me crazy," he mutters, looking out of one of the windows. Olivia beams at me, winking. "You've got this girl. I trust you." Encouraging but not enough. The transport takes a left, then a right, and the map appears in my head. Auryn and her brother, Brennon, share a food packet, devouring what's inside. This is just another day for them, another mission. I've gotten used to the comfort of the castle, not being in imminent danger every day. They choose this, Ilvera. They put themselves under a bounty and now there's no going back. "You know, there were healthier ways to make a change. You guys didn't have to be put under a terrorist label." Six eyes stare back at me, some confused, some irritated. "What were we supposed to do? Fill out a petition to make our world equal again. Hey, Oxuris, just wanted to let you know that we don't think your laws are right. Please don't slaughter us for saying so," Auryn snaps. I straighten at her tone, grinding my teeth together. "I would have understood." She places her rifle on the ground, resting her elbows on her knees. Her gray eyes brew a storm with her irritation. "You out of all people know what happens if someone speaks against your empire. They end up tortured and dead," she states. Jaxon shifts away from me, crossing his arms over his chest like a child. "I have the power to keep you guys alive if it came down to it." I lie. I know for a fact that if the Bloods ended up on our doorstep, asking for change, they all would be killed on the steps. "Whatever helps you sleep at night, princess," Jaxon states. He clenches his fists, and I scowl, staring at the metal floor beneath me. He's such a child.

The transport rolls to a smooth stop and Auryn snaps into action. "Move out," she barks. We file out one by one, and my boots land on a red sewer grate. Brennon and Jaxon get to work removing the grate, pulling on it with all their force. It complies, screeching against the concrete surrounding the drain as it lifts. I'm the first down the ladder, metal prongs digging into my palms with rocky ridges. Darkness envelopes me, and I look up through the opening to the world above me. Auryn is next, followed by Brennon, Jaxon, Olivia, and James. Auryn adjusts the strap across her chest, and the duffel bag on her back shifts with it. "Let's go, princess. We don't have all day," Brennon states. I fight the urge to roll my eyes, treading forward carefully. My fingers run across the stone, footsteps echoing in the silence. Water flows beneath my shoes, in a small stream towards what should be a canal. There are two ways we can move, forward, to the ocean, or left, towards the inside of the city, where we are headed. I turn left. In these underground pathways, it's eerily quiet, the only sound audible are our heavy breaths and combat boots. "I've been down here once," I state, trying to calm them with a story. They're silent, waiting for me to continue. I can feel their tension, their fear. Even the bravest of soldiers should feel some fear. That fear can either keep you alive, or it will kill you. "My brother and I were on a mission, and our father forced us to go down here, to fix the water plug before the sewers flooded and caused the ocean levels to rise. He said if we didn't succeed, he would lock us down here, and drown with the rest of the city." My hand tightens around my rifle, and my heart clenches at the memory. "It did end up bursting. Blayne, my brother, and I almost drowned that day. I was so afraid. But, the fear slowly led to anger. I was furious that my father sent us down there. If we died, it would be on him," I continue, breathing heavily. "I was twelve. Blayne was fifteen. We survived because we were desperate." Auryn is next to me now, walking in line with me. Her face is solemn, angry... for me. "I'm sorry," she says quietly. I shrug, a smile growing on my face. "It's alright. Now he and I joke about it, about our faces when we were so close to death, the things we said. We've been through worse." Rats scurry across my boots and I swallow to keep the bile down my throat. Jaxon kicks some of them away, and James isn't strong enough to hold in his vomit. I look away. "You'll get used to the stench. It's not that bad once you're down here for a while." Brennon holds his hand over his nose, trying his best not to inhale. I remember the day we left the sewers. We'd been trapped for hours, my blonde hair a dirty gold from the dirt and the urine. My brother and I have been through so much together. I don't know how to live without Blayne.