Nothing But Bad

Fourty Six

Arden
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It was time to go. We had spent the remaining time with our father, going over more plans and ways that I could benefit him. I nodded and smiled. Acting like the naive little girl who wanted nothing more than her father to accept and be proud of her.

"Dad?" I say, faking an innocence. "I know you said love makes you wreak. But..." I stop myself, purposely mumbling my words.

I'm shocked when he grabs my arm. I look up at him. He's smiling down at me. "I do love you Arden. Im just sorry for how I show it." His words hit me like a ton of bricks. They physically cause me to step back. "Your mother would be just as proud."

This hurt. I knew he was evil, cruel. I knew he wanted to just use me. But hearing that, hearing those words when they sounded so true. It hurt. Maybe he's just as good as a liar as me, I told myself. I told myself that so I didn't feel the guilt.

I...

No, I yell at myself. Don't fall for it. You have people who love you, you have a plan. Stick with it.

I step towards him, not asking for permission. I wrap my hands around him. He was shocked at first, but soon did the same. It's crazy how things could be.

Crazy that for a split tiny second, I felt safe in his embrace. I felt like a normal daughter being loved and hugged by her father. I felt like I was being lied to. But it felt good, so good I almost forgot to slip my hand in his pocket and grab the familiar shape. Almost, but I did.

Tears filled my eyes as I took my hand out with the stone. Tears fell as Skyler grabbed it in my hand, without my father even noticing, and slipped it into her pocket. My father pulls away, brushing the tears from my face.

"I am sorry for how I've been." He says.

Yea, I am too. I squeeze him again, for the first and last time I ever will. I turn and look to Skyler, nothing was in her eyes. "Will you escort me?" I ask.

She looks at our father for approval. Please say yes, I don't know what id do if he didn't. I turn and look at him, he's still looking at me. He gives a nod. I smile, we move to head out the door. But I stop and look bad. He seemed sad, he seemed different. I run back, "Just one more hug." I whisper.

"For now." He whispers back.

I pull away, walking out the door following Skyler and the guard also escorting us.

   The world is tuned out as we walked. I couldn't think of anything but my father's sad face. What was he sad about? I wanted to know, but knew I would never find out the answer.

Did he mean it, what he said? I like to believe he did. That deep down, Skyler was right. And he did love me a lot more than I thought. If I had of stayed, or if I was followed his plan, I believe our relationship would have changed.

But I don't want it think of that, I don't want to think of possibilities I knew I would never know the answer to.

"Arden?" Sky's voice snaps me out of my thoughts. I hadn't even realized we had gotten into the vehicle. I hadn't even noticed we've been moving. Hadn't even noticed we were already there.

"Sorry." I say, getting out of the car.

"Miss," the guard stops Skyler. "Where do you think you're going?"

"I'm walking her." She says with a bored tone, "She had asked me to escort her and my father had approved."

"And you did escort her." The guard points out.

"I'll walk with her." Skyler says with authority. "I'll be back in an hour." Thankfully Skyler had convinced the man to drive us closer, giving us less distance to walk. "If you have a problem with that, you can take that up to my father. Who will call you an idiot for annoying his daughter."

The guard looks down embarrassed. "Yes, you're right. I'll be here waiting. An hour." He says.

"An hour," she lies.

We walk in silence, almost to our meeting spot. She stops me, putting a hand in front of my chest. "Do you hear that?" She whispers.

I listen. I hear the birds, the wind hitting the trees, and the faint sound of a motor. A motor.

The kings men wouldn't be using a vehicle, not when they are trying to pass this as their secret camp. That would give it away. They are smarter than that.

The only reason someone would be using a vehicle was if they needed to get somewhere in a hurry.

   Like if they found out they had been betrayed, and were trying to catch up to the betrayers.

"Run." I whisper. Our legs break out into a sprint. We were almost there, Ben should be here. I see the boy, sitting bored on a rock. "Ben!" I yell. His gaze snap up, and widens at what's being us.

"Girls!" My father yells. "Stop or I'll shoot." I turn my attention to where the rock was a second ago, Ben was gone.

   We stop.

I fake a relief grin, "Oh father. We had thought we've been caught."

His face holds no love like it did before. "Drop the act Arden. We know you took the stone." He turns and looks at my sister next to me. "Grab her Skyler."

She looks at me, then at my father again. "No."

His eyes flare in anger, a bitter laugh leaves his throat. He had a gun pointing at us, at me. "Both my daughters betraying me. Unless, she's controlling you."

She takes a step closer. "She's not."

His eyes narrow lifting the gun higher. "I will shoot you Arden." Not a threat, a promise.

I raise my hands, "I can shoot too." Maybe true, maybe a lie. I haven't had my powers in awhile, I haven't used them. I don't know if I would even be able to control them now. I don't know how.

He laughs calling my bluff, "You're weak." He spits, "I've always known it, you have too. You won't be able to do it."

Skyler looks at me, then flicks her eyes quickly to the tree. Ben's there, she's telling me. She can feel him there. He inches out, showing himself now to me. He gives me a nod. We're going to have to run.

The three of us start moving. Ben brings his arms out, trying to get us. A shot rings out, I turn towards my father, scared of the bullet. I'm pushed away by Skyler's m body jumping into mine, I get pushed back into Ben's.

"No!" Our father screams, another shot sounding out.

It's too late by the time the bullet gets to us. We are already gone. I smile, seeing my father's face flash away. He looked broken, sad.

But we had done it. We had made it.
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