Daughter of the Hero

Chapter 8; Inside the Lair

Lilian

Areos flew out of the cave a half hour after I arrived. I waited for a few moments to ensure that he was well and truly gone before creeping forward.

Standing with the stone of the mountain pressing into my back, I stretched my neck around to see the inside of the cave.

It was a maze of tunnel systems, the entrance to the cave stretching so far back that the firelight from the small fire that burned in the middle of the cave couldn't reach the end. I saw multiple tunnels splitting off from the main cave, leading further inside the mountain.

No time to waste. Without hesitating, I inched around the wall and walked into the cave. Listening intently, I heard the faint sound of groaning coming from one of the long caves.

I followed the sound, winding through the maze-like tunnels. It was dark and cold, and the tunnel led downwards into a large room. The groaning sound came louder as I turned a corner, and that's when I saw him.

Red hair—like his sister's—drenched in sweat, shirtless, chest covered in bruises, cuts, and whip marks, Conner stood with his arms chained above his head. His feet were shackled to the floor, and his pants were torn and dirt-stained as if he had been dragged through the mud.

The small room he was chained in was empty, save for a single wooden chair that was pressed against one wall.

"Conner?" I whispered, eyes widening in shock.

He lifted his head with a groan. When his eyes met mine, recognition sparked. Good, he still had half a mind, enough to remember me. Areos hadn't broken him so badly that he didn't know who I was.

Gods, his face. It was covered in bruises and cuts, one healing scar running down the left side of his face. What did Areos do to you, Conner?

"Lilian?" His voice was broken, the word resembling a croak.

I nodded. "It's me. I've come to take you home."

He breathed a sigh. "Thank you. Thank you."

Walking over to him, I inspected his shackles. They were an easy enough lock to pick. I stretched my finger out into the shape of a key and jammed it into the keyhole, twisting and shifting it around until it was the right shape.

The shackles clicked open, and I mimicked the movement for all four locks.

The second I unlocked his arms, Conner fell forward, almost smashing into the ground. I used my body to support him, holding him up and away from the stone floor that would have messed up his face even more and could have possibly killed him with a head injury, considering how weak he was.

"Conner, we need to go quickly," I said.

Conner's eyes shifted to something behind my shoulder. They widened, fear flooding his eyes. I felt as though time moved slowly as I turned and looked behind me.

Standing at the exit of the cave with a broad, malicious grin, was Areos.

"You're not leaving," He said, voice oozing with cruelty. "I think you're going to stay for a while."

His hand went to the wall, and he pushed something on it. Suddenly, lights clicked on. They were so bright that I was forced to close my eyes. When I opened them again, Areos had backed out of the cave, and at the mouth of the tunnel leading out, a barred gate had slid down from the ceiling, blocking our exit route.

Shit. 

We were trapped in Areos's cave, Conner for the second time.

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Malco

Where was he? He should have been here by now. I had been wreaking havoc on the city for the past hour and a half, and still, he hadn't come to stop me.

I placed my hand against a building and made it disappear into a cloud of smoke. Vaporization. It was my power, and it had served me well in the villain business.

The people near me screamed, a blood-curdling sound. I waited for something to happen, for Areos to fly in and save them, but nothing happened.

He wasn't coming.

Which meant that Lilian was in great danger.

Without a second thought, I pulled out my phone and called Jerard.

"Something's wrong," I said. "He's not coming."

"What? Then how can—shit, Lilian!" Jerard hung up and flew in beside me a few minutes later.

Together, we flew to the base of the mountain, and standing outside of the entrance to the cave was Areos. He looked triumphant, and I knew then that he had both Conner and Lilian.

My stomach turned. I had thought I was ready to fight him;

I wasn't.

"Run away," Areos shouted, grinning. "Run away and come back later. I've got some pretty important things to do tonight."

"Do any of those things happen to involve my team?" I asked, glaring at him.

He tapped his chin with a single finger as if he were considering it. Suddenly, he gasped. "Well, as a matter of fact, yes! Now leave."

"I'm not leaving without my people," I said defiantly.

He grinned. 

"Well then," He said, "Let's dance."