Onyx

Chapter 17: Traitors

It was too easy. Keanu thought to himself as he stared out the window. Something about the capture of Calix bothered him.

He turned and looked at Onyx fast asleep. She looked peaceful when she slept. She snored a little too. It's cute.

He shook the thought from his head. Focus.

***

Keanu stirred as the sun shone on his face. I fell asleep?

He quickly looked over to Onyx's bed, to find her still asleep. Good.

He left the room, softly closing the door behind him. He found Cato walking towards the room. "She's still asleep. Let her rest, she's had a long night."

Cato shook his head. "I wasn't coming for her. We've got a problem."

Keanu looked at him quizzically. "What's wrong."

Cato looked around him. The hallway was empty save for the guards at Onyx's door. "I'd prefer we talked somewhere....private."

Keanu got the drift and they walked together to Keanus room.

Upon entering, Keanu smelled the coconut scent of Flavia. He sighed. It was a mistake. He turned and closed the door locking it.

He sat at his desk, motioning for Cato to sit on a stool he kept next to his bed. Cato sat and ran his hands through his hair. "What happened last night doesn't make sense. It was too easy. Elves are far more powerful than this, especially Calix. Don't you find it weird he brought no backup?"

Keanu rubbed his chin. "I did find it odd too, I was just thinking that this morning. The last time I fought Calix, he put up more of a fight. He was just bragging how he was a child then, but for some reason I was able to take him down fairly easily."

Cato hummed thoughtfully. "There was no attacks during the night? Nothing suspicious?"

Keanu shook his head. "There was nothing. It was quiet."

"This doesn't make sense. Somethings not adding up."

Keanu nodded his head silently agreeing. After Mandel had warned him of the attack, he had gone to Onyx's room to find it was empty. He went to the one place he figured she would be and was able to get there in time before Calix captured her.

Wait a moment. When he had gone to her room, her guards weren't there. Those were the same guards that had been with Mandel when he grabbed Cato....Mandel.

Keanu shot up.

Cato quickly scrambled up. "What happened?"

Keanu whipped his head towards Cato. "It was Mandel. He was the one who told me about Calix."

"What do you mean?"

"Typically when there are breaches in our force field, the entire command center is notified. Mandel was the only person to know what was going on and that could have only happened if-"

Cato's eyes widened in realization. "Mandel had snuck him in." he said finishing Keanu's thoughts.

Keanu nodded. "Go grab Onyx. Those guards at her door were with Mandel last night. They're probably already suspicious about us going to talk in private. I'm going to check the cells."

Cato grimly nodded and sprinted out the door.

Keanu followed after him and went the other way, headed towards the basement where the prisoners were held.

***
I'm so stupid. He thought to himself. How can he let this fly over his head? It was obvious from the start, but he was too careless to pay attention to the details. He got complacent.