Eyes of Emerald

Chapter 26 - Locked

      I don't remember much after that. My mind was in a blur, I couldn't think about anything else. I was shaking uncontrollably, I was crying like I had never cried before. Balthazar had no patience for a "snivelling child," as he put it, and had me carted off to the dungeons. I had tried to remember the way, but it was like a rabbit warren. 
        
        I was sitting in a dark, cold dungeon. The floor was hard stone, unforgiving and freezing cold. A tiny window in the top corner let in the moonlight, beaming down on the floor where I sat. One wall was stone, thirty centimetres thick and strong. The other three were cast-iron bars, so strong that they could resist an elephant running full speed into them. When I touched the locks, they sparked and burnt my fingers. I should have guessed that they were enchanted. 
        
        I put my head in my hands, feeling more alone than ever. Tears were flooding from my eyes into my hands and onto my golden blouse. I was sobbing, my breath coming in huge gulps that wracked my whole body, leaving me exhausted. I lay on the floor, not caring about the cold that was seeping into my bones, only adding to my shaking. I was so tired, I wanted to sleep so badly. But sleep would not come, it refused to let me escape from the world. I was awake, wide awake, and I couldn't. Stop. Crying. 

        There was a scuffle from outside my cell, and I looked up, brushing away my tears. I didn't want to show the guards that I had been crying. They knew I had been, so there wasn't much point. I couldn't lose much more of my pride. I crawled over to the corner by the bars, looking out. What was happening?

        The guards were swathed in shadows, looking like they wore cloaks made of darkness. I could hear the low murmurs of their voices and the harsh clack of their boots against the flagstones. It felt like a medieval castle with the dampness, and the echoing splish of the drips falling from growing stalactites on the ceiling. You could almost imagine the King having a huge banquet upstairs...my stomach growled at the thought of food. I hadn't eaten since...since lunch. I'd missed tea when I was in the grove of willows, and since then I hadn't had any time to think about eating. But now I was alone...food came floating into my thoughts more often than I would have liked. 
        
        The guards were pushing some people with sacks over their heads, obscuring their hair and faces from my vision. I recognised them as Rebels, with their coloured tops and dark trousers. I had a terrible feeling I knew who they were. My suspicions were proved right when I looked at the person wearing brown's wrist. 

        There was the friendship bracelet I had bought for Angel last year. My chin trembled and tears once again came to my eyes. This couldn't be happening, not now! Please, it couldn't be! They were safe, they couldn't have been caught...

        The guards unlocked the cell opposite me, and pushed them in, causing squeaks of protest as they landed in a heap on top of each other. I gripped the cold bars hard, pushing my face up against them as they untangled themselves. 

        The girl with Angel's bracelet took the sack off first. I almost sobbed when I saw that it was actually Angel. I leaned my head against the bars, sinking into the shadows of the corner. They couldn't see me like this. I would have to tell them what had happened, and that would mean saying it out loud. It wasn't true, I still refused to accept it. He had to be lying, what other explanation was there?

        "Where are we?" she asked in a hushed whisper, and I heard a slight scuffle of someone shuffling over to her. I peeked out at them and saw Iris leaning her head on Celie's shoulder, her cheeks streaked with silvery tears. I sucked back before they could notice me. I brushed the tears roughly away from my eyes. I wouldn't cry. 

        "The Obsidian Fortress," I heard Celie answer in a dull voice. That scared me more than anything. Celie was always optimistic and tried to see the best in everything. She didn't say things in that tone...like there was no hope left. She sounded empty.

        "Where's Autumn?" I heard Iris whisper, her voice muffled because of her thumb in her mouth. I froze - did they know I was here? No, they couldn't. Angel was the only one who could see in the dark, I was pretty sure, and I doubted she would be looking. They knew I was a goner. 

        I heard Angel or Celie smother a sob, and then someone said: "I...I don't know, Iris." My chin began to tremble as I hugged my knees close to me, trying to conserve some heat. It felt like being inside a freezer down here. I clenched my teeth tight so as not to make any noise. 

        "D-" Iris hesitated. "Do you think she's...all right?" she asked in a quiet voice, so quiet I had to strain to hear. She sounded like she was about to cry. I wanted to hug her, she was so small...sometimes she acted younger than she was, but with what she'd been through, I wasn't surprised. I rested my head on my knees, letting the tears soak my knees. Some salt ran into my mouth, salty and wet. It reminded me of trips to the seaside, when I used to surf with Geraldine's husband before he died, and when I used to wipe out and turn upside down underwater. I would always be spat out on the shore, or plucked from the depths by Geraldine's husband's strong arm. 

        "I don't know, Iris. I don't know." whispered Angel, and I peered out of the dark to see my three friends curled up together, their faces tired and sad. Celie shone like a fallen angel, providing a beacon of light for the others. That was good. Light gave them hope, and as long as they had hope then they would be okay.  

        Suddenly there was a commotion from the direction of the stairs. They sat up and stared down the corridor, wide-eyed. A guard clanked down the stairs, and I watched Iris flinch every time his boot hit the floor. What had they done to her to make brave Iris do that? 

        The guard walked down, and I thought he was going to carry on past us, but instead he stopped in front of me. He snarled, seeing me in the shadows and shining his flaming torch down on me. 

        "Get up. The Queen wants to see you."