Mendeve: Descendants

Chapter 23

Sam propped herself against the table, slowly twirling a knife in her hands, waiting for Ezryan to arrive.

Ricky was pacing, Luke was staring off into space. Ace and Sunny were talking amongst themselves. And HD....

Well, he looked like a thief that had been caught red-handed.

Rain pattered down the street.

"Thief!"

Sam shook away the memory.

That was years ago, Sam chided herself. She took out another one of her blades and began sharpening it; counting the strokes she did to keep her busy.

She wondered why Ryan was calling a meeting. He only did so if it was something important. Otherwise, he would have told them to tell Belle's friends.

"Don't leave me!"

Sam grit her teeth at the memory.

"Whoa there. The blade is sharp enough with all that angry sharpening you're doing." Ricky tried to joke as he leaned against the table beside her.

"So what?" Sam snapped harshly.

Stop it, Sam, before you say something you'll regret.

"Relax. I was just trying to be friendly." Ricky said.

"I don't need you to be friendly. Go be friendly somewhere else."

"What's your problem?" Ricky began to sound irritated. "Is it really hard for you to be nice? I thought we- "

"I don't do nice. Being nice is useless. You'll end up getting hurt easily." Sam interrupted coldly.

"Is that what happened to you?"

Sam froze at Ricky's question, but quickly regained her senses.

"Shut up and mind your own business." Sam huffed and walked away to the other side of the tent.

Gods, Sam, get it together. He was just trying to be nice.

"And here I thought we were becoming friends."

The tent flap opened, and she let out a sigh of relief when she saw Ryan had finally arrived. She hated being left to think. And she didn't want to feel the guilt threatening to rise from Ricky's comment.

Now, she could have something to do, something to keep her from thinking. From remembering.

Sam held her breath as she waited for Ryan to tell them all what happened. She had lived with him long enough to know that the blank expression he wore was hiding something deep.

They were alike in many ways.

"Belle was nearly killed earlier." Ezryan announced, getting straight to the point.

Yup. They were alike in so many ways.

There was a gasp from where Sunny was. Luke stayed silent. Sam heard deep, animalistic growls coming from all three Shifters.

For the time they had all been together, this was the first time she saw HD look deadly. Both him and Ace had a gold color flash in their eyes before returning to hazel.

Ricky's was full on gold.

A bad sign.

Sam tensed even more. If she had to kill the wolf to protect Ryan, so be it. Even if said wolf helped her earlier.

"Where is she?" Luke asked, genuinely concerned.

"She's safe. Cage is by her side keeping watch."

Though everyone had their attention on Ryan, Sam had hers on Ricky.

He looked like he was about ready to go on a killing spree, starting with Ryan. The guy was murdering him with that death glare.

"Who did it?" Sunny asked softly, her hand still over her mouth.

"Bastien." Ryan said as he looked down, trying to contain whatever it was he was feeling inside.

Sam was shocked, as were the others in the tent. But unlike them, she didn't show it.

Ricky didn't look like anything but pissed. If he was mad a few minutes ago, he was even more enraged at the moment. The growls just made it worse.

"He's already being questioned as we speak. I can't get into details right now, but as soon as the interrogation is done, I'll hold another meeting."

"This is all your fault." Ricky's deep voice mixed with his wolf's. Calm, yet deadly. "If you had left us alone she would have been safe in Atheria."

Sam held back her impulse to grab for her knife and hold it against Ricky's throat. So much for the progress they were making earlier that day.

Ezryan stood still, an impassive look on his face.

"I'm sorry you feel that way. Now if you'll all excuse me, I have somewhere to be. Feel free to check on Belle."

"Ry- ."

"Not now Luke. I'll see you all later."

And with that, Ezryan was out of tent.

"This isn't all his fault." Sam said curtly as soon as Ezryan left. She shot daggers at Ricky's gold eyes.

The wolf just growled some more. "Silence, bloodsucker. It's your kind's fault there's an upcoming war on our hands."

"My kind? Wow. Thanks, Wolf."

Sam felt a lot of things as she stormed out of the tent. She clenched her fist and grounded her teeth.

Anger.

The number one emotion she relied on.

Pain, regret, sorrow. Useless.

But with anger, she could do a lot with anger.

Pathetic. Useless. No one's ever gonna love a monster brat like you.

"Shut up!"

Sam breathed hard, fighting back painful memories. Realizing soldiers nearby were looking confusedly at her, she cleared her throat and continued on her way.

She needed to keep busy. She needed to do something. Anything, to keep her from remembering. From reliving her dark past.

Sam stalked past every tent, every soldier, so fast that everything blurred. Making her unaware of her silent watcher who was grinning widely.

"Let the games begin." Said the mysterious watcher.

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