Because I Love You✔️

Chapter 129: The Treaty of the Four

Chapter One Hundred and Twenty Nine: The Treaty of the Four

Xaphile's eyes flew open with a dazed snap.

All was darkness.

He bolted upright, blinking rapidly in confusion, then rubbed his head in an attempt to get his bearings. The last thing he could remember was... the slaver. He was talking with the slaver.

He couldn't remember anything else.

"I must have been knocked out," he muttered, shaking his head. "Where am I?"

"Eh?" a voice suddenly whispered, startling him. "Big brother?"

The voice was once again coming from his right.

"Adariel?" he whispered, heart flying up his throat with urgency. "Is that you?"

"Big brother!" the little boy gasped. "You've returned! I knew it wasn't a dream!"

Relief flooded through him.

Crawling through the darkness towards the voice, he let out a sigh when he heard the familiar clinking of chains. He ached to free his sibling of his shackles, ached to get him away from this horrible darkness. His heart burned with anger and stress.

"I'm coming to get you with the help of some friends," he quietly promised. "Don't worry, Adariel, we'll be in the city where you're being held very, very soon!"

"Please hurry," Adariel whimpered. "Please."

"What did that bastard tell you yesterday?" he demanded. "You need to explain as much as you can. I don't know how I'm here, but I think I'm either unconscious or asleep right now, so if something wakes me up I'll get pulled back into my body again."

"He said that there's going to be a p---"

"Phil... wake up."

"--and a lot of... eh? Big brother?"

"Adariel," Xaphile breathed. "Someone's trying to wake me up. I'm going to disappear again."

"No!" the child cried, instantly bursting into tears. "Please don't go! Don't leave me! Don't---"

"Phil, it's time," Amelia said, jerking his arm and making his eyes fly open. "Wake up!"

He blinked at the warm wooden ceiling above him dazedly, trying to figure out what was going on. Early morning sunlight was filtering in through the glass window of their room, brightening it. It was no longer raining, and he wasn't standing outside, but... something felt a little off.

He couldn't remember how he'd gotten back to the tavern.

He turned to find everyone in the room looking at him with frightened and wary faces. Ella was right beside him, holding his hand as tightly as she could, lips pressed together. Vordt was leaning against the farthest wall with his eyes closed and arms folded, and Gus still wasn't back.

Xaphile felt confused by the wary way everyone was staring at him.

"What happened?" he tiredly rasped. "How'd I get here?"

Everyone drew back and Ella stared at him with wide, cautious eyes.

"You... don't remember anything?" she asked. "Nothing at all?"

"I remember everything up till the point where I was dragged up by my hair," he said blankly, frowning a little. "Speaking of which, how'd we get out of that? Are we in any trouble?"