The Rosewood Prophecy

Chapter 54

                                                                            Indigo

It took me ten minutes of arguing, persuading, and threatening to get the soldiers who were guarding the back entrance of the main tent to let me listen to the interrogation from behind the screen, where no one will see me. I was miffed that the soldiers obeyed Lionel more than me and annoyed that Lionel wasn't allowing me to take part in the interrogations. I want to know who tried to assassinate me. I want to see these assassins and question them myself.

Lionel wasn't getting anywhere with his questioning, because the assassins were not willing to cooperate. The clamor of the tent made it hard to hear sometimes, and the thick cloth screen muffled the sounds. Even so, I tried to distinguish between the voices of the two assassins. Why did they sound a little bit familiar?

Then the screaming started. I covered my mouth in order to not make a sound as I listened to Lionel shout, torturing one of the captives. I didn't know he had this side to him. Even though the assassins were sent by Lord Victor, I still felt bad for them, especially the unfortunate soul who was suffering at the hands of Lionel. Who knows what he was doing to him?

When the tent burst into commotion and another dreadful, inhumane scream was released, I knew I had to step in. If Lionel kept this up, the assassins will be dead before we can get any information out of them. The two soldiers tried to stop me. I shoved my way to the front of the tent, just in time to see Lionel stab one of the assassins, who had blood all over his body. His comrade was half-pinned under his body but was trying to disentangle himself and lunge out at Lionel. I got a clear view of that person's face, and stopped in my tracks.

"Stop! Lionel, stop!" I cried out. Everyone in the room turned to look at me. I stared at the two captives disbelievingly. The person whom Lionel stabbed was actually female. When her pained eyes met mine, I took a step back involuntarily.

"Indigo?" The whispery word floated out. My breathing quickened.

"No. No way. No freaking way." I murmured, my eyes dashing to the other guy's face again. The same brown eyes, the same angular cheekbones, the same face that I've seen every day for seven years. I must be seeing things.

"Indigo? What's wrong?" Lionel looked at me with worry. "Do you recognize these assassins?"

"I—" I opened my mouth, but the words were stuck in my throat.

"Indigo?" Aaron asked, staring at me with shock. "You-you're alive?"

"Aaron, is that really you? And Katherine?" I finally forced the words out. "I'm not seeing things, am I? Are you two real?"

I began to walk towards them, but Lionel suddenly pulled out his bloody sword and stuck his left arm out to stop me. Katherine gasped and collapsed into a heap on the floor. Aaron, seeing this, scooped her up into his arms.

"Kath, Kath, can you hear me? Kath, are you alright?" He shook her gently, taking care not to agitate her bloody shoulder and abdomen. The blood flow wasn't stopping. He looked up at me, anger and hatred clearly seen in his eyes. "Indigo, I can't believe you betrayed us. Even you betrayed us! If Katherine dies here tonight, I will fight you to the death!"

"What are you talking about? I didn't betray anyone!" I protested. "I thought you died—I saw the cliff where you and Katherine jumped—"

"And we saw Lord Victor bomb the campsite! Yet here you are, alive and well, and working with the one man we were supposed to fight! Explain that to me, Indigo. I want an explanation!" Aaron held Katherine close to him, his eyes boring into mine.