Draco's Predicament ✔️

Chapter 11 - Caught, then Catching

Rainbow's smile disappeared immediately as the familiar sound of heels echoed into the prison cave.

I slowly turned around and came face to face - or rather, face to neck - with Lady Jane.

"Well, well, well. What a surprise." Lady Jane said, her voice sending chills down my back.

"Draco just came down here to make sure I was still tied up," Rainbow said indifferently, and as I sneaked a glance back at her, I saw that she'd moved her skirt to cover the empty milk cup. A feeling of pure gratitude washed over me like waves, calming my beating heart down slightly.

"Hmm." Lady Jane said, her razor-sharp eyes examining me.

I tried to look back as calmly as I could.

"Well, alright. I came down here to see if I could get a bit of information out of her," Lady Jane jabbed a finger at Rainbow without looking at her, "but I suppose you might as well just stay and help me out. Things might get a little... messy."

My heartbeat immediately raced back up.

Stop her, you idiot, a voice in my head said. No, not the glitchy voice. My voice.

"Wait!" I burst out, louder than I intended to. Crap. Draco, get yourself together.

Lady Jane raised an eyebrow at me. "Excuse me?"

"Sorry, but I just remembered something, Lady Jane. I'm not too sure, but I feel like Philip is experiencing a long headache that hasn't stopped." Sorry, Philip, but I have to do this. I have to save my sister.

"And when did this happen?"

"During the raid."

"It's almost been 24 hours! Draco, goddam, why didn't you tell me earlier?" Lady Jane exclaimed, then swiftly turned around and vanished.

"Wha- Where-" Rainbow stammered.

"She probably teleported herself," I said. "I wonder why she was in such a big hurry."

"Maybe something happens once you've been experiencing memory pains for 24 hours straight? Maybe after 24 hours you start remembering your past and break out of-"

But I wasn't listening anymore. "Rainbow, I have to go and try to save Philip. I don't know what Lady Jane does to make our memory pains stop, but I have this gut feeling I don't want her to cure Philip - if that's even what she does.

Rainbow nodded. "Go, Draco. Save Philip and stop Lady Jane." She reaches her hand out, almost as if she wants to pat my head, but the chains stop her.

I turn around and run up the stairs, 3 steps at a time.

I just hope I'm not too late.

。。。

I ran up to the 4th floor - the chamber floor. Instead of turning left as I usually would, I turned right.

I could see Philip's room's light was on. I'm not too late!

I guess Lady Jane had to teleport around a few times to find where Philip is.

I slowed to a walk and stopped beside the entryway, staying in the shadows.

"...you've been having headaches?"

A beat of silence followed, and I knew Philip was thinking of me and wondering why I'd betrayed him. If only I could explain!

"No, ma'am. I'm not sure where you heard that from?"

"Philip, you know very well not to lie to me."

"Ma'am, I promise I'm not lying. I haven't had headaches since a few days ago when you'd given me the medicine."

"Are you sure? Having a continuous headache for 24 hours could lead to life-threatening consequences."

"I am 100 percent sure, ma'am."

I swallowed as a heavy silence follows that.

"...Fine. I don't trust you, Philip, but if I give you a po- medicine when you're not sick, then you might experience weird hallucinations that I don't want to deal with."

"Thank you, ma'am. Have a good night," Philip said, lowering into a bow.

Lady Jane vanished from the room, and Philip let out a breath, like he'd been holding it this whole time, and flopped on his bed.

"Wow, that was close," I commented, walking in.

I am not joking when I say Philip fell off his bed.

"Draco! You scared the crap out of me!" He exclaimed in a whisper, clapping a hand over his heart.

"You don't have to whisper; she's gone, and you and I are the only ones living on this floor," I say, sitting on the floor beside Philip's bed. "Is your headache better?"

"No," Philip grumbled, flopping back on his bed. "I've never had a headache this bad. This sucks. I almost want Lady Jane to make it go away, but I know I shouldn't." He tilted his head to look at me, "How's Rainbow?"

My eyebrows shot up, "How did you know?"

"Well, I assumed so, since only you know I have a headache-"

I cut him off. "I'm sorry, but I had to do it! She was going to torture my sister for information!"

Philip smiled, a smile that would've made girls swoon. (Or boys/non-binary people. I don't know how to word this correctly ahh but you get what I mean?)

"What's with that stupid smile?" I asked, kicking his leg.

"You finally said it."

"Said what?"

"Said 'my sister' instead of Rainbow."

I fell silent to that.

"I guess she said some pretty nostalgic things, huh?" Philip asked.

"We- well, she, just talked about our childhood."

"So do you know what to do?"

I shook my head. "I don't know. I'm ambivalent right now."

Philip nodded. "I see. Well, just know that I got your back no matter what, and I'll follow your decision."

"Thanks, Philip," I said, standing up. "I should really go sleep now, goodnight."

"Night!"

I closed the door quietly behind me and made my way along the hallway, but stopped as I neared the staircase.

I shouldn't... it's so late today, and tomorrow will probably be a long day of conferences reviewing our raid... but I really want to.

I shouldn't...

Should I?

5 minutes later, I find myself in front of the hidden doorway to the cave-prison.

I push the cave and the door opens again, for the 3rd time that night.