Love And Betrayal | ✔️

61. The great rescue (II)

NOTE: honestly if you're not playing the songs in the playlist yet, play it. Play it now. Especially, Battlefield by SVRCINA. That song fits so perfectly!

I've been running through the jungle
I've been running with the wolves
To get to you, to get to you
I've been down the darkest alleys
Saw the dark side of the moon
To get to you, to get to you
I've looked for love in every stranger
Took too much to ease the anger
All for you, yeah, all for you

Selena Gomez (Wolves)

⬛️⬛️⬛️

A D E N

If you can't beat them, be them. Be them, until you beat them.

I start across the vast land towards the entrance of the dungeons. Ernouf—as instructed is motionless when I toss him over my shoulder.

The midwinter chill bites into my skin. The ground underneath my shoes is soft and slippery. It squelches when I stride forth like I belong here; like I'm one of them.

Rogues look up as I walk past. Their beady eyes track my movements. Noses and snouts turn up in search of that whiff of unfamiliar scent that wafts upto them as I pass by with a subtle nod in their direction.

But I don't dawdle.

One foot in front of the other. One yard after another, my gait is brisk. My strides long and purposeful.

I feel their gazes boring into me. And the hackles on my back rise. I know they're suspicious; ready to attack at the slightest falter on my part.

But they don't.

Because they have no conclusive proof.

Because I'm in disguise. I'm one of them.

I'm disguised in the sweat-drenched uniform that belongs to one of them. Their stench encompasses me from every side. Masks my own scent. And what's left exposed is covered with a generous lathering of mud. Unrecognisable. Except for my eyes.

This should be the cover I need to make my escape before I'm found out.

Somewhere, deep in the thick hedgerows, near the Southern border lies the body of a naked rogue. A rogue, I murdered. There's a bullet hole in his head as he stares unblinkingly at the full moon above him through his cold dead eyes. In a few hours from now, maggots will be crawling over him, his body will turn cold and stiff. This putrid smell will draw the attention of his comrades.

But, I'll be long gone.

Or at least I can hope.

"Hey, you!" A voice calls out. "Stop!"

I freeze. Every sense of mine on hyper alert. The wind seems to lull as the heavyset footsteps draw closer.

"What do you have over you there?"

Blood turns ice as I recognise that voice— the slight Slavic lilt in his tone; the way his boots sound as they strike the hard cold floor. It's the dipshit who threatened to kill me in the dungeons: Dimitri.

His spit shined boots enter my sight of vision. My eyes trail up, up the uniform, upto the keys dangling off his belt. I suck in a breath. If it's the keys to the prison—

Fighting back every primal instinct, I latch on the reign on my emotions and pretend to submit. Fold that predator part of myself and appear docile.