CHAPTER THREE
I moaned gently when the ringing in my ears got louder. My head heavy on my shoulders as I slowly blinked. I was in an unfamiliar room, surrounded by strangers. I groaned in pain and held my head; it felt like a truck ran over it. Pain shot up my thigh, and I touched the bandages wrapped around it.
"Where am I?" I muttered and looked around the room.
"You are in the Terror's den," a voice said beside me and I yelped in surprise.
An older girl stared at me with wide eyes. Her lips curled up in a smile as she stared at me silently.
"Who are you?" I asked.
"Amora."
"How did I get here?" I took another look around the room.
It was a small room, and there were seven of us.
"Topper brought you in," she tsked. "Now, what kind of trouble did you make that was big enough to make him shoot you?"
"I tried to escape," I scanned the room. Two non-identical sisters at the corner stayed close to each other. An old man sat not too far from me. His breathing was heavy as he clutched at his chest, he looked like he was in immense pain.
A small boy at the corner of the room caught my eyes. He looked so young, and reminded me of my brother. His arms were dirty, mud under his fingernails. He curled his toes and hugged himself tighter. His eyes darted around the room, and when they met mine, he looked away quickly. His blue eyes were so similar to my brother's, I stared in awe. He looked so frail; I was afraid he would collapse at any moment.
His body trembled, and I could tell he was cold. I crawled towards him, grunting in pain as I removed my jacket, and wrapped it around him. He looked up at me, a tear rolling down his cheek and I hugged him.
"It's gonna be okay," I whispered in a low voice.
I didn't see how it was going to be okay, but the only thing I could offer him was a false hope. His lips shook as he clung onto me in fear. I wiped his tear, and tussled his hair.
"What's your name?" I asked.
His voice was so low, I could barely hear it.
"What?" I leaned against him and pressed my ear to his lip.
"Melo," his voice was barely above a whisper.
"Melo," I smiled and adjusted the jacket around him.
His stomach rumbled loudly, and he blinked up at me. He must be starving. His eyes were wide, and innocent it reminded me so much of Jayne.
I ransacked my pockets for anything edible and came up with a strip of expired jerky, and held it out to him.
"Here."
He hesitated slightly and I nodded reassuringly.
"It's okay. Take it."
Needing no other prompt, he grabbed the jerky from me, and ate it ravenously. I watched him eat, and smiled. It was dangerous for him to be there. I wondered where his parents were and how he'd ended up being kidnapped by the Terrors. Had he been abandoned like I'd abandoned my brother Jayne? He sighed in satisfaction, his eyes gazing up at me, as if asking if I had any more food. I tried to rein back the tears as I stared at him.
He was the same age as Jayne when I'd abandoned him. If only I'd gone back for him sooner, if only I had not left him in the first place, Jayne would be alive, and my family would never have been broken. It was all my fault. I had failed Jayne as a sister, but maybe it wasn't too late for Melo.
"I have to-" I winced loudly and touched the bandage. The wound throbbed, and I bit my lip. I'd never been shot before, it was the most painful thing I'd ever felt.
"Dane did that," she said.
"What?" I asked.
"Your wound. Dane patched you up," she nodded at my thigh, and paused.
I was in so much pain I didn't realize there was a bandage on my thigh.
"You should have seen it; I couldn't believe it. Leader of the Terrors fixing up a lowly Outlander," she glared at me. "I thought the Fog was upon us."
My eyebrows scrunched up. "Did you just say leader of the Terrors?" I could feel the bile building up.
She watched me silently saying nothing. Leader of the Terrors; Dane Arrkan. The who'd taken everything from me, the one I came to the Inlands to kill. He was the one in the truck with me.
"I'm sure you've heard tales about him," she smirked.
My body shook with fury. The man I had been chasing for three years was right at my mercy, and I let him go. If I'd known who he was, I wouldn't have hesitated when I had a knife at his throat.
"I've got to get out of here," I said and stood to my feet. I hissed in pain and held my thigh.
"Yeah, good luck with that," Amora chuckled.
"How do I get out of here?" I stared around the room for anything I could use to escape.
Melo held onto me tightly, and I gave him a forced smile.
"You can't get out of here," she said.
"Why?"
"I'm not gonna let you," she smiled.
Her smile reminded me of the movie Talle and I had watched together. It was a story about this psychopath who went about the village killing people. No one ever looked her way because she was just eleven. She killed thirteen people and no one ever found out she was the killer. Amora's smile reminded me of the girl; silently, yet deadly.
"Who are you?" I backed away from her.
"Dane's woman," my eyes followed her hand as they reached behind her.
The gate opened and Topper came in. I pulled Melo behind me, shielding him from Topper.
"Outland bitch," he called.
With every step he took towards me, I stepped back, until I couldn't anymore; my back pressed against a wall. I pushed Melo aside, and gave him a reassuring smile. Topper spared the kid a glance before staring at me.
He leaned close to whisper in my ear. "I should have aimed for your head."
He chuckled when he saw the look on my face, and my body reacted before I could stop it. I grabbed his neck and kneaded him in the sack. He groaned in pain and I glanced towards the door frantically. It was open, and it was my only chance. I grabbed Melo's hand and ran towards it. A tall figure blocked my path making me freeze. I looked up slowly to stare into the stormy grey, tragically beautiful eyes.
Dane.
His lips curled into a smile as he stared down at me. He paused, glanced at hutched figure behind me, and when his gaze met mine, he let out a soft chuckle.
Shit.
"Princess."
Behind me, I felt Topper's strides come closer. Dane spared him a hardened look, and Topper froze in his tracks.
"You are awake," he said. His voice was a low tremble; one that sent shivers down my spine.
A foot taller, he towered over my small figure easily. He leaned down, and met my gaze. He tilted his head slightly as he studied me silently.
I'd imagined this moment over and over in my head, crossed many different scenarios in my mind of how I'd kill him if he were standing in front of me. And there he was, right there in front of me, smiling and searching my eyes.
His eyes reminded me of the fog.
Grey.
Dark.
Menacing.
Dangerous.
"You have her eyes," he said.
"What did you say?"
He ignored me and walked past me. His strides were slow, calm and collected unlike my racing heart that pulsed in fury.
"You remind me of someone," he said. His eyes scanned the room, resting on each of the trembling faces.
"Who?" I took deep breaths to calm my nerves.
I turned to face him, and pretended to tighten my boots. The pen knife I hid in my boot made a small cut on my ankle, but that was okay. It was nothing compared to the blood I'd take from him.
"No one important," he waved the question and the deep slow breaths I took failed to calm me down.
I pulled the knife out and ran towards him. I lunged, the knife aimed at his throat. He was fast and blocked it; a sharp metallic clang filled the air as my knife met flesh— not his neck but his arm. Blood dripped down his dark skin, as stunned gasps came from the corners of the room. But Dane… he only smiled.
Topper held me down and restrained me. I squirmed to get out of Topper's hold but he was way stronger.
"Leave her," Dane said and he released me immediately.
He walked towards us, and he stopped a few inches from me.
His eyes darkened as he towered over me, and when he raised his arms, I didn't flinch. I expected he'd hit me but was surprised when he hit Topper instead.
I stared in silence as he rained blows on Topper. He rolled up his sleeves, and held Topper's neck. His fist made impacts with Topper's face so many times, it got swollen.
"What. Were. You. Doing. When. She. Snuck. In. A. Knife?" with every word, a blow landed on Topper's face.
Topper groaned as the blood splattered on the ground, and Dane released him. He fixed his hair and turned to me with a smile.
"Forgive my manners," he heaved a sigh.
"Dane, you're bleeding!" Amora yelled and ran to him. She examined his arm, and glanced at me.
My head whipped to the side when her hand made contact with my face, and I felt the blood run to my cheek.
"How dare you?" her nostrils flared in anger as she stared at me.
I stared at her in surprise. Dane glanced at me, and touched my red cheek. His eyes grew stormy, and he grabbed Amora by the neck. Amora widened her eyes in surprise, as he tightened his hold and she gasped for air.
"You know what happens to people who touch what's mine?" he asked. His thick eyebrows furrowed as he glared at her.
Her arms flared as she tried to breathe. "D-ane," she could barely get the word out.
"How dare you?" he tightened his hold and she choked on air.
I stared at him in confusion. Why did he hit Topper when I was the one who attacked him? And why did he threaten Amora when she was only looking after him? I scowled when I realized what he said.
"I am not yours," I said.
"A moment," he raised his finger.
Amora was staring to turn blue. He was killing her.
"You're gonna kill her. Let her go."
"You want me to let her go?" he sounded surprised.
I nodded. "Yes."
He glanced at me and smiled. "Okay."
But his hand was still wrapped around her neck, and I stared at him.
"Beg."
I scoffed. "What?"
He tilted his head. "You want to save her? Beg."
I bit my lip and glared at him. "No."
He was taken aback. "No?"
Amora met my gaze and pleaded with me with her eyes.
"She means nothing to me," my voice was hoarse.
I walked up to him, my gaze on his. "So, if you wanna kill her, be my guest. But know this; I would rather die than beg you."
I had survived in the Outlands for one reason; revenge. The hatred I had for him was the only thing that gave me the strength and kept me pushing to fight to see another day in the hopes that one day, I would have my revenge. If any other person had asked me to get on my knees and beg to save a life, I would have done it within a heartbeat.
But not him.
Not Dane.
Not the man who killed my mother.
The room was still with cackling tension, until he broke it with it.
He had a loud laughter, one that stemmed from the deepest part of his stomach. It bounced off the walls and somehow etched itself in my brain. He tilted his head back as he laughed; his forearms flexed in his rolled-up sleeves, and his dimples spread and popped a hole in his cheeks.
He turned to Amora. "Amora, did you hear that?"
But the poor girl was unconscious so he let her go. She took in deep breaths as she coughed up her lungs. He crouched and caressed her face.
"She's different, wouldn't you say?" his eyes were on mine.
Amara was too busy trying to breathe to reply but she nodded. He released her hair and walked up to me.
He leaned in. "I see you've got more in common with her than just the eyes, Princess."
His mysterious tone grated my nerves. I hated the fact he seemed to know something I didn't. I opened my mouth to say something when someone ran in and whispered something in his ears.
"I'll see you soon, Princess," he smiled and I folded my fists as I stared at his receding figure.
Topper stood and followed him, locking the gate behind him. His eyes were swollen shut and he sent me a horrid look.
"I'm gonna kill you," he mouthed and then walked away.
I broke down when he was out of sight, my body trembling. Melo ran over to me, and held me. He stared at me without saying anything and I smiled at him. He really did remind me of Jayne.
My eyelids fluttered as I slowly drifted into the abyss.