PRISONERS

CHAPTER 17

"Families are like branches on a tree.

We grow in different directions,

Yet our roots remain as one."

~ Unknown

Luna's POV

The tall man nodded at me, and we swiftly disappeared into the night, leaving behind the chaos and danger that ensued behind us. As we moved through the dark alleys with no one around, my mind raced with thoughts.

Where did I get the confidence to speak up so boldly?

My bleeding hand throbbed with pain, reminding me of the choice I made. It was dulled, however, compared to the emotional turmoil in my heart. The ache in my heart deepened as I thought about Darien and Luca. Memories of their faces and their laughter echoed in the walls of my mind. "Luna...", Their voice brought tears to my eyes.

I heard shuffling of feet behind me, pulling me out of a spiral. A man was following us discreetly from behind. He was so quiet; I could barely notice it, though.

"You need to work on it, James." The tall man in front of me laughed.

"Yes, sir." James stepped out of the shadows from behind us.

I stole a quick glance at James, noticing the hostility in his eyes. The tall man, apparently the leader, maintained a calm demeanor, unfazed by the chaos that ensued around us like he has been through this moment a million times. An experienced professional when talking with people.

Ignoring him, yet being wary of him, my attention once again changed towards our course of destination as memories of Darien and Luca lingered in my mind. I wanted to see them. My heart clenched tightly at the thought of losing them forever like I lost dad.

Can I tell them about finding Darien and Luca? Will they help? They might be in danger, too.

But for now, I need to get them to trust me so that I can find my way to them. My mind wandered to all the possible scenarios I had gotten myself into. I cannot leave now that I had made a vow to him. I remember Luca telling me before that vows and promises in the underworld are akin to a person's life or death. For now, I will follow the man who I vowed to be with.

"Why did you help me?" I finally mustered the courage to ask the tall man, my voice trembling slightly.

He looked at me from the corner of his eye, his expression unreadable under the darkness of the evening sky. "Sometimes we find ourselves in situations where choices are made for us. You made an interesting choice back there, and you caught my interest."

I nodded, unsure of what to say. The gravity of the situation weighed heavily on my shoulders. The man following us remained silent, seemingly absorbed in his task.

After walking for a few minutes, I heard a raspy Russian accent next to my left side, "If you even try anything as much as point a finger at our leader, I will kill you." It was definitely James.

I gulped nervously but didn't dare to look back at him and instead settled for a nod of my head.

"Good. Know your place."

He then proceeded to wrap his long black coat around my body. I quickly thanked him and moved forward. Everything was happening so fast; I didn't even have much time to process anything.

He fell into step slightly behind me, possibly to keep an eye on me. The mysterious man didn't utter a word as we traversed dark alleyways and quiet streets. Even if he heard James, he acted like he didn't care. The air was thick with tension, and I couldn't shake the feeling that my life had taken an unexpected turn. The city's unfamiliar sounds and smells surrounded us, heightening my senses.