The Heart of Shadow and Gold

chapter 16

Ashley's POV

Oh crap oh crap oh crap. WHAT DID I JUST DO??

I'm supposed to meet Ajax at midnight, and Leyla?

You now what? I'm probably just being paranoid i mean, its only like a 10 minute talk, hell go back to his cell and I can go hang out with Leyla. I inwardly cringe at my own stupidity, theres something big going on here, it wont be just a 10 minute talk, and Ajax sure as hell wont go back to his cell of rotting wall and disgusting food. I can just imagine the almighty gods above laughing at my hopeful wishing.

I pull my pyjamas on and I crawl into bed, completely ignoring my worries and focusing on sleep.

During the night I toss and turn, unable to find a comfortable position, after a long while I look at the time beside my bed, 11:55pm it read, welp guess I am not getting any sleep tonight. Leyla was gone, undoubtedly to the meeting place.

My heart racked with guilt.

I put on some comfy clothes and packed A small bag of my things, expecting the worst, just as we were taught.

My deep blue sweater, and black leggings. I brought a watch, a fidget ring, and a bracelet, as well as my locket with a picture of me and my dorm mates all piled together, for keepsakes and sentimentalism, obviously I didn't bring all of my stuff but these are some of the gifts that I got from my dormmates and if something prevents me from getting back in time, I want something to bring me comfort..

I shouldered the small bag of wilderness necessities, even though I don't even know what those would be, I grabbed basically a handful a stuff no shoved it in there, you know, flashlights and all that fun stuff.

I quietly creep across the room, being careful not to step on floorboards that creak. I slowly open the door and shove myself past it. I exhale in relief and walk towards the entrance of the building.

After walking through the halls I made my way to the front and stalked over to the bushes. I search all around it and cant find Ajax. Psst! Ajax! I whisper-yell.

After a little while i give up and sit down in the bushes its not comfortable

I look at my watch 12:02 it reads. I was going to stand up and walk over to where Leyla is when I heard a Ashley! I whip my head around and see none other then the headache himself that I was waiting on.

"Where were you?" I ask, still whispering.

"Did you know that guard Cleo? I think their name is? Yeah, Cleo has some big family issues. Damn does she have tea to spill, and it is hot." Ajax dodged my question.

"Okay, now, what did you come to tell me?" I ask impatiently, I don't want to be here while Leyla is sitting on a hill waiting for me.

"Oh, yeah come on." And with that he simply walked out of the bush with a hood on.

After a few blocks of walking through the alleys and avoiding guard patrols i ask "where are we going Ajax?"

He looked at me like I grew two heads. "Leaving." He said like it was obvious

"Now!?" I yell at him. He frantically looks around and pulls me behind to wooden crates. He clamps a hand around my mouth as three guards walk up too our area, I curse, o already thought this over, I would let him do what he wants me to because I need the information and plans.

"I heard something" guard 1 said

"Heard what?" Guard 2 said

"No, I Definitely agree with Thomas here, I heard something." Guard 3 said.

I looked at him, his white hair partly covering one of his eyes with the gravitational pull. His red eye that is visible is looking at the guards with fierce determination. He really wants to get me out of here. he's a really good actor. I thought about Leyla on the hill waiting for me, she's counting on me. But he is too, if I could find out what hes hiding, it may benefit our kingdom, I could shut it down and me and my dormmates can keep doing what were doing.

I guess my decision is made for me when the guards are distracted by a very, very bright light directing their attention elsewhere.

"What is that person doing?" Guard 2 says

"Don't they know its lights out?" Guard 3 says.

"They're idiots lets check out this area first and then well move on." Guard 1 says.

"Do you trust me I voice calls out." It takes me a couple seconds to realize it was Ajax talking.

"Why would I trust you? Youre literally my prisoner!" I whisper as quietly as I can as his hand loosens on my face.

"Please. Ashley." He pleads.

I hesitate for a bit, thinking it over. I need him to trust me if I want to find out anything.

"Please we don't have that much time!" He begs.

Hess right, the guards are getting closer by the second, searching around the dark alley.

I nod and he lets out a relieved sigh.

"Okay, hold on but be warned, it might be a bit sickening to the stomach." Before I could ask what he meant the shadows around him seemed to be pulled towards him as they danced around us and eventually swallowed us whole.

Leyla's POV

The final touches were done and I finished the set up.

I looked around myself, I had a blanket spread out neatly with baskets of food that I used my money that I saved up to buy.

Candles were lit at the corners, ensuring that we can eat in some form of light that wasn't too bright to be caught during lights out.

The little area of green in this huge kingdom was this little evergreen park, it was bare, but it had enough trees that 2 people at the top of a hill wouldnt be too visible.

And we should be able to see some comets, not all with the light pollution but certainly some.

I sighed and sat down, not bringing a watch I trusted that Ashley didnt sleep in.

A couple minutes past, that what felt like 30 minutes. And eventually time went on and on, eventually the candles went out when it started to rain.

She must be coming. Give her some time.

But she didnt. Ashley never showed.

And she sat there in realization, the rain dripping off her hair and onto her clothes. Her glasses spotted with rain drops and her own tears as she pondered that fact.

Over and over again.

It was the worst rejection I could ever get.

Ashley stood me up.

A/N 1152 words