The Arwain Chronicles Book I

Chapter Ten

"That has nothing to do with emotions," she shot back. "It's pure reasoning, the boy is probably the most powerful being that walks the planet currently. And now thanks to you, we are his enemies," she added explanatorily.

"And what was I supposed to do. Say 'thank you for helping, sorry for the torture,' then let him go?" Twenty two posed sarcasm in her voice. "Yeah, that would have definitely made up for the fact that we kidnapped and tortured him," she added.

"He gave you his word," Twenty one answered. "And he would have kept it!"

"And I was supposed to magically know that somehow? You better than most know that people will say anything when they know they are about to die," Twenty two returned.

"You're even better than I am at telling a liar from one who's telling the truth. Both you and I know that he wasn't lying," Twenty one said rising from the floor.

"Doesn't mean he couldn't have changed his mind at any point afterwards," Twenty two shot back.

"Well congratulations, you just made it so he doesn't have to change his mind about anything. He's probably already tracking us to kill us as we speak," she said.

"Well then, it's a good thing. Cause he won't have to search for too long," Twenty two replied turning away from her and moving over to the bench where various assortments of weapons were set.

"What do you mean?" Twenty one asked regarding Twenty two suspiciously.

Twenty two turned her head to the side and without fully turning to regard her, spoke. "Get some rest you'll need it, we're moving out at first light," she said.

"I asked you a question, what the hell do you mean he won't have to search for long?" Twenty one asked once again.

Twenty two sighed. "I know where the necromancer is," she said. "We're going after her at first light," she said.

"What does the necromancer have to do with anything? I'm asking you about the boy?"

"His name is Dan," Two who'd been silently watching from the sidelines spoke up for the first time.

"The necromancer I suspect, is part of the boy's, Dan's following," Twenty two answered.

Twenty one's eyes widened her mouth wordlessly opening and closing a few times as she regarded the other girl incredulously. "You have completely lost it haven't you?" She finally more of said than asked.

"I haven't lost anything," Twenty two suddenly burst out turning to her angrily. "If anyone's lost anything, it's you. You're not the Twenty one I know, you are an emotional mess that can't fight. You are a liability!"

"Why didn't you kill me then?" Twenty one posed the tone of her voice calm and level in spite of her question. There was no accusation in Twenty one's voice, or anything else for that matter. She'd posed the question in very much the same way one asked about the weather. "I didn't become a liability after I was brought back. The minute my mind was scrambled I became a liability. I wasn't of any kind of use to you. And we both know perfectly well that had the roles been reversed, I would have slit your throat without hesitation or even a second thought to it," she continued with the same indifference. "Yet for three weeks, you fed me, bathed me, watched over me and even went as far as to spend almost all the money we've so far made buying a tracker. Why?" She questioned.

For a split second, she saw it. The more humane side of her, the side of Twenty two that had caused her so much suffering and pain. The side that had made Twenty two the best of them all. That more vulnerable side of her that sought a connection to someone, that wanted to care and be cared for. The side that she spent every second of every day trying to bury deep within herself. For a split second it rose to the surface, and a second later, was gone.