Monachopsis

Chapter 7

They both must be going out of their heads with worry by now; despite Pegasus's insistence, I know that neither Uncle Sota nor Hojo will believe that I up and left without telling them myself. And poor Shuichi, he would have been the one to explain to everyone how he hadn't seen me leave. I felt horrible for making him face the wrath of his wife all alone; Mariko is a frightening woman when angered, despite being as petite as I am. But she's well trained in martial arts and can use just about any weapon known to man, all with startling efficiency. She's damn good at what she does and takes her position as head of security very seriously. I'll be lucky to be able to go anywhere without a dozen guards by the time I get home.

That also brought up the question of what I was going to tell everyone when I got home. Do I tell them that I went on a vacation with Seto and Mokuba? Or do I tell them the truth, minus the whole soul-stealing thing? Either way it was going to look bad and result in heads rolling somewhere...

Hearing footsteps in the hallway, I sat up straighter from where I sat with my back against the far wall. Straightening my clothes a little, I made sure my irritation showed on my face and prepared a menacing glare for whoever walked by; right now the only power play I had were my eyes, and making someone uneasy by looking at them might help make me feel a little better internally.

Kemo appeared, and I cursed softly under my breath that he was still wearing sunglasses, even in the darkened hallway. With those shades of his, I couldn't read any emotion from him unless he chose to show it. He had a wide smirk on his face though, but by this point having others so blatantly enjoying my situation didn't even faze me. Let them laugh and smirk all they wanted; I'd find a way to make them pay later. Another guard stood behind him, but I barely paid attention to him.

Opening the door, he motioned for the other guard to step inside while Kemo moved to stand right in front of me. "How the mighty fall. For being the Princess of Sarota, you're nothing compared to Master Pegasus. Look how easily he's put you in your place."

My lips formed into a condescending smile. "Only a complete moron thinks that clothing or location make someone powerful; don't ever count someone out of the game before it's over. A caged tiger is even more dangerous because you never know when or how they'll strike, but trust me when I say I will strike back. And when I do, nothing in this world will be able to save you from my wrath." I paused for just a moment before I half-way lunged forward, causing Kemo to step back involuntarily and I could practically taste the jolt of fear. I laughed quietly, because his body language told me everything I needed to know. He was unnerved under my gaze, and he'd just given me a weapon to use against him. "Watch your back Kemo, because one day you're going to look over your shoulder and see me standing there, ushering in your downfall."

Kemo sneered as the other guard grunted and cursed, taking a familiar looking shoe to the chin as he attempted to shackle my new cellmate. I'd been so focused on Kemo that I hadn't even seen them bring in anyone else. Glancing to the side, my eyes widened even as my heart plummeted right into my stomach; Mokuba had been recaptured. A small part of me had clung to the hope that maybe something different could have happened to prevent Mokuba being brought back into Pegasus's clutches. Joey and Tristan could have possibly teamed up to take down Kemo and protect him, but hoping that two teenage boys would think up such a plan was apparently asking too much.

Once Mokuba was shackled in both men turned to leave without another word. Waiting until they were out of earshot, I scooted closer to Mokuba, who immediately clambered into my lap as best he could. "Reila! I'm so glad you're alright. I wasn't sure what they'd done to you or where you were..."

"I'm glad you're alright too, Mokuba." I said, finally getting us both into a somewhat comfortable position. I'd managed to sidle up beside him, pulling him close and twisting my torso to give him a full hug, one that he returned tightly. "I was worried when Pegasus told me you had escaped; I kept thinking that you might have gotten hurt somehow."