R I S E N

Chapter 11

Elizabeth

My eyes lock with Kaleb's. They felt as if they were burning through mine the way he was looking at me. The cocky arrogance he carried with him disappeared altogether when his eyes took a quick sweep over the room I was being confined in. He was looking at Juliet, then the soldier on the ground and all the blood that surrounded, and then back down at me where I had a dead boy cradled in my arms. He probably noticed the colour that was draining from my features too since concern was now filling his face, along with a mix of anger. It was a good thing that Angus' head was covering my bitten wrist right now. I don't think they'd understand.

"Liz, are you okay?" Comes from his mouth. For some reason hearing him say that name sent shivers down my spine, especially the way he said it. It triggered something in me. My gaze falls away from his as I think back to a vivid dream I awoke from one night, the night I woke up to Chase laying beside me touching my hair. That wasn't the only night I had that dream.

I space out as it quickly replays through my head and that voice echoes throughout my thoughts.

I was asleep in the hospital and my brother came to visit me one night. I could feel him holding my hand talking to me and telling me, "I'm not going to let anything happen to you, Liz." He later reassured me that if the nurse pulled the plug on me he was going to kill her. It wasn't Kaleb in that room though, I know it wasn't.

I nod weakly. The last thing I needed right now was for Kaleb or Ethan to worry.

Hastily, Ethan cuts in, "hey guys, I really hate to interrupt this family reunion. The emotion is just pouring out of the two of you- really, it's overwhelming- but we need to get the hell out of here!"

Kaleb gives Ethan a heated look while my eyes drift back down to Angus' lifeless form. A pang of guilt and sadness swims through my guts as my eyes make contact with the bullet hole on his forehead, blood still lightly draining from it.

Out of the three sets of eyes on me, Kaleb's was the strongest.

I look up to see him lifting his gun. My heartbeat quickens and my eyebrows draw together in confusion, unsure of how to react. I squeeze my eyes shut as he fires the gun.

My ears ring from the impact.

My eyes flutter back open a few seconds later once I realize I'm not dead. I look to my left where the gunshot was the loudest and see a fresh bullet wound in the center of Juliet's forehead, her head drooping down on her right shoulder.

Ethan walks over reaching down for Angus to remove him from my arms but I shut down his attempt quickly and smack his hands away with my good hand, shooting him an intense look.

He pulls away cautiously, rethinking his actions.

Malikai shakes his head, "I'm out." He turns in the direction of the exit but Kaleb cuts him short and roughly grabs a hold of his vest.

"And just where do you think you're going?" Kaleb demands.

Malikai holds his ground and glares back at him, "look, I did my part here. I might've helped but that doesn't mean I plan on taking part in dying down here because your sister decided to have a psychotic episode."

The intense stare down between Kaleb and Malikai was about to go south fast until Ethan intervened, "look man, just let him go. He did his part. We got in, we found Elizabeth. Now we need to focus on getting her and us out of here before this was all for nothing. If he wants to leave, the man has a right."

Kaleb looks reluctant but lets go of Malikai with a hard shove.

Malikai slightly stumbles back. He frowns, "look, for what it's worth, I hope you guys make it out of here." He then leaves.