Convulsion

✿ ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀ ꜱᴇᴠᴇɴᴛᴇᴇɴ ✿

"Well, I've learned that these bars aren't just extremely disgusting, they're also fire proof, lightning, um, proof. Etcetera etcetera. Basically, we can't break through them. Or these chains." I hear him rattling chains from where he's lying down on his bench, making me glance down at myself. There's a weight around my ankle, and when I turn around I see that it's connected to the bench Steve is leaning against. How did I not notice a chain wrapped around my leg before? I lift up my foot. It's not that heavy.

"Then, what do we do?" I ask, hoping that someone will answer me. I'm starting to hate the sound of silence.

"We wait for Ethan," Steve suggests behind me.

"Ethan, Ethan, it's always mindless Ethan," Brayden grumbles.

"If he's really so mindless then how come he's out free and not stuck in the same cell with you?" Amaryllis shoots back.

"It's all part of my master plan. But hey, let's not get all mad at me again." Brayden pushes away from his cell bars, making them rattle in place. "Why don't we go back and talk about The Damsel again? You know, since we're stuck here anyway." I hear a few groans from everyone, and bars rattle down the hall where Amaryllis and Eric are.

"Can we not?" Steve snaps. I glance back at him, sitting on the cold bench but leaving space between us. His head is about right next to my knees since he's still sitting on the floor, but I still look at him as I speak.

"Who's The Damsel?" I ask. Brayden bursts out laughing at my question and I hear Amaryllis snort from her cell, Eric making a sound between a cough and a laugh. Steve stays silent.

"Well, for starters," Eric calls out. "You'll either know her as Crimsonfang or Brittany."

"Too bad you broke up with her Stevie," Brayden says, making his voice louder than it needs to be. "It might have helped us out a bit right now." I glance at Steve at the same time Brayden aims a bolt of lightning at his cell bars, and in the flash of light I can see sadness clearly illuminated on his face.

"You and Brittany... were in a relationship?" I question slowly. That explains his shock at seeing her. But, her? Images of her fly through my mind, when she was yelling for the Terra Firma, when she threw her knife at Richard, when she fought Brayden. Who was she before she became what she is now?

"No, no. It was never like that," he explains, turning to look at me. His voice sounds desperate. Brayden clicks his tongue, creating another bolt of lightning that fails to break his bars. "You guys don't understand," Steve continues. "She left because of me. She joined the Gloaming because I didn't love her back."

"I don't believe that," Brayden starts.

"Well, you should," Richard states. "But that was only one reason she left. The Damsel has done some super bad things, but not all of them were because of you, Steve."

"Yeah, well, if he doesn't love her back why'd they look so close the last time we fought?" Brayden questions.

"I'm not close with her," Steve exclaims. "Please, believe me, Lily," he adds in a soft whisper, looking up at me. We stare at each other for a few moments and then he hops up on the bench to join me. The chain around his ankle rattles as he swings his feet back and forth, crossing his arms. "And in case any of you are wondering," Steve says louder for everyone to hear. "I won't hesitate to kill her. Not anymore." A muffled grunts sound out, especially from Brayden, but nobody argues.

"I believe you," I whisper. I don't know enough of the story to say that I don't believe him, and it seems like his past with Brittany and everyone's knowledge of it is... complicated. Anyway, right now, not trusting Steve would only make everything harder. He's already saved my life twice, and I think he's nearly earned my trust. Even so, I have to push down a pang of jealousy that pops up at the thought of him and Brittany together. Wait, jealousy?