Chapter 11
Secrets
My muscles ached, I was covered in bruises, I had a killer migraine, and to top it all off I was highly irritated and ready to snap at the first person I saw.
Underneath all of that, I could feel it. I could feel my body, my mind, and my shifting getting stronger, tougher, more resilient.
But at home, things were only getting worse. My mom didn't care what I did all day so long as I came back before midnight, but that wasn't what made life so unbearable.
My mother had taken up the habit of bringing back drunk men at night when she thought I was sleeping, and more often than not she paid even less and less attention to me than what tiny bit she already did.
Each night it was a new repulsive excuse for a man, and every time I buried myself in the covers and tried my hardest to escape into the all-consuming sleep that constantly evaded me.
The supply of what little food that wasn't spoiled that we did have around the house was gradually dwindling since she went out to eat and didn't bother to bring me anything, but it wasn't as if that was exactly far off from her usual behavior.
On top of all of that, I'd been training hard with Asher for weeks now, and although my physical and mental abilities were getting stronger, my irritating relationship with Jenna stayed pretty much the same.
Her: a bright bundle of happiness and cheery attitude that made it impossible to decide if I wanted to shove a fork in my eye or hers, and me: a sullen, gloomy, unfriendly shadow in the back of all the conversations that went on.
Alexander and her seemed to get along decently well, but honestly I think he only paid so much attention to her because he knew she pissed me off.
"So how's your shifting training going?" Jenna asked as she munched on a carrot.
"Is there a reason why you eat like a middle aged rabbit in the dead of winter and ask about fifty thousand fucking questions everyday or is that just a bonus on your charming personality?" I answered her question with a sarcastic one of my own, giving her a cynical smile.
Alexander spit out his food across the table and had a coughing fit to hide his laughter.
Her smile didn't even budge.
"Tough day huh?" She asked, as if she totally understood.
Oh my GOD and she's being nice about it.
"I'm not hungry anymore," I said suddenly, too exhausted to try to deal with her, and got up, dumping my tray in the nearest trash can and leaving the lunch area as soon as possible.
I knew I was being harsh and she didn't deserve that, but I'd apologize later once I wasn't feeling like I was about to explode. Or maybe already had.
I'd gotten familiar with the training room, the lunch area, and the hall where Akshana was when she wasn't critiquing me.
But other than that, the rest of Valerod was a labyrinth.
Easier that way to be alone.
I wandered down darkly lit halls and narrow corridors, twisting and turning deeper and deeper into the earth. Eventually my feet picked up the pace on their own and I was running.
My legs already felt like noodles from training, but I didn't care. I just wanted to be alone. Away from everyone and everything.
I'd been running for several minutes, and I was probably deeper down in the ground than would've made me comfortable, but I hardly noticed.
The people here may have known about me-after all, it isn't everyday that a newcomer gets to see their precious city, let alone train and eat there everyday-but I didn't really feel like I could actually talk to any of them.
Not fitness crazed Asher. Not judgmental Akshana who had the eyes of a hawk. Definitely not Jenna or Alexander. And other than that I didn't really know anyone.
Funny how I'm surrounded everyday by all of these people who know all about me, yet I'm still alone.
To be entirely honest I'm not sure what came over me. I guess everything just built up all at once, and I needed a break.
I'm gonna be so screwed when I want to get out of here.
I slipped underneath a leaking pipe into a narrow crevice in the wall that was just big enough for me to fit, but small enough that someone more Alexanders size wouldn't be able to get far in.
I don't know when the tears started falling, but once they started I couldn't stop them. I suppose I was just tired, not from the physical exercise, but tired of not being treated like I was worth more than dirt. Maybe that's why I snapped at Jenna, the first person who had truly shown me compassion.
Why couldn't my mom care the way moms were supposed to?
Something in my gut told me she never would, and I only cried harder.
Because of the tiny size of the hole in the wall, I was awkwardly at an angle, and I just wanted to curl up in a ball and sleep, so I decided to find somewhere else to cry.
I shimmed my way to the other side, no longer caring if anyone found me.
However, instead of another essentially empty corridor, I found that I had managed to find a small metal door.
Looking from side to side, I saw that I was completely alone.
Drying my tears and snot hastily on the sleeve of my shirt, I stepped cautiously towards the door and pressed my ear to the icy steel.
At first, there was nothing. Then just as I was about to walk away I heard the faintest noise, like a soft groan of pain.
I think somebody might be hurt...
I tried with all my might to push at the door without making too much noise, but I might as well have been pushing a mountain for all the leeway I got.
I took a few steps back and closed my eyes, inhaling deeply through my nose and exhaling through my mouth before opening my eyes and carefully raising my hands to the door, then twisting them sideways.
I was rewarded with a small click, and this time when I pushed on the door, it slid open with ease.
Instantly, the smell of the room hit me, and I nearly bent over and vomited. It smelt like death, rotting skin and salty urine.
Once I got over the stench, I realized that the room was completely empty except for a small single prison cell at the other end of the room, that I could only just make out in the dim lighting.
Behind the bars was a slumped dark figure, where I'm assuming the moaning came from, who laid in a misshapen ball on the ground, unmoving.
I silently approached the cage-like cell, and whispered to the darkness, "Hello?" but got no response.
I had a very bad feeling in the pit of my stomach as I reached a hand out to touch their shoulder.
When I did, I gasped audibly. It felt like it was entirely skin and bones.
It was then that the figure whipped up almost inhumanly fast, and fastened it's glowing blue eyes on my own terrified ones.
"Who are you?" Its voice boomed surprisingly loud for such a frail body despite it's towering height.
"M-my name is K-kaylee," I squeaked.
The aqua eyes shifted from side to side before landing back on me, and bony hands gripped the iron bars as the eyes leaned closer to me.
"Listen to me carefully Kaylee, my name is Adam. Now we don't have much time because the guards are coming, but I want you to know, whatever they tell you, I am not the one they want." I heard footsteps approaching, and then someone kicked the door in, making Adams eyes go wide as he hissed something I couldn't quite make out.
"What?" I whispered urgently, but it was too late.
Large hands yanked me back by my arms and hauled me away from him. I flailed and kicked and screamed, but they were too strong, and I only heard what he said as the door slammed shut behind us.
"THE TRAITOR IS AMONG YOU!"