It could've been minutes or hours but it felt like days. Watching a loved one in pain while you sit hopeless must be one of the worst forms of torture.
Marcus has come is twice since the first time, getting worse each beating. That's why I'm dreading the next one so bad. My cheeks are dried and cracked from tears and my throat aches from screaming out. My eyes are so tired, I have to force myself to keep them open. Who knows what they could be doing to Tobias while I'm asleep.
Uriah tries to comfort me but he knows there's nothing he can either. He calls and begs just like I do when Marcus beats Tobias up. He's as hopeless as I am but obviously he doesn't have the emotional connection with Tobias like I do. But it still hurts seeing someone in pain- regardless if you know them or not.
I try to tell Tobias soothing words and try to comfort him but it makes me more hysterical. This is all my fault. What if I'd have just stayed away from Tobias like he said at the beginning? What if I did what I was told and stayed in the castle? Would this still be happening? I can't help but think of all the possible what if's.
"Tris we can't let Marcus come in again." Uriah says, his voice sullen and glum. "Tobias is in such a state I...don't think he'll survive it."
A strangled, ugly sob escapes my mouth before I can stop it. I'm so pathetic right now. "What do we do?"
Uriah pauses. "Promise him whatever he wants- golds, riches-"
"He doesn't want that." I say, sniffing. "They want Tobias and I in pain."
"I know but-" Uriah stops abruptly and sighs. It was strange seeing he so blue. Uriah didn't suit a frown, his face was made for smiles. "I don't even know anymore."
Alarm rushes through me when I start to hear footsteps. No! He can't be back already! He was only just here! We haven't come up with a plan yet and Tobias can't face another beating!
Another choked sob is released as I hear a key turning in a lock.
"Please, stop. Y-you're going to kill him. Do it to me instead-"
I stop abruptly when the door opens, and instead of the black, empty eyes of Marcus I'm met with timid, brown ones.
"Al?" I sniff, my confusion clear in my voice. "What are you doing here?"
Paranoid, he takes a quick glance behind him before closing the door and rushing over to me and untying the rope behind my back, then moving to my feet.
"I'm saving you. What does it look like?" He says quickly, biting his lip in uncertainty.
"But- but why?" I ask, bewildered. I thought he wasn't on our side. Yes, he said he liked me but I rejected him and I thought he was still angry at me because of it.
"They tricked me." He mutters, his jaw clenching in rage. "They never told me they would hurt you. Either of you." He looks to Tobias but soon realises he wont get a response from him.
Tobias' head is hung so his chin reached his chest and his eyes are squeezed shut in pain. You can hardly see any of his skin, just blood and bruises littering his features.
The thought that his own father did the damage made me sick to my stomach. The only thing reassuring me was the gentle rise and fall of his chest, but I was always worried to death that at any moment it could just...stop.
I am soon completely untied and I rush over to Tobias, my hands cupping his face, gently. His eyes opened marginally and his lips curled a fraction into a small smile. "I'm so sorry." I whisper, resting my forehead on his. I feel a slight nod from him and he breaths a deep sigh before I go to the back of him and untie his hands.
Once I've finished Uriah is untied by Al and he comes over to help me lift Tobias off the chair making him groan in pain. The sound making me cringe.
"It's okay. You're okay." I mumble trying to comfort him but in reality everything was far from okay.
"Yo, how do we get out of here?" Uriah grits to Al, making him know that he's on our side now and there's no going back.
"They're all sleeping, it's the middle of the night." Al snaps back like it was obvious. I guess because of all the drama that's been going on I didn't realise how dark it's gotten. "They should be asleep for a while so all we have to worry about is the guards."
"Guards?" I gape. How many people are backing up Jeanine's evil schemes?
Al leads us through an unfamiliar corridor, Uriah holding a limping Tobias as I cling to his hand, trying to give him reassurance, when what all it's really doing is giving me strength to carry on.
"HEY!" A voice shouts from behind me. I jump, tuning to see an Erudite man with a large gun in his hands. Instincts coming into place, Tobias rushes to grab me but stumbles due to his pain.
"RUN!" Al's voice echoes around the corridor and we run for our lives, literally. Al leads us to the exit. Uriah is almost carrying Tobias- although he was slowly coming back conscious- it must be the adrenaline blocking the pain.
The guards footsteps thump behind us, and I run as fast as I can, following Uriah and Tobias.
"Tris, follow Al and take Tobias. I got this dude." Uriah hisses at me, cracking his knuckles and I have no choice before Tobias' body is thrown in my arms.
I struggle to keep him stable but Tobias doesn't need much help anymore and it seems I'm slowing him down as I clutch his elbow. However I can't find it in me to let go. He really is my strength.
I hear sound like skin-against-skin sound and a rather loud groan in pain. A second later Uriah is beside me, grinning proudly.
"Wow, you work fast." I say breathlessly. He just chuckles in response while we all slow to a walk.
"We need to..." Tobias mumbles and all my attention snaps to him. This is the first time I've heard him talk in so long. I nod, encouraging him to continue. "We...we need to hurry." He huffs, his breaths coming out erratically. "He wont be...out f...for long."
As soon as his words registered in my head it was too late. I heard a gunshot.
Everything was a blur from there.
Uriah runs towards the gunshot, determination on his face and I cry out trying to stop him. What on earth is he doing? Going towards the person with a gun that just shot him? Is he stupid?
Al's hand grabs my side and pulls us round a corner with force, making me fall onto hard concrete. Light floods my vision and I realise we are outside again. We made it!
I look around and see Tobias next to me, also on the floor. Al was across from us, his chest moving incredibly fast.
He must've saved us. But...why?
He is curled up facing away from us, in a fetal position, breathing heavily. Suddenly the door flings over and I jump up expecting a guard but instead it's Uriah.
"Uriah!" I cheer, flinging my arms around him. When I pull away I scan his body looking for injuries. My eyebrow's furrow when I see no gunshot wound, just some small cuts and bruises. "But...if you didn't get shot then..."
I first thought is Tobias and I rush around to where he was lying. What if he got shot? He wouldn't survive a gunshot wound, especially with all his injuries. I can't survive without him!
Panic floods me when I don't see him lying where I left him and my heart beats fast until I look around to see him hunched over Al to my left.
Wait...what?
I rush over to find out I was worried about the wrong person completely. Tobias didn't have the wound.
Al did.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I'm so sorry for not updating last week! I did write it on my profile message board but basically I was flooded with homework over the weekend and I honestly had no time to write at all!
But it's up now! What did you think of this chapter? Was anyone expecting it?
Thank you for bearing with me through the wait. I know how annoying it is when an author doesn't update ;)
See you soon for another update! <4