Aria's Revenge

CHAPTER ELEVEN

The cold wind bristled against my skin as I walked barefoot into the forest. The memories of the first night that I had been banished flooded my memories.

I looked back at the tall Eldrid tower that had been closed against me.

“I didn’t do it,” I had insisted, but instead Kael didn’t look at me. He turned around after he had meted out the punishment I was to receive.

“What would I gain by poisoning the soldiers?” I wondered if he thought of that. Kael had told me he would protect me but here I was cold outside the Eldrid gates.

My wolf that was supposed to give me warmth hadn’t resurfaced, except when I had attacked Kael. This made me wonder if Ryder put a spell on my wolf before he banished me. Ever since I left Raven’s Peak, my wolf had disappeared completely.

Faint howls, the rustling of leaves and the whistling of wind through the trees were the only things that echoed through the forest.

I desperately prayed to the moon goddess not to run into the rogues. Instantly, I saw bright red eyes from the shadows and stopped.

“Vega mustn’t find me,” I thought to myself.

There was no movement, so I turned the other direction and yet another glowing eyes peered back from the night into me.

Without hesitation, I took to my heels, but darkness enveloped me, and when I opened my eyes, it was the person I prayed not to see.

Vega.

A wicked grin plastered on his face as he hovered over me where he stooped and I lay on the familiar cold floor.

“Kael threw you out of his mighty castle,” his laughter echoed.

I managed to sit up and his hand reached for my face as he tucked my hair that glistened on my face with sweat. I pushed his hand away without hesitation.

“If only you had stayed with me,” he said.

His minions entered and he instructed them to take me to the basement. “ I don’t want to take chances like the last time in case Kael changes his mind and comes for you; I don’t want him to find you,” he said as the rogues dragged me out of the room.

“I wonder what happened in Eldrid. You smell of that bastard Kael,” I heard him say as I was being dragged out.

The rogue guards dragged me through a dark hallway until we came across a space with flickers of light. They opened one of the cells and shoved me into it.

I looked at my knees, which were bruised in pain. But I didn’t have the strength to wince in pain.

“What did you do to be brought here?” A voice said from the cell beside me.

“I got greedy and wanted to live when I should have died,” I replied, absentmindedly.

“Then you shouldn’t be here. People that are brought here don’t have the luxury of death,” the voice replied.

With that statement, I turned to look at him, it was a young man whom I believed might be the same age as me.

“What are you doing here?” I asked.

“I got greedy too,” he chuckled.

“Your wounds should heal soon,” he said, once he noticed my eyes were on my wounds.

I covered them with the remaining piece of fabric left in my body. I don’t want to go about telling people I heal more slowly than other wolves because my wolf has decided to go latent.

“How were you caught?” He asked.

“You probably got locked here because you never know when to shut up,” I replied.

Here I was, a once banished member of a pack, exiled from the pack that saved her after promising her protection. “ Does he think I came here for a pep talk?” I thought to myself.

I heard a chuckle from him and wondered if I said what I had thought aloud.

“My name is Riven,” he replied.

“Aria,” I managed to say, then turned away from him to lie down.

“Someone is here for you,” one of the guards knocked on my cell as he proceeded to unlock it. My heart jumped in excitement. “ Has Kael come to take me back?” “ Did he realise his sister had set me up?”

My eyes lit with joy as I turned to Riven who was looking at me, “ see you on the other side,” I said, as I followed the guards. To my surprise, it was dawn. I didn’t realise how much time had passed.

They brought me in front of Vega, who sat on a mini throne; I looked around and saw no sign of Kael. “You said someone wanted to see me,”

“Yes, me,” he replied, a resounding echo following his laughter.

“I will release you,” he started, and a smile beamed on his lips.

“On one condition, at midnight today, we have our monthly fight where the winner is granted his wish and yours, which is freedom, will be given to you, only if you win the fight,” he finished.

My smile dropped instantly.

I wondered what I must have done to make the moon goddess not side with me at all.

Walking back to the cell, I saw Riven who wasn’t surprised to see me. “ See you on the other side, “ he said.

Immediately the guards were out of earshot; I turned to him. “ Have you ever joined the monthly rogues' fight?” He nodded.

“Do you have any tricks on how to win?” I asked.

“ I will help you,” he said.

Once it was midnight, I was taken out of the cell to prepare for the fight. Riven had briefed me on how to tackle my opponent.

“If you know this much skill, how come you haven’t been released?” I questioned.

“Freedom wasn’t my wish?” He replied.

“What was it?” I pushed further.

“Something worth giving up freedom for,” he replied.

Nevertheless, I had confided in Riven. I just hope trusting him won’t land me in more trouble like I did with Kael.

I heard a voice whispering not too far from the waiting room where the rogues had gathered below erupting in noises at the fight for the night.

Curious, I walked out and stopped when a familiar voice caught my attention.

“If I give you Aria, you promise to give me the map to Eldrid,” Vega whispered.

“Yes, I have entered Eldrid and I know every nook and cranny,” Ryder’s familiar voice replied.

My leg stood transfixed as I was near the very person who had caused me misery.

“If you enter Eldrid, there is someone willing to help you take down Kael,” Ryder said.

I didn’t know when a gasp left my mouth. I saw Vega’s shadow stand up, but my leg had no strength to run.

“Since when have you been standing here?” I heard his voice say.