Chapter 28: Truth Lies Underneath The Skin

His hair hung in front of his face like overgrown vines, clinging to his sweaty skin. His eyes were flickering orbs of honey, fierce but confused. Imagine his surprise when Leonardo appeared at his door, saying he could take him to Rashel. Leonardo was Rashel's best friend when they were kids and he always had a gut feeling that he would be there for Rashel even when he couldn't be. He enthusiastically followed Leo until something hard hit him from behind and he woke up all tied up and in the dark.

Now it was just his hands that were chained together, the chain sinking into the wall opposite. An itchy gag covering his grimacing mouth.

A cluster of bodies surrounded him and Leonardo, each one holding a lethal looking weapon. He couldn't help but wonder what had caused this. Was it something Rashel did? Did she cause this?

Austin?

Austin looked around bewildered, no one was looking at him or acting as if someone had said something.

Are you okay?

It was a male voice and he was most definitely sure that it was coming from his mind. How was he supposed to reply?

Are you in my mind? He replied hesitantly wondering weather he was just hallucinating.

Not exactly but never mind that. I'm here with Rashel- your sister.

Rashel's with you? Is she okay? How do I know your not lying?

I can't explain right now but yes Rashel's here with me and we're okay right now but we're not going to be very soon. An image flashed through his mind. It was of a pale girl with large downcast emerald eyes and thick black hair. Her lips were slightly parted and she looked as if she had just had a bad nightmare. In her hand was a long thin blade- the end of which was rusted over with something red. As a matter of fact, the red was in stains and spots all over her stark black robe...

Why is Rashel covered in blood?

Don't worry, its not hers, we're coming to get you but we have to know whats going on. Can you concentrate on what you see? If your concentrating, I can see what you see.

Austin concentrated on his left side first, taking in the big burly men and what kind of weapons they had. Then he moved to the left and the centre until he had done a full 360 and there was no where else to look.

Rashel's asking how tight the chains are.

Very.

Is there a key?

Yeah, Leonardo has it.

There was silence in his mind and he looked around cautiously. It felt strange to speak in his mind because his mouth kept opening to answer until he realized that he had to reply with thoughts. Good thing the gag blocked his mouth or else the others would have realized he was up to something.

We're coming.

The words sounded as if they belonged in an action movie. Except if he were casting director he certainly wouldn't have made himself the hostage. Or his sister the girl who stabbed people and was friends with a guy who could invade your mind.

There was a loud commotion from the gigantic stairs that took up most of the entrance, bodies started rolling down in groups, some of them screaming in agony as they went.

Austins eyes widened as he caught sight of a girl who had rolled to the feet of the guard on his left. There was a gaping red stain growing around her neck and stomach, but it didn't matter much since nothing but the whites of her eyes showed and she clearly wasn't breathing.

Taking the guard off guard, Austin swung his arms at his head. The metal chains clattering as they made contact with his head and Austin stepped away just as blood started seeping out. The guard fell forward with a grunt, the other guards uneasily pivoted between Austin and the staircase, unsure what to do.

"Don't move," Leonardo ordered unsheathing a blade of his own. He shrank back to Austin's side, the blade sinking into a shallow wound on his side. "You know, I was going to keep you as a surprise for her. I kept imagining her face when she saw you. I'm sorry it had to be this way."

Austin eyed Leonardo with disgust. Obviously he was in love with Rashel, it practically clung to every word he said but it seemed that she didn't really like him...There were so many wide gaps that he didn't understand, what happened to Leo and Rashel? What happened to mom? Had Rashel been looking for him like he he'd been looking for her?

"I don't understand how she could do that to me. I was always there for her but was she there for me?" Leonardo made something that sounded like a laugh except it was dark and twisted, "No, she chose to go with that...monster and just leave me. Did I ever leave her? I was the one who helped her after the...accident. I was the one who put her mother at that private hospital. I was there. And she just leaves?" He swallowed hard, his hands running through his hair, musing up the blonde strands. He glanced sidelong at Austin, then chuckled darkly when he saw the gag. His hand reached up like the flick of a cobra and the gag was off, falling silently to the floor.

"Leonardo..." Austin started, his breath catching as another body rolled down. This whole thing sounded complicated and there were too many blind spots. "Why did she leave you?"

"I don't know," Leonardo's eyes sobered and he looked off into space, "She just left. I thought she loved me like I loved her. It took me months to find her, and I feared she was dying or already dead. Then I saw her," His expression darkened, voice turning flat. "She was kissing him on the beach like the world was full of rainbows and nothing but happiness. She was happy while I spent day and night searching for her thinking she was being tortured to death! Rashel forgot about me but I could never forget about her. Never."

There was silence that neither of them broke. Leo was staring off into space unselfconsciously forcing the knife deeper.

"I-" He froze when he caught sight of them. Rashel and the boy next to her. The boy was who he noticed first even though he wanted to turn to look at his sister. His hair was black and he had silver eyes that could not be mistaken for grey even from afar. More interesting however were the two pointed teeth resting on his lower lip and the blood dripping from him like he had jumped into a blood bath. Rashel looked about the same in terms of blood except she wasn't dripping. She was also leaning onto the boy away from her left leg.

Leonardo was now at attention, his guards parting so they made two diagonal lines with Leo and Austin at the centre.

The boy carefully picked Rashel up, being extra careful with her left leg. They seemed to be arguing- probably about her leg.

"Don't want to keep our guest waiting," Leonardo called smoothly upwards, nothing left in his face to indicate the hurt boy who had been left behind by Rashel.

"Guest? Is that what kidnappers call their hostages nowadays?" Rashel said just as smoothly, as the boy landed in a slight crouch at the bottom of the stairs. Austin stared mouth open, he hadn't even seen them jump. He put Rashel down at his side and fussed for her for a second before righting himself. Up close he looked even more frightening.

"Austin..." Rashel's voice caught and he slid his glance to her. She looked like she wanted to cry, laugh and scream at the same time. He knew the feeling, it was what he wanted to do right now as well.

"Rashel." He gave her a small smile, looking at his little sister all grown up. He was happy to see her but sorry that he had to see her here.


Song hint for the next chapter: Somebody that I used to know- Walk off the Earth cover (I Love This Song)