Ty stepped into the hallway and almost tripped over Seto. "Hey, Ty," the sorcerer said, scrambling back to his feet after Ty accidentally knocked him over. "Is Em okay?"
He hesitated. "I think so." How was he supposed to react to Seto, who'd turned traitor and now served Herobrine?
"I heard crying. That isn't exactly usual for her."
"It was kind of… weird," Ty admitted. "Ember always seems so tough."
"Oh, she is," Seto said seriously. "Don't ever think she isn't. But from what I've pieced together, from H-Herobrine"—he gulped—"and just watching her, she's had a pretty rough life."
"She told me her parents died."
The sorcerer's chocolaty brown eyes widened. "Really? Herobrine told me that, but he said that Ember never talks about it. I can't believe she told you. Especially you."
"Why?" Ty asked, somewhat naively.
"Because from what she's told me, you've been kind of a bitch to her."
"She said that?"
"No, I did."
"Well, thanks a lot, jerk." Seto smiled thinly at Ty, who glared back at him. There was a pause. "Seto…"
"Yeah? What?"
"Why did you… why… why did you join Herobrine?"
Seto's eyes clouded and he looked away. "Shut up, right now."
"No," Ty said coolly.
"Yes."
"No."
"Is this what you do to Ember?"
"Yes."
"I see why you drive her crazy."
"Yeah. So why did you join Herobrine?"
"I told you to shut up."
"No," he grinned, enjoying Seto's helplessness to stop him.
"YES!" Seto roared, grabbing Ty by the shoulders and pinning him against the wall. "Just shut up, shut up, shut up, will you? Can't you see I don't want to think about it? Can't you see it hurts? Because it does! It hurts so freaking much when I even think about what Herobrine doe—did—to me!"
Ty hissed at the confinement, his tail lashing and thumping against the wall as Seto increased the pressure on his shoulders. "Let go of me." His head was throbbing painfully, every beat of his heart sending a surge of blood through the veins that felt far too small.
The sorcerer shook his head. "Not until you promise to never mention this again."
Ty didn't know what happened, all he knew was the result. And the result was Seto being suddenly smashed into the wall opposite and Ty's hands being clenched around his neck. "You don't hold back a dragon. It isn't wise."
Seto choked, clawing at Ty's hands, and he released him, stepping away from the sorcerer's body with an air of contempt as he lay on the ground, massaging his throat.
"Do you understand us?" Ty asked coldly, his voice sounding almost double, with an eerie echoing effect that made his words sound like a threatening chorus of barely controlled rage.
"Y-yes," Seto whispered.
The throbbing vanished, and Ty gasped. Eguire!
Sorry. But I don't like… I don't like confinement.
Neither do I, Ty realized. He'd been able to handle it before. But now, as he thought of cages, of chains and weights and boxes and pressure, he cringed.
"Are you okay?" he asked Seto.
The sorcerer pulled away as Ty crouched beside him. "Leave me alone."
"Seto…," Ty started apologetically.
"I said leave me alone." He yanked at his collar, trying to get it back into place, and calling Ty's attention to the red marks that covered his neck, only just hidden beneath his shirt. What…?
"Did I hurt you?"
"No. I'm fine." Seto stood up, leaning against the wall for support.
"Those marks…" They'd looked horribly painful, almost like blisters or burns.
The sorcerer stared at him, looking somewhat panicked. "You… saw?"
"Seto, what's going on?"
"Nothing. Nothing, nothing, nothing. It's nothing," Seto blathered. "Absolutely nothing."
"Come on, idiot, you think I'm going to believe that? I hurt you or something. Did I burn you? How did I burn you?"
"No, Ty, you didn't burn me." He noted the seemingly unintentional emphasis on 'you.'
"But…"
"Please stop, Ty, it's really nothing, and I don't want to talk about it."
"Seto…"
"No! Just… no, Ty, no, I don't want to talk about this."
"Tell me!"
"Shut up, or I swear I will electrify you until all that's left is the powdered dust of your remains."
Ty shut up.
Seto sighed, pressing his forehead against the wall. "Thank you. And Ty, there's something… I need to warn you… well… I'm not supposed to, but… maybe I should… I shouldn't, but… ugh."
"Am I allowed to talk again?"
"Yes, but not about… that."
Ty nodded. He'd talk to Seto about the marks on his neck later, preferably when the sorcerer wanted nothing more than to fall asleep and would be unable to resist. "Okay. So what should you not warn me about?"
"Well… Rose and Wisp and Aradyn and maybe Ember… they're going to… oh, never mind."
"What?" he asked, suddenly alarmed.
"I shouldn't tell you!" Seto groaned. "But… damn it, I suck at keeping secrets." He took a deep breath, then turned towards Ty. "Don't freak out."
Ty had barely enough time to draw a breath before Seto had grabbed his arm and dragged him into a small room. It wasn't even a room, really, it was a tiny closet. The door slammed shut behind them, sealing them in with pure shadows and some old towels.
The confinement and dark made Ty's breath come fast and shallow. "Let me out. I can't find the door handle."
"No, wait," Seto hissed. "I had to bring you in hear so that no one notices. I'd be in big trouble if they knew I'd warned you."
"Warned me about what?"
"About…" Seto took a gulp of the stale, musty air, and didn't get to finish his sentence, because at that moment, the door was yanked open.
The two brunettes tumbled into a pile in the hall, at the feet of Rosewing. "Well, this is awkward. I'm not even going to ask. Whatever. Ty, we need you to get downstairs. And Seto, are you coming tonight?"
"I—" Seto clambered off of Ty, who rolled to his feet and glared at the sorcerer.
"Unfortunately, Seto will not be able to join you for what will prove to be an interesting experience," Herobrine said silkily, appearing suddenly behind Rose. "He and I need to discuss certain issues tonight, as I'm sure he knows."
Seto's face turned a sick shade of white, which Ty barely noticed as he stared at Herobrine. "Umm… yes. Issues. Yeah."
"Good. Tyler, I suggest you head to the kitchen and wait for further instructions."
"My name is Ty," he growled at Herobrine.
Herobrine, the reason that he had been forced to share headspace with a dragon.
Herobrine, the person who had tortured Jason.
Herobrine, the monster who planned to take over the world.
Herobrine, the schemer that had orchestrated the plot that led to Sky and Mitch and Jason and Ty being captured.
Herobrine, the being he hated more than almost anything else.
"Very well, Ty. We'll see how much attitude you have left after your… initiation." What was that? It sounded distinctly not good, and the god's politely condescending demeanor did nothing to ease his concern. "Seto, if you will come with me…" The sorcerer followed Herobrine to the end of the hall like a prisoner in chains, his arms drooping, feet dragging, head hanging, leaving Ty alone with Rose as the two teleported away.
Ty stared at her suspiciously. There was something up, something bad, something scary, but he didn't know what it was yet. He needed to know. What were they going to do? What had Seto tried to warn him about? He needed to get out of here.
"So, we've got something really awesome planned tonight," Rose started. Shit. Suddenly Ty was running away, far away, trying to be anywhere but where he was at that moment.
He didn't get far before Rose tackled him, catching his arms and pinning him to the ground. She grinned, and her eyes glowed red. "Don't worry, Ty, you'll be fine. Maybe." Then Ty was falling, falling, falling, until the blackness all around him consumed his vision and he went unconscious.
Mmkay, guys, this is the second-to-last chapter-chapter, and then there will be an A/N chapter with the link to the sequel, New Dawn. Get ready for some of the biggest drama yet in what will probably be the conclusion to this series! Wahoo! We got torture! We got romances! Fluff! Feels! More backstory! More mystery! And many twists and turns! Y'ALL READY FOR DIS?
On a side note, I'm #Stoked about this awesome song from Jason Stokes (TrueMU), called S.U.P. (Shut Up Please)! My parents are #LessThanStoked because I've been blaring it loudly for... IDK how long. And raving. I can't stop raving about it. They want me to, "Shut Up, Please!" Y'all should check it out! It's almost as cool as me!
No. It's cooler than me. By a lot.
SOTC: "S.U.P." I'm just feeling it tonight, okay?