Elaine? Cohaku? What am I doing here?" Ben asked.
"You know this boy?" inquired Hana. She was pleased by this new development. "How interesting."
She raised her hands, and Ben was instantly paralyzed from the neck down. She inclined her head, and he flew down to the basement. She followed, and locked him up.
"Hana please!" I cried, following her. "Don't hurt him! I…I'll pay the ransom."
"Honestly, cousin," she replied. "You always were weak. That's why you-"
"Please don't finish that sentence!" I interrupted.
"He doesn't know?" Hana laughed. "Go recharge your circuits, Elaine."
I closed my mouth. I couldn't talk my way out of this. I'd have to free Ben some other way.
"I can't believe you, Elaine!" Ben said as soon as we were alone (I was on guard duty). "You're a traitor!"
"I am not," I said sharply. "You heard me. I tried to get you out of this, but I'm not fighting my own cousin."
"Why do you keep cutting people off when they talk about your past?" countered Ben.
"I just…I have my secrets, okay?" I replied.
"Don't you trust me? I thought we were friends. Teammates."
"I do trust you. I just don't want anyone to know. It's not just you."
"I just thought-"
"Yeah? Well you thought wrong. Just don't talk to me anymore. It'll be worse for you."