Ch. 4: Dauntia
Seth pov.
"Hello Seth," the devil herself was back. I struggled to sit up, but Maddie pushed me back down.
"What do you want Maddie," I said, this was no time for any games.
She sat me up and whispered something to the goon that was accompanying her, and he nodded.
The thug put a knife to my throat.
"Stay silent and your girlfriend will be safe," she threatened. I really hope that Carmen would not come in at this moment.
Well, just my luck. Carmen walked in with a hopeful look in her eyes, wanting to see me, and her mouth dropped open.
Maddie was quick. She pointed a gun at Carmen's face.
"What the h*** Maddie," she said, rolling her eyes.
"Miss me any?" Maddie retorted.
"Just as much as you missed me," was Carmen's reply.
We're in for some s*** now if we weren't in it before.
"Now listen, "Maddie was getting right to the point, "if you make one d*** noise your boyfriend's going to get skewered. You are going to calmly walk out of here with us and not attract any attention, got it?"
"No Carmen, leave now! Leave me behind!" I shouted.
I don't know what that was for, Carmen is stuck here. She knows if she escapes they will kill me.
Instead of doing what I said, she bit her bottom lip and exited.
Maddie took me with her; she knows I've saved Carmen before so she wants to make sure it doesn't happen again.
Some people stared at us; we were such an odd and large group walking out of the hospital, and especially with me still in the hospital gown. But Carmen and the rest of them looked like they knew what they were doing so no one objected.
I was hoping a doctor would see us and order us to stop, to not leave, but none were in the hallways.
There was a van outside at the door and we all hopped in except me, Maddie "helped" me by shoving me in.
No one talked on the ride to wherever we were going and I was okay with that.
In fifty minutes an airport came into view. It was dark out so I had no clue where we were. These people know how to be kidnappers. We have no idea where we are so we can't escape.
How did Maddie end up becoming like this, I don't know. We were friends since first grade.
I focused my attention on Carmen, but her face was shadowed so I had no clue as to what she thought was going to happen. I hope she was all right and well.
It was all a blur, entering the blinding light of the airport, going into the plane.
Before I even knew it, we were in Italy, in the city of the council. Surely my mother would listen to me and let me go. And Carmen too. Right?
As soon as we walked into the headquarters of the council, Maddie and her goon parted with us. We were left with one of the workers here or whatever she was.
"Follow me," she said.
Not even a "Hello Mr. Tagaris, would you need anything you can page me anytime and please feel free to join with you mother whenever you like, for she says she doesn't mind."
The lady was treating me like a… stranger.
Carmen and I walked in silence, every once in a while we would exchange nervous glances.
Apparently, we weren't meeting with the council right away, because the lady walked us to the guest room part of the building.
Carmen and I had to be in different rooms. No surprise there, they know we would probably make a plan to escape together if we could talk with each other.
The woman gestured for us to go into our rooms and left.
I looked around and saw that this wasn't my room after all; it was Dauntia's, my mother's.
And there at her desk was my mother herself.
She hasn't changed at all, obviously. And it was very hard to remember she was my mother, she looked like she was my age. Still pretty and dainty.
Dauntia turned around and looked at me.
"So, what happened with you? You have cuts and scrapes everywhere," she said, looking at my unfortunate arms and legs.
I wanted to tell her that it was done by someone on purpose, because this person, whoever he or she was, turned into my motorcycle at the last minute. It was the truth.
But then my mother would think that I thought everyone was out to kill me and I was paranoid, and she would hire a psychiatrist just for me. I don't want that do I?
"Oh, yeah. I was riding my motorcycle and I fell when I was at high speed," I said.
She nodded, accepting my answer. It was completely silent.
"What are you going to do to Carmen and me?" I asked. I needed to know. My mother, I know would not harm me, but she can punish me.
But Carmen, I don't know.
"Son, why did you leave the city in the first place after making an appointment? The council knows you are my son, but you need to respect us. The council will be very cross with you," She chides.
"Mother, what will happen to Carmen?" I said, exasperated.
Usually when my mother changes the topic like that, to talking about how I don't respect the council and blah blah blah, it merrily means she is hiding something.
"Son, you do know who this girl is? The whole story, right?" She asked.
"Yes, I know she's a hybrid and Queen of Darkness," I said.
And my soul mate, so don't talk about bad stuff about her because I will pull your hair out.
She nods. "We, however, don't know if she is truly the Queen of Darkness," she says, watching my expression.
"Go on, so what will you do?" I am getting impatient.
"She will have to take a test," she states it simply.
A gut-wrenching feeling is rolling into the pit of my stomach.
"What kind of test," I press on, even though I know the answer. A vey horrible and inhumane test…
"She will have to survive the Flames of Darkness."