Chapter Forty One

*Ariya*


*I was walking around outside, feeling the soft breeze on my skin. It was night time but I wasn’t worried about it. In our little village it was safe. That's what I thought at least. I heard a soft growl behind me. I turned around smiling. “Ivan!” I squealed for joy, running up to him. I threw my arms around his neck. He was in wolf form. He had learned to shift about 2 years ago when Keo and I turned 7. I loved Ivan’s wolf. It was so beautiful. Ivan’s wolf was black, with white highlights, and he had glowing blue eyes. I snuggled into his fur as Ivan leaned his head in a way that felt like he was hugging me. Ivan whined at me and I knew he was trying to ask me why I was out here at this time.
“Ariya, what are you doing out here at this time?” My Mom asked, making me spin around toward her.
“Sorry, Mom. I just wanted to go for a walk.”
“You didn’t wake Ivan up just to go for a walk did you?”
I giggled, “No, he found me out here.”
Ivan growled at me softly.
“That’s his way of saying don’t go for walks without one of us. I know it’s safe here sweety, but please be mindful and please be careful.” My Mom chided me.
“Ok. I’m sorry. It was just so nice out.”
“Where’s your brother?”
“He’s still sleeping.”
“He’s sleeping for a reason. That’s what you should be doing right now. Come. Let’s go back.”
Ivan leaned down. I giggled as my Mom lifted me up and set me on his back. I wrapped my arms around his neck hugging him as we trotted off back to our home.
A sharp snap sounded from our right. Ivan turned toward the sound, growling angrily, snapping his jaws at the sound. Fear surrounded me and my body began trembling. I jumped off of Ivan and went in behind him and my Mom.
“Ari, get out of here. Go find your brother and your grandfather. Now!”
“I can’t leave you both…”
A high pitched whistle flew right in front of us and the area exploded in flames. My eyes grew wide. Shadows started appearing from the ground. Ivan and my Mom leaped at them to fend them off. There were too many of them and they had weapons we’d never seen before. I was frozen in place watching everything unfold in front of me. Mom and Ivan had the upper hand but it didn’t last long.
“MOM!!!” I screamed as the Shadow threw a canister at the ground.
The ground around my Mom caught fire. She screamed out in agony. A hand grabbed me by the collar hauling me off, away from my Mom and away from Ivan.
“IVAN!!!” I screamed in fear. Ivan let out an awful sound that was a mix between a scream, a yelp, a cry, and a growl.
The Shadows surrounded Ivan and my Mom and soon after I screamed for Ivan. The figure that grabbed me took me far away from them. I refused to let myself just be taken. I kicked at my attacker catching them off guard. They dropped me and I took off running. Another wolf showed up as I ran away. I ran as fast as my legs would carry me. I needed to find Keo and Drake quickly. We had to get out of here.
There was fire everywhere. People were screaming. They were on fire and they were still screaming. They were still running. Trying to get away. I let out a yell as I was so terrified the emotions inside me couldn’t be held down anymore. As I turned the corner I ran face first into something hard. I fell back and hit the ground. I got to my feet rubbing my face where I’d hit.
“Well, well, well. What do we have here?”
Fear grabbed hold of me. It refused to let me run away. My eyes wide in shock, I looked up at the figure in front of me. I gasped frozen in place. Unable to move. *

- -

“IVAN!!!” I jolted awake screaming and sobbing.
“Whoa! Easy there!” A voice said, trying to hold me in place.
I was thrashing, unaware of where I was. I tried pulling my arms to my chest as my heart was breaking but they wouldn’t move. A voice cursed, trying to keep me still.
My mind went to my dream, “Mom…” I sobbed.
“I think that was a memory.” The voice from before giggled.
My body began shaking as I sobbed uncontrollably. An overwhelming amount of grief, sweeping through me. My vision blurred as the tears flowed freely.
“What did you remember?” Boss grabbed my face, forcing me to look at him.
I stared blankly at Boss. I tried to form the words but nothing came out of my mouth. My mouth opened and then closed again.
Boss laughed at me, “I didn’t even torture you yet and you’re already broken. Figures. Your past is that hard to deal with?”
I went to say something to Boss again but I couldn’t move. My body felt like an empty shell. I was overwhelmed with grief. I didn’t know how to process everything and the only thing I could do was stare blankly.
Boss took out a knife and held it up to my throat. I continued to stare blankly. Part of me was hoping he would cut me. Maybe then I would feel something. Something other than grief. Something to remind me that I was still here. Still alive.
“Tell me what you saw, Ariya.” Boss said.
“Didn’t she say Ivan and Mom?” Justin spoke up.
I looked at him. I didn’t realize that he was even here. I felt a pull in my heart. I looked back at Boss.
“Looks like there’s some life back in your eyes, what did you see?” Boss asked me.
“My Mom…she tried to protect me…and they lit her on fire…”
The color in Justin’s face disappeared and his eyes grew wide.
Boss narrowed his eyes and clicked his tongue, “Was this before or after you ran into me?”
“Before.” I whispered.
“That explains a lot.” Boss removed the blade from my neck and walked behind me.
“What?” I breathed, confused as to what was going on.
Boss undid the restraints holding me to the table. I fell to the floor, unable to catch myself.
“Justin, restrain her but attach it to the wall and floor. Be careful when you walk in here in case she gets out of them. Ariya, you just got a bit of freedom. Mess it up and you’re back on the table.” Boss said.
I got to my hands and knees. I was so confused. Boss was being lenient. But why? I didn’t move further as Justin attached the restraints to the wall and the floor. My shoulders hurt from being above my head for so long. I held my hands out as Justin came up to put the restraints back on.
I looked up at Boss, “Why?”
Boss raised an eyebrow, “Why what?”
“Why are you being nice to me?” I breathed.
“You’ve been honest. I’m rewarding you. For now. I always wondered why you didn’t run away from me when you ran into me that night. Now I know. You were in shock. I think anyone would be given the situation you had right before.” Boss stated matter of factly.
“I thought you were going to torture me.”
“I will. But not this week. Your memories are coming back. I want to know everything. So while they come back I will leave you to process. Act out at all and you can get them as time passes and the torture can start earlier.” Boss grinned wickedly.
“Are we just leaving her here?” Justin asked.
“Not completely. You will watch her. When she gets a memory back and is functional again, let me know. As it happens. Do not tell anyone else. If she’s getting her memories back it means Ivan is too and I’m guessing Ivan isn’t currently called Ivan right now. You’re the only one I can trust. So stay here. She can still eat and everything. Don’t give her too much blood or she’ll get her strength back. You don’t have to sleep here. But you do need to be here most of the day. Understood?”
Justin snapped to attention, “Yes sir.”
“Oh and Ariya, just so you know. Your mother is still alive.”