Chapter 33: The Truth

-Rhys-

I was in a horrible mood when I joined the others. Serena had appeared too, and we had all gathered in some rooms we had underground that were pretty much used as jail cells. We had the rogue tied to a chair. It creaked as he moved around, and it was clear he was really putting all of his strength behind his struggles, trying to get free, but he was not going anywhere. We had fed him wolfsbane and it was weakening him. He didn’t give up so easily though, and kept moving around. I was kind of glad to be down here because I had some angry feelings I needed to get out.

“Who are you?” Rogan asked.

The rogue turned his dark eyes to him and just smiled.

“Who are you?” he asked arrogantly.

I went closer and punched him in the face. No one seemed to mind except the rogue, of course.

“Answer the fucking question.”

“Why don’t you answer mine?!” he growled.

I looked at him confused, and he smiled despite the pain he was feeling.

“You have something we have been looking for,” he said.

“Looking for?”

I turned to my friends, and we all seemed to realize the same thing at the same time before we turned to the rogue.

“Nova?” I asked.

The rogue growled at me before spitting blood out.

“Do not fucking say her name!” he growled.

I looked at him confused.

“Why her?” I asked.

He just looked at me with those dark eyes.

“She is one of us.”

“She doesn’t really feel that way,” I said.

“What the fuck would you know?” he asked. “You have no idea what she means.”

“Oh, I know what she means.” I moved down to his level and smiled. “Because she is mine.”

He growled and turned crazy, trying to get to me. I was surprised by his reaction, but then I remembered what Nova had told me. *There is someone*. Could this rogue be someone? Or was it someone else? Was he trying to bring Nova home to the one who was looking for her? Who was it?!

“I’m going to kill you!” the rogue snarled.

“I would love to see you try.”

We were not going to go easy on him.

-Nova-

I spent the entire day in the room, not sure what to do. I had to save my brother. There was no way I was leaving without him. Rhys was giving me a way out though … tomorrow … No, my brother did not live till tomorrow. I had to save him tonight. So, when I heard people were going to eat together, I went downstairs. I could not be sure that Rhys and the others had gone to dinner, but I would simply have to wait until the place was cleared and then save my brother. I had not been underground before, but I heard it was where they brought people to interrogate. It took me some time to find the right door though, but when I finally did, I snuck below ground. It was rather dark here, only very bad lighting helped me see, as I moved through the humid and dusty hallways. I couldn’t hear any voices, so I kept going. I tried my best to listen for any sounds, because if it was completely quiet, then that meant …

I couldn’t think like that and just held my breath, as I stopped. I took a moment to just tune in my hearing, and finally, I heard something. It was a small movement but it led me to the door that led to Keith’s cell. There was a small open hatch in the door, so I could look inside, and I saw him bound to a chair and looking so bad, while blood and sweat dripped off him. His head was hanging, and it was clear he was not going to last much longer.

“Keith!” I said.

He slowly looked up and saw me.

“N-Nova …”

I looked around, looking for a key, and found it on the wall behind me. I quickly unlocked the door and ran inside, going over to him, and lifting his head, helping him hold it up.

“Oh Keith … I am getting you out here, don’t worry,” I said.

I stood up, ready to untie him when I heard a click behind me. A gun being cocked … I turned my head and saw Serena standing in the doorway, looking at me and her gun pointed at me.

“I had a feeling I had to stay behind while the others took a break,” she said. “Especially after he said they had been looking for you.”

“Serena …”

“I told you not to hurt him,” she said.

“Please …”

“What does he mean to you?” she asked and made a small wave with the gun towards my brother.

“Serena …”

“Answer the question, Nova. Why risk it all for *him?*”

I looked at her for a little while, trying to figure a way out of this mess, but I knew there was no way out anymore. The truth would come out in one way or another.

“He is my brother,” I said.

Serena looked at me shocked.

“So, that is why the rogues have behaved differently. He was looking for you,” she said.

“I have more than one brother,” I told her.

“I see …” she said. “And let me guess, they are the ones leading the rogues. They are the ones behind all the attacks.”

I nodded slowly.

“Fuck …” she whispered.

“I knew if I said something, even Rhys couldn’t protect me,” I said.

“You’re right about that.”

“Which is why I tried to leave! I don’t want to hurt him, Serena! I tried!”

“You should have tried harder,” she said.

“You wouldn’t let me go. *He* wouldn’t let me go!” I said.

Serena shook her head, seeing just how bad this situation was.

“Is there more?” she asked.

“What?”

“More I should know about you?” she asked.

I sighed and looked at the ground.

“It can’t make this situation worse,” she said.

I nodded, knowing that was true.

“Rhys’s and Rogan’s parents were the ones who kill mine,” I said.

“You have got to be kidding me …”

I shook my head.

“You’re the daughter of those psychos?” she asked.

“Hey!” I shouted. “Those are my parents.”

Serena just looked at me disappointed.

“You should have been honest.”

“And get shot for it?!” I asked.

“You have no idea what he would have done for you,” she told me.

“You told me not to hurt him. I tried,” I said.

“Rhys would not have cared.”

“But I do. I have got a family, and all of you are asking me to choose. Who do you think I would choose?!” I asked angrily.

Serena seemed to understand, even though she didn’t really want to. Still, she shook her head.

“I’m sorry, Nova, but I have to choose my family too.”

She walked out of the room and closed the door, locking it behind her.

“Hey! Serena! No!” I shouted as I ran to the door, hammering my hands against it. “Serena!”

But she was already on her way away.