Chapter 15: The Crossing of Fingers.

My mouth was hanging open and panic went through me like a volt of electricity, shocking my bones, speeding my heart – making the blood drain from my face and my hands shake. I felt numb. My mouth hung open as I leaned all of my weight on the pillar, my arms hugging the cool marble like it was a life line.

With my shaky legs I managed to turn my attention back to the scene before me. They had beaten Logan to the point of non-recognition, his bruised cheekbones, his black eye and blood dripping down off his face made my heart contract and I had to fight the urge not to go out there now and throw my arms around him.

Logan straightened his back and tilted his head up high to face Peter as he sat in his throne with a look of pure hatred and disgust. I tightened my grip on the pillars and leaned in waiting for the silence to give me some answers.

“Your brother has escaped.” Peter said as he narrowed his eyes at Logan and stood up from his throne, taking a few steps until he was right in front of him. “Where were at the time of his escape?” The king asked, his tone was deathly cold and sent a shiver over me.

Logan stayed silent.

I gasped silently and felt my legs all but give way from under me. They think he did it, they think he helped Marco escape. Of course he would be the number one suspect because he is his brother but Logan was with me, he hasn’t done anything wrong – but do I step out now and say something? They’d know I was ease dropping but Logan have an alibi, he wouldn’t get into any trouble and they could focus of something else – someone else. I looked between the two men as they death stared each other, the looks of pure hatred and distrust passing between them and making everyone else shuffle back a little uncomfortable.

I had an uneasy feeling, maybe I shouldn’t. Maybe I should wait until I’ve talked to Logan, he will tell me what to do.

“You don’t have an alibi?” the king asked crocking his head slightly to the side. “How unfortunate.” He smiled and took a couple steps back, mounting his throne once again and sitting down.

“Due to the lack of alibi and the confounding evidence and involvement tying you Logan Bellator to the wanted fugitive Marco Bellator you are sentenced to death by beheading. The sentence will be carried out in two days’ time.” He commanded his voice booming through the room.

No. I felt a strange pain in my chest, an ache almost as if I had been stabbed. My hands shook and I fell to the ground silently, my mouth hanging open and eyes beginning to water as I tried to process this and catch my breath.

This can’t be happening.

Logan’s face didn’t even flinch as he allowed the guards to grab hold of him and drag him up to his feet and off towards the door hidden in the wall that I now knew led to the dungeon.

I turned to Peter in complete astonishment. I didn’t know what was going on but for some reason I feel like I was missing half of the picture. Peter stood up and fixed his clothes, smoothing them over and walking away into the shadows with a wide smile spread across his face as if he had just won a race or accomplished something that he had always wanted – which didn’t make sense to me.

I waited, hiding behind the pillars until I saw the five guards walk out of the dungeon door and out of the main door, probably headed home for the night. I needed to see Logan no matter what the consequences, he was my captor but he was the only one I trusted and now after that kiss maybe it was more than trust I was feeling for him.

Looking around the room I saw no movement or signs that anyone was watching. I made a quick dash for the door and pulled open the heavy stone door and crept my way through into the dark dimly lit staircase. I made my way down the stairs being sure to take it slow and watch my step so that I didn’t trip over, fall down and break my neck. Getting to the bottom I reached up and grabbed a hold of the flickering flame off the wall and walked over down the hall of empty cells until I found the only one with someone in it.

I looked down, following the shadow on the ground until I found Logan sitting against the corner with his limbs hanging at his sides, his body limp and lifeless. I turned my head to the side so that I didn’t look at him straight on, I couldn’t do it, to stare at him like this made the ache in my chest grown even more.

“Logan?” I whispered, my voice was soft and shaky as I kneeled down and gripped the bars with both hands letting the flame hit the ground and flicker.

His head snapped up and over to face me, his eyes wide with panic as he shuffled himself over to the bars until he was sitting right next to me, the only thing separating us was the bars themselves. “Britney what the hell are you doing here?! You have to leave now, right now, go!” He blurted out in the panic.

“No, I’m not going anywhere.” I told him, the grip I had on the bars was sending my knuckles white. “If I tell them that you were with me, and then you’ll be okay, you won’t be executed.”

“No!” he yelled the urgency seeping out of voice. “You can’t, do you understand. You can’t say anything to them about what happened.”

“But…” I started.

“No buts. Tell me you won’t say anything. Promise me.”

“Why?” I questioned completely astonished that he wouldn’t let me save him, that he wouldn’t let me at least try and help him.

“Promise me.” His tone was scary, dominating and serious.

“Okay. I won’t.” I reached out and placed my hand on his jaw line, my thumb moved up to stroke his cheek. “What are you going to do?”

“Nothing.”

“What do you mean nothing?”

“I’m tired of fighting.” He leaned back and closed his eyes showing me that he was truly exhausted.

“So that’s it? You’re tired and so you’re just going to walk out there and let them kill you for something you didn’t do?” My voice rose with every word I spoke before I became aware and dialed it down to a whispered yell.

“You don’t understand Britney, I’m dead anyways.” He shook his head at me and I saw in his dark jet black eyes they dual and faded life that I now knew would soon be gone, leaving them lifeless and back.

“Because you have a crown birthmark?” I pressed thinking back to what Marco had said about them both having a crown birthmark.

“How much do you know?” He crossed his brow and shook his head in a questioning way. I finally felt like I had the upper hand for once.

“A lot. I know about your parents, about the marks and what yours means.” I told him thinking about the conversations I had with others and realize that none of this has come from Logan but from others.

“Well, looks like your curiosity hasn’t killed you yet.”

“Nope.” I brightened popping the p.

He gave me a soft smile that didn’t reach his ears. “Britney. Promise me you won’t do anything okay? Don’t ask questions, just…” He paused for a moment and I could see the struggle in his eyes. “Don’t do anything, forget about me.”

“Why…” I started but was quickly cut off.

“What did I just say? No questions.”

I sighed and leaned my head against the cold bars. “I could never forget about you Logan.” He smiled but again it didn’t reach his ears, it was a sad smile that made my heart ache even more. “I won’t do anything.” I assured him but I was sure to cross my fingers, hiding them behind the bars.

“Come here.” He whispered and positioned his head right next to the bars. I was a little confused but I didn’t bother asking questions and leaned in putting my head in between the bars. He leaned in further and pressed his lips against mine. I moaned into his mouth and kissed him back, sliding my tongue over his lips before parting my lips and letting him kiss me deeply. I focused on the warmness of his lips, of his body and his breath on my skin. He tasted the same as before of salt and apples but this time mixed with the blood and sweat from his beating.

He reached out and placed his hand over mine on the bar, his fingers pealing them off of the cool metal and pressing them against his own, interlacing our fingers.

He pulled back leaving my lips shaking. I ran my tongue over my bottom lip tasting him on my lips, a small smile took hold of my face as a stray tear escaped me and traveled down my cheek. Logan reached out and whipped the stray tear away with the pad of his thumb before resting it on my bottom lip.

“Now I can die.” He whispered which only made another tear slide down my cheek.

I sniffed and put my hand over his, pressing his warm hand further against my skin, finding relief in his warm alive touch that I knew would soon be cold and lifeless. I couldn’t let that happen. Every part of my being was on fire screaming at me that I had to do something, I didn’t know what that something was just yet but I would have to figure it out fast.

Logan pulled back and let go of my hand, moving to the place he was when I first walked in. I sniffed again and wiped the tears from my eyes before finding my feet and unsteadily stumbling off towards the stair case and back up the stone – using the wall to steady myself. I opened the door and looked both ways, seeing no one I made a quick dash up to my room. Getting in I slid under the covers and put the covers over my head hoping that I could somehow disappear, or even wake up from this nightmare. I didn’t want this, I didn’t need this. I just wanted to go back to the time when the only thing I had to worry about was paying my rent on time and getting to work. Nothing else.

The simple life was all I wanted.

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Well there is my latest update, hope you all enjoyed it. Will Britney find a way to save Logan or will she be a little too late? Please do give me some feedback on this story, I have no idea what I am doing with it.

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