Solum

Chapter II

The room was quiet, as it always had been, for each inmate knew the consequences that came with excessively loud noises. They had been made aware of this after one prisoner was killed in his cell for howling at the reflection of the moon.

Aria opened her eyes, hearing the loud and distinct sound of keys jangling as the iron doors creaked open. A deafening echo reverberated through the air as the door shut once more. Breakfast had already been delivered so Aria was confused as to why someone would be entering the room.

A sense of relief washed over her seeing Caleb's familiar face standing in front of her cell. She was relieved to see him again. It had been a while since he'd last come to visit. So long, that she'd began to grow anxious that he had been killed for conversing with her.

"How're you holding up?" Caleb asked. He sat down on the floor crossing his legs together and studied her crouched figure. His dark green eyes looked down at her with pity. She knew this look all too well, it was the same expression he wore on his face each time he visited her. His brown hair sat in a disheveled heap atop his head, as if he had been nervously running his hand through it.

She shrugged. "I've been better," she told him and immediately regretted it. Her tone had unintentionally been spiteful causing her words to come out harsh. Though her anger hadn't been directed at him, but more at this despairing place in which she was being kept. He flinched, twiddling his fingers in his lap. A look of guilt flashing before his eyes.

She looked back down at the floor watching the army of ants that descended upon her tray. Each one carried off a crumb before disappearing through a crevice in the wall. For a brief moment, Aria wished she was one of them, able to come and go as she pleased.

"Thanks for the bread," she smiled, feeling remorseful about the way she snapped at him. Aria thought back to the bread roll she was given yesterday. It was warm, a pleasant contrast to the hard burnt ones that she was used to.

Though the gesture could quite have easily been considered modest or even trivial to some, it had been enough to lift her spirits. He gave a small smile, one that mirrored hers. She could see the light that twinkled in his eyes at the realization that she wasn't upset with him.

Though he was a guard, Caleb had always been kind to Aria, ever since he met her a couple months ago. From the moment she met him, Aria knew in her heart that he would be different from the other guards. She could sense the warmth that radiated from his body and feel the gentleness she knew he had in his heart.

To this day, she would often find herself pondering how someone as kind-hearted as him could belong to a pack as ruthless as this one. Though you can't always choose your home, she had learned that from experience.

"I almost forgot, I have something for you." Caleb said, he rummaged through his pockets and pulled out the little book that he had been searching for. He handed her the book, placing it in her hand through the spacing in the cell bars.

She held onto the book feeling the soft felt cover against her skin. The book, a deep red wine color entranced her. It was bound together by thin brown ropes, small gold swirls were decorated around it. Using a finger, she traced the shiny gold letters that were printed on the front, Unearthly, it spelled.

"Open it," Caleb told her. He had been watching with a smile as she marveled at the book. Aria touched the book once again, enjoying the feel of the fabric against her fingers. She unlatched the buckle that kept the book closed.

In it, written in a language she didn't quite recognize, the words Qui deorum potus mensave catillum had been printed in cursive on the front page.

Underneath it, four images were aligned alongside each other. The first image, a silver moon, seemed to sparkle against the paper. Beside it sat a red circle, a symbol resembling the letter T has been drawn through it, starting at the center of the circle. The third image, an arrow pointing upwards, had a single horizontal line towards the end of it. The last image was a heptagram encircled in a rounded-out triangle.

The symbols intrigued Aria, they seemed ritualistic, as if they had been fabricated by a cult. She opened her mouth to question Caleb about them but he interrupted her.

"Look in the back."

Aria flipped through the onion skin pages, stopping only when she reached the back cover. She touched the gray metal key that had been carefully taped inside. The key was long and heavily rusted. "I snatched it when no one was looking," Caleb explained in a whispering tone, he motioned towards the single keyhole located just outside her cell.

Aria looked back down at the key before her, she could feel the hope building up inside of her. She clutched the key to her chest tightly, holding it as though it was a delicate jewel, and to her it was. This key represented everything she had longed for and dreamed that she would one day get; her freedom.

She looked to Caleb, finding it difficult to contain her excitement, and a cheesy grin crept onto her face. That smile soon changed into a frown as a sudden uneasiness filled her thoughts. How exactly could her and Reagan possible escape without being torn apart by one of the guards? The last person who had attempted such feat had his neck snapped in two.

Though Caleb and Reagan had already shifted, she didn't think the three of them alone could take on an entire pack. Her life meant little to her but she wouldn't dare put Caleb and Reagan's lives at risk. Not to mention the deadly consequences Caleb would face if anyone was to find out.

She shook her head, releasing the key from her hand, watching as it fell to the floor and tumbled into a corner. She bit her lip, a habit she had picked up when she was nervous, "It's not worth the risk." Her voice came out more softly than she intended. Even Caleb with his heightened senses had a hard time picking up on it.

Caleb who had been anxiously waiting for her to respond frowned, it was clear it hadn't been the reply he was anticipating. He was probably more or less, expecting her to be squealing with excitement at the thought of finally being able to see the world behind these walls. "You could at least try," Caleb urged.

"He's right you know," Reagan joined in. He had slept throughout most of the conversation, but woke up in time to hear the last few bits of what the two were discussing. Aria looked at him surprised. Being the cautious person he was, she thought he of all people would take her side on the matter.

She shook her head, "You know what'll happen if we get caught."

"But we won't. I've got it all figured out," Caleb said hurriedly. Once again he reached into his pockets and pulled out a series of handwritten papers. "That's why I was gone for so long," he explained and showed the two a map of the pack's territory, as well as a list of instructions he had written down.

"The pack is planning an attack on a neighboring vampire coven tomorrow." Caleb looked between Aria and Reagan in excitement, "Most of the guards will be gone during that time, we can use that to our advantage." Aria looked at Caleb unsure of what to say. It seemed to be a solid plan but she couldn't shake the uneasiness that settled into her stomach. She turned to Reagan and raised an eyebrow, eager to find out his thoughts on the proposition.

Reagan looked wearily between the two before his eyes rested on Aria's, "It's worth a shot." For the first time in years, his eyes held a glimpse of hope, a look that Aria hadn't seen since they were children. It brought a slight pang to her heart and sent a tear down her cheek. Though he never expressed it, Aria had always felt it in her heart that Reagan wished to one day revisit his pack, or whatever was left of it.

Pushing aside whatever misgivings she had about the idea, reluctantly, she agreed. "So it's a plan then," Caleb spoke slowly and apprehensively, he turned to the two of them for confirmation. They both nodded their heads. Aria with more reluctance than Reagan.

The room fell quiet but it was a comfortable silence nonetheless. Caleb stood up, dusting off the specks of dirt that had found shelter on his clothing, "I should get going before someone realizes I'm gone." With a smile on his face, he said his goodbyes and made his way out of the room.

Aria tucked away the book and papers she had received from Caleb, behind the stones. She made sure to keep it out of sight just in case another guard was to come in.

Letting out a small sigh, Reagan was the first to break the silence, "We'll finally be free." He closed his eyes as he relished in his newfound excitement, "Now you can find your mate." His statement caught Aria by surprise, it was so sudden and unexpected.

She frowned at his comment, "I don't think I have one." Her voice was barely above a whisper.

He had told her about how mates were a werewolf's second half, a piece to make one complete. Ever since Reagan explained the concept of mates to her, she had always been skeptical about it. The thought of having someone assigned to you before you were even born was hard for her to grasp.

Even so, if it was real, Aria had always thought that Reagan might have been that person. The bond that the two of them shared sounded a lot like the mate bond he had described. One so strong that both of them would readily give up their lives to protect the other.

Even the idea of gods watching down on them was hard for her to believe. To do so, would mean that whatever was up above wasn't as benevolent as many would think, for they had watched her suffering and done nothing to intercede.

Raegan was quiet, he looked at the wall in front of him before turning to face her, "Of course you do, all werewolves have one."

But that's the thing, Aria was doubtful that she even was a werewolf. According to Raegan, every werewolf shifted once they turned sixteen.

Though she wasn't exactly sure how old she was, only a guestimate according to Reagan, she could feel that she was long past that point. Even so, a small part of her was somewhat glad that she wasn't a werewolf. The agonizing pain Raegan experienced when he first shifted repelled her from the idea.

"You were wrong about me," was all Aria could choke out. She buried her face deeper into her hands. She couldn't bring herself to say it to his face, she could already picture the broken face she knew he would no doubt be wearing.

Aria knew it pained him to hear her say those words but she couldn't help herself. It was something she had always bottled up inside of her and now that she had finally said it, she was relieved.

Raegan, with his voice strained, expressed his feelings about her statement, "Don't say that." His voice was soft and his eyes looked at her gently, "You're just a late bloomer, it'll happen, you'll see."

His optimism did nothing to deter her. Instead, she sat there in silence, holding back her pessimistic thoughts. She didn't want to break his heart even further than she already had. Reagan's eyes lit up and Aria could see the glimmer of hope that shone in them.

"If all werewolves have one, then how come you don't?" Aria brought up a question she'd asked him many times before. Reagan always insisted that he was the exception to the rule, that him having a mate just wasn't meant to be. He never did like the concept of mates either, saying that he'd much rather choose who to spend the rest of his life with.

He merely waved off her question with a shrug. "That's because I'm special," he perked up after a moment of silence.

"Just wait, everything's going to change tomorrow. I can't wait to show you the trees and the birds and even the beach. You don't have to hear me go on and on about them anymore," he chuckled in an attempt to cheer her up. Aria forced out a small smile, one that she hoped would be enough to convince him.

"It'll work Aria trust me. Tomorrow we'll be sitting on the beach basking in the sunlight, you'll see," Reagan leaned his head against the wall and grinned, one that reached his eyes and put a smile on her face. This time, it was real. Reagan's buoyancy was beginning to have an effect on her.

Aria stared conflicted at the key that Caleb had given her. She found it funny that for as long as she could remember, she dreamed for an opportunity to escape and now that it was here, she couldn't decide how to feel. Here it was, handed to her on a silver platter and she couldn't help but feel reluctant to take it. She couldn't explain it; something just didn't feel right to her.

The feeling nudged at her, it lightly pricked at her skin and caused goosebumps to form. No matter how hard she tried, she couldn't shake away the foreboding thoughts that made its way into her head.

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Aww man I have a bad feeling about this. *crosses fingers* What do you think will happen? Let me know down below. Vote if you enjoyed the chapter.