Beneath the Shadowlanders

Chapter Twenty-Seven: Gabriel

It kills me being separated from Genevieve. I pound my fist into the concrete wall separating us. Calista cowers in the opposite corner.

"I'm sorry," I call to her. "I didn't mean to scare you."

"It's alright," she responds tentatively.

"I just can't stand being separated from my sister..."

"I understand. My brother is in there, too." She's curled up with her legs against her chest sitting on the floor. I gesture for her to join me atop the thin cot against the wall. She shakes her head. "I'm alright here, thanks."

"I promise I won't hurt you or anything." I shift over to one side, pulling my feet in to sit cross-legged. "It's not you I'm angry at."

She nods, but doesn't move.

A guard walks past the window in the thick door of our cell and makes a face at us, having finished locking up my sister and Orion, I suppose.

I jump up and bang on the door. "Bastards!" I scream, but I know they can't hear me.

Calista cowers deeper, and I chastise myself for letting my anger get the best of me again. I slump against the door, dropping my head into my hands, choking out a dry sob. "I promised our mother I would protect her," I murmur to Calista. I don't know why I'm telling her this, but I can't seem to stop myself. "Right before she died, I promised. And I've let her down." I can't even look at her as I say this, burying my head in my arms, fighting to hold back tears.

I feel a hand on my shoulder and look up to see that Calista has moved over beside me. "I'm sure she knows," she whispers.

"I have to get her out of here." I stand and start examining the door, running my fingers along the tightly pressed seams, frantically looking for a way out, even though I know there is none.

Calista gently pulls me away, pushing me back onto the cot and sitting down next to me. "Repeat after me: this is not your fault."

I glare at her. "How will this help?"

"Do it," she demands.

I roll my eyes. "This is not my fault."

"Good. Again." She smooths her hand down my arm, gently.

"This is not my fault," I repeat, softer this time.

"This time, like you believe it." She rests her hand atop mine and looks me directly in the eye. "This is not your fault."

I sigh, allowing myself to take in the words. "This is not my fault." I take a deep breath, feeling it settle into my chest. "It's not my fault," I murmur again.

"It's not," she responds gently. "You couldn't have known this would happen. You just wanted to save the world – both of you. You did your best to keep her safe, your mother knows this."

"I know," I whisper, "but I failed."

"You didn't fail," she says with emphasis. "She's right there." She points through the wall behind us, to where my sister is probably being held. "You know exactly where she is. She's safe. She's with Orion, and I promise he won't let anything happen to her. He wouldn't."

I nod uncertainly. I stand and begin pacing the length of our tiny cell.

She yawns and I toss her the blanket that has fallen off onto the floor beneath the cot.

"Take the cot and get some rest. We can trade later."

She tries to protest, but gives in fairly quickly, allowing herself to drift off. I settle myself onto the floor and watch out the window, lost in my thoughts as the light slowly fades until there's nothing left but the dim bulbs in the dungeon hallway.