Twenty-Five

Apeke and Alani walked in complete silence each lost in their own thoughts. They were oblivious to the world around them.

They came to a halt at an unexpected sound.

"Did you hear that?" Apeke asked.

He nodded. They suddenly had an eerie feeling. They was something or someone with them there.

"Who is there? Come out and show yourself . Don't be a coward." Alani said loudly knowing whoever followed them was listening.

"Look who's calling someone a coward, you've really changed now, have'nt you?"

"Who are you?"

"Your greatest enemy."Is all they heard before they fell to the ground unconscious.

"Take them ." The leader told Aduni.

..

Alani woke up blind folded,hungry and confused. Where was he and how did he get here? He tried to remember how he could have gotten there but his memory was hazy. Then,he suddenly remembered.

Oh no! They had been kidnapped. Where was Apeke anyway? As if on cue Apeke groaned as she woke up.

She tried to stretch her arms but noticed she was restrained.

"Alani? Alani are you in here?"She panicked. Where was he.

"Yes,Apeke, I'm right here don't worry."Alani replied making her heave a sigh of relief, instantly feeling relieved.

She could breathe again. She was worried something horrible might have happened to him but if they didn't leave soon that might not be simply worries. It could be their reality.

"Now how do we get out if here?" Alani asked.

"We don't even know where 'here' is."She replied

"Doesn't matter,we'll find out soon enough. Move closer to me. The ropes are tying your hands behind your back too,right?"

"Yes."

"Good,move closer with your back turned to me."

"I don't even know where you are."

"Try to follow my voice."He said and moved closer as well. Eventually,their backs touched.

"Now,try to loosen the ropes around me."He instructed and Apeke got to work. She managed to loosen it a little before they began to hear voices coming their way. It must be the ones who kidnapped them.

They quickly got back to their positions and pretended to be asleep and they did this in record time as they closed their eyes just as the door to the room was opened.

"Your highness,things can't be done like this." A voice said behind the hooded leader.

So,at least one of them was royalty. That meant they could even kill them and they would still get away with it. Alani thought.

This wasn't good. This wasn't good at all.

"Your highness,please listen to me." The voice begged again but was stopped when the hooded leader signaled to be quiet.

She moved closer to Alani and whispered in his ear,"I know you're awake." This sent shivers down his spine. He opened his eyes fearfully.

"Hello,Alani." A chilling voice said.

Alani could have sworn he'd heard that voice before but how was that even possible? The only explanation he could have for this is that they had been kidnapped by their very own royal family but he didn't know how well he could even believe that.

Why would they want to kidnap them?This whole thing made no sense to him. It was all so confusing.

"Oh, Alani don't even try to figure this out because trust me you won't be able to." She told him.

"Who are you?"He decided to take his chance at simply asking her but her reply was unexpected;she burst into laughter.

"You don't remember my voice? Oh,I bet you don't I made little changes to it but I doubt you'd remember even if I didn't. After all,I was just your plaything,right?"

She leaned in and whispered"My Alani."

Immediately she said that Alani froze.

The it woman who ever called him that was..

No!It couldn't be her. It wouldn't make any sense for it to be.

"Do you remember me now?"

"Asake?"He said,praying to the gods that he was wrong.

"There you go! You guessed right...my love."She said and burst into laughter once again.

"Alani,what is she talking about? What is this all about?" Apeke asked.

"Go on,tell her."Asake said.

"Apeke don't worry about this. Don't listen to what she says."Alani said.

"Spoken like a coward,as always. Nothing new there. There I was thinking you've changed a little but you haven't changed one bit,have you?" He bowed his head I shame. Was his newly found confidence not strong enough to make him to tell his sister the truth.

"Don't worry I will help you one last time." Asake paused."Listen carefully,Apeke. I'm going to tell you a story...