Chapter eleven:A Terrifying Return

**ELENA'S POV**

"remember the plan okay bring them right between those two houses," Chloe told me.

"are you sure this won't get us in trouble?" I asked.

"no we are just getting revenge on them," one of her friends added.

Everyone went to their respective posts, I was beginning to regret trying to cheer up the girl cause this is madness. Mud splash they called it, my roles was simple, I was to lead the group of boys who were role playing since Chloe told me that they all have a crush on me so it wouldn't be hard to lure them.

"hey guys are you busy?" I asked.

The boys became dumbstruck at first.

"am bored so could you guys show me around?"

They all dropped their wooden swords and shields and came running to me. I was a little bit overwhelmed with the group, they were ranging from ten to twelve year old I was older than all of them by four years so it wasn't scary just overwhelming also they are nothing compared to Reyan.

"I'll show you around,"

"no I will,"

"no don't listen to them,"

They were now getting close to a fist fight, they started grabbing each other's shirts.

"how about all of you show me around instead of fighting,"

They thought about it for a moment and they agreed but not as enthusiastic as they tried to pretend. They showed me around the village, each of them trying to seem more knowledgeable than the others. Finally they took me to the abandoned houses, which was rumored to have ghosts according to the girls. It was adorable seeing the boys trying to scare me. Finally x marks the spot.

"excuse me could you guys do me a favor and stand right there,"

The boys were puzzled but they wanted to get on my good grace that they followed my order.

"sorry," I said.

Buckets of mud was splashed on the boys from every angle it covered all of them from head to toe.

"argh! You tricked us, bitch!" one of them spat at me as they walked away. The girls who were up the roofs were laughing uncontrollably.

"did you see their faces?" Chloe said in between her laugh while we were back in her house sitting on my bed.

"never ever make me do that again," I said.

"okay I won't but you have to admit it was kinda funny,"

I rolled my eyes at her and we kept on talking on my bed. She told about how the kids here had an agreement of messing with each other by taking turns now it would be the boys turn to mess with them. She kept asking me about my life but I lied to her, I didn't think that she needed to know that I was royalty.

Thud! The door slammed open, we got startled, our eyes went to the door and in walked in the mercenary, his hair had dark red patches sticking to it, his entire clothes was red and half torn, Ava and Henry were following him as he walked in their eyes trained on him as if he was a wild animal. His jaw was clenching as his eyes were narrowed into a thin slit as he glared at me.

"Could you two please take Chloe outside," he said through his clenched teeth trying to fake to Chloe that he was calm.

Ava was still looking at Rayan as if he was a lion ready to pounce, she timidly went to where Chloe was and grabbed her by her hand and was pulling her away. I was watching this as fear begun to consume me, I couldn't even run away due to my leg injury.

"Mommy why is Rayan angry," Chloe kept asking as she was dragged past him.

Ava didn't say anything to her when they got out, I saw her and Henry's eyes looking at me with pity. Rayan walked slowly to the door and shut it just as slowly the creaking of the door increased my fear that it was now getting hard to breath.

"I'm only going to ask you twice," he said with his back facing me. "and don't make me repeat myself or give me bullshit answers, cause I've had a long two days understand?"

He now turned, his eyebrows had furrowed and I could see clearly his bared teeth.

"well we are off to a bad start," he walked to where I was lying, each step he took echoed in my ear. "I said I'll only ask twice, so last chance do you understand?"

He was now inches away from me, I know what it seemed like but I wanted to say yes but my tongue couldn't move, I frantically nodded my head.

"hmm well take five seconds to catch your breath," he said still standing and glaring at me the blood on his clothes making him more terrifying than usual even with his face unmasked.

I tried taking in deep breaths to calm myself but between the trembling and my heart pounding that didn't help at all.

"okay your breathing seems normal enough to answer, now first question who do you think kidnapped you?"

"huh?"

"WHO DO YOU THINK KIDNAPPED YOU?" he said now his hand on the head board of the bed he moved his face close to me. Cold sweat rolled on my cheek or was it tears I don't know.

"I..... Ddddd.....ooo....nn....ttt.. Know,"

"okay, different question, who is your father's most powerful enemy?"

"sorry, I..dd..oooo....nn....ttttt....under....stand"

His hand moved swiftly to my neck, he grabbed me and pulled me from the bed my leg knocked the crutch from my bed and it fell down. He pinned me on the wall and squeezed my throat. I couldn't breath at all he wasn't trying to scare me he was really trying to kill me. He lifted me from the ground by my neck my feet dangling at the bottom, his eyes didn't have a shred of hesitance or sympathy just pure anger.

"the bounty on your head is a hundred thousand gold coins, even the dark order is after you, maybe I should just finish the job and collect the bounty myself, tempting right?" he said.

I don't want to die, please don't kill me, I don't want to die. I wanted to beg him but he was strangling me so hard that not even air could come out of my throat. Anyone please save me, my vision started to darken and it was becoming hard to see.

" Rayan, what are you doing?" Chloe said.

Even with the darkness in my eyes I could see his eyes soften up, I heard little footsteps rushing to where we were. She jumped at Rayan's arm pulling it down.

"let her go, let her go," she said as she struggled to pull his arm down. It looked hopeless but I felt his grip loosen on my neck. He let go of me and I dropped to my knees, wheezing and gasping for breath, the darkness was clearing from my eyes and tears fell from my eyes. Chloe hugged me protectively as she glared at Rayan with tear filled eyes. Rayan's face twisted as if he was in pain.

"Go away!" Chloe yelled.

His dropped his gaze and I could see that his eyes had some tears but I might have been delusional due to the lack of air in my lungs there is no way that he could feel anything. He left the two of us on the floor. If I ever get back home I'll be sure to reward Chloe later, I rubbed her hand and leaned my head on hers.