Janzo sat alone in his lab, the soft bubbling of brews and clinking of glass the only sounds to keep him company. Shadows danced across the walls, cast by the faint candlelight flickering behind dusty bottles. The scent of fermented herbs and chemicals filled the air, thick and bitter.
He stared blankly at the floor, barely blinking, his fingers twitching with restless guilt. The memory of the kiss played over and over again in his mind·her warmth, her eyes, the tremble in her breath before their lips met. He reached up and touched his lips, then pulled his hand away with a shake of the head, disgusted with himself.
"She'll think I betrayed her. Maybe I did… but I had to save my own life. That was the only way," he muttered, voice cracking slightly as though he hated the sound of his own words.
Outside, the wind howled, rattling the wooden shutters. The darkness beyond the windows felt heavier tonight, as if even the stars had turned their backs.
Talon sat in the cell under Garrett base; being betrayed and disappointed she thought about the matter.
Back to Tony...
He clenched the edge of the counter until his knuckles turned white. A single drop of his potion sizzled as it hit the floor, forgotten.
"Maybe all she wanted was someone to love... someone who wouldn't betray her like the rest. And maybe I threw that all away."
Far below in the depths of Garrett's prison fortress, Talon sat slumped against the damp stone wall of her cell. The chill of the underground seeped into her bones, but she didn't shiver. Not anymore. Her wrists were raw from the chains. Her dark hair hung across her face, dirty and tangled.
She stared at the ground, but her mind was ablaze with thought.
"Janzo… how could you? After everything? After all we've been through?"
Her heart twisted.
"Or… was I wrong? Did he really betray me? Maybe… maybe all he wanted was a kiss. Maybe that was all to him."
She clenched her jaw, lifting her head to the ceiling. Her amber eyes burned through the gloom.
"No. If he did this for himself, then he's no better than the rest. But if he didn't… if there's still a shred of truth left in him… I'll come for him. Whether it's for love or for revenge, I'll face him again."
Suddenly, the sound of boots striking stone echoed down the corridor. The heavy stomp of authority. Garrett appeared in the dim light, his cloak flowing behind him, his face unreadable, twisted with both frustration and fascination.
He stopped just outside her cell.
"Tell me," he said, coldly, "where are you from? Or I'll have you thrown even deeper. Somewhere darker. Somewhere you'll be forgotten."
Talon didn't even flinch.
He narrowed his eyes. "I said talk."
Slowly, she looked up. "I'll never answer a womaniser like you."
A flicker of pain flashed across Garrett's face, but he masked it with a scowl. "That was a mistake," he murmured. "I lost control. I said things I shouldn't have. But don't think silence makes you stronger."
Talon crossed her arms. She remained silent.
He began pacing, hands twitching with nerves.
"For the last time… who are you?"
Still, no answer.
He let out a sharp breath. "I can keep you down here forever. I can make sure no one ever hears your name again. Or·" he turned, eyes glinting·"I tear that bandage off your arm."
At that, Talon shifted just slightly. Enough for Garrett to notice.
He stepped closer, lowering his voice. "Why do you wear it? What are you hiding?"
"I was attacked," she said coolly. "That's all."
He stepped back, thinking. Then turned to the dungeon keeper. "Give me the keys."
The guard hesitated, but obeyed. The iron gate creaked open. Garrett stepped inside, the torchlight flickering across the scarred walls. He crouched beside Talon, his voice lowering to a near whisper.
"I think you're a Blackblood," he said. "That bandage? It's spoiled black underneath. You didn't hide it well."
He smirked.
"You know what that means, don't you? Thirty barrels of fine gold. Thirty bolts of silk. A lifetime of wheat from the Capital… All they want is your head. And here you are, right in my hands."
He grinned, but Talon didn't even blink. Her face was cold, still.
Garrett leaned closer, almost whispering against her ear.
"And I've got you."
He rose and turned, locking the gate behind him with a solid clang. His boots echoed as he walked away.
Talon finally shifted, her head lowered. A bitter smile touched her lips.
"You may think you've won, Garrett. But I'm still breathing. And as long as I'm breathing…"
She lifted her gaze, steel shining in her eyes.
"…someone's going to bleed."
..
Maybe someone will come through and save her ...Is it Janzo ... LET'S SEE