Elian stood in the stables, staring toward the mansion with anger raging inside him.
"I hate you," he muttered, teeth gritting together.
He sighed and looked away from the mansion, glancing around him. The supply of fresh hay was stacked at the end, the stalls cleaned and empty.
The black horse that usually kept him company was gone, too, like someone had taken them all out for a ride.
Slowly, he walked out of the stables, glancing toward the far-off gates where guards patrolled back and forth. He couldn't remember the last time he breathed the air outside those high walls, and he wondered if the village was still the same or if there might have been a few developments around.
He glanced back at the mansion and shook his head. "I can't even leave if I have the chance."
His mother was holding him back.
He suddenly gasped, biting his lip.
An idea just popped into his mind.
