Healer of Tigers

Torture

I awoken to doors slamming open and keys rattling. My arms were cuffed to the wall, I was hanging from them. It had been a couple of days since I had jumped off the cliff. Everyday since then I had been locked up in the cell. James kept coming, trying to ask me questions but I never answer them. So in anger, he whips me instead.

Today, was no different. "How do you know me?" I laughed.

"Why don't you ask your father. The person that raised you." This time was different, he put the whip down.

"He isn't my father, he is my Uncle." He sat down on the ground in front of where I was hanging.

"James... ask your Uncle who I am. He is the whole reason this war is going on..." That's when the cell door opened, James stood up.

"Yes, James why don't you ask me? Wait... instead I will just tell you who this girl is who you have been killing these past couple of days." James grabbed the whip.

"I haven't been trying to kill her. Just trying to get answers from her." Uncle laughed at his words.

"Didn't she tell you I switched out the whips, the one you have been using her was covered in poison. That poison has been very slowly killing her everyday. To answer you question, her name is Evangeline, she is your younger sister." James looked at me.

"What?!?" Uncle took a couple steps toward me.

"You my dear are going to die, very soon. Only if your Tiger Prince could come save you now..."

That's when I heard an explosion come from somewhere. I blinked a couple of times, one of the walls of the cell was crumbled. My Uncle was no where to be seen.

"James!!!" I screamed, he looked at me and ran toward me. Tears ran down my face.

"Evangeline, I-I'm s-so sorry!" I cupped my hands around his face.

"I-It's fine..." I wrapped my hands around his neck. He then lifted me up, we went through the crumbled wall. We were now in a courtyard of a black stoned castle. Tigers and panthers were fighting, blood covered the ground.

James ran toward the stables, he sat me down. "James, don't go. They don't know you are on our side. Go and get a carriage or wagon together. I will be right back." I then stood up with all my strength.

I saw a bow hanging from a wall, grabbing it with some arrows. "Where are you going?" I strapped on the quiver.

"I'm following you. Your going to need someone to protect your back." We made our way to some horses, we strapped four horses to a wagon. I loaded the wagon with weapons and maps. James was sited up on the bench. I climbed up into the back.

He flicked the reins and made our way to the gate. "James, go. I will be right behind you!' I yelled up to him.

I then jumped out of the wagon. I killed panthers with my bow, that's when a tiger jumped in front of me. "Eve..." It was Eric, he wrapped me up in hug.

"Tell the others we need to go!" Eric nodded, he shifted into his tiger. I climbed on his back and all of us ran toward the gate. I looked behind me.

I saw my Uncle climbing out of the broken wall. I shot an arrow at the gate, it closed behind us so the panthers couldn't follow us. I then collapsed, I felt myself hit the ground...