Page 21 of His Captive

“Why should I? This is my father’s estate. This butterfly belongs to me,” he says with a cruel grin.

“It doesn’t belong to anyone. Let it go, please. It’s a rare Snow Tail,” Millie begs.

“Whoooo, you hear that boys? This is a rare one. Maybe it will die quicker because its species is weak.” He lowers his face to hers. “Just like your pathetic friend.”

I pick up my pace, storming toward him. Millie immediately abandons her struggle to retrieve the jar and races toward me, meeting me somewhere between my long strides and the impact my fist is gonna have with his jaw. I intend to fight all his pathetic friends too if I have to.

“Please don’t Ethan.” She holds my cheeks between her soft hands.

“Please, you will get in trouble. Your father will ground you and then we won’t be able to play together. Please, Ethan. For me.”

I close my eyes before letting out a frustrated breath. As if I could ever go against her wishes with those pretty tear-filled eyes pleading with me.

Loosening my fists, I sag my shoulders, and she nods at me reassuringly before turning around.

“Please let the butterfly go, Ivan, it will die without oxygen,” she begs and I see how much pleasure it gives him.

“Sorry Millie, but this butterfly’s mine now. I decide if it lives, or if it dies. Tell your daddy’s servant boy to find his own way home, and to keep off my father’s property. I will walk you back”

Millie goes to protest, but he stops her.

“Or…I will tell your daddy that I saw you two kissing.” His arms fold over his chest proudly.

“Liar! You know me and Ethan are friends!”

Her response stabs at my chest and makes Sorrento snarl right at me. And she turns back round to face me looking defeated.

“My daddy would stop letting me walk with you to school,” she says sadly.

“It’s okay Mill, go with him. I’ll make a cut across the orchard.” I look past her, staring back at him with all the hate my body can rally together. Millie strokes my cheek and smiles me a smile full of sadness before she picks up her school bag from the ground and makes her way toward him. Sorrento peers over his shoulder at me as she starts walking beside him, and they get further away from me.

I kick every gate post on the way home, get back to our empty cottage and go straight to my room. I lay out on my bed and think of all the ways I could get Sorrento back, not a single one of them being without consequences.

I want to make him hurt, especially when I think of the butterfly slowly losing oxygen.

One less of its species all because of his cruelty.

I think of Millie, and how her heart will be breaking at the thought of it.

Ivan Sorrento has to pay.

When Dad comes home from work, we eat our dinner in silence, and I tell him I’m feeling ill. Then I wait until he’s drunk himself into a self-induced coma before I pull on my boots and sneak out of the house. The darkness doesn’t frighten me, the wind wrapping around the trees and the strange sounds that echo from the night creatures don’t scare me either.

All I fear was being too late to save Millie’s butterfly.

I stand outside the Sorrento mansion, the biggest property for miles, arrogantly overlooking the small town below it.

Then stalk around until I find an open window. I peek my head inside the laundry room, it’s empty. So I force myself through the small window and sneak inside.

It’s late, and I suspect everyone will be asleep, but I’m still cautious as I creep into the main hall and up the stairs. A floorboard creaks behind me, causing me to stop, slowly spinning myself around. I breathe again when I realize it’s only Buddy.

Buddy is the same age as us, his momma works as a housekeeper for the Sorrento’s. Looking at me now, he doesn’t seem too fazed by the fact that I’m breaking in during the night. Instead he lifts his hand and points his finger to a door just across the hall.

I’ve always been kind to Buddy, the kids at school like to tease him. But Millie is protective of him, and so I protect him too. When I turn back to thank him, he’s already gone.

Creeping toward the door, I open it slowly. Ivan is sprawled out on the bed, snoring soundly without a single care in the world. My eyes move past him, to the glass jar placed on his desk. I see no signs of life coming from it.

Stepping closer, I take it into my hands and shake the jar. Hoping to see movement, a slight patter of wings, or a twitch of antenna. Anything.

---