WattpadUrbanFantasy prompt: While visiting friends in the city, you come across a secret you were never meant to find, all those stories you were told as a kid suddenly become very real, and very angry that you now know the truth about them. What will they do to keep their secret?

Disturbed by the witch's parting words, Evangeline sat huddled on the floor, leaning against her bed and tracing the outline of a wooden box filled with colorful feathers. Her thoughts kept returning to the photograph now resting on her desk, capturing a moment of joy among her closest friends.

The witch's warning echoed in her mind, stirring doubts and suspicion. The possibility of betrayal weighed heavily on her heart, overshadowing the memories she held dear.

Unable to ignore the gnawing uncertainty, Evangeline forced herself to retrace recent events. Malik had been there when she got her tattoo, and Olivia was aware of her visit to the Underworld and her search for the witch. Jackson, on the other hand, had been back home in the neighboring city, oblivious to everything.

Yet, Olivia and Malik expressed nothing but concern for her.

A throbbing headache intensified her turmoil. She massaged her temples before her fingers sought the smoothness of the feathers. They were a reminder of Jackson's willingness to go the extra mile to help her collect them.

With a newfound surge of energy, Evangeline jumped in her car. Hours later, she found herself standing at his doorstep. She took a deep breath, questioning her decision.

With trembling hands, she knocked on the door. The seconds ticked by in agonizing suspense until the door swung open, revealing Jackson's surprised expression.

Their eyes met, and Evangeline saw something flicker in his gaze as she tried her best to reign in her shock. Swallowing hard, she cleared her throat. "Oh, uh, hey there!"

Confusion furrowed his brows but he smiled nonetheless. "Angie, what're you doing here? Is everything okay?"

"Yeah, yeah," she drawled, laughing sheepishly in an attempt to mask her wavering voice. "I was just passing by and thought I'd check on you."

Jackson rolled his eyes. "Are you on one of your infamous adventures again?"

Evangeline pursed her lips. "Yeah...yeah, you can say that."

"Alright, I was just making lunch." He opened the door wider. "Come on in, let's eat together."

Evangeline took a hesitant step inside, dragging her feet to the couch. Jackson returned to the kitchen and she sat down, glad her hair wasn't in its usual braid so it can shield her face from his prying eyes as hers stung from suppressed tears.

Jackson went on and on about his latest expedition until his voice slowly faded when he sensed her mood and unresponsiveness.

"What's wrong, Angie? You're not yourself today."

Evangeline swallowed the lump in her throat and mustered the courage to speak. The weight of their shared history, the memories they had forged, hung in the air, adding to the intensity of the moment.

"You lied to me," she croaked.

His silence cemented her conclusion. Jackson neither asked what she meant nor tried to whip up lame excuses.

Her shoulders shook as fat droplets burned down her cheeks. "What? Can't you lie to me again and say that I'm wrong?" Evangeline pinned him with a glare as she faced him. "You're a dragon too," her voice came out stronger than she felt. "How long were you planning to hide that from me, huh?"

She's known from the moment her eyes landed on his amber aura.

Slowly, Jackson's face contorted with conflicting emotions, but eventually, the truth spilled forth in his hardened gaze that faded into darkness as a sudden blow was delivered to the side of her neck, effectively knocking her out.

Evangeline stirred awake to utter darkness and tried to sit up only to find her limbs tightly bound. A disgusting odor invaded her nostrils – like a container of raw meat that hasn't been cleaned for a while. She scrunched up her nose and willed her heart to calm down.

It didn't take long, however, for the door to fling open and Evangeline realized she was being held captive inside a truck, transported like cargo. A stranger dragged her out and led her through a maze of eerie and dim paths until they stood in front of an altar.

It was wide and covered with ancient carvings. Her eyes widened as they pulled her toward the ancient slab. Evangeline realized she was nothing but a sacrificial lamb.

Forced to her knees, Jackson looked down at her. The room fell silent, tension thick in the air as she searched helplessly for a flicker of regret, of his old self that she's grown to know for years. Yet, there was nothing.

"Was it all a lie?" Her voice was drenched with the bitter taste of betrayal.

Jackson exhaled, motioning for the men to leave.

"Who are you really, Jackson? You've always been an enemy, haven't you?"

His rigid form circled her trembling figure. Then, he stopped in front of her again.

"No, I've only joined the organization a while before the Atlantic expedition."

"Organization?"

He shrugged, figuring he owed her as much. "Anastasius is an organization that seeks the revival of a few supernatural beings. A group of them, dragons like you and I, were tasked with Tiamat's resurrection."

All those stories she heard growing up about such a secret group were very real. Tears sprung to her eyes. "Why didn't you tell me?"

"How can I tell you, Angie, that you were a valuable asset in our quest?"

"Asset? Is that all I was to you?"

Jackson looked away. "You were important, the compass leading us to the artifacts necessary for our plans."

"The orbs? The Drakonite?" When he nodded, she seethed. "You claimed it was an ordinary rock, you fucking liar!"

Jackson stepped away, ordering the men to bind each limb to a corner of the altar where each of the skulls she found rested. Evangeline struggled, twisting and turning in vain.

"Why are you doing this?" She yelled in a final attempt to dissuade him. "She's evil, Jack, and you know it!"

Jackson, however, turned his back to her. "There's no point in fighting, Angie, it's time you accepted your fate. Curiosity always killed the cat."

Word count: 1000.

MEANING OF THE WORDS USED:

Anastasius: a Greek name, meaning 'rebirth or resurrection'.

Important note: a little background for Jackson's draconian blood

The jaculus is a small mythical serpent or dragon nicknamed "the javelin snake" because of its penchant for leaping from trees to impale its victims. Jaculus' English pronunciation is ideal, as you can shorten it to "Jack." What a sweet epithet for such a viscous backstory. 

This has always been the reason behind choosing the name Jackson for the character going to betray our FMC.