by J. G. Maltos
I feel a warm hand against my face. I look up. Koura hazel eyes peer down at me through his wet lashes. My eyebrows pull together as I let my emotions go. I bite down at my lower lip to keep myself from crying out. Koura sits on my bed and grips my head.
I freeze at his movement, but he doesn’t say a word. His thumb wipes away my tears and stops on my lips. My heart slams against my ribs. I can only stare. I don’t move closer but I also don’t pull away. I don’t know what I want, but I do know I don’t want to pull away.
Koura's long lashes brush against his cheeks as his eyes roam my face. His gaze lands on my lips. I hold my breath. Next thing, a softness slams against my lips.
Koura’s hand cups the back of my head. Without realizing it, I raise my wrapped hand and place it against his cheek. He laughs and puts my hand down. We separate and I notice a large smile plastered on his face.
“I—”
He places a finger against my lips. “Shhh, let's not ruin this moment I have only seen in my dreams.”
Blood rushes to my cheeks. “I wonder what else you dream about.”
He raises an eyebrow and smiles.“Rest.”
I smile against his hand. “Does this mean you aren’t mad at me anymore?”
His thumb caresses my cheek. “Oh I’m still livid. Now rest.”
I blink away the sleep. “I’m not tired.”
“I doubt that is true.” He pulls back and looks at me hesitantly. “You don’t have to tell me how you feel. But, I couldn’t hold my feelings any longer.”
I bite the inside of my cheek. “Well I am glad you told me.” I touch his hand lightly. “I do care for you, much more than you know.”
He takes a large breath. “You mean the world to me.” I laugh at his choice of words. “Now go to sleep. You need rest.”
I nod and slide in further into my bed. Koura tucks me in and kisses my forehead in the same spot Arie’s had minutes before. My stomach turns at the guilt I am feeling of not telling him about Aries.
Koura leaves my room and I am left alone. I am left with my thoughts and feelings. My finger traces my lips.
What just happened.
Two weeks have passed since the lightning guards found the camp. I am in much better traveling condition. Koura and I's relationship is not much different. We both agreed to focus on the task at hand, but that doesn’t mean we don’t share stolen kisses. I am not ready to let people know about Koura and me. I like what we have, it’s natural.
We have not changed our plans to head to the Earth kingdom. We are heading to the Forgotten Forest and making camp. When nightfall hits we will be making our way into the Earth Kingdom through an underground passage.
The Forgotten Forest is one of the largest forests in all the kingdoms. Many believe that there is a point within the forest that is impossible to escape. It becomes a labyrinth where not even our powers can help us escape.
It is rumored that the Divines are hidden deep within the Forgotten Forest, waiting for the Shadow Divine to return. But, we all know the Shadow crystal is destroyed and the Shadow Divine with it. I cannot imagine how Aries might feel. To be able to manifest into our realm for moments at a time but never to be able to experience life fully.
The routes we are taking to get into the camp are the same ones used to smuggle citizens out of the Earth Kingdom. A group travels to this camp hidden within the Forgotten Forest. Deep enough that people will not stumble into the camp but close enough to the edge that the forest will not take you.
We made it to the camp. Koura helps me down the horse and hands me my bag of supplies. Zee dismounted Bash horse and strolled to me with her bag over her shoulder. Her braids have come un-done from the ride. I can only imagine how I look. The camp already has tents and a fire pit from a previous mission into the Earth Kingdom. I turn to my right and see Davina’s crazy white hair. I cover my mouth from laughing out loud. She notices and scolds.
“Not. A. Word,” She threatens.
Nathaniel trails behind her, with a smirk on his face. “Well, that was a pleasant ride.”
Davina's head snaps to Nathaniel, “You better know how to sleep with your eyes open.”
Zee and I try to hold in our laughs at the scene unfolding in front of us. Nathaniel takes a step towards her and looks down at Davina. “I know how to do a lot of things.”
Davina's eyes widen, “That’s-” she stutters, “I have to go.” She blushes and rushes into her tent. Nathaniel smiles in triumph at her reaction.
“I think she is warming up to me,” he smirks.
I roll my eyes. “You have a lot to learn.” His smile falters and looks back at Davina's tent. Zee laughs and wraps an arm around me. We leave Nathaniel pondering his feelings.
I freshen up from the day's travel. I hear a noise outside my tents and decide to join the rest of the group. I look up at the sky and notice nightfall has hit once again. I walk towards the group that sits around the campfire.
Nathaniel notices me first and waves me over. His scar looks more profound in the light of the fire but does not dent his handsome appearance. I stand next to him and listen in on their plan.
"In a few hours, we will reach a sewer tunnel that hasn't been used in a long time. Once we go through the tunnel, there will be an opening. I will go first to make sure it's clear. Davina will go next and lead the way towards the informant's house. I will be the last one to follow. I'll make sure the entrance to the sewer tunnel is closed and sealed. Lightning Patrols are roaming the streets, so when Davina runs you all follow quickly and silently." Rowan stares at every one of us, letting us know there is no room for mistakes.
We all nodded in agreement.
"Once we get collected, Zee will plan out a map to get into the castle."
My stomach turns, so I try to distract myself and decide to talk to Davina. "Davina is a lovely name," I say.
Her bright blue eyes twinkle through the night, not surprised by my random compliment. "Thank you! It was my great-great grandmother's name." She stares at me for a moment. "Althea, I believe it means to heal." She leans her head closer as if to tell me a secret. I lean in also.
"A perfect name for a princess," she whispers. The winds pick up, causing part of her hair that has escaped her braid to flow across her face.
"Do you not get nervous sneaking into the kingdom?" I ask after a moment of silence.
"I do." She leans back into her hands, causing the dirt to shift beneath her palms. "But when I think about everything the people are going through right now, I think my fear must be nothing compared to theirs. Plus my fire powers are strong. My abilities are needed."
"Fire?"
Davina extends her hand. A red glow illuminates her palm. Red flames illuminate, benefiting her skin as she extends up her arm, answering my question. A speck of fire flutters appears on her palms. Davina smiles from the other side of her hands.
"Incredible," I whisper. Davina's eyes twinkle at my expression.
My attention turns toward her palm once more. The speck of fire moves and my eyes widen. The fire turns into a small fire girl dancing in circles. I look through the fire to Davina, asking her a silent question if what I am seeing is real. She nods and giggles then closes her palms and leans backward.
"That was beautiful!" I tell her. The delicacy and control she has over her fire is amazing. "What brings you to the order?"
"It's a long story, maybe for another time," she says.
"I guess everyone has their story."
"You have no idea." Her rosy lips tug into a smile.
We talk for a few minutes when I notice Nathaniel's intense gaze on Davina. His face is serious as he takes in her hand gestures as she speaks. I even caught him smiling when she mentions how she loves the beach and the smell of the ocean.
"How was the ride with Nathaniel?"
Her face reddens, “He is so infuriating.”
“I know how you feel,” I laugh, “But, he is harmless,” I assure her.
“H
ave you ever felt confused? Like you are constantly fighting with yourself about your feelings?” She asks. I look at her in surprise. I do know how that feels. I spare a glance at Koura as he is talking to Bash and Rowan about a mission. His eyes meet mine and he gives me a breathtaking smile.
Just as I am about to reply, Rowan steps toward us. "It's time."
Davina is the first to stand up. She offers her hand, which I gladly accept and she pulls me up. We leave the horses behind and follow him. I can feel the food we had eaten earlier crawl back up from the nerves. We create a large diamond formation with Rowan as the head of the group, followed by Davina, myself, and Zee behind me as the center.
Bash is to my right and Nathaniel is to my left covering our sides. Koura is at our end, making sure no one is following us. I take a big breath, trying to control my nerves, and then we head into the night once again. This time around we will be inside the gates of the Earth Kingdom.
Chapter 15
The sewer holds an overwhelming stench after years of abandonment. I have to tug my shirt over my nose and mouth as if that will prevent the smell from attacking me.
A brilliant red radiates over Davina's hand, illuminating the passageway before us. The light flickers against the men's faces, blazing with their tense stances.
We enter the sewer one by one, our boots splashing against the puddles that dotted the way. The sound of the water echoes within the sewer, but nothing loud enough to sound out of place. The sewer is a maze. Surprisingly, Rowan and Davina remember the passageway at all.
"We are near. Stay close," Rowan calls out from the front of our group. "There's an opening we have to climb through once the coast is clear.” We stop once for Zee to empty her stomach. I pull her braids back as I rub her back.
"I can't wait for fresh air." She gags.
I look down at her in sympathy. "Remember once when we were playing hide and seek with the soldiers' sons. We were so mad at them because they didn't think we could play because we were girls, so we decided to hide in the large trash bin outside the kitchen," I say, trying to distract her from the stench. "- is this the same or worse from when we hid there for hours?"
The memory stirs a laugh from Zee as she wipes her mouth. "This is definitely worse." She straightens her back. "At least in the bins I was able to lift my head for fresh air. Our hair smelled like trash for days. Your mother was so mad." She giggles softly as she gives her mouth one last wipe. I pat her back as I turn from her. I catch Davina's worried gaze on Zee but she quickly turns as Koura steps next to Zee.
As we reach the end, Rowan focuses on the latch that sat just above us at the end of a rusty collapsible ladder. His attention turns to Zee. "You think you can sense if there's anyone within a few kilometers?"
Zee scoffs and rolls up the cuffs of her sleeves. "How do you think I avoided the Elites back at the Frost Kingdom?"
Rowan eyes her warily before giving a final nod. He heads toward the edge of the wall where the ladder hangs and with one strong tug, pulls the ladder to stretch down onto the ground. He gestured his head towards it.
Zee climbs the ladder and places a palm against the iron of the latch. She closes her eyes and after a second I noticed the steady movement of her chest as she controls her breathing. I remember this technique from when I started my training. It is the first thing the council required me to learn.
On the surface, it is simply searching for the vibrations that echo within the Earth, but it serves a greater purpose. I remember when I first latched onto a vibration. It was like a soft humming that echoed into my bones. It wrapped around my heart and I found myself melting into its sound. My heart itself became like vibration and it was as if I had become one with the Earth, not losing myself but finding an extension of me. It was such a calming experience.
All that seems so far away now. There's no soft humming within me, just chaotic quakes.
I'm not sure when Koura made his way to me, but I suddenly feel his breath near my ear. "You okay, Al?" he whispers. "Are you having doubts?"
"No," I say a little too quickly. He quirks an eyebrow at me, and I tried again with a steadier voice. "No, no doubts. I was just thinking."
"About?" he pushes.
"Earthquakes." This confuses him even more, but Zee's voice pulls all our attention away.
"It's all clear." She wipes her hands against the legs of her pants after coming back down. "There's two—maybe three—sets of footsteps, but they are heading East, away from us. We should be fine if we're careful enough."
Rowan accepts this and climbs the ladder. He tucks his chin into his chest before twisting the handle of the latch with a single hand. Almost immediately dirt and debris fall through the cracks, coating his head and shoulders. With a soft creak, he manages to push through the latch and lays it carefully down. Seconds pass before he peeks his head down at us.
"All clear," he assures and signals us to follow.
Zee falls behind Davina, who is already up the ladder. "It's what I said," I hear her grumble. Nathaniel tries to stifle a laugh, but the echo within the tunnel is so sensitive it still manages to reach her halfway up the ladder.
She scowls down at him, but in the moment of distraction loses her footing and comes down a couple of inches. In a flash, Nathaniel is up the ladder, one hand on either side of the rails just below her waist, holding her in place. The ladder clashes against the wall of the tunnel, sending a clatter bouncing out around us.
Rowan peeks through again, this time an irritated look on his face. "Ring a bell while you're at it. I don't think the next town overheard us."
A blush creeps up Zee's neck, but I had a feeling it had less to do with almost face planting onto the ground. She mumbles an apology and begins her way up again. Nathaniel comes back down, gives me a reassuring smile, and steps aside.
"You're up, Princess." Nathaniel lifts a hand towards the rail. I take a hesitant step forward and stop just shy of the ladder as a sudden thought comes to me.
"The Earth Kingdom is right there isn't it?" I struggle to raise my voice above a whisper. "It's really there?"
"Althea?" Koura comes to my side, his voice somber. "I'm sure you know, but it's not the same kingdom it was all those years ago."
"Can it really be that bad?"
He stays quiet for a moment, perhaps debating the right thing to say. "It won't be for long. Not anymore. Not with you back on the throne."
I take his words in. Although they sit heavy on my chest, practically anchoring me down in place, I push myself up the ladder and through the opening on the other side. My heart sinks to my feet. No amount of words could have prepared me for what had become of my kingdom. What I remember to be rock sturdy homes lay crushed on the ground. The once beautiful white roads are now nothing but dirt and gravel that picks up dust into the wind easily.
The poles that lined the streets, once holding vibrant green and silver flags, now stood crooked like claws reaching from beneath the ground. Large statues that decorated the kingdom stood headless, taunting me. I am almost thankful that the blanket of the night made it harder to distinguish the rubble from the dirt. A foggy mist had also landed through the night, giving my kingdom a sense of death.
"Oh my--" Zee's pained whisper reaches me, and I realize I'm not the only one seeing the remains of their home for the first time. She held her head in her hands, her shoulders shaking with the weeps she struggled to contain. Davina makes her way to her and rests a soothing palm on her back.
Koura comes next to me. His face shows nothing but grief as he takes in the kingdom. His stare settles on me, maybe waiting for the obvious reaction, but I feel numb. My beautiful kingdom once filled with life, laughter, and beauty is nothing but an empty shell. The mist appears to be sucking the very life away from everything it touches. My kingdom is dead. Its spirits are broken just as mine has been.
I see so much of myself in my kingdom. It’s stripped to its very core. It too has been taken away forcefully, mistreated, and crush
ed. There is nothing left for both of us. I don't have time to grieve at the loss of my kingdom as I hear Rowan cover the latch with dirt and grass, urging us to continue. I wonder if he'd seen this too many times that now it doesn't affect him as it does us.
My anger boils as we quickly follow Davina through the broken town. We pass a burned park where a once beautiful wooden pergola stands torn and forgotten. The small shops are either boarded up or broken into. The houses are no different. It is obvious there were no conditions to live in.
We keep pushing forward. I quickly notice there is no one outside, but questionable eyes peeking through broken windows. I was not the only one. Koura's eyes also scan our surroundings. I would have easily believed the kingdom was deserted if it weren't for the feeling of burning stares that landed on my back. The thought that my people are scared to leave their homes at any time of day or night made my hate toward the Lightning Kingdom grow larger. They aren’t safe, and they knew it.
Rowan manages to catch up and leads the group into one of the broken homes. The boarded-up windows mirror the ones we’ve walked past. Dried roses shrivel by the door. I know that would have broken my mother's heart. Inside, torn couches line up the sides, and dust echoes behind us with each footstep.
"Is this where we'll be staying?" I say as I take in the empty space that seems to be a living room.
"What?" Rowan smacks a bug from the armrest of the couch. "Not as pretty as your chambers, Princess?"
My face twists into a scowl. "Let's just say these conditions aren't the worst for me."
"Right," He grimaces before heading to a door leaving the room. "Well, to answer that first question: yes, this is our hideout. Kind of." He's gone before I can ask anything else. Zemirah and I simply shrug at each other before chasing him down the hall. Rowan scurries to a back room and settles in front of a blank wall. I give Koura a questioning glance, but he keeps his alerted eyes on Rowan’s back. Rowan knocks an interesting beat against the wall, and much to our surprise, comes a sound of latches unlocking. He pushes against the wall and it caves in enough for him to create an opening large enough for us to squeeze through.
