by S L Dearing
"Lilliana, Sam understands more than you think. He knows what must be done."
Elena walked over to Sam and gently touched his face.
"The universe is made up of the dark and the light with much gray in between. Evil comes in all forms and it never dies. War is the necessary result, unfortunately. I have seen much of it in my life… too much. For centuries our people have been the victims of hate, but here in this new world, we all have learned to tolerate one another."
She took her daughter's face in her hands.
"This is a world worth fighting for, Lily. This mission is more than just a rescue. It will define the future. This is your son's destiny. Be brave, My Love."
"Oh, Mama!"
Lily let go of Sam and grabbed her mother, sobbing into her chest.
"There. There now, My Love, have faith."
Elena looked at her grandson and smiled. He felt a tear roll down his cheek.
"You, Boy, must accept the inevitable and go without fear. Go willingly and without fear. Remember that, Samuel."
Sam nodded.
"Sam?"
Larry and Corey Hearst had entered the apartment and walked to the bedroom.
"I take it you're going?" Larry asked.
"Yes, Sir."
Corey stepped forward.
"Me, too."
Larry looked at Corey and laid a hand on his shoulder.
"No, Son… I need you to stay here and help protect the Fail. I need you to look after your mother while I'm away."
Corey started to protest, but Larry squeezed Corey's shoulder.
"Don't argue with me, Corey, please."
Corey stopped and lowered his head.
"Yes, Sir."
Lily detached herself from her mother and walked over to Larry. She stood in front of him with angry, accusing eyes. Then she slapped him and started to cry. She continued to slap and hit him and he let her carry on for a few moments as she her vented her anger and frustration, then he grabbed her and held her close.
"I'll bring her home safe, Lily, I swear it. I'll bring her back."
"I want all of you back…you bring everyone back."
The Hearsts held one another until it was time to gather in the Dining Hall. Elena, Lily and Corey watched Larry and Sam head out. As they walked across the village, Elena watched as a raven landed on Sam's Shoulder.
She smiled.
95
Alia sat down in the main room with the children. Their eyes were red and swollen, as were Alia’s, and she took a deep breath.
“I need for you all to understand that I’m going to get Coeli and the girls.”
“No, Mommy!” Sara and Rebecca yelled.
Brandon started to cry quietly and Brian frowned and tried to hold back his tears, desperately wiping away the wetness around his eyes. Kaley put her hands over her eyes and Tanner looked at his mother. Amanda got up and started to cry.
“You promised!! You said you weren’t going anywhere… you promised!! You’re a liar!! Just like Alisha, you're both liars!!!”
“Amanda, please try to understand…”
“NO, LIAR!”
Alia grabbed Amanda who started hitting and kicking her. Alia let her tears fall and just tried to hold Amanda close until she gave in and collapsed in her mother’s arms, sobbing. Alia continued to rock her youngest as Lisa climbed up on her lap as well. Alia wrapped her other arm around her.
“I don’t want to leave any of you, but I have to get your sister. Rona said I had to go. I can’t let your sister die because I didn’t go get her.”
Tanner looked up at his mother.
“I’m coming with you.”
Alia shook her head. Tanner glared at his mother and crossed his arms in front of him.
“I love you, Mom, but I’m eighteen. You can’t tell me what to do. I’m going. They have my sister, my girlfriend, and my brother’s girlfriend… I’m going.”
He turned and walked out of the room, as Sean walked in. When Tanner got a few steps past him, he stopped and turned.
“I’m going.”
Then he went up the stairs. Sean watched him go, then turned to the group in the main room. He frowned and walked towards them. Sara jumped up and ran into his arms.
“Please, Sean, stop her! Don’t let her go!”
Sean held Sara and looked at Alia. Her eyes were swollen and red. Amanda wouldn’t let go and Lisa had buried her face in Alia’s chest. In that second, he understood what had happened and he stared at Alia.
“No one is going anywhere.”
Alia closed her eyes and then looked at Kaley.
“Kaley, Sweetheart, I need you to take the kids upstairs. Sara, help your sister.”
Begrudgingly, Sara left Sean’s arms and helped gather the younger children. Kaley had to peel Amanda from Alia.
"No, no, Mommy!! I want my Mommy!!"
Kaley let silent tears fall as she carried Amanda from the room. Rebecca and Brian continued to look over their shoulders at Alia as they walked out of the room and up the stairs. Sean’s gaze never left Alia.
“I changed my mind, you’re not going.”
Alia rested her elbows on her knees, put her head in her hands and rubbed her eyes as she breathed deeply. She sniffed and stood up. Then she looked at Sean.
“Yes, I am.”
“You can’t go, that’s what they want, Al! I’ll go.”
“Look, I…”
“No, you look! You’re not going… these kids need you! These people need you!!”
“ENOUGH!”
Sean stopped and stared as Alia continued.
“They will kill them!! Do you understand?! I have to go, no one else. Rona said I had to come!! You’re the one who’s staying, Sean.”
He shook his head.
“I don't understand why I can't come. Yeah, I know, you need me to take care of the kids and the village, but…”
“I can’t have you there!! I'll need my wits about me, Sean. It's bad enough they have the kids. I can’t have you there, too! I can't have them hurt you to get to me and they will if they have the chance."
Sean ran his hand across his face and looked at the floor. Alia's face softened and she looked at him.
"And if I don’t…”
“I don’t want to hear it!”
“You will hear it!”
Sean sat down and covered his head with his arms and then rubbed his face as Alia continued.
“… If I don’t come back…I need you to raise my kids, Sean. I need you to do that.”
He stayed in the chair. Alia moved in front of him and knelt down. She gently moved his hands away from his face and saw that he was crying. He touched her cheek.
“I have dreams, too, you know. I have dreams, too.”
"I love you, Sean, so much and I have every intention of coming back, but I'm not stupid. They want something from me, and it can't be good, but they've taken my daughter to get me. The fucking bitch knew exactly how to get to me."
Sean covered his mouth with his hand and looked at Alia. His heart was breaking. She touched his face and took a long deep breath.
"You and Janeen were right. I should have gotten rid of Rona when I had the chance and now I've got to deal with it. Promise me you'll do as I ask, Sean… promise me."
"I hate this. I hate that you're asking me to do this."
"You know I'm right."
Sean nodded and pulled Alia into his arms, burying his face into her neck and squeezing tightly.
"Promise me, Sean."
He pulled back and looked into her eyes. Then he nodded.
"I promise. Just make sure you come back."
"Sean…"
"Give me that, Alia…Promise me you'll come back."
Alia stared into his eyes.
"I promise."
"I can't live without you, Al. I can't."
He pulled her to him and kissed her. She closed her eyes and in this one moment, she was safe. While they were still in their embrace,
Rebecca walked back into the room.
"Mommy?"
They parted and Alia and Sean stood up. Alia turned to her daughter as Sean turned towards the fireplace and wiped his eyes.
"I just wanted you to know that I understand. I hate it, but I understand."
Alia smiled through her tears and walked towards her daughter. Rebecca ran to her mother's arms.
"Thank you, Baby."
As they embraced, Sara, Brian and Kaley also emerged. Brain stepped up.
"Me too, Mom. I understand, but I'm not happy about it."
Alia shook her head and knelt down in front of him.
"I'm not happy about it either, Sweetheart, but thank you. I need you to be strong and help with the kids, ok?"
Brian started to cry again and nodded, then hugged his mother. Kaley explained that they had put the younger children to bed.
"Well, since I've made all these promises to come back from this little journey, I'd better make sure that I do, huh?"
The children all smiled and nodded. Alia finished hugging them.
"Ok, I've got a lot to do, so why don't you guys take it easy and I'll check in on you later, ok?"
They all nodded and turned to leave the room.
"Guys?"
They all stopped and turned around.
"I love you."
"We love you, too, Mommy."
Then they turned and went upstairs. Alia watched them leave and then turned back to Sean.
"We need to find Janeen, Myron and Vivian. We don't have much time left before we meet up with the other leaders… and I need to see my son… my Chris."
Alia's face grew dark. Sean nodded and touched Alia's face as he walked out of the room. Once he was gone, she fell to her knees and grabbed her stomach. She wanted to throw up. She had just lost another child, her precious Alisha was gone and they had taken her Coeli. Chris lay in a coma, fighting for his life. They had killed Ferage and she had felt the life drain from him. They were forcing her to leave her children. They were probably going to kill her.
In that moment, she stopped crying and stood up. If they wanted a fight, she would give them one.
96
The leaders had formulated a plan quickly and now those who were leaving packed their horses and said good-bye to their loved ones. Sean watched them from the castle steps as Molly walked up next to him.
"You ok?"
Sean raised his eyebrows and turned to look at her. He nodded.
"Sure."
"My horse is packed."
Sean closed his eyes and frowned.
"You too, huh?"
"Yes, Sir."
Sean nodded again as he forced himself to come to terms with the fact the woman he loved and the child he had raised were walking head first into hell without him. The pain of his sister's death, the War, his castle by the sea, his best friend and his children, murdered and the lovely golden-haired girl who washed out to sea, whose name he couldn't remember hit him all at once. He turned and took Molly's face in his hands.
"Ok, but right now I'm Sean the dad, not the captain, got me?"
Molly's almond eyes grew large and she nodded.
"Not one day goes by that I don't revel in the amazing young woman you've become. I made Alia promise to come back, Mol, I need that same promise from you."
"Sir…"
Sean frowned.
"Shad…"
It had been years since she had allowed herself to call him that. Her eyes began to tear.
"I promise, Shad… I promise I'll come back."
He smiled and nodded, then kissed her forehead and wrapped his arms around her. She smiled and felt the lump in her throat as she fought back her emotions. She had missed this part of their relationship more than she realized. Sean then pulled back and cleared his throat, once again showing the composure of her captain.
"Alright, make me proud, Creegan."
Molly nodded and started to walk away but stopped and walked back up to him. He could see in her eyes that she was still his little girl and not the soldier he had become so familiar with.
"I want you to make me a promise, Sir."
"What's that, Creegan?"
"When I get back and I'm not on duty, Sir, I want us to be Molly and Shad. I think it's only fair, Sir. You're the only father I have and I want that back."
Sean fought off the wave of emotion that hit him and again cleared his throat. He nodded.
"Ok, Creegan. I can promise to do that…you just make good on your promise, you got that?"
She smiled and stepped back.
"Yes, Sir."
She turned and walked towards her horse and Arthur Jones. Sean rubbed his eyes and walked into the crowd, barking orders to his soldiers. Finally, he walked up to Myron, already seated on his horse as his wife Carolyn moved back towards Janeen, who had just finished saying good-bye to Connie. Sean looked up at him and extended his hand.
Myron looked down and took it firmly. His face was grave as he looked at his friend, and then Sean broke into a smile.
"Watch your ass, Old Friend."
"Better than watching yours."
They laughed and held fast for a moment, then Sean let go and walked to Alia. She was about to mount her horse, but stopped and looked at him. She put her hand on his face and then leaned in and kissed him. He smiled, but she could see the fear in his eyes.
"Remember, you promised."
She nodded and smiled.
"I remember."
Sean turned as Janeen walked over.
"I heard you promised to get back here alive and in one piece."
Alia smiled and nodded. Janeen's eyes were wet with tears and she wiped her face.
"Ok, just make sure you do, Al. Come hell or high water, right?"
Alia smiled and held her friend.
"Right. Mean old ladies… you and me, right?"
Janeen pulled back and smiled.
"I'm already a mean old lady. I love you, Al."
"I love you, Neen."
She embraced her friend once more and then watched as Janeen walked back into the crowd, lightly running her hand over Connie's leg as she walked past her. Then Alia lifted herself onto the steed.
Grant and Ian Turner were packing their horses as they said goodbye to Ellen and Kaley. Ian hugged his mother and then took Kaley's face in his hands.
"I'll be back soon."
Kaley started to cry as she nodded and smiled. Ian held her, knowing that he was going to break down any instant.
"C'mon, Babe, I need you to be strong."
Kaley pulled back and smiled.
"I know. Just don't take too long, okay?"
Ian smiled.
"Ok."
"C'mon, Son."
Ian looked at his father, then back at Kaley and kissed her. As they parted, he again hugged his mother and kissed her cheek. Then he mounted his horse.
Alia looked around her. She made a mental note of those who were coming with her. Grant and Ian Turner, Myron, Larry and Sam Hearst, Scott Forrester, Elian Merganser, Connie, Todd and Quinn, Molly and Arthur, soldiers from the other camps as well as their own, and in the back, away from the troops, was Vance. She pried her gaze from him and looked at the other soldiers who were going, their young faces determined to follow her anywhere.
She raised herself high in her saddle as she heard the gates of the Fail open.
"All right, let's go!"
Myron stood in his stirrups.
"You heard Her Majesty!! We ride for San Bernardino!!"
Alia Stark turned her horse and charged out the gate, followed by the thundering of hooves. She couldn't help but think, only a few days ago she was doing this very same thing. Only then she was hunting for deer and boar, this time she was hunting something else.
97
Coeli awoke on the horse. She was disoriented for a moment, but soon remembered what had happened. She looked over at Rona who was riding in front of her and scowled. Then she remembered the girls. She lo
oked behind her and saw that they were asleep. She hoped that they weren't dreaming. The horses moved slowly though the darkness, but Coeli recognized some of the surrounding landscape. She remembered her dreams and shuddered.
“Can you hear me?”
“Schepta!”
“Yes, Friend.”
“Oh, Schepta, your father…”
“Not now, My Friend, know this, your mother is coming for you.”
“She can't come, Schepta… it's a trap. Please stop her.”
“She is already on her way, Coeli.”
“No!”
“Be strong and have faith, I am always with you.”
Coeli felt her eyes well up with tears as the connection faded and she was alone again. When she raised her head, she noticed that Blaylock was riding next to her.
"Awake, I see."
She stared forward. He smiled at her and looked her up and down. She was very pretty. He hoped that the Master would be generous.
"You're a tough one, aren't you?"
Coeli continued to stare.
"Yes, I see that. Well, you should get your rest, Princess."
Coeli turned and looked at him.
"Ah, yes, Princess…Rona told me."
"What do you want with us?"
"Oh, she speaks."
He laughed.
"Well, the Master needs your mommy and we need you to get your mommy to come willingly to the castle… something to do with the old magic. You're just bait."
Coeli furrowed her brow.
"Why does he want my mother?"
Blaylock sighed.
"Not sure, really…something to do with magic and a goddess and an amulet… I'm not really into that stuff."
"Then why help him?"
"Why not? Besides, his magic gets me what I want."
"What's that?"
Blaylock turned and stared at her in a way that made her blood run cold. She felt herself cower from his gaze.
"Little girls like you."
He continued to leer at her and then broke into laughter as he rode ahead.
"Get some sleep, Princess. We've still got a long way to go."
Coeli shuddered and again the tears fell. She closed her eyes and thought of home.
