Starlight (The Lightning Strike Trilogy Book 1)

by K. A. Rygaard

  We waited silently for two minutes, the silence only breaking for the few passing Gnomes, murmuring “Kahi,” and bowing. The doors opened and Piran stepped outside.

  “King Eamon would like ye inside, Kahi,” he stated, motioning inside.

  I stepped forward and went by him.

  The room I came into is large and round. In front of me, against the wall, is a large, dark oak desk. Sitting behind it is an old Gnome, who I would have recognized as Niall’s father anywhere. He stood as he saw me and bowed, as did the five guards stationed around the room.

  King Eamon straightened and gestured to the chair in front of his desk, looking at me. I moved to it and sat. There came an awkward silence that made me uneasy. Eamon broke the silence.

  “Your Majesty, it is wonderful to finally be meeting you.”

  “It’s wonderful to meet you, too, King Eamon.”

  The old Gnome smiled.

  “What can I help you with, Queen Emma?”

  “You may not be aware of this, but there is a battle between Lucas and his followers, including Abarims, against us. By us, I mean the Garders, half of Capitol City Academy, and hundreds more volunteers.”

  Eamon sighed.

  “I was not aware, as we usually avoid the Capitol. The new President does not approve of Gnomes.”

  “Pardon me?”

  “I am not sure why he disapproves. Keenan did not seem to have a problem with us, but all are different.”

  “Keenan had many secrets when he was alive,” I said. “Many involving myself and Zach.”

  “Ah, yes, I remember that. My son, Niall, told me something of the sort.”

  “How is Niall?”

  “He is well, Queen Emma, thank you for asking.” He paused. “I am taking to the liking that you came to ask for help?”

  “Yes, I did. We are in dire need of help in Capitol City, and the Kensworth are the only ones left that I have some connection with. Gnomes will always be able to travel freely as long as Zach and I rule, King Eamon, I promise you. I will speak with Rising.”

  “Queen Emma, I agreed the moment you said the reason you came here! Of course, the Kensworth will help!”

  “Really? Thank you!”

  “You are quite welcome. Rohan, fetch Niall for me. Do not give any reason.”

  “Yes, King Eamon,” murmured the Gnome who is standing near a door to our left. He turned around and went through it.

  “I will send with you my best Gnomes, including Niall. However, you must promise their protection.”

  “Nothing will happen to any of them, King Eamon,” I promised.

  “Thank you. Kean!”

  Another Gnome rushed forward and bowed to both of us.

  “Yes, King Eamon?”

  “Tell Declan to gather together twenty of his best. Tell him he is to go, as well, and they are to wait at the entrance for Queen Emma and Niall, then proceed to Capitol City.”

  “Yes, King Eamon.”

  Kean turned around and ran away. As soon as he had left, the door in which Rohan had left from opened. Two Gnomes walked in, one, Rohan, following the other, Niall.

  Niall stopped dead when he saw me.

  “Emma?” he asked.

  “Hi, Niall.”

  He smiled.

  “Wonderful to see you again! How, may I ask, is Zach?”

  “He’s doing fine, Niall.”

  “That is good!” Niall turned to his father. “Yes, Father?”

  “Niall, you are to accompany Queen Emma, Declan, and twenty of his best to Capitol City to help the Kahi, the Garders, and the good battle Lucas Adler, his minions, and the Abarims.”

  “Another battle! Adler is really outdoing himself this time. But of course, Father, I will go.”

  “Good. Stay safe; protect the Kahi. Have triumph!” said King Eamon.

  “We will have triumph,” agreed Niall. He turned to me. “Queen Emma, this way, please.”

  He walked to the door in which I had come and stopped there, waiting for me. King Eamon took my hands in his.

  “Dearest Queen, have strength and faith, and you will triumph. Luck be with you all,” said King Eamon, bowing deeply to me again as he stood.

  “Thank you, King Eamon.”

  I stood and followed Niall out of King Eamon’s room.

  “Are you ready, Queen Emma and Master Niall?” asked Caledon.

  Niall looked at me and I nodded.

  “Yes, we are, Caledon,” he responded.

  “Very well, follow me.”

  Caledon turned and walked back down the hallway. More Gnomes stopped and bowed to both Niall and myself.

  “Do you take a liking to my Father?” asked Niall.

  “Yes, he seems wonderful,” I responded.

  “He is a great man. How is King Zachary? I heard you two married.”

  I smiled.

  “We did, in Rigel. I—I left him in Capitol City. . . I don’t—”

  “I am sure he is fine. I could tell he is a strong warrior.”

  Caledon, Niall, and I reached the entrance where Declan and twenty other powerful-looking Gnomes were waiting. We stopped when we got there and Caledon bowed his way out. Declan walked forward and handed Niall a bow staff. We headed out when the guards opened the doors, and Declan looked around.

  “It’s safe to go,” he whispered. “Ready, Queen Emma?”

  I nodded and we all teleported to outside the Academy. We faltered.

  N-No one’s fighting. . .

  And the Winner Is

  Bodies are strewn across the premises, and it made the Gnomes and me distraught. The rain was coming down in a downpour.

  “And I wanted to fight,” muttered one Gnome in the back.

  “It’s over,” Niall announced, “and the Abarims are dead, by the looks of it. . . Including Esdid.”

  I couldn’t feel the current. It—It feels as if something is blocking it.

  “I—I have to find Zach,” I whispered. “You can go. Th—” I looked at Niall.

  “Later. Find Zachary. We will leave when I know you are both safe.”

  I nodded and ran off, looking for Zach. Once I got away from the Academy, I found Jessie.

  “Jess, have you seen Zach? Please tell me you’ve seen him.”

  She shook her head.

  “I haven’t, Em, not since we split up. D’you think—”

  But I stopped her.

  “Jessie, stop. What about Lucas? Have you seen him?”

  She shook her head again, her expression telling me she wasn’t being optimistic.

  “I have to go,” I said, running off again.

  I looked everywhere, and I asked everyone I could, but only Aidan Kingman had seen him. He said that Zach had run toward the back of the school, after me, and that a lot of shouting and flashes of light were coming from there before I came back.

  Without saying anything to him, I ran to the trees, praying that Zach is still alive. I kept running, entering the field I was battling Lucas in before.

  I wasn’t able to stop, running into him. He caught me, holding me up and staring at me.

  He’s—Oh, thank God, he’s alive. . .

  Zach stared at me, and then he and let out a large breath of air, pulling me to him. The tears in my eyes brimmed over.

  “You’re okay,” he whispered, looking at me, holding my face. “You’re okay.”

  “I’m okay, Zach. Are—Are you?”

  He nodded.

  “I went looking for you, but I found Adler instead.” He took a breath. “I—I killed him, Em.”

  I stepped back from him, shocked, and looked around.

  Lucas is lying spread-eagle on his back, his eyes still open. His face is chalky white, as is the rest of his skin. His eyes hold a blank look, and a line of red- blood?

  - rests on his chest.

  I looked back at Zach.

  “Thank you,” I whispered.

  “He kept saying he was going to hurt you, and I couldn’t let him. The wa
y he was saying things—it was sickening.”

  I frowned; I know that tone of voice, coming from Lucas Adler.

  “But he’s gone. Lucas is gone now, Zach. You saved me. You’re keeping your promise.”

  “Which one would that be?”

  “Protecting me.”

  Zach’s eyes flickered between mine, but then he pulled me to him again, kissing me. He rested his forehead against mine.

  “I will always protect you.”

  I took Zach’s hand without another word and led him out of the trees. We found Jessie standing with our parents and Ian, who assured us that they would see us soon. They loved us, but their homes and lives were still on e2. We knew that was true, even though it pains us to say good-bye to our families. Niall and the Gnomes left after they saw Zach and I were okay, and then we were back on our planet. Our parents and Ian gathered Addy and Clara, and then they were gone.

  The Council asked us nothing until we had finished dinner, and we recounted what we knew. Namely: that Lucas and the Abarims were gone for good.

  “Please go relax,” Galaxia insisted. “This day has been far too taxing for you.”

  We nodded and headed upstairs, saying good-bye to Jessie when we entered our room. Zach closed the door, and I went around to sit on the couch.

  I took a breath to steady myself, pressing my hands against the couch.

  “Em?”

  Zach sat next to me.

  “Is it really over?” I asked, looking at him. “Is all this over with?”

  He held me to him. I didn’t realize I had been shaking until his contact stopped it.

  “Yeah, it’s all over, Em.” He took a breath. “Adler is never going to bother us again.”

  “I love you, Zach.”

  “I love you, too, Emma.”

  All this—All this is over with. Lucas Adler is gone, but I still can’t be with my family. I guess—it’s better this way. Just because Zach and I aren’t—normal doesn’t mean our families can’t be. Besides, now that Lucas is gone, our beloved e2 is free again.

  Enchanted

  The Council came to Zach and I three days later,

  handing us a key.

  “What’s this for?” Zach asked.

  “Your cottage.”

  I raised an eyebrow, asking, “Cottage? What

  cottage?”

  “The one on e2,” Louisa clarified, a smile tugging

  at her lips. “Sitting in the woods in the crevice of a

  mountain.”

  “I’m still not following,” I told them.

  “For your honeymoon,” Mab clarified. “You

  haven’t had the chance to have one, and now that e2 is

  safe. . .”

  Horatio added, “And Jessica will be able to spend

  time in Capitol City, should she wish to.”

  “I wish to!” she shouted, rushing over to us. “I

  missed the first part, I’m sure, but I get to go to e2 for a

  while?”

  “Yes. Emma and Zach will most likely not be

  here,” informed Galaxia.

  “We won’t be,” Zach and I said together. “Where are you two going?” Jess asked.

  “We’re going on our honeymoon, Jessie.” Her nose wrinkled.

  “Definitely not staying with you two.”

  “Where is this place?” Zach asked.

  An image of a most beautiful little cottage, with a

  front porch and paned windows, appeared in my mind. I

  grinned at Zach.

  Perfect.

  ****

  Zach and I left the next day. The cottage is

  between two large mountains, resting along a riverbank. The trees are the most perfect forest green, the grass soft on our toes.

  The cottage itself is one-story, with a thatch roof and lace curtains in the windows. There is one bedroom, a small bath, a living room, and a kitchen. Everything was so quaint, so very comfortable. We wandered through the rooms, coming into the bedroom last. There was a door that led out to a back porch, and a closet to the side. The bed itself was large, with a thin, veil-like curtain surrounding the whole of it.

  Zach lifted me up into his arms immediately, and I laughed as we fell through the curtains onto the bed. He kissed me, and then his jacket was off, and mine was. . .

  “I love you,” I murmured against his lips. His blue eyes met mine.

  “I love you too, Em.”

  ****

  I walked out of the room onto the front porch,

  staring at the forest. The rain storm had ended, but only recently. The trees were still dripping with water, as was the roof of the cottage. I inhaled the scent of the pine dripping with rain and smiled. It was perfect.

  Zach and I have been here for almost a month, never straying too far from the cabin in case someone was foolish enough to come through these mountains.

  I just had to get over my nervousness and ask Zach—

  “What’re you smiling about?”

  I opened my eyes, seeing Zach standing next to me.

  “It’s perfect here. We couldn’t have found a better place for our honeymoon.”

  He smiled, leaning against the post that held the porch roof up.

  “No, I don’t think we could have. It’s. . . perfect.”

  I nodded, looking out at the land again.

  “It could have been home,” I murmured.

  “Wherever you are is home for me, Em.”

  I smiled at him.

  “Same.”

  I moved forward and kissed him lightly. Zach, however, had different plans. He pulled me closer to him, kissing me eagerly. But then he stopped, kissing my head.

  “I love you.”

  “I love you, too,” I said, but then I faltered.

  “What?”

  “I want something,” I admitted.

  “You know I’ll give you anything.”

  “You don’t even know what you’re agreeing to giving me!”

  He gave me a look.

  “Is it bad?”

  “No! It fits with perfection.”

  “Well, then? What do you want, Emma? I will do everything I can to give it to you.”

  I gnawed on my lip a bit more, but then. . .

  “I want a baby.”

  He didn’t look like he was in shock, but he was silent.

  “Zach?” I pressed, hesitant. “Say something, please. . .”

  He said nothing, but pulled my head to his and kissed me passionately. He lifted me into his arms, my legs locking around his waist. He carried me through the door. When he stopped, my feet touched the floor. Our eyes met.

  “I want a baby,” he mimicked.

  I stared at him, and then kissed him.

  Our baby. . .

  The story will continue in Bright Star Pronunciation and Translation

  Names

  Clara— KLAYRə

  Eamon— ay-mon

  Galaxia— Galək-së-ə

  Garders—GAHR-dares

  Kahi— KUH-hi

  Leora— LEE-OHRə

  Niall— neel

  Months & Days of the Week

  Sunday: Dieus (DEE-eus)

  Monday: Delos (DEL-os)

  Tuesday: Bellam (BELL-um)

  Wednesday: Theve (thev)

  Thursday: Myrn (mern)

  Friday: Fyn (fin)

  Saturday: Esvit (Es-vit)

  January: Jovis (joe-vis)

  February: Aurelia (are-el-e-uh) March: Jessen (jess-in)

  April: Alta (ahl-tuh)

  May: Levin (lev-in)

  June: Prosser (prosser)

  July: Mathis (may-this)

  August: Asenath (uh-sen-ith) September: Duerre (do-ear) October: Alsace (all-sis)

  November: Ott (ott)

  December: Rigel (ridge-el)