by Dani Hoots
The guards took their sentry positions outside the door as we entered Michael’s office. It was just the three of us now. Michael sat with his feet up on the desk, smiling as we walked in, seemingly oblivious to the chaos outside. I could see ships exploding behind him through the glass wall, but he didn’t care about the lives being lost right outside his window. All he cared about was having his prize: me and my throne.
“Why, Angela, what a lovely surprise,” he took his feet off the table and stood up. I had never seen him in such a happy mood, which made me even angrier. All that death that was just beyond that glass, yet he had a smile on his face. He reminded me of Loki, the ancient Viking god striving to be the ruler and only causing chaos—he definitely did not have the right to rule my people.
I glanced around before answering, trying to calm myself down and keep a level head. There, above the fireplace still hung the picture of my grandfather. I recognized him now, and remember the war that he had fought in. The war that brought Michael’s people under Cartrefian rule. I wished that war had never happened, that none of my family was like the monster that he was. But they all were, except for me. “You aren’t going to get away with this Michael, mark my words.”
“Oh really? You mean the air raid that your dear Emmerich and Galaftns have started? The one Isaac warned me about? That reminds me,” he pressed a button on the desk. “Markus, will you tell the guards it is time to push back the attack? Oh, and start up the automatic guns while you are at it. It’s about time we show them who is truly powerful.”
I stared at him, unable to believe my ears. So I was right, there was no person on the inside, it was all part of Isaac’s treachery. The automatic weapons were functional and we would be destroyed in a matter of seconds.
“Yes sir,” came the reply.
Michael grinned. “Thank you,” he turned back to me. “Now the war has begun.”
I watched as hundreds of craft came out of nowhere and began to attack my people and the Galaftns. I covered my mouth in horror as many of them were shot out of the sky. Even the warcraft were having trouble keeping aloft under the relentless fire. I knew some of the ships had made it into the palace, but Michael’s men may have already gotten to them. We had lost the only weapon we truly had—the element of surprise. We were screwed.
Not able to keep my eyes from the glass, watching as many more craft crashed into the city. A fire had started in the distance. My city was being destroyed and it was all because of Michael. How I wanted to punch him right then and there but with Isaac’s dryll pointed at me, I knew I wouldn’t get far.
One of the warcraft seemed to be wavering a bit in the sky. I prayed to the gods it wasn’t Emmerich’s. I couldn’t tell from this distance. Our craft were trying to retreat back towards the ocean, but they were encircled by a legion of Michael’s ships. We were done for.
“Why?” I whispered.
“I already told you, I don’t believe in your ideas of peace. The Cartrefians demand power, to be the strongest beings on this planet! We can’t allow the Galaftns to take over. We can’t.”
“They aren’t trying to take over!” I yelled back. I was sick of his sadistic view of the world. I was sick of war and death. “We are saving each other the misery of a war! We are bypassing the grief and sorrow of losing our people! But you have brought all of that upon my city and I will not allow it!”
He shook his head and came out from behind his desk. “You think you can trust them? Do you remember what the Goedwig did? Do you remember why your grandfather attacked them? Because they wanted to hurt us just like the Galaftns! You are more naive than your parents gave you credit for.”
I attacked him. I don’t know what came over me but I tackled him onto the ground. I was tired of people calling me weak. I was fed up with it all. It was my turn to fight back—and as an alternate to words, I decided to use my fists. I guess it triggered memories of when we used to fight as children because I punched him again and again in the face like an angry child. But instead fighting over a toy, I was hurting him because he had destroyed so much goodness in this world and no longer deserved to give me that smile, to have my trust or my friendship. At that moment I realized I couldn’t let him live a moment longer.
Isaac pulled me off of Michael before I did any real damage. He did have a bloody nose though, which I was rather proud of.
Michael tried to staunch the blood coming out of his nose. “You hit me,” he said in disbelief, unable to comprehend the fact I had caught him off guard.
“You deserved it, and you know what?” I quickly pulled the knife out of my boot and stabbed Isaac with it, slicing him in the throat. I didn’t hesitate to kill him, not after what he did to Elwood—and to me. I was sick of being helpless, and of being nice and sweet. This was war and I was finally facing it. He made a gargling noise as he fell dead at my feet.
I grabbed his dryll and pointed it at Michael. “You are a dead man.”
Michael stared at me for a moment and then started clapping. “My my, has our Angela finally grown up?”
I waved the dryll again. “Don’t mess with me, Michael! I mean it!”
He laughed as he came closer, ignoring my treat. “I don’t think you have it in you to kill me.”
I gestured to Isaac’s body. “Want to bet?”
He stopped and looked at me appraisingly. “If I had known you would go to such lengths for your empire, I don’t think I would have tried to kill you.”
“What, did you think I would just stand by and watch you rule? Watch you destroy this planet and bring war and chaos wherever you went?”
He shrugged. “Truthfully? Yes. Even once I knew you were back, I didn’t really think you would go to these lengths. I mean, I knew Emmerich had an army, but that didn’t mean you would lead it or come after me yourself. I’m impressed, Angela, you actually are standing up for what you believe in.”
“I will always stand up for what I believe in. I always have. I never let you or my parents tell me what to think or say—or how to lead—and you know that.”
“Yes, yes, and it has made you so weak. Look at us now, if you were anything like your ancestors, you would have never let me get this far.”
I shook my head. “Don’t make me tackle you again.” I pointed at the speaker. “Call off the attack. Tell your men to stand down.”
Michael did as I said and reached for the intercom. He pushed the button. “Markus, tell the men to stand down.”
“Sir?”
“Do as I say.”
“Yes, sir.”
Michael gestured to the window and I watched as his men left the battle. I had won. After all of this, I finally had beaten him. I took a deep breath. It was over.
Of course, it could never be that simple.
The door behind me opened and as I turned, Michael slammed something into my back. I hit the ground and my dryll slid across the floor. Michael grabbed it.
“Ah, ah, Angela. I don’t think so,” he pointed it at me. “You need to learn to keep your eyes on your opponent.”
I glanced over to see Markus. So he did have a backup plan. I was impressed—mad that I hadn’t thought of it. But it didn’t mean the fight was over. No, this was just the beginning.
“Is that everything sir?” he asked.
“Yes, that will be all.”
I glanced back at the window. His ships were back. I was a fool. Michael had always been one step ahead of me. I didn’t know what to do—he had me exactly where he wanted me.
“So this is it? You’re going to kill me?”
He shook his head. “No, I think making you watch as your people suffer will be even better.” Michael slammed his foot down on my right hand. I screamed. “In case you have another hidden knife, I want to make sure you can’t use it.”
I cradled my broken hand and looked up at him. “You are a monster, you know that?”
“Oh, I do. But gladly, I don’t have a conscience,” he smiled and gestured to the window.
“Now watch as your people are shot out of the sky, each and every one of them.”
I couldn’t help but to look. Craft after craft crashed, pouring chunks of flaming metal onto the city. I should have shot Michael when I had the chance. It was all my fault. I shouldn’t have hesitated.
Everyone I cared for was dead, and if they weren’t, they soon would be.
“Michael, I give up. Please, call them off. You’ve won.”
“Tsk, tsk, Angela. That’s not how a battle is won. You have to fight until the very end. Have you learned nothing?” He jammed the barrel into the side of my head. “Although, I cannot wait until I have the pleasure of blowing your brains out. I have been anticipating for so long the chance to watch you die. Maybe I will be generous and kill you now so you don’t have to watch the rest of the show.”
“Not if I have anything to say about it,” a voice came from the doorway.
I looked up to find Emmerich standing there with a dryll pointed straight at Michael.
“You’re” I began, not able to believe that he was still alive, let alone really there.
“Did you really think I would leave you, Angel? I knew we had a traitor, I just never thought it would be Isaac.”
“Give up, Emmerich, there is no way you are going to win this war,” Michael waved the dryll back and forth between the two of us. “Not if you want your precious Angel to survive.”
“I’d rather die than let you rule!” I shouted.
“I bet you would. However,” Michael pulled me up and held me like a shield between them. “I don’t think Emmerich would like that,” Michael put the barrel back against my head. “Isn’t that right?”
Emmerich stared at him, then dropped his dryll. “No. I wouldn’t.”
Michael laughed as he kicked it away from Emmerich’s reach. “If it wasn’t for your love for her, you probably could have taken me on. Too bad you let your emotions get the better of you. What a pair you make.” He pointed the dryll at him. “Goodbye Emmerich, I’m not going to miss you.”
“No!” I elbowed Michael in the throat and shoved the dryll away from Emmerich. A shot fired towards the door, leaving a scorch mark. He dropped the dryll and I jumped for it. Emmerich went for Michael.
I recovered it and watched as Michael and Emmerich tumbled on the ground, throwing punches and wrapping each other’s hands around each other’s throats. I tried to aim the dryll at Michael but I couldn’t get a clear shot. They rolled out onto the balcony. Emmerich brought Michael up by the collar and punched him a few times. Michael grabbed Emmerich by the collar and pulled him as they both tumbled over the edge.
“Emmerich!” I screamed, running to the ledge and looking over.They were hanging below. I reached down to Emmerich with my good hand and he grabbed hold. With great effort, and by hooking my leg around a pillar. I was able to get him back over the balcony.
“Are you okay?” I asked.
He nodded. “Yes, but that is the last time I fight near an open door to a balcony.”
That seemed like a valid thought. I wanted to embrace him, hold him in my arms and make sure he was safe. But I couldn’t rest yet.
I crawled back to the edge and reached down, ignoring Emmerich’s protest. “Michael! Take my hand!”
He shook his head. “Why don’t you just let me fall?”
“You know I can’t do that.”
He let go of the edge and I grabbed him with both hands.
I yelled out, the pain of my broken hand resonating through my entire body.
“You are weak Angela! You bring yourself pain when you could just let me die like a true leader would!” Michael shouted.
Seeing Michael, some of the closest aircraft stopped fighting. The people on the ground were staring up at us. “Maybe a true leader would let you fall, but not a true friend.”
“You were never my friend,” he glanced down at the ground. “And I’m not letting you get what you want.”
He shook his arm and I lost my grip. I watched as he fell. Guards below moved out of the way as his body hit the ground.
“No!” I shouted.
“Angela, we have to hurry and stop his men before it is too late,” Emmerich said.
I nodded and went with him to where Markus was. He was very helpful with everything we wanted him to do, especially when he had a knife held to his throat. He called off the attack and I watched the aircraft retreat. It was over. It was truly all over.
“We did it,” Emmerich embraced me.
I didn’t say a word, but let his warmth help me forget all that I had lost. My cousin, my people, and, at one time, my best friend.
Once people realized Michael was dead, and learned the truth about what he had done, order was restored along with my crown. I addressed the people of Cartref; told them of my quest for peace, to end the needless loss of life on all sides, and what a worthy ally the Galaftns had been. I told them how a treaty with Galaftn could enrich Cartrefian life. The people finally realized it was for the best and the treaty became a reality.
Emmerich was named my second-in-command and a memorial was erected for Elwood. I wanted everyone to remember him, the one person in my family who had stood by my side.
The sea wall was demolished and the city began to thrive once again. As time went by, more and more hidden societies revealed themselves to Cartref. They realized I was different than my predecessors; that I stood for freedom and equality, and they didn’t have to fear us anymore. I had undone the wrongs of my family. I was no longer afraid I wasn’t strong enough. After all, peace was harder to wage than war.
Once all had calmed down, or at least what I considered to be calm. Emmerich and I finally got to spend some time alone. We took that vacation to a little house my parents owned a long time ago on the coast. I lay there on the sand, staring up at the sky as the waves gently touched my feet. The birds quietly cawed in the distant.
“It’s been a while since I have sat on a warm beach,” Emmerich said as he lay there next to me. I turned over and smiled at him.
“Oh? And when was that?” I asked.
“Not since high school when a group of friends and I went to Italy.”
I raised an eyebrow. “A group of friends? Or some girls?”
“There was a mix of us, yes. We were all from the same school. I didn’t think you would be one to get jealous, Angel.”
I shoved him. “I didn’t say I was jealous, I was just curious. You don’t talk much about your past.”
He shrugged. “There isn’t much to talk about.”
I watched him as he stared out into the ocean. I wondered if he was thinking about all of those people, and others that he had left behind on Earth. His mom. His dad. They had no idea where their son had gone. They hadn’t known for years now. And it was all because of me.
“You can go back, you know. We haven’t destroyed the portal yet, you could go back to them,” I said.
He turned to me, his eyes surprised. Emmerich shook his head. “No, I don’t want to go back. Angel,” he grabbed my hands and held them in his own. “I love you. Nothing changes that, I don’t ever want to lose you. Yes, I left loose ends on Earth, and yes I do miss a lot of things. But never did I imagine that in this place that I would find something as extraordinary as you. You are the only thing that matters to me. You are the only one I ever want to be with.”
“Emmerich, I love you too,” I kissed him gently on the mouth. I cared about him with all my heart, and it brought such happiness to me that he had felt the same way. “Maybe we could return and tie up those loose ends—”
He shook his head. “No, by my calculations, the next time we open a portal, it will be the last. The connection between the two worlds will disconnect and I would never be able to return here.”
“But what about your home? Can you really leave it behind?”
He placed his hand on my cheek and kissed me.
“Home is where the heart is,” he said.
That was when I knew I had
finally found my home.
I would like to say thank you to everyone who helped me on this project, including my editor Chantelle, Desiree for making the amazing covers for the series that I absolutely adore, my writing group in helping me figure out where to go with this series, and Marcy for formatting everything. I would also like to thank my friends for believing in me and help with bouncing off ideas with and reading a lot of my stories through the years. Lastly I would like to thank my parents for always supporting me and my husband who has to put up with all me and all my characters.
Dani Hoots is a graduate from Arizona State University with a Bachelor’s in Anthropology who loves anything with a story. She travels around the west coast working at comic conventions and selling her stories and murder mystery party kits. Currently she lives in Arizona with her husband and two cats.
Check out her website http://www.danihoots.com