by J Rose
#
“Parker.”
The knock on the door that followed seemed urgent and Brad’s voice told me that we had almost reached Cray.
“Parker,” Came Brad’s irritated voice once again. With a soft yawn, Lyric opened her eyes and offered a sleepy smile that told me she wasn’t fully awake. Something that I only confirmed when she shifted back to her own place and went back to sleep.
“Parker.”
“I’m coming.” I found myself saying while trying to talk myself into getting up.
“Fifteen minutes,” Brad called out before footsteps faded away.
By the time I was below deck, a few Nova soldiers were already carrying the sacks of food on deck.
“How much longer?” I questioned Spencer who was already helping carry things upstairs.
“Give or take an hour or two.” He spoke quietly.
“Cray guards are already circulating around the boat,” Brad spoke tensely.
“That was expected but they won’t engage unless we do.” My father spoke.
“And what do you suppose we do if they attack?” Brad questioned.
“Then we retreat. It would look bad if we fight back. It could be seen as an initiation of war and that’s something we don’t want.” Father spoke.
“We’re headed there anyway.” I thought to myself. Hoping that Lyric would be taken care of but I realized that we had no choice but to bring her upstairs with us. Crystal herself was being made to be there when we gave the food rations out. Based on the tense posture my brother carried I knew I wasn’t the only one worried about my mate’s safety.
“This wasn’t a good idea,” Green spoke once we were above deck.
“What now? You hate to get wet cat?” Brad spoke trying to lighten the mood. Above us, there were dozens of Nova officers already circling us trying to provide a perimeter of protection.
“I wish that was my problem. Lyric shouldn’t be here wolf.” Andrew spoke.
“I agree but Lyric isn’t just my soulmate. She’s going to be a queen.”
“Let’s just hope she stays your queen and you haven’t handed her to Cray today,” Green spoke.
“Parker. You should go bring her up yourself. I don’t think she’ll be able to handle this unless you're beside her.” Crystal spoke a look of worry on her face. With a nod of approval from my father, I found my way back downstairs. I could hear Lyric speaking. Her voice soft, afraid, but there was determination in her voice as she spoke.
“I shouldn’t be so afraid right?”
“Lyric. Fear is a natural feeling. Overcoming fear is what’s most important.”
“It’s hard. I don’t feel adequate enough to be queen or stand by Parker’s side at times like this.”
“You’re a strong person Lyric. The people will be glad to have a queen like you, and as a Nova officer I am glad to serve a future queen like you.” Maybe it was his tone or the way he was addressing her but as I peeked into the room Oliver sat beside Lyric. He’d taken her hand in his pressing a kiss to her knuckles and bowing his head.
“Oliver.” I found myself speaking, unable to contain myself, though I pushed my jealousy down my throat and offered Lyric a reassuring smile when she smiled back.
“Sire,"
“Head outside.”
“As you wish.”
“Good luck Princess. I will guard you with my life.”
“Thank you Oliver.” Another smile grazed her lips as Oliver left and I found myself feeling petty. I realized that whereas she had pushed me away in the beginning, she seemed to warm up to others quite easily. The way that Oliver spoke to her, however, spoke of someone who not only cared for Lyric but loved her as well. The look in his eyes told me that he too had seen what Cray, Green and I had all seen in Lyric.
“You shouldn’t worry. I’ll be by your side.” I found myself saying taking Lyric’s hand in my own when she walked towards the door.
“Nothing’s ever set in stone Parker. I’ve learned that.”
“You shouldn’t worry.”
“I feel like a burden right now.”
“You shouldn’t. What happened between us and Cray, was beyond our control.”
“I realize that,” Lyric says her hand tightly squeezed my own as we headed up deck.
The first person to stand beside Lyric was Crystal who tightly clasped Lyric’s free hand. Spencer then took Crystals’ left hand tightly. There were only a few miles left to reach Cray and already we could see dozens of people standing at the other side, waiting expectantly. There were a few boats surrounding what was the beginning of Cray land awaiting for Nova officers to drop the sacks of food. Above, a few flyers began to screech out a signal that it was safe.
The Kingdom itself looked like a wreck. Smoke and darkness seemed to cover the kingdom of doom. The people looked worn out and barely holding on to a bit of hope. A woman and a small child stood together. The little girl clasped onto a rag doll that looked to be made of nothing but an old sack and straw.
“Go,” Father instructed Nova guards firmly. One by one the Nova flyers all began to circle steadily above the sky dropping sacks into small rowing boats that had been set up by Cray people. A few of their own flyers met our own to catch more sacks to carry.
Another hawk sound emitted in the air, the hawk appeared to be rejoicing as it flew around the sky descending close enough to ground level slowly. It was clear that it was making its way to the woman and young child. The little girl smiled brightly, she herself looked haggard. A look of joy spread on her face once she was placed on the Nova hawk by her mother. The hawk’s feathers were covered in ash and a scar replaced its eye. The child laughed as the hawk took off with her, flying above the sky she waved at us. Lyric who stood beside me smiled and waved back at the little girl who seemed to want to reach out and touch us.
Everything vanished in one single second. It was like the devil himself had risen from hell when Maxwell Cray appeared in the sky. He rode a Nova vulture. The evil smile on his face maddening and menacing.
“Parker.” Lyric’s voice came frantically.
“Oliver,” I spoke before a screech was heard as an answer. More screeches followed and several Nova officers flew down.
“We need to get you out of here first. Crystal will come with you.” I explained to her.
“Parker. You can’t stay here he’ll,"
“I’ll be right behind you. I promise.” I assured her.
“Parker please.”
“Lyric we have to go.”
“Parker.”
“Lyric,” I spoke cutting her off.
“It’s you he wants.”
“He’ll kill you Parker. You can’t stay here either. Please come with me.” She cried
desperately. In the distance movement of cannons began to be heard up ahead, time was minimal.
“Let’s go come on,” Brad spoke.
*Boom*
With hardly enough time to spare, I found myself jumping on to the back of a Nova flyer. Oliver had taken off seconds before the cannon hit the boat. Ahead of us, I could hear Lyric screaming for me tears in her eyes as she looked back. It was hard to evade the bombs thrown our way. Cray’s own Nova’s flew after us. I could see the hawk with the child now attempting to stay in the air. The child clung on to him tightly. There was nowhere to head for them.
*Boom*
“Parker!”
#
(Lyric)
“Parker!”
It was like feeling a spike pierce down your throat, down through your stomach and pull itself out. The desperation that swept me up as I watched Parker fall with the impact of the blast shook my core and made my insides twist. I could hear Spencer yell out Parker’s name and second later he and the Nova flyer that carried him descended after Parker in an attempt to catch him.
The hawk that previously flown above us with the child had also fallen. It seemed to have wrapped its wings around the child protecting it and giving his life for her a
s she fell herself. Around me, the chaos continued. Blast after blast. The people that had been around us now began to run to safety.
“Oliver. We need to help her.” I could hear myself speak. My anxiety and fear had ridden so high in my chest I felt as though my heart would stop beating any second.
My mind continued to scream for Parker. The other part could see the child in the water, unconscious while her mother cried out to her on land.
“We need to go back! The child!” Met with only a screech as an answer I knew that Oliver was objecting. I could see Spencer fly beside us now with an unconscious Parker. Easing my heart just a bit, but I knew I needed to save her. With nothing but the instinct to protect, I found myself falling. I could hear people scream my name as I fell in the water. The sounds of the bombs never ceasing and the erratic chaos having wakened the water with its call of destruction.
Fighting against the tide I found myself swimming towards the unconscious child. Above me flyers fought one another, I was like carnage, their prey that was up for grabs. Oliver flew just above water fighting his way through so many Cray flyers that tried to attack me. Each breath I took came with a mouth full of salt water that scratched its way down my throat. The child remained afloat in the dead body of the Nova hawk. Reaching her was my only goal.
I could see him approach. Around him fire seemed to spurt around from the bombs. The flyer with him was hidden by smoke, it appeared Maxwell was floating on nothing but a cloud of smoke. Pushing past pieces of wood and fighting against the tied I could see the child only a few inches away. Reaching out to her, I pulled her beside me glad to hear Oliver’s screech that let me know he was close by.
“Take her!” I spoke placing her on his back and helping her hold on to him tightly.
“Take her!” I could hear myself speak before the air was knocked out of me.
The screeching of the Nova flyers around us continued to pierce throughout the sky. The air from my lungs was gone and I could feel the burn of the sea water I had swallowed compress my chest heavily with how fast we flew. A pale hand tightly grabbed my arm as I was dangled in mid-air like a rag-doll. His red eyes pierced through my soul with a fear that I recognized from our previous encounters.
“Let me go!”
“That’s not going to happen, darling,” Maxwell spoke, his blood red lips forming into a wicked smile.
“How stupid of both of you.” He continued. I could hear Nova officers continue to screech, Crystal, Spencer, Andrew, Brad, King Thomas, Jane all yelling my name. We flew past Cray, above the chaos, my arm felt like it would break any second.
“Let me go!” His laughter was hollow, sending chills up my spine. Maxwell then picked me up on to the Nova vulture he was on pressing my back harshly on to the flyer.
The panic that arose from me only increased as his hands went around my neck forcefully. My legs began to kick on their own, trying to free myself from him as he laughed. Picking me up in mid-air again; while all I could do was try to hold on to him as my arms flailed and I feared falling.
“Tell him,” He began his hold on my neck tightening.
“Tell him I can have you anytime I wish. Any second I want you will belong to me Lyric. Your life will be bound to mine forever and you will become my queen. And my mate.” His eyes seemed to turn a darker red, enjoying my struggle to break free of his grasp. With his last words, Maxwell suddenly lets go of me and I began to fall. I was his declaration, I was the cause of the chaos and the reason for today's deaths.
*Screech*
The air was knocked back inside me as I harshly landed on to Oliver’s back once more. There was no time to stop and the child that had been on his back was long gone. Behind us, there stood Maxwell above his Kingdom with a smile. The child now with her mother running further inside Cray.
The sky, the sea, and the universe itself seemed to know it. As I looked at an unconscious Parker flying beside me with Spencer on a Nova’s back I knew. War was inevitable. Not only was my being with Parker putting him at risk, but it put my loved ones and the entire kingdom in danger.
CHAPTER 21:
SILENCE
(Parker)
The ground shakes beneath my leather boots. The soft thump a rhythm that carries out softly through the night. It whispers in your ear, calling out to you. The trees shake with it, the sky silent, allowing the ground to speak.
*Thump, Thump, Thump*
“This is it,” I can feel it coming. War feels so close. The impact of the blast was not lost on me and though I want to open my eyes something is keeping me here.
“Am I dead?” I ask no one in particular. The grass is wet, I’m standing under that single tree once more. The leaves blow to a soft whisper and the call of war seizes. She laughs. Her laughter is soft, mischievous even.
“Up here Parker.” Angel sits barefoot, her hair is in tight curls as she smiles down.
“Lyric.”
“Is alright.” She interrupts.
“You're safe and so is she.”
“Now come on,” Angel speaks, patting the thick branch she has decided to sit on.
“Well?” She questions. With a sigh and realizing that there is no other option I climb up the tree easily and sat myself down beside her.
Angel doesn’t say much, instead, she gazes out, where there once was a large river. The tree seems to grow higher and higher until we’re practically in the sky once again. Below us, there is nothing but beautiful sceneries of mountains, green grass, clean air, and a beautiful lake.
“This place is beautiful isn’t it?” She asks quietly.
“Yeah.”
“I want to bring him here one day Parker. I want to be with him soon.” Angel whispers. There’s so much pain in her eyes and without her truly saying it I know who she’s waiting for. Her soulmate.
The quiet lingers crisply over the air, a gentle breeze has begun to whisper around us gently, swaying the motion of the trees to a soft dance.
“How does it feel… To die?” I find myself asking her and she laughs.
“No one experience is the same Parker. Mine was… different. It was dark and the lowest moment in my life.”
“I can see so much now, I can experience different lifetimes and. There should have been another way for me. And now, I’ve caused him pain and I’ll cause his...” She doesn’t finish. Instead, her eyes begin to look beyond and she smiles while tears run down her cheeks.
“Some things are out of reach for some of us. But not for you and Lyric. When the time comes Parker, you have to keep your head right.”
“There are some secrets that were meant to be kept until this point, so that the story may keep itself on the right course.” Angel cryptically spoke.
“I don’t under-”
“You're not supposed to understand Parker,” Angel says with a watery smile and a shake of the head.
“I’ve told you before. I was made to guide you and Lyric. But there’s only so much I can say.”
“Maxwell won’t stop. War is sure to come and then-"
“The people will understand. This had been a war that’s been prolonged too long. When the time comes, and it will be soon. You have to be ready.”
#
There’s a weight on my shoulder as I waken. The night is shining and as I stir and look down. Lyric is startled awake. The look in her eyes was filled with so much worry. As soon as her eyes meet my own they flicker first with relief and then sadness fills her eyes and tears stream down her cheeks.
“Lyric,” I whisper, my voice is groggy as I reach for her cheek to wipe away her tears.
“I’m alright,” I reassure her.
“I know.” She whispers back closing her eyes while she leaned into my touch. The gesture itself caused a small thump on my heart. We’d made so much progress in so little time and yet, there was much more to go.
“You’ve been out for two days. I thought.”
“Wolves heal faster than any other Nova.”
“
I know.” She whispered. Though as she spoke my eyes caught sight of her neck. Angry purple bruises had settled on her neck and as I reached to touch her gently she remained still.
“It’s going to happen isn’t it?” She questioned. The look in her eyes told me the words she didn’t want to speak.
“War.”
“This isn’t your fault”
“It is.” She interrupts her eyes lingering with sadness.
“He wants me Parker. And he won’t stop until he has what he wants.”
“Your father is trying to control the panic that is going through the people right now but it won’t be long before things unravel.”
“What happened to your mother?”
The question comes at random and I find myself unable to answer. The look in her eyes concerned as she continues.
“When the doctor came to look at you. I was outside waiting. The doctor. He mentioned to your father about. Your mother how she disappeared and.”
“Cray didn’t take her,” I assure her thinking back to when I was a child.
“My mother left us on her own accord. Where she went I don’t know, but she did it to seek her own happiness.” I tell her not wanting to relive that painful past anymore.
“I know you're afraid but you don’t need to be.”
“I’m not afraid for myself.” Lyric speaks, her eyes filled with more tears.
“That little girl and her father.” She whispers.
“That wasn’t your fault.”
“Wasn’t it?” She questions.
“All of this is escalating because of me and that little girl lost someone because I was there.” There was nothing more that I could say to offer her comfort except embrace her in my arms. She sobbed silently as she clung to me.
“I don’t think I’m strong enough to take this Parker. I wasn’t meant to be here,”