Yandel nodded and ran off.
Michael put his hands on his hips while shaking his head. Slavery. He hated it. He took a deep breath and then went for a jog on the cobblestone pathways. His thoughts went back to how Aveena could run so much faster than him, and he wondered how she was able to do it. Not all of the Raluzan women had super abilities like Tayen and Yasmine. It was just something in their genes that made them that way, and there were a lot that still had natural strength. It had to be Aveena’s powers that helped her run so fast. There was no way that she was actually stronger or faster than him. Not naturally at least.
Michael picked up his pace. He transitioned from a jog into a sprint. A few Knights turned to see him running and looked befuddled, as if they had never seen anyone work out before. They must not have thought much about staying in shape around here.
Once Michael finished his run, he went back to his cabin to take a warm bath and grab a bite to eat. When he finished, he dressed in a clean pair of clothes and went out to explore the Gem Quarter on his air board.
There wasn’t much to the quarter, and he actually found himself a little disappointed. Sure, there was plenty of life and positivity going around, but for some reason he just expected more. This was supposed to be the richest quarter in the city. He thought that it would be more like the world that he was always told about. The Western Kingdom, the City of Gold. This was nothing like he had imagined. It was just a better Zyla, and nothing more.
Michael stopped at a small market and grabbed a few things that he would be needing, like a staff ball holster. Surprisingly, it was very cheap and he went back to his cabin feeling good about how little he’d spent.
The sun was finally settling and he couldn’t wait until he got to meet with Aveena again. He only hoped that she wasn’t having any mood swings.
~*~
Michael landed back on Aveena’s stone balcony and stepped off of his board. He slowly approached the curtains, but stopped right before entering. He suddenly felt the need to have permission to enter her room. Last night, he had just walked in without thinking, and now he realized that he could have entered when she wasn’t dressed. As much as he wanted to see her without her clothes on, he knew that it would ruin any good in their relationship.
Michael didn’t see the light from a fire illuminating through the bottom of the curtain, and he wondered if she was sleeping. Maybe he had come too late? He wanted to make sure that there were no Gem’s out to see him flying to her room, so he waited a little longer before coming to visit.
He cleared his throat in hopes that she would hear him, but there was no response. “Good night,” he whispered with a shrug.
There was a giggle on the other side of the curtain and Michael’s heart leapt. Aveena knew that he was here and was standing right behind the curtains.
Michael smiled, “Will you be coming out Aveena?”
Aveena slowly moved the curtain out of the way to see Michael standing right in front of her. She had dreamed about this moment only hours ago and couldn’t get herself to fall back to sleep. No matter how hard she tried to force Michael out of her head, she somehow convinced herself that it was okay to think about him. He may not have known it yet, but they were meant to be together. She had been having premonitions about them being together since the day that he had tackled her down the tunnel. What scared her was that she couldn’t see him further into the future.
“Hi,” Michael said. It must have been a long day, because her beauty struck him like lightning.
“Hi,” Aveena bit her lower lip. She could see the same look in his eyes that she had once saw in someone else’s. “A-are we going for another ride tonight?”
“Do you want to?”
“Yes.”
“Then yes.” Michael walked back to his board and stepped on it. “And how about you lead the way tonight?”
“What? I don’t know how to fly on one of those. I could barely even balance myself last night.”
“You were balanced well with my help. I won’t let you fall, I promise.” Michael glided in close to her and held his hand out for her to take it.
This time Aveena didn’t hesitate and took her knights hand. She stepped onto the board with confidence that he wouldn’t let her fall, and then let him guide her around to face the other direction.
Michael held her by her midsection again and leaned his head over her shoulder. He felt a little more confident with her since she believed that he wouldn’t let her fall. She was actually starting to trust him, even after he had almost betrayed her. He was happy that he had her trust now, even if it was only a little.
“Slightly lean your body weight in the direction that you want to go. To get higher, all you have to do is put a little pressure down with the tip of your toes, and to drop low, with your heal. This board is very sensitive, so try not to go overboard,” Michael chuckled.
Aveena’s neck tingled as Michael’s warm breath blew against it. She tried to ignore her sensitivity to him and nodded. “Okay.”
Michael chuckled, “I didn’t take you as the nervous type.”
“What?” Aveena frowned.
“You’re shaking.”
“It’s just because you want me to control the board tonight. No other reason.” Hopefully, she didn’t sound so obvious.
Michael just laughed, “I didn’t expect there to be any other reason. Is there?”
Aveena turned her head just enough for him to see the mischievous grin forming on her lips, then she put a slight pressure on her toes and they shot up into the air.
This time Aveena didn’t catch her heart in her throat like she had yesterday. Michael had a firm grip on her, and he wasn’t going to let her go. Besides, in the position that they were in, his boots weren’t going to let him fall backwards, and she was resting her back against his chest.
Aveena laughed as they shot through the clouds. Once they were high enough, she leveled them out with ease and then shot them across the sky. She wanted to fly the air board far away from the Kingdom with Michael and never come back, but as long as her brother lived here, she would stay. She loved Avon and held onto what they used to have before their father was killed, but she knew her brother was never going to believe her about Lavier and his sinister ways. He just couldn’t be convinced.
Aveena and Michael soared through the night sky under the moon and stars. As if on que, Aveena spread her arms out and let her head lean back on Michael’s chest with her eyes closed. At this moment she felt free, and she wished that she could feel this way forever, but forever wasn’t promised for the two of them. She couldn’t see a future with Michael no matter how hard she tried.
Tears formed under Aveena’s closed eyes. Her lips trembled, but she didn’t let a sound escape her lips. For once, she didn’t feel alone. She really wished that this night could have lasted forever...
When they got back to the balcony, Aveena was exhausted. There were only a few hours left until sunrise, and she could finally get some sleep. She stepped off of the board and instantly missed Michael’s body heat. She fought the urge to turn around and face him as she walked back to her room.
“Aveena,” Michael called.
She stopped, but didn’t turn around. She didn’t want him to see her gloomy expression, or to wonder what was wrong with her. She didn’t want to tell him that she couldn’t see his future as clearly as she saw everyone else’s, or that he didn’t even exist a few years from now.
“Everything will be alright. I hope you know that?” He reassured. “Whatever is bothering you, it’ll be okay. I won’t let anything happen to you. I’m going to change this Kingdom back to the way that it used to be, and I’ll make sure you get to take your place as Queen.”
When Aveena didn’t respond, Michael left.
“I really wish that were true Michael,” She said to herself before walking through her curtains and going to bed.
Michael knew that something was torturing her inside, but he had no clue
as to what it was. It clearly had something to do with why her mood changed so drastically. One moment she was happy, and the next, she was sad or angry. It reminded him of his mother after his father had gone missing. One moment she would be laughing with him and Anthony, and then the next, they were trying to console her as she cried. He really hated those days.
Chapter 11
Michael didn’t go back to his cabin that night. Instead, he went through the tunnels near the pond to go and visit Tayen at the bar. He had been away for what felt like forever, and he needed some sort of guidance on what he was supposed to do next. He really wanted to protect Aveena and save Raluza, and just wasn’t exactly sure how.
Michael took the tunnel that he and Aveena led Clay to and followed it all the way back to the Ponz Quarter. Once he came out through the tunnel in the back alleys, he glided to the bar. He stepped off of his air board on arrival and snapped it to his back, then pushed the door open and walked inside.
Tayen had never locked the doors, just in case someone were coming back late from a mission. The Ponz people were too afraid to break in, so that wasn’t a matter that they ever had to worry about.
When Michael stepped inside, he took a deep breath and closed his eyes. He loved his cabin back in the Gem Quarter, but he was starting to feel a little home sick. He’d lived with Tayen for five years straight, and now he was living two quarters away.
The bar was surprisingly quiet, and he hoped that nothing bad had happened while he was gone. He walked over to the bar counter and looked from left to right to see that no one was there. After deciding to try the basement, he walked behind the counter, lifted up the wooden door, and took slow steps down the stairs.
When he got to the bottom of the steps he didn’t see anyone around, but the light was on. Where was everyone? On quiet nights like this they would be going over a mission right about now.
Michael sighed and was about to head upstairs when he heard his name.
“Michael.” It was Tayen. The last time he’d heard her voice she was almost growling at him, but this time it was soft and welcoming.
Michael turned around to see people from the organization gathering around Tayen from the darkness.
“Tayen,” Michael sighed. “I didn’t think that you were down here.”
Tayen slowly walked towards Michael, expressionless. He didn’t know what to expect, and hoped that she wasn’t planning on slamming her fist into his face again. His cheek hurt that entire day.
Tayen stopped in front of Michael and looked into his eyes. When she stepped closer to him he stumbled back, but she caught him before he fell and smiled, “Welcome back.” She pulled him into a hug. “I’m sorry.”
Michael hugged her back, missing her flowery scent. “All is forgiven.”
Tayen pulled away and looked him over. “You don’t look half bad in that uniform.”
“Don’t fill his head with lies,” Lennie scoffed emerging from the darkness. “Michael, you look terrible.”
Michael smiled, “I’m feeling a little jealousy radiating off of you Len.”
Lennie chuckled, “Not in the slightest”.
“I agree with Lennie,” Clay said. “That doesn’t look good on you. I know, ask the Princess to get you some new gear.”
Ty’ere and the others surrounded him as well. Some were his friends, and the others were just members of the organization. Everyone wasn’t here today, just mostly the elite squad and some of the stronger fighters.
“What are you guys planning tonight?” Michael asked.
“A mission in the Zyla Quarter. Before I explain that to you though,” Tayen started, “I need to know about what you’ve been up to. Clay has told me about you and Aveena helping him escape. She isn’t a threat?”
Michael shook his head, “Not in the slightest. The King actually wants to kill her, but he’s been waiting for her seal to fall off.”
Tayen nodded, “I had no idea that the seal could protect her from death.”
“Only intentional death. If someone was trying to kill her, it would protect her, but it doesn’t protect her from natural causes,” Michael explained.
“Understood,” Tayen nodded her head in thought.
Joctus stepped up beside her, “Perhaps we could use the Princess?”
Tayen looked back up and smiled, “That’s a great idea. What better way to take the Kingdom down, then to use the Princess herself. She needs to break the seal.”
Michael’s eyes grew wide, “You did just hear me right? When the seal is broken, Lavier plans on killing her.”
“And I’m guessing he’s hoping that she has no control of her powers when the seal fades, but if she knew how to use them, then she could fight back.”
Michael poked his lips out and put all his weight on one leg. That was a good plan indeed. “So, all we need is for Aveena to come into her powers? She can easily take the crown after doing that.”
Tayen nodded. She looked into Michael’s eyes and gave a slight smile, “I was wondering when you were going to meet a girl.”
Michael eyes widened with embarrassment, “Wh-what?”
“Michael has fallen for the Princess,” Clay laughed.
Michael chuckled, “I’ve only known her for a few days.”
“Oh, you’ve known her longer than that,” Tayen said. “You have your memory back.”
Michael smiled. Tayen could read him like an open book.
“So, your mission. Michael, you are to help Aveena break the seal and control her powers. She needs to be ready for Lavier when he comes after her,” Tayen instructed.
Michael could feel his face growing hot, and Tayen couldn’t help but laugh. She also knew why Aveena’s seal hadn’t fallen off yet. The princess was still a virgin.
“Do you think that Lavier knows why she hasn’t lost the seal as well?” Michael asked.
“I suppose he does. He actually might be counting on you to break it,” Tayen said.
“That makes sense. He knows how vulnerable the Princess is,” Michael sighed. “So, we’ll have to do it without him finding out.”
“Am I missing something?” Lennie asked. “How is Michael supposed to help her break the seal?”
Ty’ere smiled, “He has to take her virginity.”
Clay and a few others laughed. “My friend, aren’t you a virgin yourself?”
Michael sighed and shook his head. Tayen gave him a look that said sorry.
“Everyone, quiet,” Joctus interrupted. The room was instantly quiet.
Tayen licked her lips, “I know that this must be a bit much for me to ask, and it may be too soon for you and Aveena. I’m not even sure if you two are bonding well, but the sooner that you break the seal, the sooner we can end this.”
Michael nodded, “I understand.” He didn’t know how he was going to get Aveena to go through with it, but he’ll try to convince her somehow. He wanted their feelings to be mutual before they made a move like that. The two of them hadn’t even kissed yet! “There’s something else.”
Everyone silently waited for Michael to speak.
“Speak up Michael,” Joctus said.
“It’s about the previous king. King Xavier. He didn’t die of natural causes. Lavier poisoned him. Aveena had a dream about it—she can see things—and when she confronted him, he tried to kill her. When that didn’t work, he threatened to kill her brother.”
It seemed like everyone in the room gasped. When Michael looked around he saw that they were all bowing their heads in a moment of silence. Xavier must’ve been a great king.
“Thank you Michael,” Tayen stated. “His death was so sudden. None of us were prepared for it.”
Michael nodded, “I wish I could have had the chance to meet him.”
Tayen’s eyes lit with a mixture of joy and sorrow. “He was an amazing man. Kind of like a father figure to everyone in his Kingdom. Kind, loving, and he always kept the peace. When he died, all the peace that we had…” Her low voice trailed off.
Joctus took a deep breath, “We will get that peace back. Even if we have to take it by force.” He turned to Michael, “We are all depending on you Michael. We can help from the outside, but you are the only one on the inside. Get the Princess to break the seal, and help her control her powers. This is all new for you, but I know that you’ll figure something out.”
Michael nodded again, “Yes, sir.”
The room was quiet for a moment, and suddenly Michael felt like a huge weight was put on his shoulders. This was only a small portion of the organization, but there were many others, and they all depended on him now. The entire Western Kingdom was depending on him.
Tayen gave him a reassuring smile, but then her face went hard again when she turned around to face the others. “Now, back to the mission.”
Michael lifted his chin with excitement. He wanted to join in on one of the missions. Just because he worked in the Palace didn’t mean that he couldn’t help his friends.
Tayen started giving instructions on the next mission.
~*~
“Michael!” Aveena yelled. She was standing at a far distance away from the fight, but she could still see Michael and the Knight fighting against one another. Behind them was a barn being burned to ash, and a few other Knights fighting against members of the organization.
Aveena’s head snapped back to Michael when she heard a loud clanging sound. It was the Knight’s sword against Michael’s staff. Michael was able to hold his ground against the Knight, but he wasn’t able to deliver any blows to slow him down.
Aveena could feel a burning sensation on her chest where the seal was placed. She could feel the power within her rising, trying to force its way through, but nothing happened. The seal was too strong, and she didn’t know how to direct the little power that was able to slip through.
Another clang sounded and Aveena’s heart stopped. Michael was on his back now, holding his staff horizontally to block another attack from the Knight.
Aveena: The City of Gold (The Black Knight duology Book 1) Page 14